The Oroville weekly gazette. [volume] (Oroville, Wash.) 1905-19??, 1914-03-06
TOMACADAM|zES STREETS
Town Authorities Planning to
Make Mich Needed
improvements

Plans are being formulated for ex-
| tensive improvements to be carried
out this spring, improvements that
have long been needed. When these
improvements are mado they will add
greatly to the attractive appearance
of the town, and will be looked upon
as blessing by those who drive into
or out of town, either in horse We
hicles or gasoline carts. The PROPOSE
tion now under consideration is to
make an improvement district for
street Improvement purposes. Just
how extensive this district will be
depends largely upon the wishes of
those property owners whose lots will
be benefited by the improvements to
be made. SO far the proposal Is to
macadamize Main street from therail-
road depot to Central avenue. On this
main business thoroughfare twelve
foot concrete sidewalks are to be laid
in conjunction with macadamizing the
street. Also to macadamiZe Central
avenue from Vancouver street on the
west to the bridge across the OkanO-
gan river at the creamery. This will
be the most extended and important
stretch of street work that could be
done on single street, and of the
greatest benefit, as the street is trav-
eled over more than any other artery
OF travel leading into town. 1t has
also been suggested that First avenue
be macadamized from Spokane street
to the foot of the hill upon which the
school house is situated. Both SpO-
kane and Vancouver streets could be
macadamized, very much to their i'm
provement, from the railroad for two
or three blocks north, although so far
those streets have not entered into
the calculations.
The very best material for macadam
is near at hand, and if put on prop
erly would make solid and perman-
ent road bed that would cost very
little for annual upkeep. II this work
is done it would pay the town to en-
gage competent and experienced
man, familiar with street work, to
have general supervision and see that
construction is properly carried out,
a man who had no interest directly
or indirectly in the contract, and who
would show no favoritism. The work
would have to be let by contract, and
payment made by bonding, property
abbutting on the streets holding ~oOd
for payments.
Such is the proposition that is un-
der consideration by the council.
Something must be done to improve
the streets, for in their present con-
dition they are unsightly in the wet
seasons, and the dust is almost un-
bearable in the summer The mud and
dust must be eradicated. Temporary
Improvement is only makeshift,
more expensive in the long run than
macadam, and never satisfactory. 1t
is calculated that the assessment an
property fronting on the streets to be
improved will amount in the neigh
borhood of from SIS to $40 for each
20 foot front, but the presence of
firm, clean road will add more than
that sum to the value of the lots, to
say nothing of the satisfaction of es-
Gaping the clouds of dust that make
the summers so unpleasant, and the
presence of deep, oozy, sticky mud that
is so disgusting during the wet sea-
son. So far as can be learned there
has been no protest against the pro-
posed improvements, and the council
has been urged on by many words of
encouragement and commentator.