The daily Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1878-1???, 1880-10-02
THE GRAVEL QUESTION AGAIN.

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mayor and street committee, a number 0!
men, superintendent by Mr., Robert Beard,
boarded barge and LETT for Island No. /,
with view of bringingl back loaded witt
gravel for our streets These men have now
delivered two barge loads Of gravel at this
port, which was yesterday beng placed on
Commercial avenue below Sixth street.
and proves to be of q very
unsatisfactory quality. In fact the
entire mass as any one can satisfy himself
by looking at its chiefly composed of
sand with an occasional pebble, and is GER
tainly unfit even for temporary improve
ment of the street. OF course this gravel
if gravel it may be called-may be re-
garded as better than nothing, but it by no
means approaches, in quality, the gravel to
be had at Metropolis. This is not denied
by a single soul in the city, and ell express
the wish that the Metropolis gravel might
have been obtained. And why wasn't it
obtained?
This is question for the gods to answer
and is entirely beyond our comprehension,
The barges, at present used in the delivery
of the island gravel draw two feet and a
half of water when loaded, and since, even
at this low stage OF water, there are four
feet of water over the chain, it becomes a
riddle, indeed, why our authorities did not
take the same barges and run them up to
the Metropolis beds. Possibly they were
afraid that the river would, in q few days,
fall to such degree as to make tue return
of the barges impossible, but this fear, If
it was ever entertained-and we do not be-.
lieve it was-was certainly unfounded,
since there is not the slightest prob
ability OF the river fall
ING over few inches during the next two
weeks. But even admitting that it would
fall several feet, there would even then be
sufficient water over the chain to admit Of
the passage of the loaded barges over 1t.
The cause of these gentlemen's action must
then be sought elsewhere.
1t may be that they thought that too
great an expense would be incurred by the
use OF barges which drew only two and a
half feet of water, since they could carry no
very great amount at q time, and we are
free to admit that an extra expense would
have been incurred by their use, but they
might have obtained barges drawing three
or three and a half feet, and used them with
perfect safety. The gravel from the Island ,
in order to do the service of Metropolis
gravel, mus. be screened, and this, and the
work of placing it on our streets, can not be
done at cost less than three dollars per
cubic yard. Hence t will be seen that the
authorities could not have been influenced
in their action either by desire to obtain
the best gravel or to economic, and tins
would naturally lead one to ask by what
were they inhuencedl We don't know, and
arc inclined to believe that they don't know
themselves.
But there is another consideration. 1t is
this: The citizens who own property be-
low Sixth street are as much entitled to
a good and substantial street in front OF
their premises as are the property owners
above that street. The avenue below Sixth
is nearly as much used now as that portion
between Eighth and Sixth, and since the
freight depots are now all located in the
lower portion Of the city, will soon be sub
iected to as severe test as any street We
have. THIS being 50, 1t should have re-
ceived gravel fully as good rs that placed
elsewhere.
But enough. We have but few more
words to say, and they are, that although
Mr.. Chas. Nellis did not give bond tor thu
fulflment of his contract he, being prop
erty holder in this city, car
be held personally responsible, ant
the best interests of the city demand that hi
should be forced to do that which hi
agreed to do. BY so doing the city will
obtain splendid gravel for one dollar and
quarter per cubic yard. delivered on oul
streets, but, Of course, although there are
now four feet Of water over the chain, thu
authorities will not even ask Mr. Ncllis tt
do this. They would rather obtain poo
gravel from the island screen 1t and have