Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1910-04-18
CEMENT STREETS THE THING.
City Editor at Fond du Lac Gives the
Plain Facts.

When Mr.. Kirby appeared before the
city council with some facts about
concrete paving ne quoted a letter from
Fond du Lac banker telling of a
price as low as sl-09 per yard re
ceived this year under severe compe-
titon. The T.-R. has written to the
city editor of the Fond du Lac COM
lnonwealth for a newspaper mans
statement Of facts and he replies as
follows:
Dear Sir-Probably the best proof
that cement streets are considered
success in this city, is that after a
trial of three or four years, the city
is still boosting the cement idea and
for this seasons building has laid out
three cement streets SO far. I'm
doubtedly cement is the material for
Fond du Lac in street paving for
good many years TO come, that is upon
streets which are intended to bear or
binary business traffic. We have about
eight streets paved with cement now.
The three more for which contracts
have already been let will bring the total
up to eleven. Half of our main street
which is thoroughly a business street
is paved with q 40-foot cement span.
Mum erous resident streets are cement.
able and sanitary material to use, and
the general demand here is for it ,es
pecially in the residence districts. We
also have asphalt and several kinds of
brick paving.
One objection to cement is that it is
liable to crack under severe weather
conditions. Our city engineer is Of the
opinion that preventative measures
may be employed to reduce the danger
to minimum. He advocates smaller
blocks, and an adjustment Of the street
crown AT best the item of repairs is
a small one. Some of our cement
streets have cracked. Invariably the
cracks appear in the streets that were
first laid in the city.
! From my own observation, and I
have been interested in paving to some
| degree, 1 find that a big improvem ent
| has been made in the manner of put
ting down these streets. The con-
tractors not only go ahead faster with
! the work than they did some years
| ago but they do it better and produce
| a better surface. Our Main street is
! q fine specimen Of the work. Its sur
! face rivals the evenness of an asphalt
street, it's drainage is just as good.
The people here are not complaining
about 1t, so it must be all right.
| If Marshalltown is thinking Of put
ting down cement pavemenps it would
pay it to send a committee up here
to 'be shown" We did nothing around
here last summer but entertain COM
mittees and delegations from other
towns in the state. They went away
with diversified opinions.
These streets are composed of a
concrete base the depth Of which
varies from to inches. On top Of
this is laid what is called the top"
| This is a mixture of the best grade
! Of cement, sand and granite screen
ings. They do not call it granitoid
street for you know the Blome people
are after the scalps of those who en-
croach on their patents.
| We have one tar macadam street
which is poor piece of work. 1t was
laid in exceedingly cold weather. If
you desire any further information
upon this matter i will be glad to send
| it to you. This is just what I have
on hand at the opening OF your let
| ter. Yours Very Respectfully
| J. J. HARLIN,
| City Editor Commonwealth
! p. 81 note that you ask about the
wear of the streets. There are no
signs of disintegration on account of
wear. There are no signs Of wheels
shreaking up the street or anything
like that. Whatever damage has been
done to the streets so far has been
done by the frost. When they meet