The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1909-03-29
w. A. MAYO WILL PRESENT OBJ
SERVATlONS ON TRIP TO
GREAT FALLS.
TELLS OF IMPROVEMENTS
Various Phases Of Municipal Enter
prises, as Exemplified in Windy City
Of Montana, Are Handled in Interest
ing and Complete Manner by Chief
of Missoula Department.

Tonight City Engineer w. A. Mayo
will present to the city council a re-
port on the improvements Of the city
Of Great Falls, based on observations
of his trip to the Windy city last
week. Acting on instructions from the
council, Mr. Mayo spent several days
in Great Falls, studying various i'm
provement projects, their method of
government and the different ways in
which expenses are met. The repor :,
which contains many interesting facts
and figures, follows in FULL
Missoula, Mont, March 20, 1909.
The Honorable Mayor and City Coun
Gil Of the City of Missoula, Mont:
Gentlemen-In pursuance of your in
structions I have visited the city Of
Great Falls, Mont, with the view Of
looking over their Improvement dis
tricts, sewers and general municipal
improvements.
l found an up-toda city in regard
to street paving, sewer system and
boulevarding of streets and avenues
Everything is being done by improve
men district methods.
Below are few brief notes of some
City Parks and Drives.
They have five small parks, situated
in different parts of the city, with a
total area of 407.56 acres. These
parks are under the management Of
what are called park commissions. The
expenses are paid out of the general
fund, as they are places for public
all provided with painted benches,
flowers, electric lights, etc, and are
kept up in first-class manner.
BouIevarded Streets and Avenues.
These are kept up by improvement
districts and are paid for by property
owners. The trees are set out, wa
tered and attended to and the grass
moved in the season, etc. The total
length of these amounts to 1909 miles.
They are among the incest in the
country and present beautiful sight.
There are in them 7,540 planted trees.
They are ash and elm, those being the
only trees which thrive there, on ac-
count of the alkali in the soil.
Residence Streets Graded and BouIe-
The total length of these amounts
to II IL miles. Approximate cos,
$119,S20. These are also kept up by
the improvement districts, and are
what give Great Falls it's great repu-
tation as boulevarded city. They
are certainly a credit to the city. All
streets and avenues in the city are so
feet wide, divided into driveways "a feet
between curbs on streets on which there
are no stret car tracks. On streets
and avenues where there are street
car tracks they are As feet between
curbs. On talking with many property
owners I found them all well satisfied
with the width of these driveWays, as
when it comes to paving, the expense
is not nearly as much as If the streets
were wider and on the narrow drive
ways four teams can drive abreast. l
found that many Of the property own
ers, if they had it to do over again,
would insist on the width of the drive
ways being cut down to 80 feet.
Cement Sidewalks.
The approximate mileage and cost
in residence districts is 521 miles;
cost, $31,735.61. In business districts,
275 miles; cost, $4S600.72.
Around the public fountain, at the
foot of Main street, Is a cement side
walk Of 902.S lineal feet costing $2,-
124.49.
All sidewalks are contracted for and
built by one company, the contract
being let every two years. The con-
tractor puts up bond with the city
iC iC ey1Jnr nj
years. In this way they get the best
class of work possible. would recon-
mend to your body that the city of
Missoula follow this plan, as it gives
the property owner protection against
inferior work.
Street Paving.
l found 19,S0O square yards of wood
block paving, constructed at cost of
s73,3o729 This paving is laid upon
five and one-half inch concrete base;
upon that, one inch of sand cushion;
upon which are placed three and one
half inch creosoted wood blocks. This
paving was laid by the Kettle River
Quarry company of Minneapolis Mimi,
under a guarantee for seven years.
Paving has been laid for two years
and shows no effect of wear Every
one is well satisfied with this paving.
Sewers.
There are two main trunk-line sew
ers. Total length, 81 miles; costing
$1O2,927.57. OF lateral sewers there are
11.32 miles, costing $113,143.40. Total
1902 miles, costing $216.071.17.
There are two main, four-foot sew
the other of concrete. The latter is
not giving satisfaction, as the alkali
is destroying it rapidly. The brick
sewer Is in a fair state Of preserva-
ton.
All lateral sewers are constructed
of various sizes at vitrif1ed brick.
All these sewers were constructed
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