San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1890-01-23
Some Facts In Regard TO the Cost OF
Street Improvement Ia san Marcos.

EDIroB FRKE PLEss'-Ihere seems 10 p'
J quite diversity of opinion aud false alarm
, in regard 10 the proposed street improve
, ments Of our city, Some have gone 30 fa
as TO call il "coniscation of property, IDIOT
10 waste OF money, aud many other eXtIay
giant not to say unjust, criticisms, OF the
actions and motives Of those who favor
street improvements, &c.
But before going further, lot ne call the
attention of those who no bitterly oppose
the movement, to Mr.. Grady's Keynote IN
his great speech before tho Boston Club,
when he turned to the president and said,
"But, sir, unless you admit in the outset,
that We are as honest aud patriotic as you
are, il is waste OF time TO proceed" Now
do not propose TO argue the question, but
simply give few facts as to cost.
I. The price Of hauling sand anu gravel
from the Banco per twO.horse load, Of
from 80 10 % cubic feet Is 30 10 10 cents
per load by the quantity, or ut price OF
2 cents per cubic foot delivered here on
the street
=. lntrh are ID, E0U leet III u Hlllt,
3. To mGcadamiza mile Of street. 20
feet wide and s inches deep with Blanco
sand and gravel, would take 10,i o cubic
feet; this ut q cents per cubic foot cost
81, 200. Then il grading aud culyerts ut
Intersections of alleys and streets cost, ssy
$500 per mile, we then have the cost of one
mile of street thus improved, say 81, 260, or
five miles thus improved for $1,000, the
city paying one.third of this or So, 766,
property holders on each side an equal
amount.
4. Each lot owner on such improved
streets would only have TO pay the pitiful
sum of fraction over II cents for each foot
of his lot fronting on such street If he
had forty-foot front, would not have to
pay quite six dollars. Now. how can any
man say that such Improvements as these
would be worthless to the town, and
money thrown away"
To Macadamize foot deep with sand |
and gravel would add one-third to the cost |
of grading, making it - $40 per milo or
so, 400 for matchmaking four miles, then |
add 81, 600 for grading and culverts and |
we have four miles of grstclass street, we'll |
graded and drained, and foot deep in SAND |
and gravel. This would give three streets
from tho railroad to the foot of the noun
ttins one-half mile each, and one mile,
running from the river west, and two others
three-fourths of II mile, from theriver west.
These estimates do not include the public
square, but it can be m&cRdamized at the
same cost per cubic foot. These costs of
B!OncO sand and gravel are based
on actual prices paid for many loads used
In the construction of buildings recently put
up around ths plaza. Again, there is an
abundance of other gravel, rock, and adoby
n or near the city limits that would make
excellent road beds, such Ms was used in
making the pavement south Of Mr.. Daniels
'esidence and in the street from Mayor
Iardy's to the plaza, which only cost scots.
Der two horse load. Now while there are
liferent opinions as to the improvement
most needed, the friends of no particular
movement have the right to claim that they
Re the sole conservators of the puhlic good
tut each should accord to others the same I
honesty of heart, integrity of purpose he
laimes for himself. Respectfully,
j. II. COMBS. {