The record-union., 1896-10-20
SACRAMENTO Is ALL RIGHT.
Id Nine Months This Year 1852 Houses
We're Completed.
len Miles of Cement Walks Being
Put Down-Many Other
Improvements.

While the attention of your citizens
mas been engaged in the political cam
paagn, many-in fact, moSt-of our peo-
pie have overlooked the fact that there
Is a great deal of Improvement going on
IN sacramento Few If any Of the cities
on this coast have shown so steady an
advancement during these hard times.
During the past three years there has
been a great deal of building going on,
particularly in the residence portion Of
the city. In 1894 there were 121 new
buildings constructed; In 1895 there
were 191 finished, and, in the nine
months of this year there have been 162
accepted. The last mentioned are
buildings which have been examined
and accepted by the Plumbing Inspec-
tor
Quite a number of small tenements
nave been erected that have not been
recorded because Of having no plumb
ing in connection Herewith The re-
naming three months of this year WILL
no doubt, show a record of more new
buildings constructed IN 1896 than in
any previous year for the past thirty
years. The style of architecture has
been very much improved, and the av-
erage cost of the buildings this year is
much higher than of those erected in
former years. Several fine business
blocks have been erected, particularly
On K street.
1t is safe to estimate that there will
be expended this year, in new build
tngs and additions to old ones, in the
neighborhood of $1,000,OO0.
There has been an unusual activity in
the construction of new concrete stone
sidewalks. The sidewalks already con-
structed this year, and those which are
now in the course of construction, will
make fully ten miles Of new walks. The
property-owners have shown a disposi-
ton, ia most cases, to make this i'm
provement without being urged. The
Improvement of the streets during the
nine months Of this year has been re-
markable, considering the hard times.
The twelve blocks Of bitumen pave
ment around the Capitol grounds is an
Improvement Of which any city would
be proud. Two more blocks, with the
latest style of asphalt pavement one on
Ninth street between ] and X, and the
other on K street, between Front and
Second, are now being improved.
The city has also now under con-
struction eighteen blocks Of macadam
roadway, fourteen blocks on Nineteenth
street, and four blocks on Twelfth
street, south of the Capitol grounds
When this work is completed it will add
some four miles Of the latest improved
street pavement to our already fairly
good streets. The city has also cobbled
or macadamized six alleys during the
summer, and eight alleys have been
opened for new drainage pipes to con-
rect with the sewer system.
A main sewer and pumping plant are
now being constructed on s street and
these constitute much more important
work than most Of our people under
stand or appreciate. 1t extends some
eighteen blocks from the river to Sew
enteenth street; will be large enough to
carry a big body Of water, and will,
without doubt, keep the city as free
from storm and flood waters as any city
in the country. 1t is one of the most i'm
portant public works ever undertaken
in Sacramento.
There is also quite an Improvement
in the old Water Works building 1t
has been reconstructed, new five-mill-
position, and new battery of boilers
will soon take the place of the old ones.
These pumps will supply the city with
all the water required for many years,
but to distribute the water we must
soon arranged for a new main pipe line,
as we cannot force a. sufficient quantity
of water through the present mains to
supply the demands.
Never before In the history of Sacra-
mento has there been 50 much impor-
tant work under way at one time. The
improvement of the streets should be
pressed as fast as practicable, so as to
take advantage of the macadam
which is furnished by the State from
Folsom. 1t will require fully 1000 car
loads of macadam to complete the work
that is now under way, and the city
should use at least 5000 carloads next
year.
If the Board Of Trustees had the funds
at their command a great improvement
could be made on our graveled streets
by putting a dressing of two and a
half or three inches of macadam over
them during the wet season. If we
could loosen these streets up to the
depth Of three or four inches with our
new steam road roller. level them and then
put on this macadam, they would make
fine roads, as the foundation is as good