Evening capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1888-1893, 1888-04-19
NACADANIzRG COMMERCIAL ST.
4 General Talk About City Improve
ments---The Streets and Alleys
Should he Cleaned.

along Commercial street would b
the most efiectual way Of keepinj
that much travelled thoroughfare il
permanent repair. Yesterday TIN
Statesman repeated our suggestion
and now it is cackling over its won
derful enterprise with immense en-
ergy. In our article we remarked
on the muddy condition of thai
street i'm the winter and the dust
that impedes traffic i'm the summer
and noted the fact that the money
cOnstantlyspentin patching its worst
places was as bad as thrown away
because these spots almost instantly
/ return to their condition of disrepair.
Macadam is the best dressing
because it is easily kept i'm repair,
and can be cut through at any time
when the water or gas main has to
be reached. But it will be expensive,
and it remains for the property
holders along that street to say
whether they approve the outlay.
The cost Of the improvement is the
first thing to be considered. The
macadam should consist Of layer
of crushed rock four inches thick,
and this covered with six inches of
gravel. The rock can be quarried at
no great distance, and the sand or
gravel is abundant. 4 rock crusher
will be needed, and this machine
could be procured i'm Portland.
The contract would be sub
mitted to competition, and if.
our intelligent city council did .
not award it to the highest
bidder as in the case of the city |
we will assume that the
work could be done for fifty cents Il
yard.
How will this figure up to the lot
'wner? say the road way is G6 feet
n - yards wide; at half dollar
ard, the linear yard would cost Sll.
.he lots, according to the original
Hat and subdivision, are s2I feet
vide, but we will take a frontage Of
. feet, the average width of II store.
his Is 81 yards, which imposes
ost of S0l.66 per macadam to every ,
tore building. This will be divided
II two, however, because the cost
will bc equally shared by property
oldcrs ON both sides.
If our estimate is correct the sum
I SIG speaking in round numbers
1scS~cd on every store building will I
irnish "A surface To our principal y
usincss street, that can he driven 4
yer without impediment i'm winter
summer, that will always he "
ear, will not cut into chuck-holes. e
nj will hc an adornmcnt To the b
ty. .
\ thing ut beauty is Joy forever =,
But it may be objected that the y
NnerS of residence lots will feel 81
lc burden, because they are NOT {
melted like the owners of busi. II
as property. This is true, and il -
not true; The cost ofthe improve y,
ont can be relieved of its burden &C
meness by making it payable i'm n al
lmher of annual instalments-fiyc NJ
ten years. And il will enhance :.
e value of their property five times =,
much as the cost Salem is p
out to take ON a grnWth
Ter a Rip Van Wrinkle sleen
p citizens arr awakmu In The ce
t that the world il coming 10 their IN
ors, and number of persons mn, II,
wing who ask admission. Our 49,
lperly will not hc sought after III
II increased prices paid, without Sh
effort ON our own part. IL first he
looNcs the city marshal Ia H. nj,
.llant I'M having the STREETS and
'Ns cleaned this is demanded Ter
Sc Tor our own health and ,on,-
~ FOR the effect tu he produced y
the minds of strangers Tbsn
old, dangerous and rickety biiIJ- VI
= should hc removed munN. TIVE
II aro To hc seen ON our str,fs abs
Ten ar of no use, offend the eve ,,.,.
aW liable to tumble down M w.
time and Kill am unotIanjin" ski
SON or dog. hnor wards ,houIi eur
ruamcntct i'm some towns mr. OR
ms are awarded Ia those citizens Nu
kNp the handsomcst lawns VI II
e started to discuss macadan, X 1
to Justify the outlay have heen cen
nlo the matter Of general i'm
tmcntS. We cannot haye a 4
thing without making same tcrd
e to obtain it, and the lesson wr -
a. 10 lnculcatc in this "bit ~ u"S
ing Is that II the prnrrrt,. disp
cr on the main stnSt am, h, II, a te
Pulnd To pay lihonlly To mend snoN
own ways, their fellow citizens ers'
ld comc to the r-cue and l,ar slral
an OF the cOS, MANY hands
p light work.
Ialf fnFHfa "a 4 -. nffF-