Lewiston teller. [volume] (Lewiston, North Idaho) 1878-1900, 1899-03-29
The Question of Pavement.

Editor Teller:-Nour editorial on
street improvements i'll the last issue of
your paper attracted my attention and
the first part-the introductory-me
with my approval. But the latter part
needs reconstructing.
May venture to mildly reprove you
for giving advice upon a subject which
your editorial shows YOU know little
about
You say the gravel on the hill will
make good pavement. That to use it
for paving material will require no
crushing or even breaking. You say
sorting of the material can be done by
the workmen without expense. That
the mixed mass can be dumped into the
middle of the street and the sorting done
with rakes. And you say "A pavement
can be constructed in this inexpensive
way that will equal concrete in strength
and durability"
| Now in all candor l ask-Dd you
ever see pavement constructed i'll this
Inexpensive way which equalled concrete
in strength and durability? Did you
ever see mixed mass of gravel and
sand dumped in the middle of a street
and carefully sorted with rakes SO that
the cobble stones were at the bott tom,
the pebbles in the middle and the black
sand on top? Did you ever see gravel
pavement which could stand ordinary
travel i'll wet season? Did you ever
see gravel pavement which was worth
the money spent on it? l never did and
it was my privilege to be so placed that |
had an excellent opportunity to study
various paving materials for years.
| Gravel is bad 1t is expensive-the
most expensive materi Il which can be
used on streets. When used at all it is
only for lack of something better and a
thoroughly compacted earth road well
drained is a hundred per cent better.
No engineer who studied the paving
iquestion will recommend gravel-unless
it is crushed, when it ceases to be gravel
and becomes macadam.
Your advice was we'll meant but calcu-
lated unwittingly to do much harm. 1t
was written as though you thoroughly
understood the matter and many people
will quote it approvingly. And why?
Because it touches popular chord. 1t
advocates something inexpensive. :"
Expert advice costs money. Your adj
vice was given freely. The expert might
advocate costly ~ pavement. You
advocated cheap one. Yet of the cost
of maintenance there is not one word.
1t is the cost of maintenance which is
the only guide and pavement low i'll
first cost is generally the costliest to
maintain and gives the least satisfaction
in use.
If the City of Lewiston is not prepared
to pave with wood, stone or asphalt then
use macadam (crushed rock but do not
waste amy more money on gravel.
The argument against gravel is not a
long one. 1t is moisture which damages
roads and pavement must be impervious
to water arising from below. to be lasting
Crushed rock binds by reason of the
angularity of the pieces and becomes a
solid mass. But gravel does not bind
1t is composed of rounded surfaces and
they work under loads If cementine
material like clay is put in the mass it
, will work like paste between the rounded
: stones and they will work away from it
: In the wet season the clay acts as a
5 lubricant. In the frosty season the mass
5 is disintegrated and voids are left which
fill with the wet clay as the thaw comes
: on and the stones are raised from their
; beds. In the dry season the sand and
clay are not cohesive and wagon press
) ing OH one end of pebble or cobble
moves 1t and the sand and dust run un
der the raised end. Another wheel
forces the high end down raising the
other end and the dust going under hold.
it up. By degrees the stones work to
! the surface.
You must surely have observed thess
things. Then why advocate gravel be
cause it can be obtained for the hauling
: Things which cost nothing are not always
expensive--although in the majority o
! cases they are cheap but a shoddy kind
. of cheap.
ERNEST MCCULLOUGH.