The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1895-10-24
MR.. PETIT ON PAVING.
A Letter From Ex-Mayor Petit, in Which
He Strongly Favors Brick for Paving.

| He Strongly Favors Brick for Paving.
LOUISVILLE, KY, Oct. 90 1895.
Ny Dear Friend, @ Brer" Hall:
/ am in receipt of the daily papers
from home, and notice with much de-
light the prospect of having several of
our streets paved in the near future.
In travelling over Il large portion of
the country, necessarily have my at
tenJion called to many things that in
terest me in the way of the conduct of
municipal affairs, and the tone of the
many cities / visit as shown by their
improvements particularly their streets.
In all Of the prosperous cities OF Hi
nois, Indiana, Kentucky and Ohio, and
many in other states. brick paving is
given the preference over all other ma
terial, except possibly in large cities
that desire asphalt for bOuleyardS and
parks. where heavy traffic is not q.
feature to consider | have written
our city clelk recording my desire to
see Prairie avenue paved with brick
when it is done.
That street, though modestly ac
knowledging that it is the handsomest
residence street in our city, is and
probably always will be one of the main
arteries of traffic between the city and
the country, and it is because of the
peculiar location of the street with ref
erence to the outlying country and the
heavy traffic incident thereto, that we
should carefully consider what material
can be used to the best advantage for
paving it.
The use Of wood for paving in cities
where wear and tear is considered, is
obsolete. It ought not to be consid-
cred for minute for use on Prairie
avenue. From the very instant it is
completed, just that very minute it be-
gins to decay, growing worse day by
day, until it soon becomes worse than
no paving at all.
Macadam is the most expensive
pavement of all, not in its first cost,
but in being compelled to keep it con-
sUantly in repair. Rock is not accessi-
BILE to Kenosha and what it would cost
to haul it from the quarry, and any
other dressing makes it no better than
any other good dirt road in dry wealth
er. 1t is dusty in dry weather, sloppy
IN wet weather. wears quickly into
"pitch- holes," and cannot be kept as
clean as any other hard faced paving,
booouco If oa0nOt no cwnDt
Asphalt is unnecessarily expensive
for Kenosha, and is subject to the same
criticism, in the matter Of repairs, that
applies to macadam. To my mind,
brick should be used, both on Market
street and Prairie avenue, both being
traffic streets.
When brick is once properly laid,
that ends all cost for repairs and 1t
aOe0rS aithOWt end. 1t can be swept,
flooded from the hydrants if it is de-
sired to wash it, and it comes up smil-
ing after a rain, as though saying;
Well, don't [ look better for having
my face washed?" Block paving is
like the boy, who having been bathing
in the lake, has forgotten his towel and
after dressing himself, has to steam
himself dry in the sun. While the block
paving is drying itself in the sun, after
a rain, it is hours and possibly days be-
fore it becomes dry, meanwhile it is a
hot-bed of disease, pouring forth it's
vapors and fumes from the soil collect
ed upon it's surface, and which has
seeded into it's interstices for months.
In al of my travels over scores of
miles of brick paved streets in dozens
of cities scattered all over this country,
have yet to see the first brick paved
street that is not as good as when first
put down, granting of course that it
/ was properly done with good paving
brick, as it should be in all cases.
! The use of brick for paving in these
several cities is not confined to business
streets, but is used alike for residence
streets as we'll. 1t is the best all round
material for street paving known to-
day, where utility, cleanliness, health,
beauty of appearance, moderate first
cost and no cost for repairs thereafter,
is considered.
One thing, however, l do wish to say,
that fear our " city fathers" have al
lowed the summer to grow too old to
be warranted in commencing this work
this fall, which under no circumstances
should be done when there is particle
of frost in the ground, and should work
! be commenced on Market street, Prai-
RE and Park avenues this fall, it is not
possible to complete them before freez-
ing weather will be upon us.
I hope, however, that all this work
will be done not later than next spring
if it is not done this fall knowing
that it will do more to attract the at
tention Of the outside world to the
beauty of Kenosha than any other mu-
nicipal improvement that can so close
ly follow our sewer system and the
water-Works plant.