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Show I if Is tie Time to Pit Utah Asphalt on tie Maj or Forever Confess Its fforttlessaess i I Editor Goodwin's Weekly: Tlic people of all Utah should appreciate your editorials about the asphalt of fX this state. Keep up the fight for a fair deal for Utah. I BE SUHE YOU ARE RIGHT. ii I seem to have started something in the ! matter of asphalt. Of tho two letters reproduced above the first was signed by its author's full name. I called him up on the telephone, and he admitted having written it, and said more on the same line. He spoke considerably to the point. The second letter came unsigned, on paper without even a printed dale lino, and in an envelope en-velope without a business card. That's all. No, I didn't start anything. Tho asphalt debate was started long ago. There has been a number of engagements sparring for points, as it wore. Tho question has never gone to a i decision. And a decision is possible. Also only one l verdict will ever settle tho matter, and that is the right verdict. Either this Utah asphalt is usable, possessing positive merit or it is worthless. worth-less. In either case, Utah wants to know. These people want to bo right. Then they will go ahead, either paving with Utah asphalt, or oponly confessing that they wore mistaken when they thought they had something. Utah asphalt is on trial. Paving in Salt Lake has only begun. Tho next ten years will see a mighty addition to the paved streets of this city. If that paving is done with Utah asphalt, then Utah asphalt will find a market in Denver, in tho many growing cities of this mountain country, and in the exhaust-loss exhaust-loss demand of California. It can bo usod in 1 Salt Lake only because it proves its worth its superior quality in smoothness, lasting nature, and in economy. It wouldn't bo fair to tho prop- orky owners to pave their streets with any materialUtah's ma-terialUtah's or any other which did not moet I those demands. And if Utah asphalt does moot those de-' de-' mands, then, by tho Lord I it must bo used in this city. Its character must be set beyond ! question. Its preference on merit must be con ceded by every authority. Then its sale will bo assured, and another .- Mr. Armstrong, Goodwin's Weekly, Salt Lake: Vou will keep on dipping into this asphalt matter until you get your fingers burned. Detlcr drop it. product will be added to tho revenue producord of this state. I 'am told by one man that the Utah asphalt furnished the contractor is without tho chemical constituents required for good paving; that it is pure grit, and that pavement made of it is worthless. Yet a man informed in these matters picked a lump of material from the pile being handled by the contractor, subjected part of it to chemical test, and brought tho other half to this office. Tho tested part is declared to contain con-tain asphalt sufficient for perfect paving if properly prop-erly handled in the preparation. And ho brought another lump of material from' tho same pile, and that is grit. There is no oil or asphalt in it. It isn't usable. Now, it is very clear that when tho people demand Utah asphalt in tho tho paving they pay for, they don't moan sand. They don't mean grit, nor rock, nor green cheese. They mean asphalt. If people who own asphalt deposits think they can unload sand at asphalt prices, they are wrong. If thoy think they can make their product win and hold a market with anything any-thing less than first class stuff, they are wrong. If they think they can force sand on a contractor, con-tractor, leaving him to guarantoe quality in the paving, thoy need a guardian. Where is the difficulty? Men who have spent time and money in the inquiry declare that thoro are in Utah mighty deposits of pure asphalt, sure to make perfect pavement. Thoy point to tho street in front of tho city and county building as proof of their assertion. Thoy urge doubting Thomases to go to Thistle and over to Vernal, and be convinced. If they are right, it is a shamo to put down one square yard of any other kind of pavement in Utah. If they aro mistaken, it is a crime to lot tho question live any longer. "Be sure you aro right, and go ahead," said Davy Crockett. Now is tho time to bo suro in asphalt. It is up to tho Manufacturers' Association. It is up to tho Commenoial Club. It is up to ov-ovory ov-ovory civic organization. It is up to every citizen. This town oan know. Having found tho truth, this town can forco tho use of Utah asphalt if H it is worth using. And if it isn't, not a man in H Utah wants it used. H Maybo there is some peculiar quality in tho .H asphalt which makes handling it preparing l H in tho pots of tho paving contractor difficult, H puzzling, unlike other material of tho samo H name. If that bo the case, then thoso who havo H tho mines must show how. , H Maybe tho men in loading it at tho miifes H put in sand and grit and asphalt just as some H shippers put in rock with tho coal thoy send to H market. If that bo true, then thoy must bo told H by their employers to quit it. And the sand on H hand must bo culled from tho genuine stuff be- H fore the contractor receives it not after, and at H his expense. H There is no need of losing temper. There is H no noed of threatening mo or any other man M with burned fingers. For tho matter of that, I H would burn my wholo hand some if I could H bo oven .in a small way instrumental in securing jH a fair deal for any big Utah product. And either H Utah asphalt hasn't had a fair deal, or a lot of M us aro being fooled mightily. H Thoro is no use losing temper. There is no H uso blaming any contractor, or any one '.else. H But thero is a groat big nood in knowing Just fl what is tho matter, and deciding tho question H right once and for all time. With such a U quantity of tho material, it is worth while to M find what treatment it needs, if it needs any- jH thing new or different because of its peculiar nature. With so mighty an onterpriso assured H if tho asphalt has any merit, it is worth while B for overy citizen of Utah to unite with every W other citizen in a perfectly frank, free, open and HI good-tempered study of tho question. H It isn't timo for declamation by gentlemen M who know nothing of tho matter. It isn't help- H ful to havo loud charges and accusations. It will H not get us anywhere to rave and rant and boast M and threaten. M But it will be millions of dollars to Utah fl poople the city man who pays for the paving, H the contractor who puts it down, tho railroad H H that.jinndlas it, the laborers all along- the line. B andthd' rdeiuwho own:-.the mines if Utah--as- flj phafl is wfiat it genorally-is supposed to bor H "Be sure you arc right, and then go ahead 1" |