The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1915-11-10
DIsINTEREsTED ADVICE NEED
ED.
"A Further Discussion of the Street
Paving Material Question.
Editor Daily Item.

that might otherwise exist
The brick streets now i'm sumter
had little to do with the favorable
vote on the bond issue. 1t is silly to
confuse the demand for better streets,
with the present brick streets. AS a
matter of fact. IL the brick paving in
Sumter had not been hot. dusty and
noisy. the bond issue would have been
much more favorably voted upon.
Mr.. sibley need not try to twist tile
favorable vote on the bond issue into
an endorsement for brick streets.
which he has attempted TO do twice
In your columns. and which is tho at
titude objected TO by those who feel
that the question should be decided by
the opinion of citizens based on the
advice OF dislnterested parties.
Secondly, i'm regard TO Mr.. Sibley's
statement, as to the crazy quilt" ap-
pearance of the down town section, If
other than brick Is used, this amounts
to nothing. as this condition is not at
all Objectionable and not even no.
ticeable. unless a person goes up in
an aeroplanc. and thereby gets q
birds-eye-view of the city And when
aeroplanes become common, a softer
pavement than brick will probably be
popular. ....
or course II will not do to put two
kinds OF paving in the same block,
which need not be done. The small
amount OF brick now down will not
be Objectionable. or noticed, except for
Its dirt. when the good streets go
down.
Mr.. sibley reads Mr.. Jones' letter as
an endorsement of brick streets. II
he will read II again he will see that
Mr.. Jones said after n long and thor
ough discussion and investigation of
the, best and most desirable material
for paving "a residence street, of the
residents on the three streets being
paved. about rs per cent. we're In ia
vor OF asphalt. as indicated by petit
tions circulated" JUST how Mr.. sib-
ley gets out OF this concluding para
graph OF Mr.. Jones letter. an endorse
ment for brick streets. am unable to
determine.
AS TO the question of heavy traffic,
there Is no street In Sumter on which
the traffic Is heavy enough to require
brick. and this applies to Main street.
IL is asinine to claim that any of the
residential portion of Sumter has
heavy enough traffic for brick. and do
not think the most ardent admirer of
brick would. have the nerve to make
such a statement. Now the streets
on which the heaviest traffic in Sum-
ter exist are already paved with brick.
and outside OF these blocks. the traf-
fic Is light enough to warrant putting
the most inexpensive type of streets.
Mr.. Sibley states the Keynote of
the whole situation should be to con-
suit the experience OF others and the
comfort In homes and that brick paw
ins has nothing to fear IL this is done.
Now people who have lived in towns
with both kinds of paving. prefer some
kind of soft streets. The statement
that q brick street does not originate
any dust. Is entirely beside the mark.
Any child would know that dust does
not come out Of bricks. but it LAYS on
them. and Is blown into the houses
ny every passing breeze. If Main
street was not watered daily during
the summer the conditions down town
would be unbearable. Think how
much more dust would be raised on
other streets where the traffic moves
faster. and there are more open
spaces to give the wind chance to
work. Modern streets other than
brick, properly put down do exude
any tar or oily substance, but their
surface Is o: such material that the
dust that falls thereon Is ground into
and made n part OF the road. Mr..
Sibley mentions leaving out the foun-
dauon under brick To bring the cost
down. L am not paving engineer.
but IL has been my experience. that
when people who have something to
sell begin to tell you how you can save
money by departing from well rccos.
nized and. standard practice. that the
matter should have careful considera
tion by experts. before a decision IS
reached. No sacrifice i'm quality
should he made to enable any certain
paving to. be used. Any engineer can
decide this point.
L 81 have tho brick paving now
In Sumter investigated by a compc-