The Colfax gazette. [volume] (Colfax, Wash.) 1893-1932, 1911-07-07
COUNC|LMEN EXPRESS THEIR
VIEWS ON PAVING QUESTION
and Circular Letters Stir
City and Gazette Asks Officials for Their
Individual Opinions.

loaded wood wagons were being pulled
during shower M one Of the steepest
grades and with practically no slipping
or falling OF the horses. Although bit
ulIthlc surface is soft and is subject to
lndentures to horses calks for the first
two years, | consider this one OF the
strongest points in the paving-that the
imprint will iron out smooth again and
IN few days is as smooth and even as
ever. This good point OF the bitulithic
Is one OF the weakest Of the hard sur
faced pavements. That when a piece Of
concrete is WORE or broken from the sur
face OF hard pavement it is an indent-
ure forever unless repaired, and there is
no responding to it's natural state from
additional wear but gradually gets
worse instead Of better as with bitulithjc
Bltull'hIc carries the same base as all
standard pavemeDts and when laid to
its standard specifca tions carries from
to 312 inches of btumen wearing sur
face. During the Portland investiga-
tlOn we bad section cut from the pave
ment on Iamhill street which was laid
in 1904 and found the wearing surface
to be full inches after seven wears on
busy Portland street. Having the
good clean grade rock that is accessible
here there is no doubt that the penetra-
tion OF the bitumen wearing surface
which is subjected to 20 ton pressure
while at boiling point will average 81
inches wearing surface, which from all
records should have lasting period OF
at least 20 years.
DR.. J. Floyd Tft-Aiter carefully in
vestigatiDg the matter feel that | am
better able to jndge paving than those
who have only listened to biased Opin
ions without Investigation for themee yes.
/ have always been Outspoken in nv
honest belief and am perfectly willing at
any time to defend the stand have taken
IN the choice Of bit1litbic paving. AS to
the letter recently circulated in this city
attacking the cOuncilmen's action. |
absolutely ignore it the same as would
any other anonymous communication
misrepresentiDg the fact. In a matter
OF this kind there is bound to be a differ
ence Of opinion. Now that you call nv
attention to the letter will say that it
looks to me as if the losers had called
to their aid the chronic kickers and this
anonymous protest is the result.
6. W. Perrine-My frst choice in paw
ing is Hassam, which is cheaper in the
first place and ! believe more durable
and best adapted for city like Colfax
But es | was voted down in the council |
am perfectly willing to abide by the de-
cisiOn of the majority as | believe the
council is a fair minded set OF men acting
on their best Judgment. / don't want
to hold up this work and bitulithic is
my second choice.
E. Il. kirklend-I have never been eu-
thusiastic over bitulithic and while feel
the city needs the Improvement I am in
favor OF concrete as being the best for
COlfax as it is cheaper end the cost Of
maintenance is less. From my expert.
ence with concrete am satisfied that
it is the pavement as being both staple
and permanent. ] understand there is a
protest against bitulithic and l will say
that while am stronly in favor Of con
crete would rather have bitulithic than
to see the paving question dropped at
this time. DO not put any stock in an
anonymous letter, ct the same time the
one which received last week contained
some facts that are worth cons deEing
by the taxpayers.
The Anonymous letter referred TO
above follows:
Colfaz. Wash, June q, 1911.
To the citizens Of the city Of Colfax, Wash-
ingtOn;
Have you done any Investigating Of the
paving question on your own hook
His Honor the Mayor, and the city council
nave mauS a very 6ZDau6gltS ~ lEFSbIlEdLIOD
Of the subject. They visited a number Of
cities, inquired into the condition Of pave
ments where they visited; the cost Of laying,
cost of maintenance, durability, method of re-
pairing, ease of traction and other questions
were investigated.
They found the cost Of Asphalt and Btu
lithic pavement in Portland, wherever laid,
was 81 So per So I'D. and the cost of Hassam
was 81. s. to s. 90 per &c. I'd. according to the
location Of the street to be paved.
They investigated the cost of materials used
for these pavements and found that Colfax
was very favorably situated for all the ma
terials for Bitulithic. They use only rock and
asphalt oils-no sand or cement-and ex-
pected to receive very low bid on this Sc
count. The cost of laying Bitulithic at Col
fax should be at least 30 to 40 cents per so
yd. less than at Portland. They expected the
cost of Asphalt and Hassam would be greater,
because they would be compelled to ship in
sand and cement at heavy cost. They found
the cost of laying Asphalt at Spokane wss