The Portland daily press., 1891-10-17
WORK OF STREET DEPARTMENT.
a Few Specimens Of This Years Re-
markable Record OF Progress.


Portland people are beginning to realize
snat lt Is OF benefit to a city which has from
Soo'OOO TO 100000 to spend on its streets ey-
cry year to have practical man at the head
Oh Inc street department. BY this IA not
meant professional street commissioner.
,or tnat Is point not yet reached In this
iand Oh the free. In all except the largest
cities there Is enough of the old time slip
snod lack OF system left to keep the Office Of
street. commissioner moving about from man
70 man before any one Of them has time to
ially learn his duties In all Of their branches.
Inere Is such thing, however, as secur-
Ing man with good foundation of knowl.
edge on which to build his superstructure Of
bodybuilding knowledge that can only be
learned by experience. Such a man seems
to have been found In the person Of the
present commissioner, Mr.. Thomas II. RAN
dali.
Mr.. Randall came to the Office last March
from the aims house. Of which he has had
charge for six years preceding. He had
managed the city farm and the poor depart
ment with signal ability, and this was his
recommendation. The oVerseers of the
poor told the city council that he was man
to be trusted In the place, and he was elect
ed. Mr.. Reuben Noyes, Mr.. RandalPs pred
ecessor In office, had set the pace consIdera-
bly, in advance Of the standard of other
years. and had Mr.. Randall been mere DO
lltical commissioner. all he would have had
to do would have been to follow on in the
line Mr.. Noyes marked out. But Mr.. Ran
dali wa not political commissioner. He
believed that there was as much science in
road-making as there Is In railroad building,
and he proceeded to put his belief into prac-
tice.
Mr.. Randall has made several changes for
the better In the system OF keeping the
books of the department. and In the over
sight Of the street gangs, In which he Is ably
seconded by Mr.. Bowen and Mr.. A. II.
Prince, the walking boss Of the street men.
A reform has been instituted in the matter
Of sweeping the streets. This was formerly
done in the darkness Of the night, beginning
at midnight. 1t Is now done early in the
morning, and the slumbers of good people
are not disturbed. while the sweeping Is
done fully as well as 1t was before. Beside
dali keeps men on the busiest streets all day
with hand brooms, sweeping up horse drop
pings and stray pieces Of paper. He Is soon
to put into commission some of the "hokey-
pokey ice cream" dirt carts, which are In use
in Boston, for the use of these men, which
will make their work more telling.
A system has been established for the
cleaning Of culverts after rainstorms. In
tue past, this was done by the commissioner
himself. or at shap-hazard; but now. after
every storm, there are men who 90 out in
specified districts and hoe the culverts open.
1t Is yet too early In the season to speak Of
the work Of the department In paving, and
grading as a whole. or Of sidewalk mendlng,
Of which work much less has been done. but
two pieces Of road-buildlng that have been
accomplished this year. after many years Of
agitation. are well worthy Of attention.
About IA years ago, two streets were laid out
through Ross's pasture on the slope Of the
hill below and parallel to Cumberland street.
These were named Sherman and Grant.
Sherman street was lai0 out up to Grove,
and stopped there. Grant street was laid
out from High to Mellen, aud from 6rsVe to
Weymouth, leaving section from Mellen
to Cove that was all virgin pasture.
There were houses built on both sections of
the street as completed, but neighbors were
obliged to 60 down to Portland street and
around the square. There were petitions
and orders for opening the othe- section be-
fore the city government for several years,
but they hung fire. 1t was said that the
street would cost a thousand dollars and that
the city was poor.
Mr.. Randall knew the city was poor, so
when work was slack he took three men, four
horses, plow and the road machine, and
proceeded to build the section. 1t took three
days TO do the work, and the cost was $40.
The city has good street now, and assur-
ances that several houses are to be started
on 1t next year. The first of these houses
will undoubtedly pay more in taxes than the
street cost.
After finishing up on Grant street, Mr..
Randall took the same men and implements
and went out to the Saccarappa road from
just beyond Palmer's on Grove street, to the
city line over the Maine Central track. This
road has as much travel over 1t as any In or
about this city, and its condition In years
past has been we'll known. The scraper got
In Its good work here. and then several tons
of macadam were scattered along, the gut
ters cleaned out. and the frog pond at the
corner above the Seth Mcclellan house filled
up. The road Is now well rounded, and In
first-class condition to the line of the city OF
Deering. and the cost was only S137.60.
These are only few instances Of the good
that Intelligence and good executive ability
have done In the administration of the street
department. There is hardly a street in the
city that could not be pointed to in like man
ner.