Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1883-11-30
Memphis Sewerage and Paving
as Seen by Others.
Kansas City Journal, AZ.

Kansas Oity Journal, AZ,
Mr.. G. w. Pearson, one Of the party
of Memphis excursionists, arrived
home yesterday, having remained over
a day longer down there, as stated in
yesterday mornings Journal, to inves-
tigate more thoroughly the separate
sewerage system, or what is known as
the Waring system about which SO
much has been said lately in connec
ton with articles that have appeared
in the editorial and local columns Of
the Journal. Mr.. Pearson acquired,
during his stay in Memphis, many ad :
ditional facts and figures end much
information in regard to the matter
and returns home more thoroughly
convinced than ever that the proposed
system OF having the sewerage carried
off separate from the storm water, is
the proper thing for Kansas City.
A Journal reporter had a few mo-
ments' conversation with the gentle
man last evening as he was on the
point of leaving for Leavenworth,
where he is engaged in introducing the
Waring system, during the course of
which Mr.. Pearson said:
II believed before going to Mem
phis that this city would be benefited
by adopting that system OF sewerage
to some extent. | have changed that
belief TO cover a much greater part Of
the city, that is where | before had
some doubts about the general adapt
ability Of the plan to Kansas City. |
now have none, and | am confident
that it can be successfully extended
over a great portion Of the city and
not confined to Dundee place or any
particular portion or tributary to
D. X. creek, as | before thought"
"HOw do the Memphians regard the
system2"
IN conversation with business
men l found only one opinion, and
that was that Memphis owes its pres.
ent prosperity to the sewerage system,
and that the system ful6lls every re.
quirement"
What did you especially observer"
II spent two days in critical exs
animation OF the details Of the system,
which, added to the fact that | have
been acquainted with it from the first,
enables me to judge quite fairly of its
merits and capacity of adaptation TO
our requirements. | had formed the
opinion that the work of sewerage was
better done there, mechanically, than
in ordinary practice. l find, on the
contrary, that it was done very hur-
riedly, with lack of much needed mtu
terial, and much Of the inspection
done by young and inexperienced
men; in fact, the usual result Of such
work is only too apparent and the sues
cess OF the work there is not, as |
supposed, due to unusual excellence
Of workmanship, but is in spite Of very
much bad work, more than enough, it
seems to me, to account for all the
little trouble they have had"
ibid you think TO notice the pave
ments of Memphis2"
81 did. We arrived there in a
heavy rain, which continued through
the next day, | took an umbrella and
went over the city in the rain, and
everywhere the bushes streets were
comparatively clean"
How about the crossings?"
There was no trouble Ia crossing
anywhere on account OF the mud; in
fact there was no mud to speak Of.
And such you say was the general
condition OF the streets under the
Warning system"
YES, as far as my observation goes.
and | am nearly as well acquainted
with the streets Of Memphis as Of this
city
What bedding is used for the paw
ing there2"
1.-THE bedding Of all pavements is
sand. No concrete is used any.
where"
Did you notice any catch basins2"
"There are probably not q dozen
catch basins in the city, and what few
there are are on some old sewer"
What becomes Of the rain water2"
ut all runs off the surface and thus
cleanses the streets"
What kind Of material is used il
paving2'
III took careful data OF their pave
ments, and fnd that all are Of lime
stone, or limestone and gravel, ex'
cept a little red cedar laid as Nichol
son"
DO you mean such cedar as ",
have2"
oh, no; the red cedar must not b,
e0nfounded with our white cedal
block"
(which city has the better pave.
mepts?o
Excepting this cedar | Just spok,
OF our pavements here are better thar
theirs"
"HoW do the amounts compared"
1.-THE amount Of unpaved streets arr
about alike in both cities"
Where does the difference CONT
Just here. The unpaved street,
ofboth cities are Of clay, yet Memphis
has shown that even with such clay