Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1902-12-10
SHOW FOR ASPHALT
Fifteenth Street Propertyholders
Encouraged by Proposition
From Barber Company.
MORE REASONABLE FIGURE GIVEN
ThoroughGare Will Likely Be I'm
proved Coming
Season.

People living on Fifteenth street
have not given up the hope of ulti-
matcly bringing about the improve
ment of that thoroughfare, if not
with one material then with another.
Many of them still cling to the hope
| of getting asphalt pavement in spite
! of the sad experience that the friends
of that material met with during the
past season.
One disturbing element in the situa-
ton during the summer. the uncer-
taintv as to whether the Tri-City Rail
way company's bluff loop would pass
ND the street is now removed. the
franchise describing the west half of
the route and fixing the portion of
the street to be done at the com
pany's expense being fixed at 5 feet
having been passed. There is now no
! doubt that the owners of Il ma iority
| Of the frontage ON the street desire
paving of some sort during the COM
ing year. nor that it is high time now
to get the necessary petitions under
way.
The original petition that was cir
culated was arranged SO that those
who wished to sign for either asphalt
or brick could do SO by placing their
names in the proper columns. the
understanding being that all who
signed were in favor of some sort of
paving As is generally known about
three-fourths of the frontage signed
for paving and almost nine-tenths of
this was in the asphalt column in the
first place. When the reports became
current that asphalt would cost some
$3.50 a front foot, some withdrew
from the petition and others trans
| ferred their names so as to favor
brick. and the upshot of il all was
that the whole matter was killed
for the time being.
New Petition Necessary.
OF course the old petition would not
now hold good. and i'm order to Sc
cure action during the coming sea-
son, new petitions will have to be
circulated. The interests favorable to
brick have not been idle. and parties
are now securing signatures to pc
tition calling for brick alone. Many
are signing this. but il is still doubt
full whether a majority of the front
| age will be secured. Some who are
III close touch with the situation
maintain that if the facts were known
in regard to the comparative cost of
brick and asphalt. the later material
would still find enough supporters to
insure its use.
City Attorney John X. Scott, being
unable TO secure definite figures on
t he different grades of asphalt paving.
early in the fall wrote the Barber As
phalt Paving company. of Chicago,
which has done most of the work in
Moline. and is recognized as one of
the most reliable jim the country. and
the part OF the reply relating direct
| ly to the mater in hand is given be-
low. The letter was written under
date of Sept. ~. and has been for
several weeks past in the hands of
some of the interested Fifteenth
street residents. The information
given indicates the nature of Mr..
SCOTS Inquiries:
1T is, of course. impossible to give
an accurate statement of Il = cost of
Il pavement, because there are certain
unknown quantities to be considered:
just how many catch basins and how
much sewer work is to be added in,
! il is impossible to know i'm advance,
and also as to what amount the city
will pay.
assuming. however. that the city
will pay the cost of street intersec-
tions, cost of proceedings, and catch
basins. then the amount per front
| foot would be simply the cost of the
pavement to the middle of the street,
plus the cost of curbing. | do not
know the cost of stone curbing in
Rock Island, but in Chicago il is 60 to
20 cents per lineal foot. For 30
foot pavement, therefore. with stone
curbing. the paving of each front
foot would be 2-3 yards and curbing
! foot. a light traffic surface, de-
scribed as No. in your letter, is at
the rate of $1.65 per square yard.
This would make the paving $2.75,
plus curbing. 90 cents, S3.25 per front
! foot.
With Medium Surface.
THE same with medium traffic
surface at So would make the paving
cost 1892. or curbing and paving.
1892. With heavy traffic surface at
1925, the paving would cost 1913, and
/ l.;