The Saint Paul globe., 1903-03-11
CITY STRUGGLES TO
Get MUD FROM
STREETS
Engineer Rundlett Explains
That Appropriations Al
lowed for Cleaning.Are In
adequate and That Depart
ment Is Therefore Unable
to Cope With Elements.

ol. 1>dul WdQ6u IN 1lluu anu ulfIy
water up to it's ankles yesterday, and
did not like it a bit. Madame viewed
the sticky, sloppy mass with dismay,
but as necessity knows no law, simply
gathered her skirts about her and
plunged in. The result. was heart
breaking, but there was no relief.
While every crossing in the down.
town district carries it's shoe and skirt
bedaubing mass of sticky mud and rot
ting ice, perhaps the worst feature of
the whole thing is the condition of the
crossings and streets in the vicinity of
the union depot.
Here thousands of feet have worked
the mass into a mixture that demeans
and spoils everything it touches. Men
with brooms attempted yesterday to
keep the crossings clear, but their ef-
forts were puny. Teams carried it
back, and the public continued to
curse. On Fourth and Third streets
the conditions were similar.
Since the warm spell began perhaps
no department of the city has been
subject to more criticism than the en-
gineering department, because of the
sloppy and filthy condition of the
streets, and this yesterday prompted
City Engineer Rundlett to remark
that if some people knew how much
money he had to do the work they
would not be so free with their criti-
cisms.
Not Money Enough.
"AH the charter allows this depart
ment," said Mr.. Rundlett, with some
warmth, yesterday, lis $175,O00, and
only get 80 per cent of that amount.
The money is for the repair care and
general maintenance of the streets and
sewers, and when you figure how care
fully the amount must be appropriated
in order to allow for each item without
being niggardly- in any, you can see
what a task it is. Why, for hand
sweeping alone $4,000 is required, and
the mileage of streets is increasing.
The annual spring cleaning costs very
nearly $4,000. Then there is the re-
pair and care of the dirt streets, sewer
repairs, street flushing and a hundred
and one other things that 1 might emu
merate, all of which must be provided
for. l might have used up my money
month ago and removed the snow,
but then there would have been moth
ing left to work with now.
st Paul and it's streets and sewers
are increasing every year, yet there is
no increase in the annual appropriation
voted for their care. We are simply
trying to care of two miles of improved
streets with a sum of money that viii
only care properly for one. The amount
of money that my department is al
lowed annually was fixed several years
ago, and no thought was ever given to
the future. 1 have tried to interest the
charter commission, but without sue
cess. 1 might talk figures all day long,
but it wouldn't make the situation any
clearer. The whole trouble is that st.
Paul is growing, and the money for the
care of its streets is not keeping pace
Little Impression Made.
Nearly 200 men and Is teams were
put to work yesterday removing the
winters accumulation of snow and ice
but their labor was hardly perceptible
when the close of the day was reached
Load after load was taken from Sew
enth street, a part of Sixth and around
Seven corners, but that did not relieve
the crossings. SWeepers attempted to
care for the crossings, but wagons and
the grades carried the mass back as
fast as it was showed away.
Minnesota, Cedar, and Fourth streets
part of Sixth street, and Seventh west
of Jackson were coated with the sticky
mass and the fair sex had hard
work in crossing. A path had been cut
through by Workmen at these crossings
and the openings were quickly filled
with the semi-liquid mud.
AT the present rate of progress it is
expected that every bit of two weeks
will be necessary to clean up the paved
portion of the city. This depends upon
the continuation of the present wealth
er, but if a cold spell sets in much OF
the work will have to be done over
| again. City Engineer RundIett most
fears cold weather with snow, for that
would mean additional. expenditure. It
has been suggested that the mud might
be flushed from the streets, but Mr.
Rundlett says that would damage the
sewers.
The chief annoyance just now is the
boarding of street cars. This must be
done at the expense of soiled shoes and
| skirts. The cars generally stop within
| a few feet of the crossings and the pas
| sengers must wade out to reach them.
City Engineer Rundlett promises
some relief by the close of the week
but says it will take fully month tc
| complete the job. More men and teams
| are to be added today.