The Colfax gazette. [volume] (Colfax, Wash.) 1893-1932, 1910-03-25
PAVING MAIN STREET
IS BURNING QUESTION
Report of Engineer Murray as
1t Looks in Spokane.
Cost Considered Prohibitive- Ma at
ter Referred for Preparation of
Another Report Resolution to
Macadam Mill Street Adopted.

City council met Monday night, Mayor
Lippitt and all councilmen present ex
cept Councilman johnson.
Time checks, amounting to 1904 80,
were presented and warrants ordered
drawn for their payment. The late food
was responsible for the presence of these
checks. Segregated they come under the
following heads: For water department,
by Councilman Barroll, $136 20; for po-
lice department, by Councilman Tiff,
$l97; for street, department by Council.
men Plummer and Perrine, 1921 IS; for
clearing out rubbish in river, by j. r
Good, s43S rs.
Resolution to grade and macadamize
Mill street was read third time. It ia
published in another part OF this paper.
Paving Main Street.
K. G. Murray, who was asked to go to
Spokane and examine certain streets in
that city paved with concrete, the object
being to determine the advisability of
using concrete in restoring Main street
in Colfax from the damaged condition in
which it was left by the high water of
March /, presented written report. The
pavement that claimed his particular at
tention is properly concrete, but called
the BlOme Company Patented Granitoid
Concrete Pavement. 1t is a patented
process, manufactured by Rudolph s.
Blome Of Chicago. The Blome company
have laid pavements in Tacoma, Vic
tOria, B. c., and other citlee. This
pavement cOsG Spokane 81 sc per square
yard; the concrete or grantOid 81, 40
per square yard, and preparing the sub
grade 20 cents per square yard. Cement
may possibly be obtained at figures that
will shade So barrel, probably at cost
Of 81 50. Sand will cost in Colfax from
81 to 50 25 per square yard. Taking
81 sc per square yard, the cost OF the
Spokane pavement, as basis for calcu-
lation, and 50 feet for width Of Main
street in COlfax, after deducting for side
walks and gutter lines, the cost per front
foot to middle of street will be 81 SO, or
$l5 16 per front foot extending the en-
tire width of the street.
Price Is Considered Prohibitive.
This price for paving was thought by
the mayor and council to be prohibitive,
and after a lengthy exchange of ideas it
was decided to abandon all thought of
any so-called patented process or pro-
cesses for concrete pavement, and Mr..
Murray was asked to estimate the cost
per front foot, the city TO mix and lay
its own concrete, the opinion being that
it could be done for less than half per
front foot than what it cost Spokane for
the SO called patented process. The
patent consists in the way it is mixed,
the size OF the rock used in mixing and
the checking on top, making it look like
brick. Thus it is not too smooth and
enables a horse to keep it's footing. Mr..
Murray will report at meeting of council
to be held next Monday night.
Vitrifed brick, said to be the best and
most lasting paving material in use.
would cost even more than the patented
concrete pavement.
Il was decided by the council to lay a
temporary sidewalk from the court house
north to the O. r. & n depot along
Main street, which means, of course, the
building Of two footbridges, as the
South Palouse has TO be crossed twice en-
route. This will do away with the ugly
way of reaching the depot or departing
thereirom By way Of Mill street, as pc
detrians are now compelled to do.
Some minor business was transacted,
the council adjourning to meet again
next Monday night.