Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1888-03-24

the wheels encroach upon the edges first,
which lmbed portion as bulwark and
only when very muddy sides drive it over
/ the gravel will team venture to travel
over the center. The coat is SO thick in
the center that while spreading somewhat.
1t never become too thin for a solid road
bed in the center. OF course the soil may
be IN each of these instances more solid
than ours, and require less care, but after
al ours can be made as good with a little
more care, but no more expense.
| But while the expense is too great by
present methods to secure the general i'm
provement OF streets, one of two things can
readily be done. The narrower the street,
the less the cost of making it and keeping
1t in repair, and the better the street can be
made. There is no objection to having a
narrow wharf where there are but few in
coming and departing vessels.
| The few constructed at first do not him
der wharves along the whole city front as
| our tonnage increases. 1t would be foolish
to build more wharyes than are needed,
because Of their general perishable nature,
| and the expense of repair would be great
when lumber is slightly advanced, as at
present The slow progress in grading our
| streets made heretofore is owing largely to
the cost of doing the whole thing at once,
| and the failure to stand When a man
marrles he builds two rooms, and generally
adds another as strangers arrive l once
| bought house that bad six rooms, and the
owner really began with one. So our streets
| will widen, if the first is well made and
| capable of increase.
The other thing that can be done is TO
| lessen the cost of grading and graveing
| While the plan I shall mention may seem
new and novel, l will say that more than
| toI : I'll
! and large experience, who did not quite
| agree with me. But there are some new
ideas in this plan. Now and then are
some graders of railroads who do APP
prove the plan, at least in part.
| The plan, in brief, is the construction of
movable but substantial trestles, to reach
| from Thirty-frst to Front street the lay
ing upon them OF iron rails the extension,
without trestles, beyond Thirty-first street
of the roadbed, to a sand-bar or gravel
pit; the loading of sand by means of steam
| shovels carrying yard or more of earth
ana gravel at each dip, and the dumping of
these upon the spot by movable bottoms of
the cars or by tipping them to one side.
| So far as these trestles can be made of
iron, and so far as the rails are concerned
they will cost but little more than they
will sell for. Whether old cars that are
scarcely fit for freight can be improvised
for this service will have to be inquired
into. The sand-pit, of course, would have
to be free from underground and large
roots, so that steam shovel could be
worked.
1t can be seen that this will very much
lessen the expense of grading and gravel
ling of streets and low lots. The city
should provide the trestles, the iron, the
cars, etc. The citizens along the line of
street to be graded would bear the balance
of the expense as at present. When one
street is graded the trestles must be moved
to the next. These cars can also be read
lily moved to either side of the street and
thus save rehandhng in large measure.
| The amount of filling used in our city is
enormous and the cost heavy. 1t is known
that grading is required, but very little is
attempted to cheaper that operation. The
gravelling is a smaller amount. but the
cost is much higher per load, and the two
| are heavy tax 20 Il city. 1t is worthy the
attention Of every citizen to facilitate these
operations ana cheaper the material and
work-as well as to improve our streets
and enhance the value of property.
| ! have not tried to count the cost of con-
struction Of such a railway, but if it should
reach several thousand dollars it is worthy
| of adoption iE the interest of improvement
and cost of work. f. NJ. SHIELDS.