The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1878-01-20
NiehoIsoD Pavement.
nm Edllnr nL NM IIernll.

To the Editor NJ lhn iefhlu'
/ take tho liberty OF sending you the
following extract from q paper ON " he
Wooden payements Of Chicago, readily
Mr. f. A. Tax, before the civil engineers
club Of the north'vest,at It's last meeting,
IN IL may bo of interest to those IN pal'
las who may have studied over the prob.
lem of better streets for the metropolis
Of north Texas,
1T has been claimed that the busi,
ness portion OF the city should be paved
with stone, leaving the wood TO the resi'
dencO streets In my estimation the
valuable business property, ana the
busiest streets, IL the best able 10 afford
aud appreciate the luxury of this style
Of pavement think no one will deny
that tho Nicholson, Mt It's best, Is the
most agreeable, and for those travelling
upon IT, tho most economical ever lns
vented, not excepting the famous AS
phalt, The question then is, how long
Gun it be- kept at its best, or no nearly
40 AZ not 10 appreclably differ from it 2
! believe that 10y being properly laid,
and reasonably repaired, 1t will be bctN
tor for five years than stone pavement
ever IL, on our most heavily travelled
streets The present cost OF the paving
with six inch blocks one inch board
flooring and top dressing of tar and
gravel ~ about 81 % per square yard.
BY the special assessment system in
vogue in this city, the cost of paving
and repaying is charged to the abuttlng
lots, 40 that ut the above price the ems
tire repayng in front of twenty-five
foot lot, TO the center Of an eight loot
street, would be about $500 for five
years, or less than Sl7OO per year, a
sum insignificant NJ an item IN the
yearly expenses of one magnificent bust
ness buildings, 1t is doubtful II any
other pa, ement, however apparently
durable, could he put down, and mains
tanned for the same price
"lho Nicholson pavement IL cheap
and of pcrlshable material aud too much
has been expected of it, 1t should be
promptly replaced in advance OF its
total decay The general practice here
toiore has been to lay it carelessly
neglect it entirely use it for about
three years after it was worn out, and
abuse II Tor that time for its badness
forgetting the good service it did dur>
ing the first five or six years, and finally
take it up and put down another OF the
same kind,
1t is certainly reasonable to antici
pate that, with the more settled condi'
ton of streets, and with the reaction
that seems TO be already taking place
from the careless and sloyenly modea o
construction and neglect from which ii
has suffered, that we may yet ENJOY tn,
smooth, elastic and nolseless presence
of an old friend the Nicholson
pavement.
At the above estimate of 81 % per
square yard, under our system OF charg-
ing one,third of the cost OF grading and
paving, to abutting lots, and each side
of street, (the city paying the .other
one third), it would cost on Elm street
(Which is 60 feet wide between side
walks) SO 90 for each twenty-five feet
lot, or $l4 % per annum for five years,
the entire cost of repairing being borne
by the city. But on Main street, where
the street railroad would be compelled
to take care of five feet, being titty.hve
feet to be built, the cost of each twenty
five feet lot would only amount tc
$63 IS, or $l2 rs, per nnum Tor five
years,
If the bois dare is used, instead Of
pine, the pavement would endure tol
thirty years, .
W. Nj. JOHNSON.
January 18th, 1873. City Engineer.