Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1912-07-06


has this would be metropolis crowd
state.
1t costs about one third as much to
gravel a road as to pave It and to pave
it costs about $4,000 per mile. Per
haps the thing to do with the Nichoi-
sons Ford road and the North Third
avenue road would be to grade ana
drain it well and then use the drag un-
til the drag wears out and then get
another drag. Years ago when the
drag was rrst suggested high grade
had been thrown up on Marion street
from the packing house lane to the city
limits. The work had been done with
a fourteen mule diking machine which
elevated the soil from the ditch be-
low to the center of the street in big
rolls Of tough gumbo 500 but In spite
of this condition Of road bed the
Times-Repubucan was able to keep up
an excellent road by employing a near
by farmer to drag the road after eV-
cry rain no matter how slight the
shower. The newspaper was expert
,nenting with the drag SO as to know
how far 20 boost it. The cost was $lo.7o
for mile and q quarter OF almost I'M
possible road kept in excellent conol-
ton during an entire season which
proved to be an unusually wet one.
After being well graded and drained
SIS per annum spent for dragging the
ford road from the city limits to the
hills across the river and the same
spent for dragging the North Third
he
would keep them in almost as good
condition as tho they were graVeled.
The state highway engineer is inclined
to discourage crawling because the
automobiles grind out a graveled road
nowadays.
The Marshalltown Club can score one
on securing a Pullman service on the
carly evening train to Chicago via the
Northwestern for we now have Pull
man service on the early trains on ootn
the northwestern and Great Western
roads and V should be greatly appreci-
ated by the travelling public. Waiting
until midnight to take sleeper to
Chicago is no fun.
The city must sink more wells be-
cause the city is using 100000 gallons
per day more water than it did form
erly And this has all come about IN
a dry town in a wet year. 10 tnose
who would expatiate on the amount OF
bottled refreshment shipped IN express
cars nowadays it can be remarked that
this city ia using 800 tons per day more
water than it once did or an increase
of forty carloads Of water per day.
There may be some sophistry In this
kind Of argument but it sounds big and
thereby is sound to about the same
degree as are most of the assertions
made for the open saloon.
Z
Interested property owners and the
public generally will endorse the de-
termination Of Mayor Jones and the
councilmen to reject all paving bids II
the price is any higher than the bids
O nthe first contract this spring. Con-
on the first contract this spring. Con-
the price Of cement for the season. II
the bidders are few because Of having
filed I'D with work elsewhere the thing
to do will be to let this new paving nexi
| winter for early spring construction
/
new work can't be done until fall now
and we would be without paving only
during the winter by waiting. Fol
fifteen years now the T.-R. has beer
contracting its print paper supply dur
| ing the summer months when the mlu'
are looking for orders and there hal
never yet been year In which tn
market was not as low In the summe
months as at any other season OF ina
wear. Under the commission form o
government public contracts are sup
posed to be let with the same amour
of thrift as private contracts. IN
low market on paving seems to be II
the winter.
Mr.. A. c. Diller. who deserves
medal for the excellent work he ha
done in keeping the North Thir
avenue road in condition during recen
years, Is circulating petition to urg
that the board of supervisors expen
some money in graveling portion Q
this road 1t has been source OF con
slant irritation to Mr.. Diller and to tn
public to find the section Of this roa
between his farm and the river IN a
unkept condition while he and thos
beyond him have kept up . perfee
road. There may be some question
to the wisdom Of mourning 30 muc
expense as graveling would cost whe
automobiles will grind It into ruts, or
there can be no question a. to the nee
of grading and constant dragging
this piece of road. The board migf
, enter into a contract with the town
, chin and cffy to contribute q portion
the grading expense II the townshl
and city would pay the remainder N
enter into contract to keep the fos
well dragged. The constant dfae1ll
is the main essential. Some none