The record-union., 1894-12-11

IHuu from the graVeied streets by means
oI road machine or scraper. 1t appear
ing tnat tnere Is no money available in
the City Treasury. this ex xperiment is to
De made by the aid of private subscrip-
uons. Should the experiment prove a
success, II Is To be hoped that there will
be money enough transferred TO the street
fund to clean of the mud before The win
ter is over and, if possible, before the
Pathological Convention and the Legis-
lature meet.
Permission will be asked for privilege
to experiment on some street and to al
low property holders To use the dirt that
Will be lett IN row IN front Of their
property. What cannot be used this way
the city will be asked to care tor. We
understand this city owns some wagons
and teams. The work can be done by
nand, II IN no other way. and Il man can
do considerably more while the mud is
SOFT than after 1t gets hard. 1t Is likely,
lhougn, that Scraper can be devised To
work while the streets are slushy per-
haps while 1t is raining, and move the
mud into rows either toward the sides or
the center OF the street, as may be show
by experiment TO be the most practicable.
The mud on the streets has not, as
many supposed, worked up through the
gravel, but IS the accumulationS OF the
dropplngS Oh the street and Of the mud
that has been carried from the alleys and
the country roads by wagon wheels. True
enough, small portion of I'll @ mud was
originally mixed in with tile gravel which
was hauled i'll 10 either make or repair
the street, hut this is really much less
than is popularity supposed and comes OF
with the first cleaning Of a new street.
AS many property y-hUlders can find place
Tor little filling, few wheel DarrowS
and some meals for the hungry might
relieve the city OF considerable OF the eX-
pense OF carting off the mad, which
might not be undesirable to mix in with
the sediment used ordinarily in lilling
our lots. Were such a central place like
the Capitol grounds about to be put out
to grass, coating OF the droppiugs from
the streets would be OF some value if
spread over and plowed III with the sedi-
ment which was used in tilling.
a recent experiment on ii street, be-
tween Thirteenth and Fourteenth,
showed plainly that a gravcled street
would be mparatively dry after a heavy
rain IL the mud were removed so as TO
permit the street 10 shed the rain. y
space Of something over a huudred feet
was cleaned To the center OF tle street
about two weeks ago. The morning after
the heavy rain of last Friday night, this
portion of the street WAS quite dry, while
the uncieaned part was mass of mud
and water.
The quantity of mud that may be car
ried in in few days from one portion of
a street to another by wagon wheels is
also apparent here, as where the cleaned
space borders on the rest OF the uIfcleaHed
street there is already quite an accumula-
ton Of mud. This shows the folly OF at
tempting 10 keep portion OF the streets
clean While the rest remain uucleaned.
The effect OF mud beng carried by wheels
is probably best illustrated Oh Fifth and
Sixth streets, between l and *. If mud
IS churned up through the gravel, as is
argued by many, the travel on these
blocks would certainly make them much
more muddy than tie outside graveled
streets. They are, however, cOmpara-
lively free from mud. and, being free,
dry up much more quickly than the less
fortunate streets which are not kept clean
naturally as are Fifth and Sixth streets,
and in fact other blocks adjacent to the
luminous rock streets. The passing
wheels carry the mud to the bItuminous
rock streets, which, being kept clean, are
unable TO return the compliment.
One reason these blocks dry up more
quickly than the outside muddy streets
Is, that where there is much mud it nat
urally works down on to the sides OF the
streets, and, In measure, destroys the
good effects of the crown Of street which
IS maintained on Fifth and Sixth streets,
because the grade is preserved at the
original line OF the gravel. Even asphalt
streets require cleaning, and as there are
SO many unlmproVed streets and alleys
we must expect 10 remove the mud from
our improved streets at least once year.
Ii il seems TO you better tnat it should be
done at the beginning rather than at the
end OF the winter, and you can ind a way
to appropriate enough money TO carry on
the work If our experiment proves a sue
cess, we would be pleased to make the
trial.
When people expect strangers, or are
about to entertain visitors, whether they
be legislators, grangers or hortlculturists,
it is quite natural for them to either clean
up or dress up the house. SO as 10 i'm press
The visitors as favorably as possible.
Strangers expect ii, and If they see filth
around while things should be at their
best, they are apt TO wonder what The
condition must be when holiday appear
ances are cast aside. Often times, when
strangers are expected, the whole house
hold takes a bath. If we clean off the
mud, the next rain may come in time to
give the streets their bath, instead OF a
soaking, as is the case as long as the mud
remains to act as 4 sponge, and to form,
by the aid of passing wheels, small levees
TO hold the rain and prevent it running
quickly into the cutters, as in case of d
believe we should remain inactive until
moved by an Act Of the Legislature.
Mr. Lindley said that the signers would
like to know, If possible, whether, in
case the experiment is success, any
money can be changed from one fund TO
another 10 carry out the plan throughout
the city. The beginning OF the winter,
before the gravel Is soitened, Is the time
to take OFT the surface mud.
He thought that it should be done be-
fore the Legislature meets. Ii the city
will
fund for other streets, he thought enough
money could be raised by private parties
to clean one street its whole length. The
projectors expect to stand the pense of
the ex pertinent, so that 1t will cost the
city nothing.
The request was referred TO the Street
Committee with power to grant the re-
quest and report the result next week,
members preferring to await the result of
The experiment before committing them
selves in regard to a provision for clean
ing all the streets.
ELECTRIC WIRES AGAIN.
4 new ordinance in regard to electric
wires and poles, to replace that vetoed
by the Mayor. providing that nothing in
ii should be construed to refer TO the
electric car lines, was introduced. 1t was
laid over for one week.
PETITIONS FOR LICENSE.
Petitions for saloon licenses were re-
ceived from McInerny IL Kelly, $50 \
street; Ainsworth Il kuchler. 7US IL street.
ana Charles tluiggle x Co., 5l2 Seventh
street, anu were referred to the Chief OF
Police.
MISCELLANEOUS.
4 communication from the Superin-
tendent Of Streets was read concerning
The flow OF water from the gas well and
recommending that a sign prohibiting
driving faster than walk over the
nvelffn ct rect hridun he rnSi aH Nm fTho