The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1898-09-26
Citizens Want Btu
men to Valencia.
ALSO TO GOLDEN GATE PARK
SUPERVISOR LACKMANN TALKS
FOR PROPERTY OWNERS.
He Declares That There Is Money
Wasted That Would Eas-
4 lily Pay the
Cost.


superintendent Ambrose, in an interview
In The Call Yesterday. that he should ad-
wise the Supervisors TO suspend bitumfn-
Gus paving operations on Market street
beyond Sixth because of a scarcity of
funds was the occasion of much surprise
on the part of citizens generally and
caused considerable adverse comment
The majority of taxpayers have all along
favored the repaving of Market street
with bitumen throughout its entire length
and have preferred TO give this improve
ment precedence over others as one of
the most needed al the present time. The
supposition has been general that, with
the street appropriation as large as last
year there would be sufficient money to
finish Market street out to Valencia and
perhaps to bituminize the connecting side
streets. so to form a continuous
smooth pavement out to Golden Gate
Park The fact that the Superintendent
view of the matter has, therefore. been
received with many expressions of as
constituent
Supervisor Lackmann, when he heard
of the position of superintendent Am
brose in the matter, was not slow to ex-
press an opinion of his own. Il don't
cannot be paved with btumen out as far
as Valencia. There ought to be enough
money in the street fund not only TO do
the work but to carry out other pro-
Democratic mismanagement in the Board
of Supervisors has had much to do with
the heavy expenditures and small bene-
fetal results. With proper handling OF
the public money and reasonable econ
omy. with the looping off of useless
salaries and an epoch of Republican re-
trenChment, there is no reason why the
Street Department, as well as all other
departments of the city government,
should not be able to accomplish twice
as great results and still keep the taxes
down to proper figure. Only few days
ago l was talking with prominent drug
gist on Market street, and he expressed
ants all along the thoroughfare were
anxious not only 10 have the repaVing
with bitumen carried out as far as Va
lencia street, but that they wanted to
have bitumen laid on those connecting
streets which form a continuous line of
travel out to Golden Gate Park. This
druggist said he had talked with many
others in business along Market street
and every one was Of the same mind.
They all wanted the bitumen out to the
park for business reasons. Make a fine
drive, smooth, noiseess thoroughfare
from the foot of Market street out to the
park. said he, and 1t will tend to de-
velop business by centralizing travel
along Market street and the connecting
streets. !, for one, stand ready and will
ing to subscribe money out of my own
pocket If necessary in order to get the
bitumen out to Valencia street and also
to the park. Others are willing. 1t is
merely a good mercantile proposition.
Trade and traffic will follow those streets
which are bituminised. The residents of
San Francisco are tired of driving over
rough, cObblestone payements or even
walking along them and being annoyed
by the din SO that it Is almost impossible
to talk and be heard.
THAT mans ideas are the ideas of
nearly all of our citizens" continued Mr..
Lackmann. and while / do not know
that any private subscription to continue
bitumen paving work will be 5tarted 1t
is quite certain that there is a strong
feeling in favor of taking up more cob
of. In fact. l am informed that SUBJ
scription for illuminating Market street
was seriously considered just before the
menced.
My position in the Board of Supervi-
sors will be emphatically in favor OF fin
fishing Market street with oiIumen at
least as far as Valencia street Then |
shall advocate the illuminating Of side
streets"
number of San Francisco people who
have recently been in the East and have
observed the superior character of the
asphalt pavements laid in Chicago, St
Louis: Cincinnati and other cities. are
trial in this city. 1t Is a California prod
uct and is taken TO Eastern cities at great
expense in order to furnish paving mate
rial of the best class. The asphalt is
harder than bitumen and will stand heav-
Ter traffic without noticeable wear. In
the city of Cincinnati. for instance, as
phalt has been down on Race street for
over ten years and has been subjected to
the heaviest traffic The surface Is as
good as new. 1t does not soften u in
warm weather.
A well known city contractor. in speak
ing Of the failure to try asphalt in San
Francisco, said yesterday: THE reason
Is not far to seek. Never since the South
ern Pacific gained co troll in local affairs
has there been any chance to bring as
phalt into use The management Of the
road is against 1t. Bitumen comes in it's
crude shape to the city and the road gets
a big profit from hauling the stuff As
phalt. on the other hand is not nearly SO
profitable. inasmuch as only one-sixth as
much In bulk has to be hauled AS YOU
know. asphalt when prepared for LAYING
on streets is composite material con-
tanning only one-sixth of real asphalt a
large part Of the residue being sand or
course the railroad company cannot make
anything out Of the sand proposition. as
sand is too plentiful in this immediate
vicinity and II does not see the wisdom
of hanltnP one-siXth as much asphalt as
It now hauls of bitumen.
at has long been an open secret among
the initiated that there is a little com.
mission of Is cents on each ton of btu
mon paid by somebody to certain CITY
officials. who are consequently interested
in bringing all the material -ossble IN
this city Understand / do not object to
the htumen itself as a having material
but il does seem too bad that there should
be a rake-off for certain Superyisora
growing out OF It's USE