, 1880-09-26
-. STONE VS.. WOOD,

CHICAGO, Sept. 25.-PIease allow me SPACE
enough In your valuable paper wherein to make
a few remarks on the subject of street pave,
1nent, partly TO confirm. and partly not, the let
ter written to you and published in your issut
Of the 10th inst from, Chicagoan - from New
YorK. In beginning,.I L want to thank tho gen.
t1eman for his information relative to different
kinds Of material used in the Eastern cities 70,
pavements, for, never having been any further
East than Michigan City, am almost entirely
ignorant But regarding Chicago, am bette,
posted, and desire principally to satisfy my OWL
feelings fully agree with him that cobbie-
stone is not exactly what re want to drive our
horses and buggies oyer, to have them COM
pletey racked and used up in u very short spnce
OF time. Mr. jones may run his horses over
them as much us he chooses, especially during
the winter season when they are all sleet, SHOW,
ice, etc.; but see very clearly that Chicagoan
las we'll as myself prefers something else.
Doubtless Mr. Chicagoan is I'll, or closely con-
nected with, wood paving business, while am
an unfortunate ''stone man," and when he. OBJ
5ects to stone in any form, why that tramps OH
my toes and compe1s me to speak out should
like to have the gentleman carry me In his bug
gy over some OF his blocked streets,-Loomis,
Aberdeen, Adams west Of Halsted, and great
many more could mention If space would per-
mit.-and should it happen to be on cold,
pelled to Gull On his carrfagemaker to insert a
copsoa pGags to re afr the
has boen down y two Or more years, ),
which cannot be easily repaired without going
to the expense OF tearing up and repaving with
that the modern way in which some Of our
streets are blocked is By no means In accordance
with the original method invented by Mr.
fre-viZ.: to first prepare the roadbed with good
sand rolled evenly with heavy roller; secondly,
to lay two-iuch plank firm and solid; next, and
most important part, blocks whose mean hight
exceeds four inches, laid carefully by hand. and
not thrown in BY the load, well Tiled with grayei,
thoroughly packed. and boiling tar poured in:
The above Is, to the best of my knowledge and
remembrance. the original way OF laying the
Nicolson pavement, and US for our modern way
Of numbering the gentiemans valuable inven-
ton. the reader can judge for himself.
So much for wood pavement: and now let tho
gentleman take a ride with me over some Of
avenue, south of Madison street, built some
eight Or ten years ago, which is in as good condi-
ton to-day as when built. without any repairs
stone put on some eighteen months ago, md
the property-owners generally. believe. are
proud OF their street. Likewise Warren avenue.
from Hoyne street west to cakley. We will now
go to West Chicago avenue, from Wood street
out TO what is known as Grand avenue, and be-
hold how it stands heavy teamtng. This macad-
amiZed road was built some two years ago under
the supervision Of Mr.: o. H.. Cheney, and tho
road is to-day In nearly as good condition as
Mhen e g LETT IT, en e use he
ask is to live as long. rs that road lasts
And as to its durability to stand heavy loads, I
can e. state from personal Il A9nowledge that east OF
Western avenue from 100 to 25o Ice and stone
wagons pass over 1t dnily with from 900 to 100
pounds net weight per load.
Having first rolled and prepared your road
bed, then pave IL by hand with large stone, from
seven to ten Inch cubes. laid with the fiat side
down IN close contact with each other; then put
about eight inches Of macadum stone, size from
two and half to three inches; then roll thor
ough!y unfit the stones are closely packed. 4
siderably; ard, last, top out the road. put two
inches OF fine stone screenings, then roll It as
before, and you will have street fit for your
carriage, truck, or omnibus to pnss over for
once in year, or, two Of dressing and
rounding up the road, you will have
q good road which costs but about 50 per cent Of
the price Of blocks, and lasts more than twice as
fong,-reatfy q saving of about Is per cent on
the whole to our propcrty-owners, saving the
taxpayer: being assessed every six or seven
years for special improvement in street-paving-
Several large Chicago capitalists who have be-
our streets are blocked at present with hemlock
and pine blocks are now tearing up the old rot
ted wood and in place using nacadam stone,
the stone and advertising for bids on rnacadum
more than most any other kind Of material for
streets, (which think bears me out in my asscr-
lion that ut present the stone is tnkng tho lead,
and not, as the gentlernnn saysor thinks that as
line progresses the people will throw out stone
entirely, for it will not be in his day or mine.
/ am just as proud, know, AS he is or can be |
of being resident Of Chicago; for I am and
have been for a quarter Of q century: / may
not be as old nor have had as much experience
Is he, but still I aIn voter and taxpayer, I
md feel deeply interested in the welfare and
progress Of our young. iourishing, and prosper
'us city. d. w. T.