The record-union., 1896-10-05
DOING THEIR WORK BETTER.
Contractors Realize That the People Are
Above Them.
The Conviction of Street Sprinkler
Rosas Has Had Salu-
tary Effect.

AAoiC are some important lessons
ordWn from actual facts, which Will be
OF nrst-class value to our people, to
ahe City Trustees and to the Superin-
iendent of Streets
Ihey will be of high value also next
spring when the Trustees come to the
aWard1ng of contracts for the sprink-
ing OF the streets of the city. 1t is not
tIie purpose to accompany the recita
0ion of the facts with any special COM
ments, but leave all such to the good
judgment of our readers.
F1rst-Sprinkling Contractor Rosas
was arrested on Thursday last for
Hcoding N street-not by official action
De it remembered-with water from a
sprinkling cart He was convicted on
Friday, but beginning the day of his
arrest, Rosas carefully shut off the
water of his cart when passing over the
Hooded side of the street. Since that
time, then, no water has been added to
the mud there, yet to this writing (Sun-
day evening" the mud on N street has
not wholly dried out, and at one point
some water deposited by Rosas on
Wednesday night still stands But the
soggy, muddy street is SO nearly dry
that it can be ridden on with comfort
and cleanliness.
Yet this is the first time in five
months that the section complained of
has not been a mass of impassa BILE
mud. Here, then, is demonstration
that the muddy condition was not, and
is not a necessity. More than that.
since his arrest and conviction Rosas
probably out of spite - has not
sprinkled the street between Sixth and
sniff
probably to punish those who pursued
him, yet it is not dusty, and the people
have suffered no Inconvenience. We
trust that the officials who refused to
insert in the contracts last spring the
specifications that would have pre-
vented abuse, and that were respect
fully asked for by petition, will not
forget these facts
Second-Since the arrest and convic-
tion of Rosas there has been remarka-
BILE reform all over the city in the
method of street sprinkling So great
has been the change that it has occa-
stoned general and congratulatory re-
mark. Yet, while We thought ourselves
so favored an Oakland Acme Club
man visiting here declared that he was
amazed at the way we permit the water
1t was possible on Saturday to
ride on most Of the streets and
find them sprinkled without the
creation Of undesirable and ever pres
ent mud. A representative of this pa
per yesterday morning rode over all
the streets from Second to Seventeenth
end from Q to E, and carefully exam
3ned them at 10 o'clock In that time
the wheels of his vehicle did not pick
up mud enough to soil its felloes, and
no dust was anywhere flying, nor any
sign of it. Yet it was the first Sunday
morning in over five months that as
early as 10 o'clock in the morning
one could go upon the sprinkled earth
and graveled streets without having to
tack and fill and steer and dodge and
jump in many places, and often for
whole street lengths, or go blocks and
blocks around to avoid being spattered
ty and stuck in mud.
One ice delivery man said to our re-
porter: This is the first Sunday morn
ing l remember in Sacramento when
have not had to wade around in mud,
and when my wagon wheels have not
been soiled to the hub. You see there
is scarcely a spatter on the rims and
there Is no mud on my boots, though
] walk in the street.
Another ice wagon proprietor was
stopped and asked what was the mat
ter with the wheels of his vehicle. In
surprise he examined them and replied:
Nothing; what do you see?" He was
told they We're clean.
by gracious, that is so, and 1t is
unusual. Yes, sir. there Is no mud"
Still another said: Il collect on Sat
urdays. For Sundays work l always
have to wash my wagon to get rid of
the mud. Look there, this wagon was
not washed this morning, nor yesterday
and it is comparatively clean, see?'
over fifty cyclists were stopped and
asked if they had noted the change,
and all replied, with enthusiasm, in the
affirmative. Twelve stated that at
very early hour they had encountered
some mud, but they added that with
earth-cOvered streets that is scarcely
to be avoided, but it was not the liquid
mud of the past. All the evidences
We're cumulative that the sprinklers
are not, since the Rosas case, flooding
ahe streets as heretofore, but are skip
ping the crossing and the shaded pOr-
lions Of the highways, and are espe-
cially avoiding putting on water where
the ground is already sufficiently
wetted. One sprinkling wagon driver
admitted that he had found that by
taking more care load Of water went
further, and that it was no trouble at
all to operate the levers and shut off
the water at points where its deposition
would make mud and slush, and he
added: II can just as we'll sprinkle
up one whole side first as not" These
are the facts.
Yesterday was a delightful driving
day the streets We're free from mud,
in most part, and for the first time in
months there was no complaint because
Of sprinkling. These statements are
submitted to the people and to the Off
cials, and with the single simple ques
dion. "Why could not this happy con-
dition Of affairs have been brought
about long ago and whose fault is it
that the people have been compelled