The Paducah sun. [volume] (Paducah, Ky.) 1898-1906, 1903-09-22


horses or the wheels of wagons scatter
it, or 70 wash away as mud or blow
away as dust. This is the way streets
are built and repaired in Paducah, and
there is no earthly excuse for it,
1t is frequently asked, why isn't
the steam roller used?
No one seems to know. If you ask
the city engineer or street inspector,
you are told to ask the mayor. If you
ask the mayor, he Of course does not
know. except that the boards have
never ordered the roller used.
As matter of fact many load Of
gravel Is virtually thrown swsy in Pa.
ducah, and the money paid for 1t out
of the public funds wasted, by the ad'
herence to an Anticipated and useless
method of street repairing. When a
street is repaired it should be torn up,
narrowed and after the new gravel has
ben placed on it, smoothed, and
rolled with the steam roller. This
would make the thoroughfare level,
hard, compact and lasting, and would
if done right ,>as such street work was
done under the Republican council,
last many times the length of time
the streets now last.
What becomes Of the street roller
has always been great mystery in
Paducah 1t has teen dumped into
holes, partially burned, almost blown
up,and run into the river and at times
left out on the commons to rust, since
the Democrats took charge OF it six or
seven years ago. Yet it is . good ma
chine today, and If run would save
the taxpayers thousands of dollars
year.
While no one processes to know, this
may be the very reason it is not used.
II the steam roller were used it would
greatly reduce the necessity for gray
ell, and consequently cut down the
sales OF this useful article As several
thousand dollars are annually spent in
Paducah for gravel and all this money
goes into some ones pocket, the less
gravel sold the less use for having the
pull that enables much worthless grav.
el to be palmed of on the taxpayers of
Paducah by the assistance of city Off
ciais.
The steam roller could be used and
could be used to great profit By the
city. Mayor Lang soon realized il af-
ter be went into Office. The Democrats
used as campaign issue against the
Republicans several years ago. the con.
struction Of the sanitary sewerage and
the purchase Of the steam roller. They
raised . big hurrah over both, and
Mayor Lang rode into office partly on
asowave Of prejudice created in the
Democratic campaign. Yet he hadn't
been In office but . few months until
he realized what . great thing for Pa.
dpoah the sanitary sewerage was, and
that IL was the only system of sewer
age possible In level river city like
Paducah, and was also forced to ad-
NIT that the street roller was one of
the best things q city can own and
use. He laughs now about the unrea-
soniug prejudice be formerly held
against the two souvenirs Of the Re-
publican MULTIPLICATION. There are q
lot OF men IN Psducah tho need to &C.
quaint themselvse with the real facts
in case and be converted over to the
truth like former Mayor Lang was.
The present city engineer frankly
admits that the street roller Is an ex-
cellent machine. and could be used to
great profit in Paducah. 1t would
make prettier and better streets, and
the cost of running it would be much
more than made mp IN the saving of
money now paid out for the hack work
known IS street repairs. Why it ia
not operated. however. is something
that no one seems to understand. Ii
certainly ought to be. The manner in
which street repairs are made in Padu'
cab and the AMOUNT Of money thrown
away-from SIS, 900 to s25. 900 q year
is shameful and inexcussble, and
the people should call halt. They
can't 10 it bv putting back into Office
the same men who have utterly failed
IN the pAs, to properly safeR uard the
people, interests