The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1916-08-05
VOICE OF THE PEOPLE

1.-THE Daily Gate City does not assume
responsibility for views expressed
/ by correspondence
| Paving Materials and Cost.
To the Editor of The Gate City:
| A number Of people in Keolluk have
written and asked me regarding paw
| ing materials, cost, etc. To answer
each would take too much time. !
had experience in this line some years
ago. having at one time twenty inspec-
tors under me here in Omaha on pub
| lie work. took the time to enquire
from the city engineering department
here the other day the cost for various
pavements and cost of materials, and
hope this communication will enlight-
en- the people of Keokuk These fig
ures are correct. as figured from ac-
tual work now under construction.
Cement sidewalks are placed In for
from 13 to Is cents per square foot,
depending on haul of material and size
| Of job. Remember, all cement Is
shipped from Kansas, Hannibal or
South Dakota. Sand and stone is
hauled in On railroad thirty-five miles
away. The brick paving is of best
Galesburg vitrif1ed. brick or block; on
five inches of concrete, according to
city specification, at $2,14 per square
yard (nine square feet). The contract
or must excavate all ground from top
OF curb to the sub base, which is in
cluded in his price.
You can figure the price for Frank
lin street, Keokuk, by this price. Your
haul for brick is 300 miles shorter
than to Omaha. But the trust controls
all the brick for paving and the prices
for brick are about the same to all
contractors. The contractor has got
to make his money on the excavation,
concrete and extras There is no
reason on earth why city located as
Keokuk is. should put down one yard
OF brick block paving. Use asphaltum
concrete.
For concrete streets and alleys, six
inches OF good concrete, according to
specifications, should run 81 80 to $1.34
per square yard, the contractor to ex-
cavate all below the "top line" of the
curb in the street to the sub base.
that is, the ground upon which the CON
crete is laid six inches high.
Alleys are about the same on ac-
count of the Inconvenience of getting
in and out. But occasionally the bids
run as low as S1.20 per square yard
for six inches OF concrete and brick
finish surface.
keokuk should use either concrete,
asphaltum concrete or sheet asphalt
um on six inches of concrete, which
should be put down for from s1.73 to
$l.S3 per square yard. This will make
an ideal pavement and something
which the people would feel proud If
and make it a show-street Washington
d. C.. has much Of this on the boule-
wards and drives and residence
streets.
The next best and one Of the really
fine pavements now being put down Ia
Omaha and within stones throw OF
my house, are four streets being paved
with asphaltum concrete. The
street Is excavated as for other paw
Ing. A five inch concrete base is put
in. and then two inch asphaltum con-
crete wearing surface. This is being
put down here or these streets for
$I.59 per square yard. 1t makes a
pavement which should last thirty
years in Keokuk. About sixty cents
square yard less than brick. 1t is
smooth and no dust or uirt.
Years ago urged the city council
OF Keokuk never to put in the old ce-
ment curb. l suggested what we haa
been putting down there for many
years, combination curb and gutter.
This curb is six inches wide on top,
and six inches higher above the street
and the gutter extends from the curb
into the street and forms part Of the
street and Is sixteen inches wide.
This is concrete curb and gutter,
solid, and costs forty-eight cents
lineal running foot. You get foot Of
curbing and a foot and half of git
ter for forty-eight cents. There is
no reason why this cannot be put
down as cheaply in Keokuk as here.
1t should be cheaper, as you have
crushed stone, sand and cement, and
within. short distance.
Sand sells here for about one dol
lar cubic yard to 81 10, depending On
the haul. Broken stone for concrete
is s1.50 a cubic yard.
But keckuk should eliminate all
brick paving. 1t is costly, and the
freight On brick and cost is expensive,
brick alone costing about 81 per
square yard laid down. You have the
stone. sand and cement, and if mixed
in the proportions of one part of Port
land cement, two and half parts of
sand, and five parts of broken stone
Vi SidNCi, ~ medSuICIUcHI, you nave
the ingredients for the finest cement
pavement in the world Covered with
an asphaltum mixed with cement and
stone, making wearing surface of
two inches, you have everything skin
ned mile. Why pay tribute to the
brick paving trust? Why pay from
sixty cents to one dollar more for
paving per yard than there is any ne
cessity for?
You have the benefit of an exper-
fenced man in this line of paving. The
combination curb and guttering is the
finest which can be put in, and by far
the cheapest. An ordinary six-inch
sand stone will cost you from ninety
cents to 800 per foot and no gutter.
ing. And cement combination curb
IOWA pRESc cnhmEnr