The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-07-08
A HELP FOR GOOD ROADS,
Cheap Crushed Rock from
Folsom Will Encourage =
improvements.
WHAT A. B. MAGUIRE THINKS.
State Rock Should Not Compete
UnfaVorably With Labor
San Francisco.

The announcement in the dispatches
Yesterday that the rates offered by the
Southern Pacific for the transportation OF
crushed rock from Folsom to San Fran
cisco had been approved by the Governor
and the State Prison Directors, and that
the rock-crushing plant at the prison
would be erected Immediately, was re-
ceived by the good roads enthusiasts OF
this city with much satisfaction.
ut MEANS" said one of them yesterday
afternoon, "that the expense of street I'M
provements will be materially lessened.
At present the cost of rock for street I'M
provement purposes is about 81 ton.
Under the rates quoted for the Folsom
rock it will cost laid down in this City not
over 81 O5 a ton, and that allows IS cents
for hauling and 20 cents for the cost OF
getting it out at the prison.
"There may be some opposition to the
use of the rock on the ground that it is
crushed by convict labor, but do not
think such opposition would be well
founded While few men now engaged
in crushing rock may lind themselves out
of employment, the increased amount OF
road work due to the decreased cost Will
far more than counteract any i'll effect"
A. B. Mcguire, who IS one or the most
enthusiastic men IN the City on the subJect
of good roads and street paving, and tos
whose advocacy and tact is largely due the
organization of the entire south side IN
favor of the illuminating OF Folsom street,
said:
have always been in favor of macadamizing
streets where any better pavement could not
be provided, and it hardly matters from what
source the crushed rock comes, so long as our
local quarries are given plenty TO DO. VI
course, there are objections to macadam1zed
streets in large city, owing to their dusty
condition in summer and their muddy state in
winter
There are some roads which might well be
paved with crushed rock all the way out to the
county limits such the San Bruno and Mis-
sion roads and San Jose avenue. They have
some macadam on them now, but are full OF
holes and very uneven Now, IL these great
arteries TO the southwark could be put into
first-class condition, like Point Lobos avenue
is, with little expense TO the City, 1T would be
grand thing.
The only objection 1 have to the crushed
rock from Folsom is that 1 fear it might oper-
ate unfavorably against our local quarries We
all want good roads, but we do not want the
bread taken out OF the mouths OF our own
This, however I think could be easily COM
promised. Let the Board of Supervisors give
the preference for the inside streets to our
local Quarries, and then, after taking care of
them, spend few thousand dollars to good adj
vantage by using the crushed rock from Fol-
som on the main roads running southwark,
which the City could not probably put into
proper shape by any other arrangement.
You understand my position? 1t is that San
Francisco by all means should have good roads
and streets. The tax levy will, however, be
| fixed at certain limit. That will allow just
| so much and no more for street improvements.
Well, this appropriation should be so used as
| to get the best returns without allowing State
labor to compete unfavorably against our own
labor.
l think small portion of the appropriation
could be applied to advantage in using some of
the Folsom crushed rock on the main roadASp
running southwark to put them in good condi-E
IA nrrrI6 nr
perhaps, by any other method.
The fact of the matter is the City ought to
have big crushing machine of its own TO cont
vert all the old, worn-out basalt blocks and dis
carded cobbles into splendid macadam
You know that am interested just now in
only one thing, and that is the illuminating
of Folsom street from the wharf TO Twenty.
ninth street. The only thing care to say for
some OF the other streets whose need OF i'm
provement is imperative is that if the Citv can
not afford to pave them with bitumen or basaIt
blocks the best thing it could do would be to
properly macadamlze them like the roads in
Golden Gate Park. To macadamize them would
cost about tenth what it would to lay basalt
blocks.
When it comes to properly paving the streets.
| would say that if the Board of Supervisors
fovors concrete foundations in the future for
its pavements, then bitumen is from to 2
cents per, square foot cheaper than basalt
blocks and infinitely superior to it for all pur-
poses as street pavement.
George D. Cooper, who was formerly
treasurer of the Merchants Association.
expressed himself as well pleased with the
proposed innovation. II favor good roads.
and everything that tends to improve the
condition of the roads meets with my APP
prevail" said he.
1.-The present matter will not, however.
in my opinion, affect San Francisco so di,
rectly as it will the surrounding country.
1t is usually in the country districts that
the roads are so VIGOROUSLY bad, owing to
the great expense of any improvement of
them. But now that the cost of the
crushed rock is so materially reduced. an
era of better roads should ensue, and
doubtless will