The record-union., 1892-11-23
j STREET AND THE CHARGE OF
THE SILURIAN.

The proposition of the Trustees to i'm
prove J street, from Third to Eleventh.
by crushing the cobbles now on the street
for substructure and surfacing it with
bituminous rock, as has been done on
Tenth street, was not made until a great
number of property-owners had signed
an agreement in the affirmative. The
proposal was hailed by progressive peo-
pie throughout the city with delight, and
the hope was entertained that the i'm
provement would be put through with
out opposition, and prove the entering
wedge for a happy future of advance
ment.
This, however, is not to be. The busy
body has already started out in the inter-
est of silurianism with a protest, and
signatures are being secured to it through
appeals TO penuriousness in some cases
and by Hat misrepresentation in others.
If it shall turn out that the improve
ment is defeated, it will be direct dam
aging blow to this city. Men who are
disposed to invest upon the street, to
build, improve, push business and stand
by the city, will become weary and seek
points whore the silurian has been
buried. The progressive spirit will be
checked, faith in the city shaken, and
lasting injury be done to business and
property interests.
In this there is no exaggeration-it is
the simple, Unvarnished truth drawn
from the experience of other California
cities. For every twenty feet front the
cost of the improvement will be less than
500. What viii be the gain? Increased
property values; rapidity of transit;
lowered crown of the street and flat gut
ters, and consequent greater ease in NOV
ing vehicles over the highway; lessened
cost of street cleaning; humanity to ami
mails driven over the street; absence of
dust and dirt and less damage to goods in
stores; elimination of seven -tenths of
the noise that is now deafening as the
wagons rattle over the stones; increased
capacity in hauling; lessened wear and
tear on vehicles and horsefesh. and
finally great improvement in the ap-
pearance and attractiveness of the street.
The cobble on the street is a relic of
Ignorance and dead past, badge of in
humanity, a positive persistent hindrance
to travel, source of noise and annoy
ance, and the cause of the deposit of dirt
and filth upon the street, and hence the
source of unhealth. Let those who doubt
go to Los Angeles and examine the
smooth, clean, dustless surface of Spring
and other smooth asphalted streets. Let
them make inquiry of the people of
Fresno why they adopted and maintain
asphalt streets, and the reply will be that
they are the most economic. healthful and
every way desirable. They cost less to
maintain, less TO sweep, less to sprinkle,
and less to construct, when the benefits
are taken into account.
street ought to be the chief business
driveway of the city; the avenue of all
Others for the retail trade of the city. It
ought to be clean, almost flat, smooth.
and offer the fewest possible obstacles TO
the easy passage of vehicles. AS it is, it
is cruelty to drive a horse over it, de-
structive TO vehicles, uncleanIy, offensive
to the sight and uneconomic, and by
reason of its character as a dirt-catcher
it tends to fill up the sewers and increase
the cost of their clearance.
It was a good movement to suggest that
J street be smooth surfaced; it was an
indication OF public spirit such as is to be
seen in every Southern California city; it
promised fer us such a stride in advance
as would enhance property values gen.
orally, invite greater desirable population,
stimulate investment, encourage i'm
provement in architectural lines and
generally promote the best interests of
the city and lessen cost of city mainte-
nance to taxpayers.
If the suggested improvement were
merely experimental; if it sounded
problematic; if it had in it any doubtful
or uneconomic elements, there would be
some excuse for opposition, hesitancy
and protest. But the smooth street has
been tried, tested thoroughly, and has
won in Los Angeles, Riverside, San Ber-
nardino, San Diego, Fresno and other
cities with climatic conditions similar 10
or more severe than ours. That San
Francisco was swindled under boss rule
in some street construction of this
character, cuts no figure in our case.
That proper work and material did not
enter into some bituminous rock pave
ment there is no reason why we should
not make q smooth street here. There
is more heavy traffic over Spring street,
Los Angeles, in a day than over street
in Sacramento in two days, yet Spring
street is fat, smooth, clean, noiseless,
free from ruts and depressions or dirt or
dust, while street, with its big cobbles
and heavy fagstones, is a worse cordu-
roy road than swamp log passage in a
Kankakee cranberry marsh. It is a