MODERN METHODS OF STREET CLEANING 



seems to have certain advantages of its own, but none 

 is good unless its general surface is smooth and true. 



The easiest to clean, but the pavement which requires 

 the greatest amount of attention, is asphalt. The cost 

 of cleaning has been estimated as 1, 2, 3, and 6 for 

 asphalt, brick, granite block, and cobble-stone re- 

 spectively, but these costs are not strictly comparable, 

 because the methods and results are different. Granite 

 blocks take more time, if the work is done by hand, than 

 asphalt, but they do not need to be cleaned so often, 

 nor does the dirt need to be so thoroughly removed from 

 such a pavement in order to keep it looking tolerably 

 well. Macadam is the most expensive pavement of all 

 to keep clean. Wood-block pavements are said to be 

 more expensive than asphalt and less expensive than 

 granite block to keep in good sanitary condition. Fine, 

 dusty dirt is most conspicuous on asphalt. A good 

 granite pavement has a capacity for holding a consider- 

 able quantity of fine dirt in its small irregularities with- 

 out causing the dirt to be offensively apparent either 

 as dust or mud. 



To remove large particles of refuse from street pave- 

 ments, the custom both in Europe and America is 

 General to employ handworkers. There is a good deal 

 streetsweep- ^ difference in the tools and equipment of 

 in * these laborers and in their methods of work, 



but the general principle on which they proceed is the 

 same. Their object is to pick up papers, horse droppings, 

 and other refuse which they can easily and quickly 

 remove and leave the pavement without conspicuous 

 litter. In many European cities these workers are 

 boys; in America they are often old men. This work 

 is always done in the daytime. In America the hand- 



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