The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1890-09-16
lN1}I( Eagle
THE IAsPERITF PAVEMENT.
A Communication from Mr.. James II. Drake
the Patentee.
To the Editor Of the Eagle.

To the Editor Of the Eagle.
After a very careful examination of the
iasperite on Douglas avenue, permit me to
assure all unprecedented people of Wichita
that il will support every claim made foI
it. and it only requires time to hush even
the preiudiced critics of a material when
was adopted greatly to the disappointment
and discontinue of those who advocated
other classes of street paving. 1t is eVl-
dent that the contractor sought to do a
better Job than was demanded by the com
tract. Engineer Jackman has testified to
this effect before the city council during
the progress of the work.
Considering the circumstances under
which the south side of the street was lald,
the public being urgent that the work De
hurried. with the mercury lowering at
about 100 degrees in the shade for con-
siderable portion of the time, L am sur
nrised that more of the cement was not
sun-killed before it had set in the street.
Old residents inform me that II was the
hottest weather ever known IN Mlchlta
when iasperite was being laid from Topeka
;rvenue to the eastern limit on the south
side of the street. The contractor informs
mo that the heat was such that he could
not continuously keep the same crew OF
men at work. On the north side of the
street the heat was not so continuously
severe. and the res ult is apparent. Out OF
A OO0 barrels of in ported hydraulic cement,
is there a man in Wichita 50 unreasonable
nc not TO expect an occasional barrel OF bad
quality to find its way into the work by
mistakee The removal and replacement
If such will make he street IN every re-
1Dect as good as if no such mistake nad oc-
Cured. In every Instance IL can De ana
will lie speedilv RENE lied, and henceforth
without a barricade o. any OF the blocks 10
the Inconvenience of I he travelling public.
To my certain knowi edge the contractor
has spent thousands of dollars more than
was demanded by the contract. lie mas
not vet made a tender of the street TO the
CITY: he has not asked, nor has ne received
one dollar although the contract calls Tor
the uavment to him block by block. with
holding only 10 per cent Of the contract
nrice Not even the grading has been pad
Tor The contractor must go under bonds
of Sl4.O 600 to keep the street IN repair Tor
five YEAR. 1t IS my deliberate convlc-
lion thar il will not cost him 81, 400
of thot sl4OOO. and that at the expiration
of the five years he viii turn over street
which will bear comparison with any IN
the country OF like wear.
After this exclamation | am sure that an
adverse Judgment viii be from preJudlced
people. or from the inconsiderate. 1t Is
not reasonable to expect so large Job
without an occasional weakness disclosing
itself but in this material iunllke
others such weakness speedily appears
and is easily remedied. jasperIte is being
laid in other important cities, and merit
will lift il above unfair and lnconsiderate
criticism. On Douglas avenue despite the
adverse circumstances which attended It's
layinR. it will speedily disclose every weak
SPOT and will be remedied fast as it is dis
closed, and will grow stronger and better
month 10y month as every cement expert
knows.
have written this letter desiring 1t TO
be placed upon record, and held to account
for the promises made when this material
was accepted, viz: smoothness without be
tng slippery. comparatively noiseless, and
a granite-like resistance TO wear. / claim
responsibility, both pecuniarily and in
business reputation; hold me responsible
Cor the foregoing assertions, and in return
be Just and fairly generous, not hasty IN
Judgment. do not expect this from I'M
fair advocates of other classes of street
paving materials, but have the right to
ask it and do expect it from an unpreJu-
diced people who have built such city as
Wichita. Respectfully yours,
JAMES II. DRAKE, Patentee.