Goodwin's weekly : a thinking paper for thinking people. [volume], November 01, 1913, Image 1

About Goodwin's weekly : a thinking paper for thinking people. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1902-1919

Image provided by: University of Utah, Marriott Library

                
ij "Polifics'?Miningr'andMexicor'all Settled in this Number ,
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is VOL. XXII. Twelfth Year SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH, NOVEMBER 1, 1913 5 Cents the Copy No. 29
What Is the Truth About Utah Asphalt?
! t ' That, is the question. What is the truth ahout Utah Asphalt? If there bo a natural product in this state capable of boing employed as
paving; if it is good material and can bo prepared and laid at even a little more than out-of-the state material would cost; if it will not only
' "look good,'" but will present wearing qualities under city traffic then Utah asphalt ought to bo used wherever in Utah asphalt paving is
employed.-'
If, on tho other hand, Utah asphalt is not capable of being successfully employed in city pavement, then tho people ought to know that, '
J and they will rogretfully, maybe, but certainly drop the subject. Mr. Cook, author of one of the articles presentod below, mistakes tho posi- I
l tion of the Weekly. Tho paper never has urged tho Commercial Club or the Manufacturers' Association, nor any one else, to boost an in- I
i forior or a worthless product. Wo have asked only for a discussion that would settle the question once and forever.
A There is the whole question: Is Utah asphalt practically usable? If so, then let's use it. If not, let us know the truth and drop an old,
4 k a vexing and a useless contention.
jr THIS IS ONE SIDE.
- Salt Lake City, Utah, Oct. 20, 1913.
F Mr. Leroy Armstrong:,
I Editor, Goodwin's Weekly,
Salt Lake City, Utah.
Dear Sir: Your editorial of the 18th Inst., relative
to Utah Asphalt Is hcrore me. Its purport Impels me to
think you want Tor yoursoir, and the people or Salt
f Lake, more light and the truth on that subject, and per
haps In a measure my remarks horoln will enlighten you,
at least they may servo ror the basis from which you
may start either to substantiate or disprove my state
. ments.
Utah Asphalt Is, to start with, a misnomer, for aside
from tho asphalt that oozes from the great Salt Lake hod
near Promotory and some small and nogllgablo seepages
In the vicinity or the asphaltlc sand beds In tho coal
producing countries, no such thing as asphalt or asphaltum
In Its comparatively pure state so Tar has boon dis
covered the product you are writing about Is the one
' that contains about 00 per cent sand and about 10 per
cent or asphaltum, and or tho 10 por rent or asphaltum
that binds tho sand-particles togother. Only a part has
any genuine cemontlng quality, and tho remainder Is
merely a light volatile oil without any binding errect.
,' I have made rrcqucnt examinations or the Utah nock
asphalt this nine-tenths sand product, that Is being
i imported to Salt Lake as it is being laid on Seventh
' - East Street and towards which there has been much
I adverse criticism directed, and It Is but Talr to the con-
' tractor to point out that he has not only used the pro-
duct that tho chlcr boosters or nock Asphalt have Tor
sale, but ho took over and has usod tho ldontlcal ma-
chlnery or plant both ror crushing and heating propara-
i tory to laying tho material on tho street that hud been
soloctod and brought to Salt Lako by them Tor that
f ldontlcal purposo, and I have wltnossod, as hao scores
I or other people, tho many trials or differing tompera-
ture that novo boon made by the contractor at the
suggestion Oi tho Interested producers or nock Asphalt
, or tholr rrlonds. When a contractor rurnlshes a largo
bond guaranteeing tho maintenance or his work Tor flvo
years, It is not only absurd, but It is unralr to accuso
him or plotting to put a largo crimp In Ills own bank
L account by ruining the matorlal spocinod In his con-
P tract.
What has boon ovorlookod In tho troatmont or the
jr Sunnysldo and Thlstlo product Is tho Tact that or this
P 10 por cent or bitumen or asphalt, a part Is only non-
fe comontlng oil, very volatllo ovon atJ'low temporaturos,
F and artor tho crushed nock Asphalt Is hoatod what It
I' really requires Is more rollnod or pure asphalt added
to It to assist In binding tho sand partlclbs togothor.-
Your statement that "thoro aro in Utah mighty de
posits or pure asphalt" is entirely out or accord with
t the rncts. ir any such condition prevailed thoro would
I
bo no diniculty about Its covorlng tho home field anrtwl
also a la.rgo territory In tho adjacent states. j
The Utah public, In common with yourseir, have
been wldoly and persistently misled In this matter and
chlcriy by mon who have nevci been directly associated
In laying a square yard or bituminous pavement.
Your editorial Insists that the Manuracturors Asso
ciation and tho Salt Lako Commercial Club should lend
tholr weight and countenance to tho Rock Asphalt propa
ganda, ir It Is all that Its sponsors claim ror It. Would
It not bo woll to stop and consider that already sovoral
