The Hocking sentinel. [volume] (Logan, Ohio) 1871-1906, 1889-03-14
What Shall be Done With Gala
CHER Avenue.

In last weeks SENTINEL, we pub
lished a resolution os our village
council, which lad been unanimous
ly adopted. requesting our repre-
sentative in the Legislature to ask
that body to authorize them to is
sue village bonds to the amount of
50, goo for the Improvement OF that
important thoroughfare. In some
comments upon that action. and on
some other propositions before the
council for village Improvements,
we called attention to what we ro-
garded ms ths wasteful, improvldent
and expensive methods hitherto
pursued in the construction and re-
pair of our streets. which resulted
in excessive and burtlensome tax
alton, and driving capital away
from our town.
We did not and do not attempt
to place the responsibility tor
adopting the absurd system Of
working township roads in town
tho size OF logan. oi. the shoulders
of any particular man. Proo
ably no one IS especially to blame.
But the fact romans, and is con-
fessed, that the system is a bad
failure and that-ncw that 1t is
proposed to borrow money for i'm
provements-a new departure
should be taken in the methods of
its expenditure. We have seen the
folly on Gallagher Avenue and on
Main street, of giving our streets
an annual top dressing of gravel to
be annually scraped up aud carted
away, thus burning our financial
candle at both ends.
We believe there is cohsmon
agre ement shat so.re better, more
substantial and durable material
must be found. A preamble to the
resolution adopted by council re-
quests macadainising the Avenue
This we understand to mean the
use of broken rock, presumably
limestone, making what is COM
monty known as pike. But is
this the best we can do? Is not
this style of street antlquated. be
hind the age? Does the limestone
street meet the requirements ofdur
ability, economy, cleanliness, etc.
Our observation Of them in Zancs-
vile and other cities is that they
are almost as pronounced a failure
as gravel.
We have noticed that they are
easily worn into deep ruts where
there is heavy and constant travel,
and in summer they arc covered
with deep coating of finely pull
ver,zed dust, which In wet weather
becomes a bed Of mortar that either
runs off in the gutter or must, a;
stated ard frequent intervals, be
lab0riously scraped up and re-
moved. And every year a top
dressing of broken metal must be
applied. II is clear to us that the
macadamized, lilse the grave!ed
street, must 60. Most of our large
cities, it is we'll known, have after
costly experiments with various
kinds of pavements, adopted gran
lie on all streets where travel is
heavy.
But granite is too expensive for
Logan and we may DISMISS it from
the discussion. During the last
few years the use of brick has been
adopted IN cities of tho second
and third class, and in the larger
towns. We believe 1t has success
fully sustained the severe tests to
which 1t has been subjected, and
has established its claim to be the
coming material for street pave.
men.s, being second only to gran
tie in all essential respects, and
much cheaper. The constantly in
creasing demand for street paw.
ing brick has stimulated the manu-
facturcrs to renewed exertions, ex.
periments and inventions for per
fecting the quality of their brick
; and the improvement has been as
marked as in any other department
of American industry.
: The extensive brick works al
M,ddIeport, O.. have been esrec-
ialIy active auc alert in their ef-
forts TO supply the demand for :
first ra,e paving brick and have
met with most gratifying success
Their brick have become SO pop
ular that, although they have en-
Iarged their works and increased
their capacity, they cannot supply
: the ssdemand. Their brick have
been subjected to thorough ant
! searching analysis, -aul the severes
5 tests by scientific and practical ey
perts. who have not hasita1ed tt
report that t!rey are superior evel