The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-05-07
DIRT ONLY ON ONE SIDE
BICYCLE RIDERS NOTE A PECULIAR
CONDITION OF STREETS.
Due to Observance of 'GKeep-tO-the-
Right Ordinance by the Farm
ers and Dirt HauIers.

If wheel riders, in riding about the paved
streets could always ride toward the out
skirts of the city and could find some
means of getting back again without vio-
lating the keep-to-the-right ordinance they
would always have an almost perfect road
way. 1t has been remarked time and again
by wheelmen that one side of a street is
almost perfectly clean while the other side
is sometimes covered with dust or mud If
it has recently rained or the street has
been sprinkled, it is often the case that one
side of a paved street is rendered really
dangerous to wheel riders, for the most ex-
pert rider is liable to slip when he tries
to ride on an asphalt pavement which is
muddy.
This condition of the paved streets is
very noticeable on East Washington street.
A rider going east viii not notice the con-
dition, finding on the south or right side
of the street roadway as clean as the
proverbial Dutch housewives kitchen But
when the rider has passed to the end of
the paved part of the street at Rural street
and starts on the return trip, his first re-
mark is apt to be- why has not this
side of the street been swept? The other
side seems to be in a clearly condition"
If the rider were a close observer he
would have noticed this same state of af-
fairs on all the paved streets leading out
to country roads. The more prominent the
country road the more. pronounced the
apparent negiect"of those having the street
sweeping in charge. East and West Wash
lngton streets are the most noticeable eX-
amples. South Meridian street, North IL
linois street, Shelby street and Prospect
street are also among those streets which
would cause the cleanliness of one side
and the corresponding uncIeanlness of the
other side TO be noticed. The later in the
day that the rider takes the trip over the
street the more pronounced the difference
between the two sides of the street.
This condition of affairs has caused much
comment and some speculation on the part
of wheelmen. The solution of the circum-
the keep-to -the-right ordinance. This ordi-
nance has become pretty generally known
and is obeyed as general rule. The thou
sands OF wagons and vehicles, coming into
the city every day from off the country
roads, bringing the mud Of several coun-
ties clinging to the wheels, keep on the
the business part of the city the greater
part of this mud, which will drop off, is
the vehicles are ready to return to the
country what mud may be left on them
is dried and the trip back on the other side
OF the paved street is made without any
deposit of dirt. Tt is thus that one side of
all the paved streets terminating in a coun-
try road is clean and the other side dirty
Where there is a street car track to more
definitely mark the middle of the street
the difference in the appearance of the two
sides is more marked. 49,
This difference in the cleanliness of the
two sides of the street may become some
what of a problem in the future when it
finally becomes necessary to cease repair
ing a street and replace it with a. new
one. 1t is probably true that the side which
catches the inbound country traffic will
wear out first. There are good reasons for
this belief. In the first place, the wear
and tear is greater by reason of the greater
loads it has to sustain. While all farm
wagons which bring loads to the city do
of them are comparatively light on the
outward trip as compared with the trip in.
This will have a damaging effect on the
the work of patching to become more of
an item on the side which catches the
traffic.