Wichita eagle., 1890-03-06
DOUGLAS AVENUE MEETING.
Property Owners Discuss the Paving Question
Committee Appointed TO Interview
Property Owners.

iuctIIuS Ol properly owners Oh DOugidS
avenue to consider the paving question
resulted in bringing quite number of the
leading property owners to the council
chamber. The meeting was called to order
by Mr.. Smith. who stated the object Of the
meeting and called on Colonel James H
Drake, of st. Paul, TO explain something
about the Jasperite pavement. The gentle
man responded by saying he had intended
TO leave Monday morning for other points,
but having been urgently requested to re-
main by number of property owners he
was present TO answer any questions that
might be asked. He then said in part:
With our boasted progress as people,
attaining results that would have sent our
great grandparents to the ga!loWS Tor
witchcraft; | assert that IL street pave
ment of modern cities we have made slow
progress toward that perfection which in
locomotion, light, heat, etc, our efforts
have been crowned with success. l am
sure you will not dissent when | say that
durability, economy, comfort for man and
beast are three Indispensable elements TO
perfect street pavement. he more nearly
we acquire those three elements as trinl-
~ the nearer have we approached the per-
lection of street pavement.
For several years | have been impressed
that there Is il rich reward waiting him
who attaius that result.
DURABILITY, ECONOMY, COMFORT.
BY comfort l mean smootnuess without
slipperynesS, and reasonably nOiSeless. At
odd Intervals ever since 1882 my wits have
been more or less at work TO solve this
problem. My theories were put TO the
practical test to confirm numerous expert
ments and ] present to you this evening
brakes Patent JaSperite and make Tor it
r. i9I hat
Darwin would say, The missing link.
Pardon me as "a stranger for saying that
Dy Inquiry where | am better known, you
VIII ascertain that | am neither an
adventurer nor wayfarer, and that
my statements (miStaken as sometimes
tley may be) are always Intentionally
truthful. First, | want to disabuse your
minds OF any impression that am here to
eXper! ment upon the people OF Wichita
1hlS material Is beyond the domain of ex-
p fiment. | have patiently waited for years
III order, by practical test. to establish
such demonstrated Itct rs to justify me lii
supporting it with my reputation as
business man, and with my money as
guarantee that Ja,perite is long stride to-
wards perfection in durability, economy
ana comfort. Further permit me TO say
that When from city engluetrS ana con-
tract orS of large cities at the east to whom
| had sent samples. there came unsoilc-
tied compliments, with OvertureS from
men of wealth and prominence to buy
from ne an interest in the patent, where
at the behest of Mr.. Vanderbilt, of New
York, gentleman is now en route for
conference with me relative TO the rights of
the cit, of New York. | little thought
that my first public appearance to advo-
cate jasperite would be in Wichita, Kan
sas This occurred by one of my clerks,
unknown to me, sending to your city en-
"A L. Kgh ich i'm -
has never failed to impress any unbiased
practical mind. We were solicited to send
an agent to Wichita and then my atten-
ton was first called TO you. One of our
monumental men was at Lincoln, Ne
braska and | wired him to come
mere. He knew granite and sand stone
bat little # Jasperite. MIR. Swan
appeared confessing his ignorance of ii
and was led to some msStatements which
were unintentional, but to me they ap-
peared so serious that [ came only for a
day to correct them and your good people
have day by day urged me to remain for
successive meetings and conferences until
to my own surprise | am here from Satur-
day to Wednesday night, but L cannot re
main longer We are now preparing to
place this material 5000 yards III Chicago
under the same guarantees AS we OHer TO
you. 1t has been accepted by the engineer
for pavement where it will be tested much
avenue. II will go down IN New
York, St Louis and probably
Boston this year. We solicit
for IL the severest of test, and here let me
assert that such test can be best made be-
tween street car tracks. 1t is the shock,
the sCrape of the horses foot ana the dig
of tue horseshoe toe. and not the wheels vi
vehickles, whicA plays havoc in the traffic
of "A street. Between the car track comes
this test, because there it is narrowed
down TO treuded pathway. The sample
before you which is attested by the mayor.
Engineer Ric- aud superintendent Of
street railway, has been subjected to that
practical test for about two years between
the street car tracks of Sioux Falls.
Dakota, IA city of 1000, and on its
principal streets and over which its
heavy traffic passes to three de
pots. The mayor says this Is the
worst worn portion. That the people are
delighted with it ami have petltloned Tor
it on other streets The engineer says that
il is even better than it was year ago,
and that he is delighted with it. And the
suDerintendent Of the car line especially
commendS 1t as never needing repair and
what | mad scarcely hoped from him
testimony to its favor on the feet OF his
horses and mules.
Gentlemen. unless 1t be between the car
tracks no portion Of Douglas avenue will
been tested, and yet you see no evidence OF
the slightest disiutegratIou OF the mass. |
In two years it has not worn the one I
eighth part of an inch. 1t Is smooth aud
yet not so smooth that it can 10y any pos |
slbIity be slippery.
There Is All Old saying that the proof OF
the pudding is the eating Without /
solicitation or suggestion from me or from |
any one in my interest the people of Sioux |
Falls have unanimously petltloned that 1t |
ue laid on Main avenue and we expect to |
lay fourteen blocks OF it there this sum- !
mer.
Now, gentlemen, will tell you the Sc
cret of success with Jasperlte for there Is
nothing hidden or mysterious about 1t. /
First, we lay "A foundation of Tllford SIX /
inches thick from your native stone. We
set iG by hand, the large end down. Then !
We drive with hammers broken stone be- /
tween and sItt dry sand into any remain /
luG holes. The aim Is Il foundation Of great /
iirmnesS. bat never SOLID compact. /
mass such as concrete. II lrosJ should /
peradyeature attack l. from below the (
stone viii Weld by Il movement sideways
rat her than an Upneavai. | hear that yUu 4
have no such frost III Wichita, but | shall /
lot permit Such assurance TO deter ME /
from defense against surh contingency
On this fuuHGatlon, the like OF which has I
made Roman roads famous for centuries, 1
we lay Il iiOw OF concrete one and IA half
inches thick, 10 prevent any possible .
moisture from below. aud 10 dead L the
sound OF traffic upon the top layer. which .
Is ja>perite such ~ YOU see before You This /
jasper!te Is made from selected imported .
Portland cement aumixed with broken .
or crushed quartzIte from South Dakota, /
This top layer l. made on the street and I
rammed into yard square blocks. Quar- /
tevti Is almost pure silica free from mica /
or hornb.eud ana other foreign substances /
which constitute elements o. weakness IN /
the best OF granite. This Quarteyt j. = .