The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1907-06-20
NEWEST MIDDLE
ON BRIGHAM ST.
Water Mains Must Be Laid Be.
fore Pavement But Council
Fails to Act.
IMPROVEMENTS GO SLOW
CONTRACTORS BUSY WHERE
NOT Numbered BY CITY.


the failure Of the council to act on
the engineers recommendation that
water mains be laid on Brigham street
from Tenth EasT street to The reserva-
ton before it is paved.
P. j. Moran, who has the contract
Will be ready to go ahead with the
work I'm about two weeks, but as yet no
steps have been taken for putting i'm
the water mains. and it seems probsb BILE
that nothing will be done until the last
moment. If the matter is delayed much
longer Moran will be unable to get the
street paved this year, and the resi-
dents will be in the same condition as
those on lower Main street, who have
had the worst experience of any in the
city, their street having been torn up
for the past year.
In all probability the cost of laying
the mains, estimated at $4,000. has
something to do with the councils re-
luctance to act As everyone knows
the city treasury is sadly depleted and
the finance committee of the council is
at its wits end to secure enough money
TO keep the government moving. The
word moving is employed only in its
hgurative sense, as no one ever &C
cused the present administration of any
actual movement.
Necessity is apparent.
The necessity for laying these water
mains before the pavement it put in is
apparent, for IL they were laid after
wards the new asphalt surface would
have to be cut I'D and then repaired
which would not only be a large addi-
tional expense, but would seriously mar
the beauty and efficiency of the pave
ment. The council would like to en-
ploy the same method as was used in
the laying of water mains on First and
Second avenues before the macadam
was put in. Here il was decided to
lay only the intersections, leaving the
pipe along the street line 10 be laid at
some future time when the city gets
the money. This pipe along the blocks
csn be laid inside the curbing, so that
the pavement will not be disturbed.
The laying of the street intersections
with new pipe is TO cost approximately
$4,000.
PerciVaI Won't Do 1t.
This contract was awarded to J. W
Percival as part of his work for the
wear. Percival objected strenuously TO
doing it. saying that it was unfair to
make him lay only the intersections
and not the whole line. He explained
his attitude by the fact that his bid is
for so much per foot, including inter
sections and straightaway work. Mani
testify the laying of difficult intersec-
lions alone at this price will not bring
him any profit at the stipulated price
PeTcival. however, consented TO do the
work. as he wishes to show the council
that he is competent ard stands ready
and willing TO carry out his contracts
But Percival refuses to do any more of
this kind of work and has so informed
the board of public works. Because of
this the council will either have to au-
thoTize the laying of all the mains on
Brigham street or none at all.
Percival is now laying mains on
Main street and hopes to have the Job
finished this week. Then, if J. P. Ken
needy, the sewer contractor. can get
chance TO finish his work there the
prospects of having the street paved by
fall are fairly good. Because of the
delays of the various contractors, due
principally to official Incompetence,
Moran has at last seemingly become
desperate in regard TO Main street and
threatens TO begin on the lower end of
the street next week and go ahead
whether the other contractors are
through or not. AS a matter of fact,
Moran is about the only contractor who
has really accomplished much this
year. This is principally because of
his ''pulP' with the council and en-
gineer, which allows him, as a rule. to
go ahead with his work unhindered by
any petty disputes.
What He Is Doing.
He has nearly completed his pave
ment on Second South street begun last
year. and is making good Roadway on
Fourth South street, where he is lay
ing asphalt from Second East to West
Temple street. Here the street car
company has hindered him I'm laying
its new rails, and the wet weather has
also caused much delay. At present the
concrete base is laid on the north side
of the block from Second East TO State
street, and on the entire block from
Main to West Temple streets Next
week he hopes to have it laid on the
block between Main and. State streets
and on the other half Of the block be-
tween Second East and State streets
Then the putting down of the. asphalt
and binder will take another two
weeks.
In the meantime he is busily at work
grading State street. and his monster
steam shovel. which is now working in
front OF the city and county building
is attracting great crowds every day.
The shovel works with almost human
precision, and on a test last Saturday
filled twenty-five wagons in as many
minutes State street is to be paved
with asphalt from Fourth South 10
Seventh South, and will undoubtedly be
completed this season.
The muddle on Main street has al
ready been referred to on numerous
occasions, and although the situation
is difficult to understand IL is prob |
able. that things viii be Strengthened
out so as to allow CT its being paved |
this year,
Grading on West Temple.
Moran has also begun to grade West |
Temple between Fourth and Fifth |
South streets, which he will also pave
this year. This is an easy-job and will |
not take long to finish, as there is lit /
lie grading TO DO and there VIII be no /
delay from laying water mains or
sewers.
Other work such as the intercepting |
sewer, the sewer without an outlet, on |
the west side, and the big water main /
line on Fifth South street are being
rushed by the contractors, Kennedy /
and Moran. and will undoubtedly be
finished before fall.
AS far as sidewalk work is concerned,
II is at a standstiIl, as S. Birch, the
contractor who has done such efficient
work, has been unable TO get his money /