The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-05-17
THE MERITS OF ASPHALT
MERIDIAN-sTREET PROPERTY OWN.
ERs BEFORE THE COMMITTEE.
Petitions for Both Wooden Block and
Asphalt Presented - Citizens
H~eard-City Affairs.

streets and alleys held a meeting last night
for the purpose OF considering the ordi-
nance prepared by the Board of Works for
improving Meridian street north Of Fall
creek with asphalt. There were present
about thirty of the property holders, some
of whom were adherents of wooden block
and others who want asphalt. The COM
mittee invited a free discussion and quite a
number spoke.
The first to address the committee was
Attorney Linton a. Cox, a property
holder in the disputed district and a strong
believer i'm wooden block He
read the section of the ordinance requiring
the Board of Works to heed the wishes of
a majority of property holders in the case
of a contemplated improvement. and said
that Notwithstanding the section which
permitted the Council to sustain the Board
of Works in overriding the wishes of prop
erty holders he believed the spirit of the
law gave the property holders the right to
say what the Improvement should be. He
said the Board of Works last year had
adopted a resolution for a block pavement
on Meridian street north of Fall creek,
but owing to a tangle which ensued over
the constitutionality of city improvement
laws nothing had been done. This year,
however. after the Supreme Court had de-
clared the laws to be constitutional, the
Board of Works had completely switched
around and adopted a resolution for
asphalt i'm the face of a petition for wooden
block. which had been signed by twenty
three out of the twenty-nine property
holders interested.
REASONS FOR BOOMING 1T.
Mr.. Cox declared he was in favor of the
wooden block pavement because it was not
only cleaner and cooler. but cheaper. He
said he understood that a petition had been
circulated by some of the property holders,
since the Board of Works had taken action
in the matter, for an asphalt pavement
and he thought II was TO be presented TO
the committee. He predicted, however,
that the petition would not contain the
names OF property holders owning 1000
feet OF the total frontage of 9,424 feet.
which would be subjected to assessment
for the street. He said there were prop
erty holders who had originally signed a
petition for block pavement who had been
persuaded to take their names off the block
petition and sign the asphalt petition. He
did not care to go into the means employed
to secure this transfer. he said, and left
pleased.
In conclusion Mr.. Cox submitted a petit
ton TO the committee signed by resident
and nonresident property holders asking
for a block pavement. These property
age OF 4.7S4.5 feet. The entire frontage on
both sides OF the street, he said, amounted
TO 9,424.2 feet. consequently the petitioners
had seventy-two feet more than half the
total frontage, If all the property owners
had signed either one petition or the other.
Several property owners, Mr.. Cox said,
were holding their property for speculative
purposes and he did not think the commit
tee should give any weight to either their
protests or their signatures to petitions,
for they had not the interest of those who
had homes.
BEMENT LYMAN FOR ASPHALT.
Bement Lyman. one Of the property own
ers in favor of asphalt, was the next speak
er. He spoke briefly of the merits Of asphalt
pavement, saying he thought it could be
kept cleaner and that it was the only pave
ment which would preserve a uniform sur
face when repaired. He declared it TO be
the best pavement for the least money,
and. in conclusion, surprised Mr.. Cox by
presenting a petition for asphalt, signed by
property holders who, he said, owned a to-
tai of 4,36S feet. Mr.. Lyman said he did not
reside on North Meridian street at present,
but expected TO build a home there In the
spring OF next year, and as he had to help
pay for the street he wanted to have a
voice in the selection Of the Improvement.
Senator c. w. Thompson, who owns a LOT
on Meridian street, on which he expects to
build a home. declared that he was in favor
of an asphalt pavement and had always
been in favor of it. He particularly urged
the adoption of asphalt TO preserve the
uniformity of the street. He did not be-
lieve in making a patchwork of It. Mr..
Thompson said he did not deny that there
had been an influence at work to have some
of the signers of the wooden-block petition
withdraw their names and place them on
the asphalt petition, but insisted that just
as much of an effort had been made to
disaffect the signers of the asphalt petit
ton.
ALSO FOR ASPHALT.
Henry Warrum and c. Ii. Mcdowell also
championed the cause of asphalt and a
number Of others spoke in behalf of wooden
blocks. Charles W. Osgood. one of the adj
herents of the wooden-block cause. face
tiously remarked to the committee that he
was in favor of asphalt because a funeral
driving over it to Crown Hill would make
so much noise that IL would save the ex-
pense of a brass band.
In conclusion. Mr.. Cox made the state
ment to the committee that Mr.. Lyman. in
estimating the frontage owned by the sign
ers of the asphalt petition, had counted the
frontage of some of them twice. He said
the real frontage, as shown by the petit
ton was only 1884 feet.
The committee adjourned, with the I'M
Outstanding that IL would make a tour of
inspection over the ground to-day.
The presentation of the cause of the prom
erty holders favoring the wooden block
pavement to the Council committee. last
night. was based upon a plan adopted at a
meeting held Wednesday night at the Uni