The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1913-07-15
TUESDAY,, JULY Is, 1913.
SOUTH END IMPROVEMENT.

The proposal for the Improvement
of Chestnut, Walnut and Cottonwood
streets and the which cross
them, by the use of gravel on lne
streets instead of a more expensive
material is based on the desire OF q
large number of property owners IN
that section to finish out the front of
their property and have something Il
great deal better than a dirt ROAD
without mourning an expense that
would be burdensome to most OF them
and absolutely prohibitiVe to some
The Improvement asked for in the
petitions which are being circulated
include the following:
The construction of a thirty-foot
driveway in the center of each street
and avenue. the grading of the street
lust as for paving. and h covering
of the surface with our inches of
gravel. properly applied.
The curbing of both sides of he
roadway with a 6N24 inch concrete
curb made with a wide base, so that
1t will remain firmly fixed in the earth
far below the street grade.
The construction of the BERN in the
usual amer, which is to be leNeled
and seeded. and elm trees placed
about twenty-five feet apart down the
center of each BERN.
Proper drainage to be provided,
which includes all drains, catch
!, basins and manholes that may be re-
quired.
The city engineers estimate of the
total cot of all the above improve
ments is $50 per twenty-five foot lot.
The proposal is to have this cost
spread over a period of ten years.
which would make the annual charge
for ten years on each twenty-five o
lot SIS plus interest, the interest
diminishing from year to year. The
total cost could, of course, be paid
in a lump sum Il desired, which would
prevent any interest being charged
against individuals making such cash
payment
1t is interesting to compare this
cost with the cost of other street COW
erings. District No. 10 is paved with
Blome pavement. The cost of that as
certified on the city auditors books
runs. for most lots, S251 per twenty
five foot lot. District No. is, in the
north end, is paved with the cheaper
tar macadam pavement, which, ac-
cording to the official records. costs
$176 per twenty-five foot lot. In
other words, the cost of Blome was
$40 per front foot; the cost of the
tar macadam was 81 per front foot;
while the cost of the Improvement
as proposed will be 50 per front foot.
The saving to be effected by the use
of gravel IN the streets will be, per
twenty-five foo lot, S2O1 as compared
with Blome, and 1926 as compared
with the tar macadam.
1t is to he borne in mind that with
the exception of the road covering,
the treatment of the street will be
exactly the same as if any of the more
costly materials We're to be used. For
the small sum indicated the property
owner will be given the benefit of the
finished BERN, the planted trees, the
set curb and the street drainage, Just
as If h costly pavement were to be
laid. and in addition the street will
be coated with gravel which, while
it may Eot compare in smoothness
and regularity with a high grade
pavement will be a vast Improvement
over the dirt street. m which, pro-
perly applied n cared for until we'll
Embedded in the clay, will give a road
way smooth and firm and easily taken
care of, an ideal roadway for the out
lying districts whose residents are
not prepared to spend a great deal
OF money on the middle of the street,
but who do desire an opportunity to
improve The appearance of their pro-
perty n the comfort Of living with
out b~ankrupting themselves in the
effort.
AS to whether gravel can be made
to give service on the heavy clay soil
of this section. those in doubt NAV
be able to gain some information by
an inspection of occasional alleys
where coal ashes. and in some cases
cinders have been spread on the road
a In these cases it will be found
that the road is hard, and stands up
well under the traffic Of heavily laden
wagons IN spite of the fact that as
a rule there is no provision whatever
Tor drainage. If that will be the re-
sui on an undrained alley, it is clear
that gravel on a we'll drained street
will give even better results.
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