The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1909-03-31

bone of contention among the usually
peace loving people of Philadelphia.
That something must be done, and done
quickly, to put that BUSINESS thorough
fare in creditable condition has been
conceded by the parties most immediate
ly interested-those who will have to foot
the bills,-but there seems to have been
a radical difference of opinion as to the
material to be employed, asphalt, granite
and wood each having their strenuous
advocates.
Finally contractors were invited to SUBJ
NIT bids, and last week the Department
of Public Works opened the various
sealed offers handed in. While the bids
demonstrated that wood paving would
be virtually the same in cost as granite
block, the amount asked for asphalt was
far cheaper than for either wood or gran
ite block. In some instances number
of bids for wood block surface were be-
low the prices asked for the better grades
of granite block. Bids for asphalt as
low az $l.94 square yard were SUBJ
mitted, while the cheapest price of wood
block was So. 16, and of straight granite
block, $500.
After the proposals were opened and
referred to be scheduled, Mayor Reyburn
declared that the paramount question
was to obtain pavement which would
prove lasting and be credit to the city
in every way. Great consideration, he
said, should be given to the selection Of
the character of paving This matter
the contract may be awarded early this
spring.
Meanwhile the Market Street Business
Mems Protective Association has pub
licly placed itself on record as favoring
wood blocks. Ithas also declared fatty
that it will accept full responsibility for
such pavement, and the Philadelphia
Inquirer declares that the expressed wish
of this body should be the last word on
the subject, as it gives the city the best
authority for going ahead with the wood
paving.
1t must be remembered, however, adds
the Inquirer, that the merchants demand
that the city assume responsibility for
the quality of material used and the
manner of laying it. The Association is
a body of responsible men acting in good
faith. Its members as individuals will
benefit most largely by an adequate paw
ing or suffer most through poor make
shift. Their enormous business invest
ments are most closely associated with
the public interests in this particular dis
trict because it is on the public they
must depend for returns. They want this
great commercial artery placed in the
best possible shape and the city admin
istration should see that it is done.
We are little curious to know just
why this prominent association OF Phila-
delphians have taken such a fancy to
wood blocks for pavement purposes.
The best authorities on road making,
whose opinions have been crystalized in
cyclopedias and general books of refer
ence, seem to entertain no such pref
erence. One says: "Wood pavements
have been used for roads more as a
makeshift than with serious thought Of
permanence. Wooden blocks, sawed in
lengths of seven or eight inches, and
laid end up will stand great deal of
wear, but exposure to alternate moisture
and drying heat rots them in the course
of decade or two. Chambers speaks
of "blocks of wood with the end up and
blocks of cast iron" as having been tried
for paving purposes. 'The wooden
block is delightfully."- easy and not noisy,
but in wet weather it is exceedingly
| slippery. Cast iron is too hard, and
| causes too much iolting.
But Philadelphia is not without an ex-
perience of its own with wood block
pavement. Something like sixty or per-
haps more years ago, the city expert
mented in that direction not, if our
recollection serves, very much to the sat
isfaction of its inhabitants. The hem
lock from which the hexagonal blocks
were sawed proved to be not all of the
same texture or ordurability, and in very
short time, the streets were filled with
ruts and holes fringed with slippery and
menacing splinters, annoying if not alb
solutely dangerous to man and beast
The practical test thus made, resulted
in the cancelling of an order for more
, blocks and the loss of market which
followed led to the episodes which give
t local trend to our reminiscent article
for this week.
In 1854 occurred what was known al
''The Battle of the Kegs" on the lowe
Delaware inl7S7 what was called 9Th,
Pumpkin Flood" strewed the lower val
leyofthe Susquehanna with the pumpkin
=, of the unfortunate Connecticut settlers
at Wyoming, and in the late '40s TIN
"Paving Block Freshet" astonshed tn,
~ | oIo aI,o ln.,l,. Of al,o 4 ooI,.