The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1906-03-28
BRICK PAVING
MAY Be USED
MANY BUSINESS MEN APPROVE IT
Experiments Have Been Made and
Samples of the Paving Brick
Submitted Here.

There i quite sentiment among the
business men Of the city in favor OF
brick pavement for the city streets. The
question has been under investigation on
the quiet for some time and it was an
nounccd yesterday that interesting re-
suits had been obtained.
In the coal mines around Gle Elum
there is found very large quantity Of
shale. 1t seems to be in the nature cf
soliditied clay. is rather brittle when
mined and extremely hard when crush
ed. moulded. pressed and burned.
T. W. kibbec. who is connected with
the Yakima Improvement company. re-
ceived sample OF the shale the other
day and after experimenting with it.
he submitted a sample to the Chicago
Brick Machinery company, for the pur
pose of having it converted into brick
for paving purposes. The sample bricks
have Just been returned to Mr.. kibhe. to-
gether with letter from the company
which. in part. reads as follows:
Cone of the briquettes we send YOU
was made by the dry press process and
the other by the wire cut process for
paving brick and oppressed This
you will see is thoroughly vitri-
fed. 1t is one of the best paving
brick materials we have ever tried. We
do not see how it can be improved in any
way. You can test its vitrifaction by
sprinkling with water. 1t will absorb
practically nothing. If anything. your
paving brick made of this material is
better than the Galesburg shale. which
is about the best known 1t is easily
burned and easily handled in every
way
A. D. Sloan is deeply interested in the
paving proposition and is especially de-
sirous of getting permanent and eco
nomical material. He believes that brick
is the proper thing and gives many in
teresting reasons for his belief
"In the first place" said Mr.. Sloan.
"these bricks can be made and laid down
here in North Yakima at from SIS to
500 per thousand. That is on the ques-
ton of economy. And in this connec-
ton. we can get the brick about $40
cheaper than we could get them from
either Spokane or Seattle. OF course
this is upon the condition that large
enough order be given to warrant the
construction of plant to manufacture
them. Time is also. thing to consider
If the city can wait and will give nice
large order, a plant could be built by
those interested in the project and there
would be a saving of at least $40 per
thousand over the Sound city prices
'Then there is the question of quail
| ity. This brick is better in quality than
the Renton brick from Seattle. And its
adaptability is something marvellous.
1t can be used not only for paving but
for building and sewer pipe. And it can
be finished and polished so finely that it
makes first class tiling.
The brick when pressed is fine look
ing piece of paving material and is
equally as first class for building. Build
ings in Seattle are already being con
structed of paving brick and the super
iority of this shale brick would make
it even more desirable for building pur-
poses than the Seattle brick.
George Donald was seen and asked his
opinion about the brick as paving
proposition. He stated that he was not
familiar with brick as paving material
but thought that it would be much cas-
Ter to repair the streets if paved with
brick than it would be if paved with
bitulithic. He is rather in favor OF
brick for this reason but would not eN-
press himself decidedly one way or an
other.