The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1905-09-08


Nels Holm is, perphaps, more re-
sponsible than any one man for the
perfection of the new creosote paving
during the past week. There is no I'M
evenness in the paving, not even gentle
undulations; all is as smooth as parquet
flooring. After the concrete is laid, the
most delicate Job of arranging the sand,
bed still requires a hand OF skill and
an eye true as level. 1t is at this
iuncture that the city engineering de,
partment appreciates. the services Of
Nels Holm, for he is the only man on
the force who is able to lay the bed Of
sand and make it smooth, true and
even.
Mr.. Holm possesses what is known to
engineers as the natural eye: Any break
| ent to him as fatting violin to an Or
chestra leader, and to. remedy it is only
matter of a little time. Occasionally
Mr.. Holm makes use Of blocks to test
his work, but he depends almost en-
tirely on his eye. It would not be so
difficult a matter were the street per-
fectly fiat, not crowned. From the curb
so gentle as to be almost imperceptible
to the unframed eye. But the man who
LAYS the sand cushion must crown the
street with the greatest skill.
Before Mr.. Holm was employed to lay
all the sandbeds, the department used
with which Mr.. Holm turns off the
work, was. exceeding amateurish and
| slow as well as expensive. First, the
sand was dumped on the concrete and
strips we're laid at certain distances
marking the heights Of the sand at GER
tain parts of the street; Then heavy
drag was pulled over the sand, resting
on the strips, and it scraped off the
sand which came above that height.
It took about six men to carry the
drag, and even after that, when the
strips were pulled out, the sand had
to be filled, in and evened. This work
fell to Nels Holm, and it was here the
foreman learned how very accurate was
:" his eye.
In time all the work was intrusteed
addition to his natural qualifications
Nels Holm has had long training. He
was first employed about fifteen years
. ago on the street gang and was then
laying cedar blocks. Since then he
| was not until the last eight years that
| the sand cushion has been laid, but
in those eight years Nels Holm has
proved that he is the only man on thu
force who can make the cushion abso
Iutely true He has become a skilled
laborer after spending many years a.
common laborer.
Is Not a/Talker.
Mr.. Holm has always appeared NOR
intelligent than the average man EN-
ployed on the street gang. Tho h
r says but little, averaging about twelv
o words day, he is great favorite.
Mr.. Holm has been able to save enoug
e money for home. He is never oblige'
! to work in the winter. But all summe
: long he is busy and earns his So ever.
i. day. Next week Nels Holm will agai1
!. appear on Central avenue with his long
t handled drag to prepare the sandbe
,. for paving the east side of the street.
The old curbs on the east side o
r Central avenue have been taken ava
f this week, and in their places hav
k been installed the new granite blocks
f These are both neat and durable. TIL
a cobblestones will disappear this wee.
n and the concrete will 90 down imme
!. is Hi" on the ground. The black creo s
! blocks have been piled about the side
r, walks and side streets and everythin
l. is in readiness to complete Central ave
', nue. without delay. About 500 squar
l, yards Of paving has been put down o
;; the East Side. The gang, consistin
;; of twelve laborers, four PAYERS, tw
|
s. 100 yards Of the creosote paving
J. day.
L. This week the comparison betwee
the old paving and the new has bee
going on The high, awkward curb
with the deep and dirty gutter Of IL
- : old paving, has contrasted painful
with the neat, low granite curbs Of tt
e new paving. Already the decrease (
noise has been noticed and those WI
- office on Central avenue are most cage
81 to have The paving completed SO ths
= quiet may be restored. With the gre:
=, amount of traffic which now goes ovt
u Central avenue the din has been almo
=, unbearable.
- On upper Central avenue the -,avir
Il =, has been moving forward with a stead
~ sure STEP AS far as Nineteenth av
- nue. stone has been put in the stree
- car tracks. The brick has been carrie
- : to the battle-ground, and within
d. week or two upper Central avenue wi
20 be in condition which will compa
- favorably with lower Central.
BUILDIN GACTIvE
- /. The building activity in NOrthea