Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1889-08-28
PAVEMENT.
sandstone, Granite, Asphaltum or Blocks OF
Wool, Cedar orOsage, Which?

10 the Editor OF the E-as4c-
| As property owner, who may be affect
ed by pavement assessments, and who
NAV be fortunate enough to hold on to a
| lot until the pavement is replaced half
dozen times. and the value of the lot grad
ually eat up by scheme after scheme, we
beg to amuse the public for moment.
To enlighten the people-instruct the
| city government, correct abuses, fancied
or real, is beyond the scape OF this piece
! all this we leave to the future.
| Future statesmen may be instructed by
| the errors of the present head and heart;
| future his torians collect the data to warn
people and for aught we know future
| grand juries may have work.
| Whether private men will neglect their
! business long enough to urge an invesriga-
| ton of this land other schemes) remains 10
be SEEN Whether the city government
Will rest under suspicion, or clear its skirts
| on the city building scheme remains to be
| seen.
The paving question has enough in il to
| arouse business men, challeD re lnveStiga-
| ton. to the end that ,!e are not robbed TO
any greater extent than the necessities OF
| the occasion demand. There is enough in
this pavement to bring honor and respect
! to the councilmen, or enrich half dozen
men, send their photos TO the rogues
| gallery, their bodies 20 prison and fasten
| on their names imperlshable lnfamy, to
say nothing Of their hnal spiritual wei
| fare.
| The pavement now adopted WILL in
! all probability be used in future an
account of the precedent established; hence
| caution and watchfulness Is needed.
This city does not stand in need of men
of ability What we want is honesty,
! tirmness, official integrity and sense of
| responsibility to abide with the city gov
ernment: feeling that trust is imposed,
| the neglect of which entails hardship on
! taxpayers the BETRAYED OF which is dishon-
| or if not universal contempt and final ret
ribution.
An idea is af1oat in the community that
the air that hung Ger Topeka last
winter, poisoning everything with
| which it came in contact, until public
rule, mas pervaded the state. and that the
| contagion has found conditions of mind
! susceptible to lunoculate even in Wichita
! The idea is growing that paving
/ schemes are being worked and
that there IS fertile and
| eXuberent soil in Wichita to sow the
! thistle on, with a promise OF glorious mar
! vest and a perennial growth.
| Ia conversation with a councilman q
! few DAYS ago he expressed himself favora-
| Bile to the majority OF citizens selecting the
! pavement. Whilst this is good in one
! sense it is bad in another Tor the reason
that some property holders have been sub
/ sidized, and they Will vote according to
/ pocket book, use their influence for spe-
/ cifjc pavement and the unsubsized proper
! ty owner will not know, when be is ap-
! preached. whether IL is by An honest tax
! payer or the paid agent of paving COM
| pany.
Again, the city has paid expense ac-
| counts of councilnen TO look at these
things. Companies have paid expenses IN
vitins their works to De inspected,
the taxpayer is busy and has
neither time, money, opportunity or invi-
tation TO travel and inspect these things,
and from necessity ne must depend on the
wisdom integrity and sagaclty of the city
! government to select the best pavement
/ for the money OF be robbed without any
! way to help it.
| What the taxpayer wants Is good ma
/ teriai q safe contract, and an honest job,
! and in our Judgment an hoDest, capable
man. APPOINTED by the city TO Superntend
! the work. to the end that the contractor
/ does his entire duty,
| No contract submitted by any contract
| ing party should be accepted until the
| city shall have examined contracts made
! by other cities, TO the end that we may see
/ and compare them and get the best con-
| tract. This is simply business prudence.
\ physician here has stated that we
ought not to accept any cedar or other
wooden blocks for pavement on account OF
the malaria generated from the rotting
| blocks in five or SIN years AT most. Inns
| is worthy of consideration.
| rs sandstone with a Colorado prefix
granite? Is the formation of this stone
! su Oh as will wear?' One councilman said
TO me that he had been experimenting
1 with it and that the specimen furnished
| him was but little better than the Bandera
! fagstone used in our walks.
Again the noise OF stone is serious OBJ
! lection and in the larger cities the Offices
| In the fourth, fifth and sixth floors are &C.
! cuDied at higher rent than the second
/ and third floors, TO avoid the racket. Per
sonally we have never considered tue
noise an objection, but this may be
! because we have lived ia the country and
| know nothing of the noise. If Colorado
sandstone is a durable stone, and the price
/ is reasonable and the noise is not obJec-
! tiOnabie, and we can get the best contract
| from its contractors, then this Is the stone.
When this paving question came up we
! had curiosity enoug. 10 spend some time
/ in investig atlng pavements, and we went
| into the investigation prejudged against
| asphaltum, and the conclusion of the au-
thor we read was that If asphaltum was
! honestly put down it was the best pave
ment but that the nature of the work
was such that dishonesty could be prac-
| ticed with but little fear of detection at
| the time, and that the discovery would be
only after the mouey was paid out, and
that for this reason many cities had con-
! demned it
Hence if we should adopt asphaltum the
| city should, with the concurrence of cItl-
zens and the board of trade, provide in the
contract for the appointment of superin-
tendeut by the city to oversee this work.
! and should not make this SUPPLEMENTARY
a sinicure for needy hangers on or political
deadbeats. but appolng u man VINO needs
no certificate of character, no endorsers in
banks, and no job with which 10 enrich
himself and rob the taxpayers.
In regard to asphaltum, 1t may be OF in
/ terest. in its discussion, to state that the
argument that our climate Is too not for
asphaltum proves that the work was dis
honest Job rather than heat destroys the
pavement, is writers on this subject, OF
national reputation, understand the sub
ject with which they attempt TO deal.
1t is stated that aSphaitum is found
on the shores of the Dead sea.
in Peru. South America, and near
Santa Barbara in California and in the
island OF Trinidad, one OF the West
Indies, and that at Trinidad there Is a
/ lake Of asphaltum 1000 feet in diameter,
boiling hot at the center bat hard as
! adamaut at the sides. And that asphalt
tum was first used to pitch boats and
water tanks. and the leakage in hauling,
| by being continually driven over, at last
! formed an adaulaatine road-bed which
was investigated b. scientists and led to
the general adoption Of II as pavements.
! liz France, where il hes had most use.
| the usveuents are msde from natural
I rock asphaltun. aud the sidewalks from a
| mixture OF asphalt. 5Itumen and gravel.
| The pest results have been attained by
heating the natural rock To 30o- I. at