The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1905-07-22

If the city or the citizens on the
streets involved, do not take advant-
age of the oil paving that has been
offered them recently they will make
a big mistake. 1 have just returned
from California; l have seen a num-
Der Of towns and cities in that state
that have used oil on their principal
residential streets and the results have
been most satisfactory"
A we'll known citizen mad the above
to say to reporter yesterday. Con-
tinuing further on the same subject
he said:
Take Fourth and Elm streets ON
the way to the o. r. & N. depot. The
dust on this thoroughfare in the sum
mer months is simply frightful. Oil
paved, these streets would be present
able in no time, in fact, you wouldn't
know that they were the same streets;
the only regret citizens and those re-
siding along the streets would have
would be that they were not oiled
sooner. The talk of paving these
streets with asphalt or bitulithic is all
nonsense. The latter pavements are
SO expensive that their use on these
streets would be out Of the question
for some time to come. the oil pave
ment being much less expensive could
be used, however, to splendid advant-
age.
The trouble with Walla Wallans is
that they are too slow. And because
this is SO we are always late in get
ting much needed improvements es-
tablshed in the city. Not until we
Ia in, ho
20th century, can we hope to make
that progress that our location in one
of the most naturally wealthy sections
of the country would warrant. If a
city is to grow in the right way it must
keep in step with the latest municipal
improvements
Mr.. Frank Reese, representative Of
the Pacific Paving Company who has
submitted bids to the council for oil
ing certain streets has been in and out
Of the city for the past ten days. Mr..
Reese is a busy man these days as his
company has all the work that they can
handle in towns adjacent to Walla
Walla and up Spokane way. Mr..
Reese would like to demonstrate the
worth of oil paving in this city. What
little work he attempted here on Alder
street was hurried and is not to mis-
satisfaction at all. But having so much
work on hand he can't afford to push
the project very extensively at this
time. His proposition is still before
the council. however, and if they
choose to act favorably On it, he will
do what ne can to fill his end of the
contract. When last in the city Mr..
Reese showed the following letter to
a reporter. The letter is from o. A.
Fechtor president of Yakima Valley
National Bank and mayor of North
Yakima and is as follows
ITO Whom 1t May Concern:
This certifies that Mr.. Frank Reese
was the successful bidder for grading
and oling about fifteen hundred feet
on Second street in this city, under the
local improvement plan; that he per-
formed said work according to the
plans and specifications and contract
and to the satisfaction of all concerned.
The effect of oiling the street has been
to entirely lay the dust and to prevent
mud as it sheds water like an asphalt
pavement; the work has not been fin
shei for sufficient period of time to
make any representations as to its
durability or as to what effect the win
ter will have upon it, but l am of the
opinion that Mr. Reese's method OF OIL
ing streets is one that can be adopted
in the smaller cities to provide good
streets at a reasonable cost"