hundred thousnnd dollars worth or nock Asphalt pavo
ment Is under contract? And so far as It has been laid.
It looks as though It may prove a highly expensive
experiment, both to tho contractor and eventually to tho
property ownors. But aside from that why should either
the Manufacturers Association or the Commercial Club
pledgo tholr members and use their publicity organiza
tions as a club to kill orr othor gonulno construction and
manufacturing Interests or Salt Lako City or to Tolst a
loss morltorlous pavement upon the tax payers?
nocently a contract has been entered into "with
tho Utah Oil Rollnlng Company or North Salt Lako to
furnish tho rollnod asphaltum used in tho wearing sur
face or tho pavement to bo laid on Eleventh East and
Yale Avenue Tho Utah Oil noflning Company have an
Investment or ? 100,000.00 in tholr plant and they have
a largo stQady payroll which holps to build up our city,
and rurthcr they manufacture a tirot-class refined
asphalt or paving ccmont that moots every scientific test.
The Burton Manufacturing Company, another local manu
ractury, will also furnish bitumen for pouring tho crushed
stone baso. Why should tho Manufacturers' Associa
tion sock to discriminate against them and in ravor or a
so-callod "Utah Bock Asphalt association" that lias not
colloctlvcly spont $10,000.00 In dovoloplng their propor
tlos In Utah In tho past ton years? What merit Is thoro
In Importing a 00 per cont sand product Into Salt Lako
at a cost or noarly $fi.00 per ton, when wo alroady have
plonty or bolter graded sand Tor asphalt paving at
homo? Why should othor types or pavement that use
Salt Lako manufactured products, Salt Lako sand, and
tho product of the Salt Lako stone quarries, and omploy
Salt Lake labor, bo discriminated against by olthor the
Commercial Club or tho Manufacturers' Association? Do
you think that the members of olthor or those organiza
tions know that nock Ashphalt can bo roadlly secured In
a score or dirroront places In tho United States, but not
withstanding its uso has ror tho past nrtcon yoars con
stantly dlmlnlshod? Tho host Bock Asphalt stroot that
wo have, namely a portion or Wost Tomplo, camo rrom
Carponterla, California, but today hi California, the
natural rock asphalt yardage being laid Is almost
negligible
Thoro must bo some good reason Tor this, Mr
Editor, and tho true explanation or its diminishing yard
agos surely cannot bo attributed to any local plot.
0 Whatever the merits, or dc-morlts, or nock Asphalt,
ft tho trutli is that to tho reduction or paving prices In Salt
1 Lako aro attrlbutablo a ruinous war or extermination
among contractors, not only with relation to paving, but ;
also to other 'ypos or public work and under which J
contracts ha- joon taken at cost, and in many cases
below cost, and as a result or which bidders are being I fit
eliminated rrom tho competitive Bold. For any sot or fJL
mon or producors or Bock Asphalt to assort otherwise 1H
1" more buncombe H
I am, Bospoctrully yours, H
C. A. COOK. H
THIS IS THE OTHER SIDE.
Editor Goodwin's Weokly. H
I havo groatly onjoyod roadlng the commonts or H
Goodwin's Weekly on tho subjoct or Utah rock asphalt. H
I agrco with the oxpressed view that now is an oppor- H
tune time to doterrnlno whothor or not tho strcots or Salt H
Lako City and or othor Utah cities shall bo paved with a ( H
product native to the state, ir tho question concerning H
this proposition is to bo answordod affirmatively, it will H
depend upon three favorable phases namely: quantity, H
quality and avalllbllity. H
Lot us consider tho question or quantity rirst. The H
statement is frequently made that one county or Utah H
Carbon county has surriclont natural rock asphalt to H
mako a road 1,000 root wide around the earth. While 'H
I bollovc flio truth or this statomont, I don't care whether j M
It is true or not. It is not necessary to havo a road 1,000 1 H
Toot wldo anywhere, and tho ocean cortalnly does not need v H
paving, however deslrablo such a condition might bo to H
tho soa-slck man. No inrormod person will dony that H
Utah has onough rock asphalt to pavo all tho streets or H
Utah and havo plonty lort to pavo tho streots or neighbor- ' H
Ing states, as rar as rroight ratos will possibly permit jH
Either or thrco countlos will do tills Carbon, Uintah, or 'H
Wasatch and tho tlireo or them will do throe times as ! B
much. ! H
Wliilo thoro aro row who will doubt tho immensity 'H
or Utah's deposits, some havo questioned tho quality or H
the product, and or tilts phase It Is woll to present a 'fl
row rncts. M
Most or tho large cities or Europe, Including London, H
norlln and others, pavo tholr streots exclusively with M
rock asphalt, and It will not bo questioned that such H
streets aro put to a sovoro test In tho way or trarrtr M
Now, ir Utah has a natural asphalt equal to the kinds M
usod In Europo, surely It should answer every purpose H
ror local paving. M
Mr. Boormun, an authority on asphaltum lays particu- M
lar stress on tho immense deposits or Utah, and montloii3 M
the Tact that It is composed or an exceedingly fine sand H
of unlrorm size, a chler requisite ror succossrul paving. M
Not many strcots or Salt Lako aro laid with natural H