OCR Text |
Show STltUKT IMPROVEMENTS. There has been some considerable ad-verso ad-verso criticism of the work of the street supervisor. This criticism has come from persons who, without any practical practi-cal knowledge of the condition of affairs, . have been hasty to condemn. If they had taken a drive about tho city they would have seen the Vast exteut of territory included in-cluded within the jurisdiction of the supervisor, and they would have noticed no-ticed the great amount of work that ho has done during the three months that lie has been in olUeo, Out of the fifty thousand inhabitants of our city, how many are there who can anywhere near guess the number of miles which our street system covers, including therein tho avenues and alleys which have been cut through the different blocks from timo to time? In order, to inspect every part of these roads, streets, and alleys, a man mounted on tho fleetest horse early on Monday morning could ride overy day for twelvo hours steadily, and then not finish the work of inspection by tho following fol-lowing Saturday night. Tho street system, in charge- of the supervisor, covers a distanco of over 830 miles in length, and some idea can bo formed of t he immensity of tho work iu charge of that officer. Altogether there aro now employed forty-two teams aud thirty-seven men in grading and filling tho different streets. Work is being pushed in about ten different places. Entire streets are being rscd from two to four feet; while in other parts of tho city grades are being cut down from three to ten feet, revolutionizing in this way tho entire en-tire work done iu tho past. Many blocks which have been filled required 2800 loads of gravel per block. Tho work being 'dono on First North street, in establishing the proper grade, requires that tho entire topography be changed. Of all tho appointments made by the present administration, no better appointment ap-pointment was made than the one of Captain Paul, as street supervisor. Thoroughly conscientious and faithful, indefatigable in his work from early ruorniug until late at night, he will in the course of a few years, give Salt Lako City a street system of which tho people peo-ple will feel proud. It should not be forgotten that on account of the extra width of our streets, the work must necessarily progress more slowly than in cities where the streets are from twenty to forty feet narrower. While we are speaking upon this question, would it not be well to give some thought to the idea of turning part of our streets into lawns, by giving, giv-ing, say from ten to iifteen feet on either side, to those who own the abut-tiug abut-tiug property? Tho question is well worth considering, and should be brought before the city council at the proper timo. |