The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-10-01
NEARLY ALL BAD.
Scarcely Block of Paving I hat
Doesn't Show Neglect.
Excavations Made by Plumbers
Show in Every Block.
MUCH BAD BRICK.
On Some Streets They Are
Crumbling to Dust.
Many Disgraceful Places Along
Street Car Tracks.

The State Journal few days ago
tried to convey some idea of the con-
dltlon. of the brick pavement on the
east side between Eighth and Fourth
streets and show how this pavement
nao peen nearly ruined by the care
lesS repair work of pipe line gangs
s ana PLUMBERS and how the inferior
crumbling to pieces under traffic and
the action of the weather The nave
ment on the west side is in about as
pao shape. Careless repair work and
poor prlck tell the story of rough and
city.
"A state Journal reporter made the
"Trip wednesday in an automobile over
nearly all the paved streets in the
Guy taking notes on the good, bad
and Indifferent blocks of paving.
There is hardly block of smooth
pavement in the city. Where the brick
were good and were we'll laid in the
rirst place the street has been dug up
Ior gas and water pipes and relaid in
such manner as to leave valleys or
ridges stretching from the curb to the
center of the street. In other blocks
where cheap sidewalk brick have
been laid they are crumbling to nieces
Inere are holes in the pavement every-
,v ana beside them are hills to re-
ueVe the monotony. At MANY of the
intersections where the brick and
asphalt pavements join there is a
Jump-oH of from three to five inches
On one street two blocks of car track
have been torn out of the center ana
long, narrow strip of pasture land
thrives there in the midst of the bricI<
pavement This is small matter
though, for the paving around the
car tracks in every section of the civ
IS IN pad shape. Inferior brick are
used in most cases and thew have
CTu1n Died h1If
OF hlgh bumps to be found aIonpside
and inside the tracks. If Won nTefer
Wavy pavement to the variegated
style, why there is plenty of it to be
found there.
Torn Up by Plumbers.
lay the pavements wherever nett
tloned for and let it go at that. Once
iald they were supposed to he a c
IlhperVlous to man and the elements
as the everlasting hills. Husky day
laborers came joyfully with nicIx AMI
crow bar and sledge and tore IN, 4ha |
paving by the square yard TO get 70
water and gas pipes and then dumned
the dirt and brick back into the ho1a
ana Went their ways in peace. There
an Instance or this kind on record
Mneretne paving was torn up on King
street Tor distance Twelve fae{
70 make water pipe connections and
me Workmen were unable to get ali
- " lCh pstcK IN place. They hauled
away tWenty-six brick from this Moe
in a wheel barrow. Just like ch;I5
taxing watch to pieces and NOT he
ing able to get all the works hack into
the case. What's the difference II
Is true there is an ordinance reo,,ir-
4 ing an persons to give a bond before
tearing up the new pavement which
requires them to replace it in as GOOD |
shape as 1t was before, but if tbiS
regulation is not strictly enforced
why bother with it. SO Tom. Diclr
and Harry can attack the navemant
in any section of the CITY fbev ere
sent TO- ripping it up by the ward
ana dumping 1T back in place anv old
way Ihey do as much damage in
thls way as the barbarian did at the
sacklng OF Rome. The city officials
charged with the duty of seeing that
repairs are made are evidently too
tired to do their duty. wv
Inc condition of the brick in our
pavements is surely a lesson to Tho
council to allow no more brick to 90
"ra trte ssreets until they have stood a
raltlef and moisture test Inferior
prlck will not last two wears on
street of heavy travel while No :
PAYERS good for the rattIer test viii
iast ten years and longer. The price
is the same. pi ice
But the profit on the two Kinds -
brick varies. Not five brick nlants o,,t
OF ~, even in the natural gas ha1t go
make No. paving brick that will meat
the test. The hardest of sbaia 80
many years of experience in brick
making are necessary to produce a good
paving brick. Any old plant can make
good building and sidewalk brick,
Like a Mountain Road.
Starting on Kansas avenue at the
MEAN bridge and traversing it to Siv
teenlh street Is like following a noun
tam road In the dark One can ex-
pect anything. The asphalt is full of
holes in many places. Repair WORT, is
soon to be started on this pavemant
by the contractors under the naintes1~
ance bond. They have a big lob ahead
of them Contrary to ordinance. this
asphalt has been dug up by the eter-
nal pipe line gangs. One of these
places between Sixth and Seventh
streets was repaired yesterday and a
barrlcade built around it. A short time
afterwards man drove up TO this
place and tore down the breastworks
and led his horse up to the curb and
tied him. The animals hoofs sTnL
into the newly spread asphalt at this
point for a depth of three or four
inches.
The brick paving on Kansas avenue
south of Eleventh street is in fair
shape, but at that there are many Dad
bumps and depressions where repair
work has been carelessly done.
On Clay street from Tenth south
there are a dozen places in two blocks
where the paving has been dug up and
put back in such manner that the
street resembles hurdle course. The