The record-union., 1894-12-12
AN EXPERIMENT.

The experiment that is about to be
made in the cleaning of our graveled
streets ought to succeed and we believe
that it will. 1t may not, probably will
not, be so we'll worked as after trial has
demonstrated just what kind of a ma
chine is best adapted to the work.
The plan is to scrape the mud from the
graveled streets while it is yet in semi
fluid state. 1t is reasonable to believe
that it can then be removed without dis
turbance of the gravel surface, and at
much less cost than under the old sys-
tenn which leaves us to wallow through
muddy streets the winter long, and then
remove the matter with pick and shovel
in the spring after it has partly hardened
and at heavy cost.
The experiment will also demonstrate
whether, as has all along been claimed,
this mud of winter is dragged up onto
the streets from the unpaved highways
and alleys, or is the clayey matter in the
gravel which works up. AS against the
last named theory it is notable that i'm
mediately after heavy rain the streets
become muddy, and before there has
been travel enough to grind and press up
the clay. The truth is, probably that the
son supplemented by earthly matter
dragged by wheel and hoof from the un-
graded streets and alleys.
Assuredly reason directs that the time
to handle this mud is when it is in the
most plastic condition. Or, if just be-
fore the rainy season begins the superin-
cumbent dirt were entirely removed
from the surface of street, we believe
that greatly less mud would develop
under rain conditions. But that IS never
done. We keep down the mud develop
ing matter by sprinkling, and immedi-
ately on the setting in of rains. we ind
the streets inches deep in slush.
Let the experiment to be tried this
week be given a thorough trial and not
be hastily judged. The cost is to be de-
frayed by private enterprise, and the
work is to be done under the direction of
a competent and public spirited road en-
gineer. The truth is, all our street work
ought to be under engineering direc-
ton. The best we can do for the
State is to do we'll for our city.
The construction and maintenance of
roads and streets is no longer conceded
TO be the work of any one who
offers. 1t has been admitted to the
realm of science. as much so as
railroad construction, and perhaps
it is more entitled to be so ranked. If
the city government had good road en-
gineer to direct and supervise all street
and road construction and maintenance
under the direction of the legislative
body and the executive il would save
large sums of money and still leave to
the Street Superintendent enough, and
more than enough to do.
Under such an arrangement no such
blunders as that in the alley between K
and l., Ninth and Tenth. would be COM
salary paid to competent road engineer
would be saved in single mile of street
contract. This has just been demonstrated
in San Francisco. where. after the ordi-
nary civil engineer and the Street Super
intendent and Supervisors had accepted a
costly piece of work on Second street, it
Turns ont that il is fraud from one end
to the other, in both material and its
placing. Every road engineer in San
Francisco knew what would result, and
it came about precisely as they predicted.
The loss on that Second-street job. it is
said, will be greater, over and above the
cost of relaying the street, than would
have paid the salary OF supervising
road engineer for five years.