Mexico weekly ledger., 1911-03-16
CITY ENGINEER kETTER
SUGGESTS PROPER TREAT
MENT OF RESIDENT STREETS

The following given any
Ledger by City Engineer Z. #. ket-
ter is in line with the general I'M
provement Of the city that the Led
ger has been urging for so long.
Mr.. Ketter has studied conditions
and knows whereof he speaks. His
interview will be OF interest to all
public spirited citizens
my views concerning the streets
Of Mexico and the most feasible plan
o. improving the same ane as fol-
lows: Understand that nothing staf-
ed in this article in anyway assumes
t. dictate but rather to present
things as / see them and offer such
suggestions as seem best to me
from study and observation.
1T has been the custom here IN
the past. and is yet, to improve a
street by constructing a pavement Of
brak. This is good. Most Of the bus
mess section and several Of the
main streets leading to the main
Travelled country roads have been
thus improved. Any street that has
to carry considerable heavy traffic
and also take care OF the swift nro'
tor vehicles should have a pavement
OF as permanent a nature as that Of
brick, The streets that should re-
ceive q pavement Of this nature Is
evident to every one, and ! don't be-
lieve one Of any other construction
would be permitted.
But thore are PARTS Of this city
In whLoh the traffic is not Of d
heavy nature. These streets are In
most cases nothing but earthen roads.
The adjoining property is well built
up OF fine residences, The people
desiring the location for lis quiet
and exchsiyeness. They have their
au'o or horse and buggy, and like TO
be able to come and go at any time.
The location would be ideal II only
the roadway had a construction that
would admit Of continual use, and
yet its construction be mot too ex-
pensfve. 1t is just such conditions
that should be faced and then rene
died in ONE way.
Such a street having a concrete
curb and gutter and a maeadam road
way would in a great measure fill the
requirements. Such a street, so
improved, would not last forever,
nor would it last as long as a more
permanent construction, but never
theless the Investment would well
pay.
What is meant by a maeadam
is not one built like our old
rock roads that we now have; they
do little than prevent a wag-
from miring during wet weather.
What is meant is a roadway of from
to eight inches OF graded crush.
ed limestone, of good construction,
veal rolled and bonded together wsth
the top having a coating Of asphalt
prepared tar. Such a treatment
ILLS all the mterstices between che
rocks with a liquid bond. Its extra
cost Is very little in comparison with
the benefits derived. 1t prevents
dust 10 a great extent and also binds
rock particles to their place. Thel
ian the well built up residence
portion Of the city should be i'm.
proved in some such manner.
Then again there are resident por.
ions Of the city that are not MS yet
iuily built up. The streets IN these
sections have no improvements ex.
'ept walks. Every year there is a
Train on the city's resources to keen
ihehes open and the roadway grad.
%. It Is noticeable I'm the cities OF
ne East that in such sections a
'urb and gutter Is first constructed.
I gives something definite, some.
hing tangible, to which the property
'wner a shape his grass plot and
he Clty's Street Commissioner grade
he roadway. Here II such were
lone the cost would be slight and Il
n after years II was thought neces.
airy to build a roadway of macadam.
Rick or otherwise this curb would
'erve as the sides for the same.
IT Is some such treatment of oar
esident streets that is suggested"