Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1889-12-13
WHOLESALE IMPROVEMENT.
PLANS FOR MAKING SPLENDID STREETS
IN SACRAMENTO.
The Property-owners VIII Have to Pay
Only the Actual Cost of the
Work Done.

1t is conceded on all sides that an i'm
mense amount of money has been wasted
IN the filling and grading Of streets in this
city in the past, and it is openly asserted
that property owners have been deeced by
a ring of contractors. That these consid-
erations have induced many good citizens
to refuse to improve the streets in front Of
their property there is no doubt. They
would have been willing to enter upon such
Improvement if it could be accomplished
at a reasonable price, but they have resisted
what they believed to be extortionate de-
mands of the contractors. The result is
that the streets of the city are in lament
able condition, and public-spirited citizens
have been for months discussing plans by
which they can be improved.
F. E. Ray has hit upon a plan which
gives promise of grand results. He sub
mitted it yesterday 10 twenty prominent
business men and in every instance it was
heartily Endorsed, each Of the gentlemen
subscribing at once to stock in the COM
pany which the plan proposes. The idea
is to grade the streets by wholesale, instead
of in small sections, and to do this in such
way that it will cost the property owner
less than half what it does now. If the
plan is carried out it will of course spoil
the business of the present street contract
ors, bat it will give US good streets
throughout the entire city and at a NOM
inal cost.
Mr.. Ray says that his plan is to grade
and put in first-class order all of the streets
from B to r and from the water front to
Twentieth, in one or two years. He pro-
| poses to organize a company of 100 citi-
zens, each of whom will take one share of
stock at 500 When the company is or
ganized it will secure from the property
| owners pledges to proceed to the grading of
the streets, guaranteeing that the cost OF
such grading shall be less than half of
the price now paid. The company will be
able TO fulfill lis part of the agreement in
the following manner: Mr.. Ray has the
assurance from Mayor Gregory that the
city will furnish the company with broken
granite at one dollar per ton. This granite
will be crushed by the power at the Water
works at very trifing expense. At pres
ept property-owners are paying from 81 40
to 81 rs per cubic yard for gravel, while
under this plan they would get broken
granite which is much better, for less than
| twenty cents per cubic yard. The earth
used will cost from thirty to forty cents per
load when hauling is fair.
The plan is to use coarse broken granite
for filling in low places in grading, which
will act as a sub-drain. A foot of dirt will
be put over this and then ten inches OF
finely crushed granite. Over this will be a
layer of sediment, lntermixed with little
cement. When this is well watered and
packed with heavy roller it will make q
magnificent street. Where it is desired
the top layer can be of bituminous rock and
asphaltum, which will make a still finer
street. Mr.. Rav also proposes to do away
with the cobble cutters and put in BASAL
blocks to make smooth surface, making
the curbings of cement
II is proposed to do all of the work pos
sible by steam power. When q street is to
be graded the Board O: Trustees will BIZ
asked to allow the company to lay down s
tramway, upon which cars can be handled
by dummy engine. These cars will bt
loaded by great steam shovel, which will
handle cubic yard of earth every minute
With such appliances whole street coult
be graded in an incredibly short time. Th'
company would charge the property-own
ers only the exact cost of the work, ahC
will be in no sense a money making con
Germ. The plan looks like feasible one
and if taken hold of in earnest will prov,
of great importance TO the city.