Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-08-12
WEARY OF MUD ROADS.
Many Fast End Residents Want Their
Streets Macadamized.
CHILDREN CAN'T GO TO SCHOOL
Because Their Faith Is Blocked by the
Deadly Grade Crossing.
WANT A CONTRACT CARRIED OUT

Property holders on Lang avenue and
on other streets in that section Of
the Twenty-6rst and Twenty-second wards
are talking vigorously for improvements.
Lang avenue is one of the most promising
new streets in the East End. Within the
past two or three years it and the contigu-
Gus territory have developed greatly. The
population has increased considerably and
many new houses have been built
In consequence the old mud road
has become a great drawback. In winter
or spring weather it is almost impossible for
vehicles of any kind. During few months
of the summer it is not so muddy, but then
it is rough and exceedingly dusty. While
comparatively few loads of cinders and
stone would make great Improvements to
the street the Public Works Department,
following its policy of making habitation
on an unpaved street as miserable as possi-
BILE, so that residents thereon will be glad
to pray for improvements, have refused to
do anything at all.
A Bridge That is Badly Needed.
Street improvements are not the only
thing the people out there want. A bridge
over the Pennsylvania Railroad is very
much desired. There is but one good cross
ing over the Pennsylvania Railroad between
East Liberty and the city line That one is
at Homewood avenue, but it is q grade
crossing, and owing to the immense traffic
on the railroad, the safety gates are down so
much of the time that domestic traffic is
greatly hindered.
Lang avenue crosses large part of the
Twenty-frst and Twenty-second wards from
north to south. The largest populated sec
tion oft is on the southern end of the
street, but recently there has been great ac-
tivity in building north of the railroad.
The Twenty-frst ward district schoolhouse
is on the north side, while the bulk
of the pupils live south of the
tracks. Owing to the extreme dam
ger of crossing the tracks many resi-
dents are afraid to send their children to
their own school, The little ones are sent
to the schools in the Twenty-second ward,
much further away, in consequence. There
have been some objections to this from the
Twenty-second ward school directors, but
they have not stopped the practice.
Contract Not Carried Out.
The citizens of both the Twenty-frst and
Twenty-second wsrds knowing there is a
remedy, are going to demand it. In 1872,
when the city entered into a contract with
the Pennsylvania Company which resulted
in the closing up of the north end
of Grant street and of Washing
ton street, the railroad company, in return
for these favors and others giving them
more room downtown, agreed to build over
head bridges at certain important crossings.
Under this contract the bridges at Wash
ington street, Twentv-eIghth, Thirty third .
and Roup streets, at Ellsworth, Highland,
Shady and Aiken avenues have already
been built by the company. Another
clause of the contract provided that "when
opened for public travel" the company
should build bridges over its tracks for I
vehicles and pedestrians at Lang avenue !
and Putnam streets
The people out there think it now time
for the company to live up to this part of its
agreement. The streets have both been )
"opened for public travel for years. The
necessity for the bridge over Lang avenue
has been felt In many ways, and the
necessity is growing. The property owners
talk of petitioning the railroad company to
proceed at once in the matter, and failing
to get what they want, it is proposed to
petition Councils for an enforcement of the
conditions of the contract.
Want n Macadamizsd Street.
The paving of Lang avenue is another
point which is drawing attention and may
prove an interesting matter before long. A
macadam pavement is desired by many Of
the owners, and they will insist on having
that kind. 1t is figured that the avenue
can be macadamized for 81 so to 81 rs per
square yard. Asphalt paving costs from
S2 so to So per yard, while block stone
costs from 50 go to So 20. 1t is
claimed that with a little repair
ing now and then a macadamized
road will wear longer than either of the
more costly pavements and for residence
street is more desirable. Chief Bigelow,
however, is opposed to macadam. He
claims full authority to decide the materials
to be used in paving any street, and hereto
fore has exercised his alleged au-
thority to the almost absolute ex-
clusion of macadamized roads though
property owners on many streets have
asked to have them SO paved. If the Lang
avenue people stick to their intention of in
sisting on macadam, the result may be
court decision defining how far abutting
property owners rights extend In such
matters.
1t is remarked that Chief Bigelow while
opposing it for other streets, recognizes the
value of macademized roads by adopting
them in the parks The main driveway at
Schenley Park has been paved in that way
and competent judges say with little
care 1t will last for century. Ono
of the best roads in the State is q
portion of the old National turnpike
between Uniontown and Pennington,
which was macadamized in 1889 and is az
good to-day as ever it was. Many large
cities throughout the country pave their
residence streets in this way and they are
said to be as good as any other kind in use.