The Forrest City times. [volume] (Forrest City, Ark.) 1871-1919, 1893-01-20
HOW TO TEAR UP A STREET.
In Paris They Make No Mess Fuss and
Waste No Time.

traveller Is the frequent evidence OF the
employment OF highly skill ed labor
upon work whie h would be done by un-
skilled labor in this country. a city
official of New ork said a short time
ago it would bc impossible to keep the
streets Of New y orz in a state of clean
illness and repair similar to the boule-
wards of Paris bee ause of the expense,
which the taXpa yers would not stand.
And he went on to say that, granting
the taxpayers were willing to stand the
expense, the needed number of skilled
laborers could not be found.
But in Paris such things can be done
quickly and slillfully, because large
force, an indefinitely large force, OF
highly skilled labor ers may be hired
for smad sum. The result is that
even the humblest work is done with
an exercise of skill and intelligence
which amazes an American. When
street or buildin G is to be repaired
great force of trained laborers is
gathered, the materials for labor come
with them, and the work goes forward
swiftly, quietly, in an orderly manner,
with SO little muss and fuss that pass
ers-by are hardly conscious that any
thing is doing.
An American drinking II small bottle
at a little table in front of the Cafe de
la PaiX one day last summer saw an IL
lustration of this. As he discovered
later on gas pipe four or five feet be-
low the level of the asphalt, not far
from the curbin 6, was in need of re-
pair. Toward 10 o'clock a man with a
| spade, ham mer, and chisel appeared
with an assistant, who carried two
great baskets. The two laid down
their ools, and one of them took from
one of the baskets rope and number
| of iron stand ards sharp at the lower
end. Quickly the men drove these
standards into the asphalt and stretched
the rope around them SO that a square
space eight feet by four was inclosed
| The assista mt took from the basket
big placard and leaned it against one of
the standards and went away. The
placard was an announcement that the
laborers had permission to take up the
! asphalt and repair gas pipe.
The other laborer climbed over the
rope and marl1e d out upon the asphalt
a square six feet by two and half
! Following this mark he chiselled
through the asphalt, and when he had
separated the piece inside the mark he
carefully lifted it out and laid it to one
side. Then he took his spade and dug
up the gravel nd other stuff that
| formed the immediate foundation of
the asphalt This material he put into
one of the bask cts. Then he attacked
| 4 |, I, nj IL.
| hole dug to the required depth with the
gas pipe exposed. All the dirt he had
taken from the hole was in the other
basket If there had been a fine carpet
up to the edge of the hole on all sides it
would have bee n only slightly sprin-
killed. with soil and not at all injured.
When he had done he gathered up his
tools and looked impatiently up the
street. Fl is face cleared at once and
broke into a smile of greeting as two
| laborers, armed with tools and basket,
| appeared He left them and went away
They were evid emily plumbers and un-
derstood their businesss. For in almost
no time at all the pipe was fixed and
| the plum bcrs were standing outside the
rope look ing about tn em. They did not
nave lOup 10 wall. lie ldDOTtr VINO
had dug the hole reappeared and they
went away. He proceeded with the
greatest care, but very swiftly, to put
back the earth and to ram it down with
a rammer he had brought with him.
| just about the time he began to put
back the gravel roller and engine APP
peared. Another laborer climbed over
the rope and helped him with this last
work, in which h OF tar was used. They
/ laid back the piece of asphalt which
had been cut out and put aside, and
filled in the crack. Then they pulled
up the stakes and threw them into one
| basket and the placard in to the other,
the roller passed over the place two or
! three times and then they all went
away. leaving no dirt, no muss, aud
only a square line of slightly different
| color from the rest of the asphalt to
show that anything had been done
| The American who was watching all
| this look ed at his watch. 1t was not
quite II o'clock The work had been
done in about two hours. The street
had not been bloclSaded No great and
unsightly piles of dirt had been thrown
up, the blouses of the laborers were as
clean when they went away as when
they came. The street was as perfect
as if it had not been disturbed N. Y.
Sun.