The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1906-03-14
WANTS AVENUE PAVED ANYHOW
Not at All Particular About Kind of
Material to be Used, So Long
Conditions Are Bettered.

Councilman l.. H. Linbarger, who
base recently returned from several
weeks visit in Santa Barbara, Los
Angeles and several other cities of
Southern California, is heartily in
favor of the organization of the new
improvement L. que, and assures the
Herald that it will have his support
in the council in every matter looking
to the betterment of the city.
He is much in favor of the paw
ing of Yakima avenue. He will fa~-
or brick stone, asphalt or any otner
material that can be decided upon
but is especially in favor of the new
paving material being used in Santa
Barbara, Riverside, Los Angeles and
several other cities. 1t consists, he
says, of combination of coarse
gravel base, on top of which is
spread a mixture of fine gravel mixed
with the crude petroleum oil from the
Bakersfield oil region, so per cent OF
which is asphaltum. 1t has been
demonstrated that the mixing of the
crude oil with gravel makes sur
face both smooth and durable, and
capable of withstanding all the re-
quirements of ordinary heavy traffic
up to loads of six or seven tons, while
the cost of laying the new pavement
is remarkably cheap, being but TIC
a yard, against about $3.50 and SO
a yard for asphalt.
Mr.. Linbarger spent considerable
time in investigation of the new paw
ing i'm Riverside, and gathered con-
siderable data both in that city and
from the chamber of commerce of
Santa Barbara, which has been print
ed for free distribution. The city OF
Walla Walla, he says, has just de-
cided upon similar material, and is
commencing work upon it's streets.
Councilman Linbarger is of the
opinion that the large quantity of
basalt rock to be found here can be
utilized in combination with the
crude oil to much better advantage
than the gravel used in the Cali
fornia cities, as the basalt rock, ow-
ing to the action of the air and water
upon it, disntegrates similarly to
ouicklime, and if combined with the
crude oil from Bakersfield or asphalt,
ought to furnish paving material
far superior to that he has exam
ined. At the same time it would be
much easier and cheaper to lay. He
suggests that the superabundance of
cobblestones in this city be gathered
and utilized as a base for the pro-
pesed paving of the avenue and other
streets. Upon this foundation could
be spread the mixture of gravel or
crushed basalt and asphalt. He thinks
there will be no difficulty in procur-
ing enough cobblestones Mr.. Lin
barger is DESTROYS of making Yakima
avenue a thing of beauty; a street
of which not ony the citizens will be
nroud. but one that will attract the
attention of thousands of passengers
on the overland trains. He promls-
es to furnish the Improvement league
and the council all the information
he has gathered upon the subject OF
paving, and says that he is willing
and anxious to do all in his power
to aid in the enhancement OF the
value of property on all other streets
realizing that the time has arrived
when 1t is a detriment to the inter-
ests Of every one to longer put up
with present conditions.
Santa Barbara has had asphalt
movements for twenty years. me
town was bonded for 100000 to lay
the pavement. It was then a city
with less population than North Yak
ina is now, but the action taken by
II has never been regretted.