The record-union., 1895-06-27
ABOUT OUR STREETS.

There has been arrived at by the city
authorities very sensible conclusion,
namely, that no more grayeled streets
shall be made in Sacramento. That is
wise for reasons which experience has
given US. and that are so generally con-
fessed that there is no need to reoite them
here
This leaves us to adopt either of two
other kinds of roadway, bituminous
rock or macadam. For residence streets
the former will not be used, save in few
instances, as for example, around parks,
though we are of the opinion that here,
as in several cities that might be named.
it would prove economic on all generally
travelled residence streets. Maoadam.
therefore, will be the most generally used
in this city for two reasons-it is most
speedily constructed and is cheaper, and
we are now very soon to be able to p1o-
cure genuine trap-rock road metal, prop
erly prepared, at a cost probably two
thirds less than the figure We have had to
pay in the recent past. So that mile of
macadam street that cost for the material
alone over s., 300, will now be supplied
with material for from $500 to 81, 900.
But we conceive it to be duty to say
attention to, namely, that we had better
get along with the stony, detective and
spurious paved Streets" SO called, made
of alleged gravel; we had far better wal
low in the mud of earth roadways ILL
made and worse maintained, than to
permit macadam streets to be made
according to the ideas of some of
the contractors and street authorities in
this section. If we are to use macadam
metal on our streets-and some are al
ready ordered up for macadamizing-we
must use it as latest discovery, the best
experience and the dictates of common
sense direct. We do not hesitate to say
that there is not foot of perfect mscadam
roadway in the county of Sacramento.
Nor is there foot of perfect macadam
street pavement in Sacramento, though
our people fiatter themselves that we
have some blocks of macadamized streets,
and we confess they are far better than
the cobble-graveled streets.
II the City Trustees and Sacramento
property-owners propose TO permit
macadam road metal to be used as in the
past, they had far better put the money
to decent use by transferring 1t to a
charity fund. We have in mind now the
block between Sixth and Seventh, n and
streets-that is q fair sample of the ideas
prevalent in this community as to what
macadamizing is. That roadway has
been laid three months, and is to-day lit
tie more than q loose stone road, with the
surface units Of the metal parting every
time wheel rolls among them, and all
the water falling upon the surface going
through to what is paImed Off as sub
instead of roof.
This matter is of such Importance. it
means so heavy a loss or saving of money
to the owners of real estate, that we pro-
test in advance against any and all speci-
fications that do not set out in detail just
what is meant by a macadam surfaced
ho
adam" leaves open so wide door for con-
tractors that there is no remedy if the
street is not properly constructed. AS a
rule the owners of property are not tech
nically informed as to the distinction be-
tween true and false macadam, and it
is no reproach to them to say this, since
recent experiment and demonstration,
and the studies of road engineers, have
not been made matters of general read
ing, save in few communities.
First and foremost let it be understood
that true mscsdam is considerably
cheaper than spurious macadam. Sec
ond, that no true macadam street surface
can be made that is not roof capable OF
shedding water and keeping all moisture
from the substructure. Third, that all
macadam must be bound. That is to say,
it must be so rolled that the broader flat
sides of the units turn upward, and lesser
fiat surfaces of the units pack together so
that they brace and support each other,
thus forming what is technically called a
"binder' when screenings or macadam
dust Ia put on as finish, to fill the