The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1889-12-21
DAVENPORT.
Some Notes from the Cities on the Missis-
sippi-City ROad-Making.

reSpOndence. II am now SOJOurnlng
in the beautiful city of Davenport, Ia,
situated on the north bank of the
Mississippi river, and looking into an
other city of equal importance on the
opposite bank, and still another
short distance beyond both in our
own state, for Rock Island and Mo-
line so jut into each other that none
but an expert can tell where the line
is that divides them. | am at present
denizen of leisure and have but little
else to do than to take in the various
sights of the town; to look into the
show windows of the merchants, and
the shops of the artisans; to look out
upon the beautiful river and to climb
the sloping hills that are back of it;
that are covered with handsome pub
lie buildings and private residences
and primeval forest trees: and to
watch the squirrel as he comes down
from the lofty oak and picks up an
acorn a few feet in front of me, and
standing upon his hind legs with
his bright eyes upon me W lille he
strips off the outer shell before he
ascends with it to his nest in the top
under. The squirrel is as tame here
more harmless He skips and plays
about you without fear of molestation,
and does not hide behind limb when
you approach him.
When | visited the Island few
days ago to take in the arsenal and
other splendid buildings that the
government has erected for the manu-
facture of the various appliances of
| anI cuhinUatinp thara WAC
nothing that pleased me so much as
walked through the beautiful
grounds as the sight of so many
squirrels running along the ground
and skipping from tree to tree, cross
ing my path in every direction, innO-
cent Of the many guns upon the is
land, and the stores Of powder in the
magazines. The squirrel is a sacred
animal here, and woe unto the boy
that would shoot or even throw stones
at one of them.
How would such pets do in Allen or
Washington Park, or on the south
bluff? What would the average OF
tawa boy say to him?
Besides the sparrow | have noticed
the bluejay and the woOdpecker, and
persume in their season other "feath-
cred songsters" of the forest chirp
their time away, especially upon the
Island where no dog or gun is allowed
to disturb their quiet or their sport.
| have not yet seen, nor heard the
cawing of the carniverouS crow. The
crow is easily tanned and petted, but
is miScheviOuS beyond meaSure-hiS
only fault If a colony of these could
be introduced into Ottawa and tanned,
and if they in solemn council, would
agree to pick the bones of the dead
horses and dogs and cats that are
thrown into the river, it would be a
blessing to those who travel the river
road in the summer time, and especial
ly to the tourists who would wish to
view the lovely scenery below the
island, and the turkey buzzard would
be a useful auxiliary.
1t would be pity if / did not see in
a city like this something more practi-
fist and spread evenly to about six or
eight inches deep. A steam power
engine, as heavy, perhaps, as an Ordi-
nary locomotive, with three large
rollers or wheels, is run over it, back
and forth number of times until
these broken stones are pressed firmly
into the solid earth. A layer of loose
dirt is thrown over it, then layer of
smooth sand, in which brick is laid
after the manner of an ordinary side
walk and after the other layer of sand
has been thoroughly worked in, an
other course of brick, edgewise this
time. is laid. A fOur-hOrSe roller is
then run over it until the brick and
sand are firmly compressed. The pro-
cess is simple and easy and requires
only the skill of an engineer and the
eye of boss. | give only the results
of my observation. Being stranger
and a rustic l have asked no questions.
1t seems to be solid and a permanent
road and l have further observed that
a heavy wagon rolling over it does not
move a brick or break or even chip
one. The brick are made Of tire-clay.
They have delightful ring when
dumped from cart or wheel-barrOw
and do not see that any of them are
broken.
AS have asked no questions, being
simply a spectatOrand not tax payer,
| have not aScertained the value and
cost of such road. l presume 1T
costs something and the cost is relative
to the nearneSs or distance OF the
material-the stone, the sand and the
cal than squirrels and birds-sOme-
UulHS UlldU IllSuu ScINC w lulOli LII uuu
instruct those who have not travelled
so far from home. Yet what might
seem sublimely beautiful to an un-
sophisticated rustic might be ridicu-
lousy simple to one who had been
used to such sights all his life. l
therefore feel chary in writing up my
travels, but | will venture to speak of
one sight in which L have been inter-
ested, and, judging from the number
of other spectators on the sidewalk.
the sight is as new to them as it is to
me. | refer to the tearing up, so to
speak, and the putting down again of
one of the principal streets.
To an old farmer who has never
seen his public highways worked in
any other way than with pillow and
scraper where mud and clOds of dirt are
thrown in Unfortunately, the pro-
cess would seem strange and wonder
full, yet it is simple and easily under
stood. And he would be satisfied at
first blush that road was being built
that would last for thousand years.
The various processes OF cOnStruc-