St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1893-01-26


Chairman Welles here announced
that the time had come for Gen. An
drews' paper, but Mr.. Akin, of Dakota
county, interpOsed another resolution
that created rather drastic debate.
He moved the appointment OF a COM
mittee, one to be chosen from EACH
judicial district. to formulate an act TO
be presented to the present Legislature.
with view of securing the desired
remedies for which the convention was
called. An amendment was instantly
sprung by delegate sitting in the rear
of tue chamber, that the committee be
composed of one from each congress
sional district. Mr.. Hazard, of ST.
Paul. moved to refer the whole matter
to the committee on resolutions. and
Mr. Grant. of st. Paul, argued that the
convention was acting 100 precipi-
lately. He urged more deliberate
course, and moved to lay on the
table. Another delegate made a
spirited speech, although motion
to lay upon the table is not debatable.
and he was incontinentally opposed 10
the whole proposition. He declared
that it was placing the cart before the
horse, and moved that the convention
proceed with the programme. mo-
eioH was HSIC ny d OOuJieIll MIN
nesota delegate'tO take Il recess of ten
minutes for the purpose OF choosing the
members of the committee on raSolu-
lions, and Mr.. Akin took up the gaunt-
let and battled for his motion. but it was
voted to lay on the table, and Gen. An
dreWS read his paper OH "Europea II
Roads,"
Gen. Andrews Paper
1t was prefaced by an elaboration of
the generals earlier recollections of the
condition of the roads in the vicinity of
his youthful stamping grounds-near
Mt Vernon. After several interesting
"reminiscences. in which Daniel Webster
was recalled us a pedestrian, the essay
iSt proceeded with his theme proper.
He first stated his acquaintance with
American roads by referring to the
great amount of traffic he witnessed
when a boy tifty-five years ago Oh the
turnpike from Boston to Windsor, VT.
passing his native spot in HillsborOugh,
n. III. AS boy he used to help work
out taxes on that road. When about
seven years Old he worked quite while
throwing stones out of the new road
from his village to East Washington,
for which he was paid one cent. He saw
some samples OF roads in the South
ern states durnga trip to New Orleans
i'll the winter 1866 1855. He then drove
over a fine macadamiZed road of fifteen
miles from Nashville TO the Hermitage,
over the Magnolia road at Mobile and
the Shell road ut New Orleans. During
the war he became acquainted with
roads in six Southern states. Tennessee
had the best turnpiiles-the fruit of
Gov. Andy Johnson's craftsmanship.
The good roads of Europe were mostly
built since the beginning of this cent
ury and were on the principle of
Macadam, which is that the natural
soil, if thoroughly drained, is a sufficient
foundation, to be covered with layer
six inches deep of granite broken into
pieces which will go through a ring
two AMI half inches in diam
eter. Macadam, the author of this sys-
TEN, was born in Scotland in 1856,
came to America at the age of fourteen.
returned to Great Britain III 1883 and
died i'll 1886. During his residence
at Stockholm Gen. Andrews became ac-
quainted with the roads in Sweden and
Norway. which he characterized as ex-
teisive and excellent. lie visited the
principal cities of Europe in 1873 and
obtained general acquaintance with
lOtt'to III Inv ~ iiiC' fJoi SoNiilliSos LII IllC
walks of industry, collections OF art and
ruins of antiquity he beheld objects cal
culated to inspire profound sentiments,
but he could say with truth that there
were few things more impressive than
the general high excellence of the
roads. 70 confirm his views he read
some quotations from reports by Amer
lean conSulS published by the depart
ment of state, Washington city, in
1891. under the title of Streets and
Highways in Foreign Countries" In
conclusion he submitted the following
practical suggestions 10 promote good
roads in Minnesota:
That as object lessons to aequaint the
people with samples of the best kind Of
roads the state should pay annually
about $50, 900 in bountieS Ton the same
principle that tree planting bountieS
were paid to towns or road districts
which should construct mile or more
of macadamlZed road to be acceptable
to the governor: and that the governor
should lie empowered to employ (but
not as a salaried officer) an engineer to
supervise such roads. Secondly, that
the road laws of the state be amended
so that property benefited, even though
remote from the line of road, be taxed
w Uullu anu lilG Odtt. y,
that such changes be made i'll the laws
as will secure more strict and ecOnom-
zeal expenditure of road taxes.
Mr. Arnold, of Redwood county, took
the floor at the conclusion of the ESSAY
and moved Il resolution of thanks, and
he also gave notice that he would take
up certain suggestions offered by the
paper. He considered that the milk in
the cocoanut' was furnished in the
paper, and he thought the remedy to the
present deplOrable condition of Mime
sofa roads can be found in the PROPOSE
ton to macadamiZe.
Or Street Paving.
George B. Subtette, of Minneapolis,
followed with a carefully prepared
paper on "Pavements and Roads in
Cities and Towns" Mr.. Subtette is pc
culiarly fitted for the task assigned him
from the reason that he is the assistant
city engineer of Minneapolis and has
charge of the paving and grading of
streets in that city.
The paper began with comparative
statement Of the cost of construction,
maintenance and paving in European
cities. This included block stone,
asphalt and wosd. 1t proved that stone
tilC NhSopSi oty ~ otit tiiou WOUu 10
the most costly. The excessive cost of
macadam for city traffic was also shown
by the statistics at the command of the
essayist.
"A street should be so designed as
to meet the requirements OF a very
heavy traffic and at the same time COM
bine economy of cost of construction
and maintenance, be pleasing in appear
ance, easy upon passengers, animals
and vehicles, and, finally. healthful,"
he said. From comparative tables OF
cost and maintenance of streets for a
period of fifteen years is ded2ced the
fact that granite is slightly cheaper
than asphalt, but tables of traction
show that hauling done on granite paw
ing requires double the power that as
phalt does, while it is destructive to
vehicles and injurious to human beings
and horses, besides being receptacle
for filth. =
"Whateverthe paving, the road should
have such grade and such cross section
as will give it ready drainage and make
it easy to drive upon at any place from
curb to curb without danger of horses