Marshall County independent. (Plymouth, Marshall County, Ind.) 1897-1902, 1899-03-03
PAVEMENT IDEAS.
OPINIONS WORTH CONSIDERING
BY OUR COUNCIL.
III. ). Fraser. General Agent of Big Four
meDt--Glass for Paving Public Street

polls on the best kind of pavement.
We publish today some opinions of
other men whose judgment ought to be
worth considering.
II. S. Fraser, general agent of the
Big Four railway at Indianapolis says:
Replying to request for my views on
creosoted wood block psvements will
say that we have had 10 years exper-
renee with asphalt and brick in this
city. Brick is back number only laid
in alleys. Asphalt when well laid, has
some good features but is hot, dusty
and noisv. I regard the creosOted wood
pavement the best in the city. live
on Delaware street; the city officials
want to give us asphalt but 80 per cent
OF the residents have demonstrated
against asphalt and petitioned for the
creosoted wood, including such men as
ex-PresideDt Harrison, ex-Attorney
General Miller, John l.. Griffiths, John
7. Dye. General council ID. Nj. Parry,
president Commercial Club, H. F. Was
son and l.. S. Ayers, dry goods mer-
chants, and about 60 others who think
about this matter much the same as
do. The creosoted wood pavements in
this city are all In perfect condition
and to me, seem to be the most beauti-
ful pavements l ever saw. | am not an
engineer and hence cannot give you any
of that information.
"a few weeks since there was meet
ing in Indianapolis of civil engineers
from different parts of the country.
Mr.. Jeup, city engineer of Indianapolis,
read an address regarding the different
kinds of pavements, and in his address
he seemed to consider creosoted south.
ern pine the best.
R. NJ. Smock, assistant adjutant gen.
ersl of the Indiana department, G. A.
r., says:
"The creosoted pavemeDts that have
been put down in this city have not
been down long enough to give a fair
test, think something over year.
This was laid dlagOnally across the
street and seemed to wear much better
than the blocks that were put straight
across. How it will last, however, re-
mains to be seen, by saying that for
residence streets the asphalt, well put
down, is preferable to either of the
others. The brick for residence streets
has not proven satisfactory because of
the noise it makes. 1t does well enough
for alleys or on the streets where there
is traffic. There is another thing about
the block pavements, l do not know
whether it is so with that which has
been creosoted or not. that when there
comes a wet season the blocks swell
and raise up i thu streets"
Jacob w. Smith secretary of the In
dlanapols board of trade, says;
"Only small portion of our streets
thus far have been paved with the
creosOted blocks. rhe streets that have
thus been paved seem to be giving good
satisfaction, but as the blocks have only
been down aDnu' two years we have
scarcely had time yet to compare with
Drick OF asphalt. Personally | am de-
rid-d, y in favor of the creOsoted blocks
md INK there IS nothing better when
roperly laid.
These Opinions will undoubtedly con-
vince many thai the creOsoted block is
~orrny a more careful investigation.
rhe independent has pointed out that
the utmost care should be exercised by
he city authorities and by property
wnerr in the selection of paving mate r
lal and 1t would still urge the people to
sct wisely 1t is cheaper to let other
cities do the experimenting.
A NOVEL PAVING MATERIAL.
or all the novel materials which have
been utilized for making smoother the
rough Id uneven path of the truck
driver whose duty compels him to steer
through city streets huge and jolting
mass of merchandise, that of which a
cler gyman, Rev.. III. Amies, of Allan
tic City, N. j., is the inventor, is EMIT
led to first place. The material that
Mr.. Amies proposes to use for paving
city streets is common meadow grass.
For his paving material he intends to
go to the waste meadows along the sea,
where grows the comparatively value
less grass, which when sold as salt hay,
The only thing that it has been worth
selling for, barely pays for the cost of
cutting.
This salt and rank growth Mr.. Amies
intends to compress by hydraulic means
into square blocks, first curing it by
means of special preparation of oil,
tar and other resins blended, this prepa
ration making the blocks, according to
the claims of the reverend inventor,
proof against the invasion of moisture
and decay. The finished blocks meas
ure Ia inches by 81 by six, and weigh 40
pounds per cubic feet.
The blocks can be laid upon any