The Duluth rip-saw. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1917-19??, 1919-03-29

spot light, commissioner Farrell had
everything his own way in this COM
placent city. He not only made big
claims for himself, but the daily
papers played up his game by print
ing his picture and giving him credit
for being a second Stevens or
Goethals. A twelve-dollar-a-w
reporter with a fountain pen can
create an eminent engineer with
great ease. In default Of true in
formation to the contrary, the poor
public swallows the fiction.
This long-suffering and careless
city is replete with cases where the
Boy Engineer has given the taxpay-
ers the worst Of it. The Big Inter-
ests do not mind a bit of wasteful-
ness for they expect to make it back
many fold in special favors. They
do"not insist on muzzling the OK that
treadeth the masters corn.
Many issues of the Rip-saw could
be filed with true tales of commits
sioner Farrell's pretention, camou-
flage and stunts inconsistent with
economy, efficiency and good engi-
neering practice. The undertaking
should have been started many
months ago, thereby enabling the
voters to read, digest and assimilate
in a cool frame of mind, wisely and
we'll. Better late than never, per-
haps.
But, dear old voter and taxpayer,
jump onto car and go to the corner
of Vernon street and Thirty-second
avenue West, where begins the paw
ing of Grand avenue or West Third
street. From there on to Thirty
seventh street you will see samples
Of poor supervision and complacency,
if not worse.
OF course the commissioner is as
full Of excuses, evasions and plaus-
IDLE explanations as an egg is Of
meat. Refute one argument and,
like the Herald squirrel, he will
jump nimbly to another. Call his
bluff and he will first own up and
next try to throw dust in your eyes.
When this stretch of West Third
street was first improved, it was gut
tered with large, heavy rock. When
the street was paved with vitrified
brick, some Of that rock was sold to
private parties at so cents a load for
foundations to buildings under con-
struction. Still more of 1t was per-
nittsd to 60 onto private property
for its exclusive benefit and improve
nent.
There were numerous fills along
that street whore all rock and waste
could have been used to high advan-
tage but were not used. At some
future time, this will cost property
owners heavy additional sums for
certain betterments to streets and
sidewalks.
On Winnipeg avenue, between
Vernon and Chestnut streets, large
quantity of this rock and waste dirt
was used to fill in the rear of lot
owned by Pete the Candyman. He
built a loose retaining wall of some
of the rock, entirely to his private
benefit and of no benefit to the adj
jacent street. Commissioner Farrell
will dispute this but his assertions
are not proof.
Under the contract that the city
had, the contractor should have put
all that waste material on the street
improved or tributary streets. That
would have embraced Third Street,
Winnipeg avenue and Chestnut
street.
Right in front of the Bryant
school an entire block, facing a deep
depression, could have been built out
so as to provide an adequate shout
der for the walk. The contractor
took up the large concrete slabs and
then relaid them without tamping
the bed properly. AS a result, In a
few months the bed settled, throw
ing the slabs around in manner to
make the walk unsafe and unsightly.
Some of the cement slabs are sew
eral inches off grade.
Another required fill could have
been made with waste on Thirty
second avenue, between Third and
Chestnut streets. Dirt went to pri-
vate parties for their private benefit
that could have been used in a de-
preston at least 100 feet long and
as much as 10 feet deep, right on
the sidewalk line.
Chestnut street at that place also
is below grade. Lack of a proper
fill and sidewalk there compels work
ing girls at the Patrick factory to
make long detour in muddy wealth
er. The writer never engineered but
one year and that was on railroad
construction, but he plainly can see
where waste dirt and rock that Pete
the Candyman appropriated would
have properly improved an important
little section of Chestnut street. You,
dear old voter and taxpayer, can see
the same thing If you will take a
look.
Waste that went to private proper
ty or that was sold to private indi-
viduals to be carted away. for foun-
dations would have put in much bet
ter condition a stretch on Pacific
avenue between Third and Gilbert
streets. -a'.. o.. ...'.-...
When you come to the .Mesaba ore
dock, where Thirty-third avenue
would run If not for the dock, you
find the expensive vtirified brick from
two to six inches below grade for a
couDlA of hundrod feat ,Water in