The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-06-25
GAINING ATTENTION
ILLUSTRATED ARTICLE ON CrTY's BRICK-PAvED STREETS
Clay Worker, High Class Trade Journal, Devotes Considerable Space to 1Eontgomsry's Model
 Thoroughfarss.

The brick paved streets of Montgomery
 are beginning to attract widespread at-
 tention. The Clay Worker, high class
 trade journal devoted to the clay inter-
 ests of the country. in its June issue, de-
 votes considerable space to them in a well
 written and beautifully illustrated ar
 tlcle.
 This article. which is from writer who signs his name '.Veriatas' praises hi8niy
 their beauty and the servtceaoihty.
 He begins by drawing attention to the rare historic interest that centers In the
 Cradle of the Confederacy" and ne
 highly praises the progress that the city
 has manifested in the matter of paved
 streets, municipal ownership Of pubic
 utilities and It's fine public school sys-
 tenn.
 Tho first pavement" says the writer.
 twas laid some ten years ago. with gran
 ite blocks. on Commerce Street, the main
 business thoroughfare. In 1894 yifrihed
 brick entered the field for consideration in the South, through the factories at Chilhowie. Va; Robbins, Tenn. and Coal dale Ala. Owing to several places hay ing experimented with common building brick with disastrous results, Montgom- cry was skeotical about using yitrified brick. But the capable and we'll posted City Engineer, MT. W. D. Ford, was fa- miIiar with the fine results that had been obtained from the use of vitrihed brick in the North and West, and upon his rec ommendation contracts were let for some 4e, 900 square var is. half>of which was 'aii with Robbins brick and half with Coal dale brick.
 Dexter Avenue, one of the widest streets in the South. was paved from the Court Square to the Capitel-some six blocks, and rise of seventy-eight feet. Under such conditions. where trafhe would be heavy and rapid. MT. Ford dis played rare forethought in having the pavement laid on 8 slx-inch concrete and the joints filled with pav- ing pitch. This pavement. which Is shown on the following page. was guaranteed for five years by the contractors, and 1t is Q high compliment to the engineering de- pertinent and the quality of the brick that, upon the expiration of the guarantee period. the city agreed to accept in set- a car of brick from the contract ors to be used for repair work from time to time. Although over year has elapsed since then, not a single brick has had to be taken out.
 "So we'll pleased with this first experi- ment, Montgomery continued for six yeads to steadily improve It's streets by brick pavements, and they now have tfdHS Aittt6 OA titCui. anu tHC pfecCnt a0N Is planning to continue the good work. Owing to the proximity of the plant and the high character of the work. Montgomery has used mostly the Coaldale brick, and the indorsement of them by Montgomery has caused many cities In the South to use them. On sev- eral streets. residence and light business. the city has used an eight-inch gravel filling joints with same. thsre being an abundance of this material near by. and this has given them a cheap pavement. The City Engineer, however. is strong advocate of concrete, using four inches for residence streets, and a pitch or cement filler in any event. He maintains. end very correctly. think. thst in the long run the repairs saved will more than ccunterhalance the increase in first cost.
 While improving its streets. the city has also laid many miles of sidewalks and curbing. These municipal improve ments have made lasting impressions up- on visitors. and the real estate people testify that the value of abutting property has been enhanced several times as much as the cost of paving
 Southern cities are slow to take hold in such matters, but 1t Is hoped and he- lieved that the example set by Montgom- cry will be emulated by many others AL ready tho Magic City of Birmingham has been stirred by a spirit of rivalry and several streets are being paved with brick. The industry Is as yet in it's in- fancy in the South. but the efforts of the paving brick plants in this section to turn out the very best quality of paving brick and the adoption by engineers of the best specifications will eventually bring about the desired end.
 The article ia illustrated with half. tones of Dexter Avenue and Court, Wash ington, Lawrence and McDonough Streets.