Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1902-04-10

and If practicable adopt similar plan,
as if this should prove efficient and
economical it would certainly be very
convenient as not interfering with the
| continuous service of the plant.
The engine and generator are repre-
sented and guaranteed by their respec-
tive manufacturers to furnish certain
amount of power, and it will at once
occur to you that it is very important
that, ,at once onour reinforcement of the
foundation, inside lights be put on
sufficient to test the full capacity of the
plant before the expiration of the
guarantees.
STREET DEPARTMENT.
| wish to congratulate you gentlemen
on the good work done by your street
commissioner during the past year, and
especially on the efficiency of his de-
partment during the winter | am con-
vinced that there are very few if any
towns in the state of any size where
the sidewalks were kept in better con-
dition so far as snow and ice is con-
cerned than they were right here in
Emporium. AS usual, in the spring
there are a large number of wooden
sidewalks that need immediate atten-
ton, but your street commissioner will
no doubt give you full particulars re-
garding these.
FOURTH STREET.
wish to call your attention to the
condition of Fourth street. For years
repairs have been made by dumping
cinders and dirt in the street, and the
center of the road has been gradually
rising till in many places it is higher
than the sidewalks. This is very notice
able in the square between Broad and
Chestnut streets, and is particularly to
be deplored at this point, as the brick
business blocks in this square cannot
be raised to keep pace with the upward
movement of the road.
GRADING AND REPAIRS.
In this connection gentlemen would
most earnestly recommend that a def.
mite grade line be at once established
from the upper end of Fourth street, to
the railroad crossing at the Junction,
and that hereafter when repairs are
made they be made by cutting down
the high points and filling in the low
ones till the roadway conforms to one
regular grade from end to end
We have right here in the Borough,
at the furnace, and FREQ of charge,
some of the finest road making material
in the world, / refer of course to the
Stag or cinder from the iron works, and
it seems to me that this ought to be
utilized while we have the opportunity.
Dumping cinder here and there on
top of the street, however, is of very
trifiing temporary benefit. The road
should be eXcavated where necessary
and filled in with 10 to II inches of
cinder, coarse on the bottom and fine
m or1 tbnt1 r.nllaI Npitb
steam roller. The fire cream colored
granular cinder, which may be obtained
at the furnace at bare cost of granulat.
ing it, would make an ideal top dress,
ing for the heavy cinder and give us .
roadway equal to any paved Street in
existence. am of the opinion, how
ever, that the granular cinder by itself
is Of 10 use tor road making unless
placed on solid foundation.
If you can see your way clear to be.
gin work at either end or in the middle
on some such plan as this, while we
may not be able to finish it this year and
perhaps not even next year, there win
be some prospect of eventually having
at least one street that we may be
proud of | hope, gentlemen, that you
| will agree with me that all patching
and repairing on Fourth street and
| West Allegany avenue ought to stop
and every cent of money hereafter ex-
pended on this line of roadway should
be devoted to permanent Improvement.
BICYCLE SIDE PATH
DR.. Baker and Mr.. Hockey have al
ready secured subscriptions sufficient 10
warrant them in commencing the con-
struction of this work as soon as the
weather will permit. 1t has been stat
ed, that we would not have the author
ity to protect bicycle path from being
encroached upon and damaged by
| horses and vehicles that are by law en-
titled to the roadway. This is a mis-
take however as special act, applying
to Emporium only, was passed by the
State legislature in 1871, and signed by
| Governor Geary, which act reserves
| fifteen feet on each side of so foot
| streets and eleven feet on each side of
| all streets between sixty and eighty
feet in width, this reserved strip is not
part of the roadway and cannot be
legally encroached upon by horses and
| carriages which have no more rights
thereon than bicycles have on the side
| walks. 1t is patent, therefore, that if
the bicycle path is built on this reserved
strip the Burgess will have ample legal
authority to protect the path. In con-
! clusion, gentlemen, wish to congratu-
late you most heartily on your selection
of officers for the coming year.
Yours respectfully,
E. o. BARDWELL,
Burgess.