Jasper County Democrat, Volume 13, Number 30, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 23 July 1910 — VAN RENSSELAER STREET [ARTICLE]

VAN RENSSELAER STREET

To Be Oiled From Washington To Cornelia St. popularity of oiled streets is spreading rapidly in Rensselaer. and it is probable that the entire business section will soon be covered. Washington street in front of the K. of P. block was oiled half way across Wednesday, and other business men along that thoroughfare, are preparing to oil. Everyone seems to favor the proposition and it only remains for them to get together to carry it through. The business men on Xorth Vanßensselaer street put in an order Wednesday for oil for an of the block between Washington and Cornelia streets, and Rowles & Parker and Earl Duvall will also oil in front of their stores on Washington street at the same time. This will likely be spread early next week if it arrives in time. Through the business section it appears to be a good plan to oil but one side of the street at a time, closing the oiled portion to traffic for two or three days and let the oil soak in thoroughly. Then treat the other side in the £ame way. It is likely that the movement will , become so popular here that next spring the city council will take the matter in charge and let the contract for oiling all the business streets and pay the cost of same. is a great preservative to the roadways and we believe the city can well afford to pay for oiling every stone street in the corporation, and the same line of reasoning would apply to the county on its stone roads. Of course the city now receives a little money for water used for street sprinkling. SSO per year, which is not half what it costs to pump it or much more than one-tenth in proportion to what the private consumer pays for the little he uses., and a great saving would be effected for the city if pil were used instead. The county now pays $45 per year for sprinkling, almost all of which is only on the north

side of the square. It would not cost more than $lO or sl2 ro oil this- for the season, effecting a saving of about 535 per year besides the advantage to the wearing qualities of the street. The oiling of the streets will necessarilly put the water sprinkler out of business before long, but the owner can probably seT his wagon v at some other town or can contract for oiling the streets here and use it for spreading on the oil. so that it will not be a dead loss to him by any means.