Perth Amboy evening news., 1912-08-22

The good roads of Monmouth county and the fine streets and ave
nue. of its shore towns r. rightly famed throughout the eastern states
for their smoothness, hardness and continuity; and justly to them is
given the credit of attracting many of those pleasure loving Americans,
who leave their city homes and live within the confines of Monmouth
during the summer season.
The natural location of Monmouth makes possible its good roads,
streets and avenues at low cost, for within it's boundaries are located
great beds of clay grave, that, properly mixed, produces the BEST AND
CHEAPEST AS WELL AS THE MOST LASTING ROAD BUILDING
MATERIAL found in America, while the maintenance cost is but a frac-
ton compared with that necessary to maintain roads o. streets built OF
any other material.
This statement, on the surface, appears broad, but a comparison
proves its truth.
Ocean avenue, Asbury Park, one of the finest drives in New Jersey
is less than a mile in length and fifty feet wide. 1t was constructed about
ten years ago of Anenwood clay gravel (he best) at a cost not exceeding
80 cents per square yard O. a total of $4,000; and since its construction
there has not been expended upon it one dollar for maintenance further
than the expense of scraping with an ordinary road scraper once or twice
a year after a heavy rain, and the application of a few wagon loads of
gravel to repair small holes. This is only a fair sample of many, many
miles of roads and streets constructed of this same Alenwood clay gravel
in Monmouth county, and it shore cities and towns and is therefore a
sufficient standard with which to compare the cost of various streets and
drives constructed of other material than clay-graveL
Take for instance Broadway, Long Branch, about one and three
quarter miles in length and 40 feet wide. This street was constructed of
asphalt about 20 years ago by the Barber Asphalt company at an initial
cost of $2e5 per square yard, o a total cost of about 100000 Its main
tenance a guaranteed for five years by the Barber Construction Com
pany after which time the city Of Long Branch assumed 1t, and then n
tered into a new contract with the Barber Asphalt company to maintain
it at a cost of $4,000 per year-a total charge for maintenance in the 10
years Of $4,000, bringing the whole cost of construction and mainten-
ance Of Broadway to date $685. 900.
RATHER MORE EXPENSIVE THAN OCEAN AVENUE, AsBURY
PARK, BUILT OF ALLENWOOD CLAY GRAVEL, AT A COST OF
$1,000 go CENTS PER SQUARE YARD TEN YEARS AGO.
Agar, South Main street West Grove, is about nethrd of a mile
In length and averages 80 feet in width. Twenty years age, it was built
with a macadam center 16 feet wide at a approximate cost of $4,000.
This center, at least four different times since, was recoated with top
stone at a cost of $4,000 each time; and less than two years ago the whole
road was rebuilt at a cost Of $8 900, bringing the total cost of South
Main street to date at least $4,000. AND TODAY THE ROAD IS VERY
BADLY WORN AND REQUIRES A NEW TOPPING AGAIN.
RATHER MORE EXPENSIVE THAN OCEAN AVENUE, BUILT
OF ALLENwooD CLAY-GRAVEL AT A COST OF $4,000 TEN YEARS
AGO.
The initial cost of Springwood avenue, Asbury Park constructed
two years ago of brick was 1888 per square yard or a total of $4,000;
and that of Goodman avenue, Asbury Park, west of Grand avenue, con-
snucted three years ago Of wood blocks, wa $3.50 pc. square yard O a
total Of $24y 300; and that Of two blocks O. Madison avenue and three
blocks on Bond street, Asbury Park constructed of bituHthic three years
age, was 1874 per square yard or a total of $4,000.
RATHER MORE EXPENSIVE THAN OCEAN AVENUE, BUILT
OF ALLENWOOD CLAY-GRAvEL AT A COST OF 30 CENTS PER
SQUARE YARD, OR A TOTAL OF $4,000 TEN YEARS AGO.
We can continue such comparison indefinitely. We can prove, both
by experience vs. well as by expert engineers, that macadam and stone
We quote from the Annual Rep
sioner of Public Roads, of tn
1.-The gravel roads of South Jerse
most oCOnOmiCal rOanS in tn