THE BURLINGTON GRAVEL BEDS. 327 



in wet, muddy weather to roll up in masses along the road. The fault does not 

 lie, however, in the gravel, but in the lack of a firm foundation of stone. During 

 dry weather the gravel packs and forms a solid macadam as smooth as a floor, and 

 under the roll of wheels rings like iron. The silex containing oxide of iron frac- 

 tures and powders a little under the grinding action of wheels, but does not 

 crush, and this with a little sand contained in the gravel is sufficient for packing 

 purposes. Burlington probably has the finest macadamized streets, and the best 

 well water, of any town in Kansas. 



To gravel a street, or in the language of engineers to lay a Telford road, 

 there needs first to be made a stone foundation inclining a little both ways toward 

 the gutters to drain off the water, and this should receive a dressing of gravel 

 from four to six inches in thickness which should be rolled down smooth with a 

 heavy iron roller. Our native limestone laid on its edges makes a good founda- 

 tion. With proper repairs such a road of gravel would last a generation. I am 

 inclined to think the gravel may not withstand the wear and tear of our heaviest 

 business thoroughfares like Fifth street, but for residence streets, and lighter busi- 

 ness streets, the gravel would be durable and beautiful. If Penn street could 

 receive such a dressing of gravel it would become one of the most charming 

 streets' in the west. 



Such a graveled street would form a striking contrast to the dressing of native 

 limestone which is now laid upon the streets of Kansas City. The broken lime- 

 stone is soon ground to powder and turns into dust and mud. The people of 

 Kansas City exhibit, however, a persistence of purpose and action in this respect, 

 worthy of a better cause. When one dressing of limestone stone blows away in 

 the equinoctial gales and disappears, they immediately commence to lay down 

 another. Thus one dressing succeeds another as the seasons come and go, even 

 the leaves of the forest scarcely strew the ground more regularly from year to 

 year, than are limestone dressings laid upon the streets of Kansas City. And all 

 this toilsome and expensive work is carried on amidst discouraging circumstances, 

 clouds of dust filling the air, and rivers of mud at times running down the streets 

 —still the people are not disheartened. Gradually the bluffs melt away while 

 the houses are filled with dust and the streets rendered almost impassable; still 

 the stone hammer breaking limestone may be heard under the bluff, and for aught 

 that now appears, may continue to click to the end of time. Such persistence in 

 any people is worthy of special notice. 



The broken limestone now laid upon the streets of Kansas City is also injur- 

 ious to public health. Under the friction of wheels the limestone is soon reduced 

 to powder, and fills the air with a fine dust which in dry weather is almost insuf- 

 ferable. A wagon passing down Broadway during the late dry season was almost 

 hidden from my view, 'fortunately the heads of the occupants of the wagon ap- 

 peared above the cloud of dust to show where the wagon was. This fine dust 

 enters the lungs at every breath as a foreign substance to induce disease. A 

 physician informs me that he was compelled during the late hot weather to close 

 the windows of the room on the side of the avenue to shut out the dust, and to 



