The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-07-09
new CURB FIGHT.
Advent Of New Kind of Stone
Causes Trouble.
Claimed That CurbstOne Select
ed Don't Meet Requirements.
WHAT is SANDSTONE I?
That is at Present the Point
at Issue.
Chemists Called In to Settle the
Vexing Problem.

A nice fight on what is known as
Bedford crubing" is being stirred up
among the people living on Polk and
Bedford curbing" Is being stirred up
not fit for curbing purposes. There are
several people who live on the streets
where it is proposed to use this curb
ing who say that unless the city coun-
Gil reconsiders it's action taken at the
last meeting, and knocks out the Bed
ford stone, the laying OF the pavement
will be enjoined. Others say that If
Bedford stone is used, the taxpayers
and the city at large will be liable
When the people on Polk, from Tenth
to Huntoon, and on Clay. from Fourth
to Tenth, were talking about getting up
pavement petitions 1t was suggested to
them that instead of petitioning for any
one kind of curbing, they make the Pc
tition read Sandstone curbing to be
approved by the city engineer. This
provision, it was thought, would leave
the competition open to more bidders
The price, however, was limited to 45
cents. which barred out Colorado red
sandstone, the standard sandstone curb
The only bids received for furnishing
curbing under the two petitions men
toned were from Kepley & Webster.
who offered Fort Scott blue sandstone
at As cents, and from John Richie, who
proposed to furnish Bedford, Indiana,
curbing at 43 cents.
City Engineer McCabe held that
neither OF these two kind of stone could
be considered strictly within the re-
quirements of the petition. When call
ed upon by the council for q statement,
he said:
Anticipating that there would be
some question as to the character OF
these stones, had them analyzed by q
competent chemist. His report was that
the Bedford stone is composed mostly
of carbonate of lime and n1agnesia, and
that the Fort Scott stone has some
silica in it but is not sandstone.
consider that one stone is about as good
as another, as far as being in compli-
ance with the terms OF the petition are
concerned. Neither one is a sandstone"
The committee which had charge of
tabulati ting the bids and reporting on
the successful bidders announced that
the contract for curbing on the two
streets should be let to the Bedford
stone, because it was the lowest in
price by cents a foot.
Now, however, the Fort Scott blue
sandstone people are on the war path,
and many of the citizens who live on
the streets in controversy have joined
them
The chemist who made the analysis
for City Engineer McCabe was j. 7.
Lovewell of this city, and according to
his report neither the Bedford stone nor
the Fort Scott stone is sandstone. and
that therefore neither one can be legally
accepted by the city council If the petit
ton is strictly followed.
preferred as material for curbing Is that
it is not SO much affected by wet
weather and freezing as other stone. A
pure limestone, which the Bedford stone
appears to be, 1t is said would rapidly
detericrate, as much of the native lime
stone curb on Kansas avenue has done.
On the other hand while the Fort
Scott stone may not be a pure sand
of time In Topeka very acceptably,
where it is in extensive use on the
residence streets. 1t is possible that the
Bedford stone would do equally well
under a similar test. but it has never
been tried in Topeka The Bedford
stone is recognized as an exceedingly
high grade building stone, and would
make a very handsome curb provided
it would hold its own.
E. A. Austin has investigated tine
government geological report concern
which has been accepted on Clay and
Polk streets for curbing and finds that
it is not sandstone, as was specified by
the petition
Indiana issued in 1891 contains the fol-
lowing, under the head of Bedford.
County Seat of Lawrence County"
There are limestone quarries in the
In the theology of Indiana" for 1891
under the subject; The oolitic Lime
found: 1.-THE area in Indiana over Which
the st. Louis group furnishes the sur
face rock may be roughly outlined - .
nearly all OF Monroe and Lawrence
counties. In lawrence county
as we pass eastward from the outcrops
of this most excellent quarry stone we
soon reach the edge of the deposit
The following analysis is a fair average
of the true Oolitic limestone:
Specific gravity ...-... 272
Lime 3D. %
aCarbonic ACID 1873
Wdter 3bu0.
to which must be added trace Of mag