The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-11-02
SURFACE FIGHT ON
Brick and Concrete Road Sup
pOrters Out for a Finish.
Declared Now That Asphalt
Will Not Hold Condition.
TWO ROUTES IN QUESTION
Big Springs With Concrete and
Watson With Brick.
County Commissioners May De-
eide 1t Monday.

| Are Shawnee county commissioners
about to take a step that will result
in an expenditure of 100000 from
/ the pockets of taxpayers for type
of road between Topeka and the
Douglas county line that will be worse
than useless three or. four years after
the highway is constructed? Charges
that they will do this by selecting the
Big Springs route, wherein concrete
is specified, between Topeka and Law
renee at their meeting Monday have
been made.
The county commissioners have
promised committee from the auto
mobile club, the Chamber of Com
merce and other organizations th1-
they would locate Shawnee county $
end of the route Monday. Petitions
for two routes have been filed. one
set of papers are for southern route
"a brick road, Is feet widely way
of Watson. The other is for con-
crete road by way of Big Springs. he
concrete road, it is estimated, will
cost about $4,000 a mile or total
of about 100000 for the total dis
lance of u miles Brick paving in
terests have agreed to put the Watson
road down for from $22,OOO to S24,-
600 a mile or for about $265,000 for
Altho a hard-surfaced road between
Topeka and Lawrence has been decid-
ed upon for months and that much
time has been expended in the selec-
ton of a route, j. f. Williams, county
engineer asserted today that he had
no definite estimate for either of the
two roads. He said the brick paving
would cost about $4,000 a mile after
he had been reminded that he had
made estimates to various civic organ
izations. He refused to say what the
concrete road would cost, despite the
fact that he is paid to find out such
things, until told that Douglas county
estimated concrete would call for
about 100000 a mile. He then de-
clared that this would be about
right
Many Favor Brick.
Practically every civic organization
in Topeka has come out for a brick
surfaced road. or has majority mem
bership favoring the type of paving.
The brick road thru Watson was the
first petitioned for and practically
agreed upon at one time as the route.
Interests which had concrete for sale
came on the scene and were instru-
mental in starting the petition for the
southern route. A. A. Rodgers of
the board of Shawnee county commits
sioners has declared in favor of the
concrete route. Rodgers, it is said,
for the brick road.
2D4 A State Journal reporter and others
inspected the boulevards and streets
of Kansas City, Mo, this week. On
Prospect avenue from Swope Park
way to SeVenty-third street concrete
that has been down about a year is in
a splendid state of decay. The sur
face is cracked both down the middle
of the street and crossways. On
Thlrty-ninth street from the Paseo to
Prospect avenue concrete that has
been down for four years is beginning
to raVel. crack and grind out. In
some places a big part of the base
is worn away. Concrete in the husi-
ness districts where there is a large
number of steel-tired vehicles and
heavy trucks, has been abandoned.
Some of the brick paving in Kansas
thirty years and still shows good con-
dition.
Brick Popular i'm Kansas.
This year seventy per cent of the
paving laid in Kansas was brick.
thirty-five towns in the state have
other per cent was comprised of
other types. In the last five years
thlrtyflve towns in the state have
started paving. All but four paved
with brick or a type other than con-
crete.
Counties For Brick.
The following is a list of counties
contemplating brick paving:
Cloud county-A petition for a
brick road across the county on the
White Way.
Shawnee county-A petition for a
brick road from Topeka to Douglas
county line.
Saline county-Pave the Golden
Belt and Meridian road across the
county. The program is to pave TWEEN
ty miles a year until the campaign is
finished.
Reno CONFEDERATION circulating
to ask county commissioners to call
an election for bonds to build 154
miles of brick road
Butler county-Brick road from Ell
doraGo to Augusta
Mitchell county-Brick road west
from Beloit to county line.
Brown county - Pave Ocean-to-
Ocean Highway and King of Trails.
Barton CONTEMPLATION signed to
brick old Santa Fe Trail; thirty miles
twenty feet wide
Clay county-Brick road north from
Clay Center to county line
Sedgwick county-Brick road from
Wichita east to county line.
Leavenworth county-Brick Mid
land Trail