Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1889-04-16
MATTERS OF MOMENT.
A Long Evening at the Council
Chamber.

Review or the Proceedings OF the NM
!, nicipal Body..-The Paving PrcJec
1.-The Incoming Administration
Hetter Gets Ulam's Seat by Chance
1.-The Mayors salary.
At the opening of the regular semi
monthly meeting of the city council last
evening, Mayor Banding submitted 9
message with reference to the Second
avenue cypress paving ordinance, which
appears in full In the official proceedings
elsewhere. setting forth that the execu-
tive of the CITY W ould not exercise his
right either to approve or disapprove the
ssme
SECOND AVENUE PAVING.
The rules we're then, upon motion oil
Aid. Williamson, suspended and the
committee from the property holders
meeting composed of E. Fl. Guyer, Capt.
t. j. Robinson, VIM. Jackson and L 8.
McCsbe, received. Capt. T. j. Robin
son addressed the council, speaking OF
the meetings and action of the Second
avenue property holders and stated the
mission of the committee to urge pre-.
ference for brick. Mr.. VIM. Jackson
then spoke at some length on the subject
OF paving, outlining the investigations of
the paving co nmittee of the Citizens
improvement association and expressed
preference for brick. He spoke
of the different kinds of paving ma
terial. the recommendations that brick
had had. and stated his hope that the
council would reconsider its action,
though the property holders would be
willing to abide by the decision Of the
council. He alluded to the Citizens I'm
provement association. its objects. what
1t had accomplished and what it expected
to accomplish. He predicted that we
would see line OF improvements here
this summer such as Rock Island had not
witnessed for twenty years. He spoke
OF the common interests between the
council and the association. of the desire
for an exchange of sentiments and the
advantages to come from mutual under
standing of what was best for the best
interests of the city.
Alderman Schnell thought there had
been an attempt on the part of some of
those favorable to brick to kick up
wrangle over the paving matter until they
had carried their fort. He believed there
were among those who favored brick
some who did so from personal interests.
And these people had bulldozed the prop
erty holders, created by misrepresentation
or prejudice ag sinst granite, and now they
were lighting cypress. MIR. Sohnell said
false impression had been spread as to
the extraordinary cost of granite; that he
knew it could he put down for So rs per
square yard. &c would like to see Sec.
Ond avenue paved with it, and the
more noise iG made the better. At
the same time lie was equally friendly
to cypress blocks. He had seen streets
paved with cypress blocks in New Or
leans. Des Moines Omaha and other
cities, and it WIS regarded as exceeding
ly satisfactory wherever it was used
Cypress blocks was natures material and
the best; brick was made by man and
was experimental Mr.. Schnell believed
that there was scheme on the part of
some of those favoring brick to interest
themselves in the manufacture of brick
and axe good thing by getting the
city into a deal by which it could load its
material on the city. In other words
Mr.. Schnell believed the brick paving
project had "Btring tied to it,"
Alderman Negus gave it as his opinion
that the properly holders had been badly
misinfOrmed as to granite. They had
been told. for some reason, that granite
would cost much more than it actually
would. Mr.. Negus did not propose to
condemn brick but he believed there
was particular mo tive In the favorlt-
ism to it, in certain sources. There was
one thing, sure, Mr.. Negus said, and
that was Second avenue was to be paved
The property holders favored 1t and
wanted it, and the question was only as
to the nature of the pavement. He be-
lieved that in lieu of the fact that gran
lite had been discarded. that cypress
blocks was the next best thiDg-most
durable, most healthy and most economi-
cal. Omaha had more paved
streets than any city in the country,
and he read the report Of the superin>
tendent Of public works there, showing
that last year there had been put down
12s, 1886 yards OF cypress blocks at S1.s0
per square yard 1913, 731 yards of cedar
blocks at 81 81 per square yard, both on
concrete, and that the bulk of paving to
be done this year would be with this kind
of pavement. He also read a commune.
cation from the mayor of Nebraska City
stating that O mile and half of cypress
had been put down the past season and
it gave great satisfaction. He spoke of
Sioux City. Des Moines, st. Paul and
Minneapolis as cities where no brick had
been used. but where cypress blocks were
in great favor. Mr.. Negus gave figures
of estimates carefully formed to show
that the cost of paving Second avenue
from Fourteenth street to Twentieth
street would not exceed $40. 900. of which
the city would be obliged to pay $4,-
O36. rs, leaving the difference to the