Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1903-08-08
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
LOCAL COMMENT.


The last of the paving contracts to
be let in Marshalltown during the pres
ent season, unless the council sees ut
to pave the one block on North First
avenue, as petitioned by property own
crs. We're disposed of this week when
the streets to be laid with brick came
up for consideration, and were let to the
Barber Asphalt Paving Company. Some
interesting figures can be secured with
out much trouble in showing the differ
ence in the cost of asphalt and brick
paving. A good many property owners
have wanted brick because they consid-
cred the asphalt too expensive. and not
enough better for the increase in cost.
With the present price of brick, how
ever, asphalt is not much above it, and
it would not be surprising, even yet to
hear of property owners on streets
where brick is specified, petitioning for
asphalt.
With sixty-foot lot as basis. and
the majority Of lots have that frontage,
it will be seen, with the aid of pen
ell and q piece Of paper, that 1t would
cost but $3.50 more to pave with as
phalt than brick. With brick paving
The street is thirty feet between curbs,
leaving fifteen feet for the property
owner to pave in front of his sixty-foot
lot, 900 square feet, or 100 square yards.
With asphalt paving the combined curb
and gutter does away with eighteen
inches of paving, leaving thirteen and
one-half feet to pave, $40 square feet or
ninety square yards. The curbing and
guttering for the asphalt paving costs,
according to the local contracts, 60
cents, or $50 for a sixty-foot lot, and
the curbing for the brick paving, at 35
cents, costs sci. The 100 square yards
that the man who paves with brick
pays for, at $3.50, the price at which
the contract was let, costs him S1.S0 and
with his S21 additional expense for curb
ing, total Of $201. The property owner
with asphalt pavement in front of his
lot pays for his ninety square yards,
at the contract price of S1.97, $177.S0,
and $39 additional for combined curb
and gutter, $4,000, just $3.50 more
than his friend on another street. II
brick paving were being let nowadays
the way it was several years ago, when
Marshalltown had its first experience
with paving, around $3.50 and $1.4O.
there would be no comparisons between
the two pavements, so far as cost is
concerned. AS it is now, however, 1t
appears as tho the man with the as
phalt pavement has little the advant-
age, everything considered.
Cedar Rapids is experiencing a de-
lay in it's First avenue paving contract.
the letting of which caused some lit
tie furry in cities interested in as
phalt paving, because of the fact that
j. j. Snouffer Jr., stepped in with
bid of S1.69. The work on the FIVE
blocks, between Fifteenth and Twen-
tieth streets. was to have been finished
by August 1, and Mr.. Snouffer failed
to even start it within that time. New
bids are to be received on the 18th for
the work, which the city expects to
have completed by october 10. The
contractors who were here for the re-
cent brick letting appeared 10 De con
siderably interested in the matter OF
the failure of Mr.. Snouffer to begin his
work, after taking the contract at
figure so much lower than the Bafpef
people. In defense of the contractor
they claim that the city refused TO
give him the grade and therefore ne
could not do the work.
Burlington has taken up the ques-
ton of garbage disposal by cremation,
and the council committee. appointed
to investigate, has reported the crema-
ton plan an ideal one. The CON-
mittee is also convinced that the sys-
tenn would be practical for Burlington.
In conducting Investigations the couh-