The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-06-09
Steps Taken to Find Out How Prop.
erty Owners Want sMain
.s Street Paved.
They Are to Vote According to the
Front Feet They Each
Represent.
Formal Action Taken at a Meeting of Cfti-
zens In the Council Chamber
Inst Evening.

council chamber last night accomplished
something toward finding out with what
material they wanted Main street paved.
John Is. Wilson presided and William Har-
rison was secretary. Others present were
Mayor Kleinschmidt, John w. Thompson,
!. IL. Israel, Charles Woods, Richard Ho-
back, Sam Siiverman, David Morris. II. Il.
Fisk. Sam Schwab, q. G. Swallow, Marcus
Lissner, George Beattie, w. q. Bailey, John
Horsky and DR.. G. K. Cole.
John W. Thompson led the fight for
granite and Mayor Kleinschmidt stood up
for wood. MIR. Thompson opened the pro-
ceedings "Candor oompels me to confess, -
he said, that have but little to add to
what have already said on the question Of
paving Main street. II is really surprising
to hear the various opinions as to the
kinds Of material and the relative merits
of each, as suggested for paving Main
street, and coming in very many cases from
persons who know no more about paving
material than bump on a log; az, for in-
stance, one man is credited with having
said that, as between a wood and granite
pavement, one would last as long az the
other, when in point Of fact any man who
knows anything at all about the question
knows that the average life of wood pave
ment is about seven years, while in the case
Of q granite pavement there is practically
no limit to its duration. / offer to your
consideration this eve ening sample OF a
grade of stone that is being laid on Fourth
avenue. Pittsburg, to replace a Nicholson
or wood pavement which was laid on the
most approved methods. The street
in question is narrower than Main street by
about five feet. 1t is traversed by street cars
and all other kinds of traffic. Its sides are
lined with some of the tallest and hand
soonest buildings in the city. Many are
costlisr than any in this city. Tho govern
ment building, costing over $50O,OoO, pre-
sents it's side elevation on the avenue in
question. and yet in the face of all this the
avenue in question is being repaved with
granite. The pavement ID being laid III
blocks measuring ten inches by seven
inches by fourteen inches, and on a foun-
dation Of ak inches of gravel and nine
inches of broken st2ne or a total depth Of
Twenty-Five inches OF material. l may say
that all OAR granite payements are laid in
the same manner, and as fast as possible
granite is replacing all the various kinds of
wood pavements on those streets where tn Q
traffic is such as on Main street.
Contrasting wood with granite pave
ments. we find that in the case Of wood
pavements their average life is about
seven years, they absorb moisture, and ar g
even damp, they also absorb and retain
disease germs, they can be swept or
scrapsd, but 1t is iElpracticabIe to use a
hose on them for cleansing purposes. In
the case Of granite pavements we find them
to be everlasting, they neither absorb
moisture or disease germs. They cannot
only be swept or scraped, but can be thor
oughly cleansed by a fire hose, they are not
injurious to horses, they do not become
smooth, slick and slipping to such an
extent that draft horses cannot pull
aont,nuaiy aoiS Gxsf Failing them TO wi'hNo, sssr
knees. Another argument i'll favor of gran
lte pavements ia that in case any portion of
the pavement is taken up it can be replaced
as evenly as before and at little trouble or
expense as compared with others. And us
to the noise created by granite pavements,
if they had no other merit that alone would
be sufficient to recommend such pave
ment for Main street. l have done bust
ness aud slept fronting on streets paved
with granite, and narrower i'll width than
Main street. and never noticed the noise
that is charged to granite pavements. The
fact of the matter is we want more noise
and life on Main street than exists at pres
ent. Considering the grade and traffic
on Main street, brick or composition |
pavements ere out of the question, and for |
obvious reasons. Coming, as do, from a !
pity where the tonnage and traffic is greater |
than that of New York, Philadelphia, or
Chicago my views on the street paving |
question are fortified by knowledge born !
or over quarter of century of observa- |
tion. and l am therefore warranted in rrg-
ing the adoption of suitable quality Of |
granite for paving Main street. My native
,ity has ceased to undergraduates, and is !
all payements with granite.
t'INyuN uy1u uhayV
was being discussed, letters were addressed
20 and answers received from ut least $50 of |
The principal cities of this country. and !
about ~ per cent. preferred granite to any |
other material. Can We do less than profit |
,y such experience? Let US pave Main |
street with granite and thus keep our money
1t home and give needed employment to /
l haven't red copper cent /
,f interest in any local granite quarry nor |
10 propose to have, nevertheless. l urge
Tint Main street bo paved with granite. II
may be urged by some that Main should
30 paved with wood blocks, citing as an
that the Strand London. is being
saved with species of wood procured in
Texas. The question might be raised as to
whether there Is Il sufficient quantity of the
wood III question to supply the leading
'ities of the world, and even If there was, il
would still be poor policy to ship wood
rom Texas when We have material at our
loors. Lot the property owners on Main
treet decide the question as speedily as
'ossibe and in behalf of the best material"
Mayor kleinschmidt said he desired to
DO governed by the wishes of the people ns
o the material to be used. Referring to
ar. Ihompson'B arguments he said he
ould not agree with them. As to the noise
eople might learn to sleep in planning
Mill. The narrower the street the greater
no noise. As for washing the wooden
ayement, it could he done as thoroughly
y on the granite. The granite would also
ather as much dirt and disease germs as
rood. 1t was also greater tax on horse
esh, which more than overcame the cost of
eeping II good wooden pavement i'll repair.
lake the foundation solid and woodsn
avement would stand any wear until the
look wore down to two inches. He be-
eved Il wooden pavement properly put
own would give satisfaction aud would be
epluced with wood when it became neces-
AIRY to lay n new one.
Several others present expressed thenl-
elves briefly. Prof. Swallow favored wood I
nd said tho larsh found In this state would
rove almost everlasting. DIR. Frank also
avored wood, as did Il. II. Fisk. Sam
chwab said he liked business noise but
ot the kind that would be made by gran
10 pavement. W. G. bailey also favored
,ood. l. L.. Israel said he did not want to I
10 paving Main street every fiva years and
n horsetlesh it was not intended to make
riveway Of Main street, and the heavy