The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1915-10-27
STREET PAVING MATNRIAD.
Citizens Who Pay the Bills Should
Take an Interest I'm the Matter and
Not Let Outsiders Name tho Ma
tcriaI.
Editor The Daily Item:

l.
are being circuarized In the interest
OF brick paving by those who wish to
create n local sentiment In behalf of
brick and that you recently published
an article in which the secretary of
the brick association endeavored TO
make 1t appear that the present activ-
ity in connection with paving, was
brought about by results obtained
from the brick streets already in
Sumter
OF course the brick streets have
nothing TO do with the present de-
mond for good streets all over this
town. If the said streets had been
paved with any other material, the
demand for more paved streets would
have been just as great. In other
words the brick had nothing to do
with the case. and the brick people are
try.ag to sell brick streets on the
strength, of a demand for better
streets.
/ am collecting data from cities
having all kinds of pavements, and
have just received letter from Mr.. j.
E. Jones, n prominent citizen of
Xenia, o., who writes as follows:
We have In our city about $780,
100000 worth of brick paving, and
about $4,000 worth of asphalt. and
have more under construction, about
$4,000 worth Of asphalt, In all about
$4,000 of asphalt. I consider brick
better for durability than asphalt, but
asphalt more desirable for residence
streets than brick. The main thing in
either kind Of paving is to have 1t
properly constructed, and money spent
for honest supervision is the least ex-
pense you will get the best returns
on. After a long and thorough dis
cussion and investigation of the best
and most desirable material for paw
ing residence street, of the resi-
dents OF the three streets now being
paved. about rs per cent. were In ia
vor of asphalt. as indicated by pc
titions circulated. If you wish for q
set OF our specifications 1 will send
them IL I can get one.'
7 L have other and similar opinions
from other towns that have gone
through this same experience. The
whole proposition Is easily settled by
getting the experience of others. and
considering those who want q little
comfort In their homes. as we'll as
those who desire to save q few pen-
MES In annual repairs.
A gentleman, resident here, has
suggested TO me plan most excellent
Tor cutting down the expense Of any
kind Of paving, and that is on most
wide streets. such as Church, the
street could be parked" that is a
strip left unpaved down the middle of
the street, which could be planted
with trees. or made into grass plots.
This would reduce the total amount of
paving by rs per cent to s5 per cent.
There may be some technical OBJ
lection to this kind OF paving. which
have not looked into. but the sug-
gestion is certainly worthy of con-
sideration.
Is 1t true there is no interest dis
played In the kind of streets put down
In Sumter? and that the general public
who must pay the bill. seem to be in
different and leave the matter to out
siders. who discuss it and attempt to
work up sentiment. which may be
hard to down. when the contracts are
ready to let?
Often when citizens Of n municipai-
ity do not get good water works, fire
department. police, paving or any
thing else controlled by the civic gov
ernment, 1t Is because they do not take
the trouble to go into the matter as
thoroughly as they would private
business proposition.
7 Anyone who wanted to build q side
walk. for which he had to pay all the
Dill, would be intensely Interested I'm
getting the best possible Job, at the
least cost, and would endeavor to get
oil the details. but whe the city gets
ready to spend n couple Of hundred
thousand dollars. tho matter being
cVerybody's business, very little prac-
tical thought is given the matter, by
the taxpayers. who must pay the bills.
Yours very truly.
III. X. VanDeventcr.
. Sumter. Oct. 20.
u. ID. &. Convention.