Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1908-02-27
ABOUT PAVING IN TOWN.
H. l. Humphrey Gives His Ideas
ON the Subject.

= arguments. whether or not we agree vii
them-EDIToRl
EDITOR REFLECTOR; have bee
requested to give my views in regar
to the paving Of our streets. Will
on the city council, | made some in
vestigation Of the cost Of street paw
ing and came to the conclusion tina
Abilene could wait Eve or ten year
before entering upon an era Of stree
paving and until some other NOR,
necessary Improvements were pro
vided for. Abilene has been going
at rather rapid pace for the last five
years and many Of our tax payers be-
lleve that some of the improvements
made should be more nearly paid for
before any large expenditure is made
for street paving. We have expended
in the past five years: for sewers APP
proximately $SS. 900; for school build
ings. 1856, 900; for parks, $4,000; for
water works, 100000; not to speak of
$4,000 spent by the Dickinson Coun-
ty Fair Association and 1928, 900 spent
in the way Of church improvements.
The bonded indebtedness is now
$4,000; including:
Refunding per cent bonds. ...... $4,000
Sewer outlet per cent bonds ......... 1000
Park, AZ per cent bonds .............. 1000
Water purchase. ~ per cent bonds. :. 5000
Water extension. ~ per cent bonds. 5000
Total. ....... Sl43, 900
This amount on the assessed valua-
ton $646,171 is about as high as we
can go without impairing our credit.
II we add to this amount $4,000 of
outstanding school bonds, we have a
total of 1882, 900, which is nearly all
to be paid by the city.
1t is proposed to pave the business
part of town from Second street to
Fourth street and from Buckeye to
This would make, not in
Mulberry, twenty blocks of
paving which would be paid for by
he lot owners; but the intersections,
fifteen in number, would have to be
'aid for by the city. At $1.78 per
quare yard, which was the cost of
aving Iron Ave, in Salina, the cost
I paving each intersection would be
], 265 and the cost of fifteen intersec- -
ons would be $l8,975, not including .,
ne cost Of curbing which would make a
lie total cost to the city over 500, 900. n
II the city council finds that the
ty can afford to spend any money at
'esent outside of the regular chan
BIS. believe that the best invest al
ent which it could make would be of
penditure of from $4,000 to $4,000 K
r better fire fighting apparatus sa
lich would lower the rates Of insur- or
ce and might save in enc year the af
st of the equipment. W.
Or II the council wishes to benefit Gt
'ilene commercially, plan to ma a
iamize Buckeye Avenue from the he
ion Pacific railroad to the river mr.
uld benefit the city more than is
enty blocks Of city street paving. Gl,
18th Buckeye is probably the most
veled road in the county and is the
rst road when roads are bad. 1t
nd cost from $4,000 to $4,000 to mu
cadamize twelve foot roadway 2 n
n the Union Pacific depot to the cree
'r and if proportioned between the 12O
I, Grant township and the county, lam
I'D not be burdensOme. and
fter all, paved streets are not bull
tout some objections. They are goo'
Ter and noisier than dirt streets, COW
Ter on horses feet and more ex- mac
i've to keep in order. All that we and
d by pavement is mud, 1t would with
necessary to sweep the paved shru
ITS once day or at least every SOM
r day to keep them in proper con- Carl
N and to keep twenty blocks Of
ment in good condition would ~
ably require the services of a Al
and team all the time. Under a poo
present conditions l believe the Al Al
Gil would act wisely to defer Sam
t paving at least for the present 5. Ol
H. L. HUMPHREY.
TIL
lis, clear skin is the first re- dies
te for personal beauty; to secure rodr