South University Ave.

In the making of municipal history South University avenue seems destined to figure quite as prorainently in 1897 as it has in the two previous seasons. Two years ago South University ave., from State Street to East University ave., compared favorably with any other street in the city. The residents along the street were satisfied with it. But the common council became possessed of the erazy notion that the drive would be improved if it was paved with a foot or so of sand from Tappan street. This "improvement" precipitated hostilities betvveen the residents who did not appreciate a pavement of this sort and the city authorities. After considerable skirmishing the responsibility for the job was unjustly saddled upon the city engineer. The next season the city legislators wasted considerable mental activity on the subject of replacing the street in its former acceptable condition, but outside of spending some $2,000 on a clay hill flve or six blocks away from the seat of war, nothing was accomplished. The present eouncil in the full strength of its youthful vigor has grappled with the problem again, and if we are to judge of results by the preparations that have been made to squander money, the Detroit street fiasco is to be repeated on South University ave. The original order of the council was to cover eight feet in the center of the drive with a layer of stone four inches thick. AVhether or not this will prove to be a desirable manner of spending the street f und remains to be seen. This much is certain, South University ave. has been made worse by each attempt to improve it. It is also evident to those whc are as familiar with the streets of this city, as aldermen are supposed to be, that there are clay streets which the building of sewers iias left almost impassible and, if thè council is determined to build stone road, good judgment would seem to díctate that those streets should be at tended to before streets which have a natural gravel road way are experimented upon.