The record-union., 1895-07-13
CHATS ABOUT STREET WORK.
The Views of Street Superintendent
Murray.
He Wants Modern Machinery-It VIII
Pay Its Cost Speedfly-About
Cobbles In the Streets.

to think that he has not been fairly
treated by the press. because its state
ment of news has led the public to think
his department. to blame for most street
ills. But certainly that is an erroneous
conclusion. Mr.. Murray is not at fault
par ticularly, though his judgment may
be honestly questioned as to some details.
The trouble is well expressed in Mr..
Murray's own language, abridged neces-
sarily and for convenience, namely
"What can do without the tools? To
make streets and keep them in repair to
the best advantage, and with view to
economy and durability. L must have the
tools, and the chief of these is power
roller"
AS he spoke Mr.. Murray, Road Com
missioner Maude, Mr.. Siller and the
! RECORD UNION reporter stood watching
the operation of householder on the new
made macadam alley M and n, Ninth
and Tenth streets. 1t did not need an
expert to see that no matter how often
the roller went over the new surface, the
feet of the four horses drawing it dis
turbed the units of the road metal. Then,
too, the roller was not One-hfLh heavy
| enough. It pressed the units down, but
| did not pack them so as to make them
bind by forcing the flat sides together, as
must be done to make true macadam.
Just at this moment the tour-horse
roller was drawn through the alley, and
the superintendent said TO the driver: Il
wish you would roll this road metal until
| it is knockIng-otf time this afternoon. 1t
cannot be gone over too much."
but l have TO go and roll another
piece" said the teamster.
"Wel," replied the Superintendent,
\, tNo "a t.11 DC
rolling until sunset, and l wish you
would do it."
The teamster drove off, saying some-
thing that did not reach the reporters
ears, and finally the driver turned away
and disappeared up Ninth street.
What was that. Mr.. Murray? That
man has gone OFT and left this alley half
rolled, and before he can start on it again
all he has done will be undone?"
"Well." he said, II suppose that I am
not his boss; nor am l. | have no right
to tell him what to do. He is working
| for the contractor"
"But you have the say as to the accept
ance?"
YES"
Said Mr.. Murray, later on: 81 fear you
people of the press have not given tho
street department full credit in this
matter of clearing the streets of cobbles."
MIR. Murray was assured that ii it had
not, it was because he (Mr. Murray had
not given the press the information; that
! the press had no deslre to do him inius-
tice, and recognized how be is handi-
capped IN his best efforts to keep the
streets clear.
"Well," said the Superintendent, 81
am willing 10 believe that. Now, let me
tell you that that the RECORD UNION has
not only not exaggerated III the matter of
complaint about loose stone in the streets,
it has not told the story strongly enough.
Here, now. is fact few know, that last
year my ydepartmentga gathered dropped and
unearthed cobbles from the public streets
and hauled them away sufficient to make
$50 cubic yards OF road metal had they
| been crushed.'
Astonishment was expressed at this
statement.
But it is true" replied Mr.. Muir
ray, "and 1t is pity that it is true. Our
street fund is too small. How can clean
the residence streets without means and
appliances? How can | make good re-
pairs without the modern machinery?
| Even on the graVeled streets | cannot use
the breaking up process and hand tamp-
ing. because it is too slow and costly.
The best we can do is to put the repair
material on top and pack it as we can.
Now, the RECoRp-UNIoN has put it
right that we need for econOmy's sake a
steam roller of fifteen tons, one that may
be weighted to twenty tons if necessary.
With that l can not only repair streets ef-
fectively, but can compel contractors by
its use 10 make true macadam streets.
Probably they do as we'll as they can,
but we should have a roller, and pre-
fer the triple style, and require the con-
tractors to use it,
Subsequently Mr.. Murray said:5'I have
had teams and men out last week remov-
ing the most Objectionable stones from
several streets, but it cannot be done
effectively, so long as there are big ones
in some of the so-called gravel to be
kicked up again. nor so long as new
cobbles are dropped" AS to broken road
metal, sharp and Jagged. dropped on the
streets by teamsters. Mr.. Murray de-
nounced it as shame, and expressed his
determination to stop the practice, il
possible.
Later the Street Superintendent ex-
patiated on the new work on street, and
expressed his belief that it is being we'll
done. The bituminous rock, he thinks
answers we'll our purpose; but, for all
that, he is of the belief that for general
and residence streets macadam is the true
road surface. His views in this regard
are exactly in harmony with the most ad-
vanced experimentation and thought.
He thinks that good triple roller can be
had for use in this city for sum that
Is y
in that is assuredly correct when cost OF
repairs is taken into account and the
value of a true macadam as compared to
the life of a poor macadam are taken
into consideration.
MIR. Murray thinks that the Seven
teenth-street macadam is a remarkab bly,
fine piece of work, when it is con.
sidered that it was not put in
with proper machinery. He says he
is convinced that thorough pudding,
hard, heavy and much rolling, with the
new trap metal to come from Folsom
next fall, will give US the cheapest anG
best streets in the land none excepted
and in that Mr.. Murray is correct.
The interview with the Superintendent
disclosed the fact that that officer is han
dicapped, and that he would make a good
showing if only supplied with the proper
tools for street repairing. He is of the
opinion that the residence streets ough
to be frequently cleaned. and in the abb
sence OF system strongly favors the
four-block league plan, by which the res
idents, each in front of his property
agrees to see to it that no rubbish, garden
3 trimmings, tree topping, vegetable mat
ter, glass and garbage is put upon the
highway. He had not considered the
scheme before, but on its being suggested
J stated his belief that 1t would be effective
until the city is able to organize a street
cleaning service.
The Street Superintendent thus being
in harmony with progressive ideas, what
is the matter with the scheme of organiz.
ing on the four block plan and giving tht
, system trial?