New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1867-01-25
THE STRENGTHENING DEPARTMENT.
LETTER FROM CONTRACTOR wT1TNG-THE BOSTON
SYSTEM ACT. NEW-YORK.

LETTER FROM CONTRACTOR wH1T1N6-THE BOSTON
SYSTEM ACT. NEW-Y0RK.
70 NJ Editor OF TAsE. y Tribune.
sra: There recently appeared in the press Of this
CITY copy Of letter from the President Of the Board Of
Health accompanied by report from Dr. Dalton super
tntcndent Of Sanitary Inspection, on the subject OF street
cleaning as at present operation in the City OF Boston
This letter and report published in many OF the news
papers were commented upon as containing lmpntauons
upon the manner in which the streets in this city were
cleaned and showing that Boston stood on proud en-
inence as compared with thisety. Knowing theee mpu-
tatOns 70 beuIjusf, as vel as ungeherOus suspension
Of opinion was asked with view 70 pace some IMPORT
Comparisons said to be odious, and between the
cities Of Boston and NewYoTk arc merely lnIe LEI W.
wd OF 100000 There arc but few tenement houses IN
Boston; New York has 1900 Boston has but little tene
1et population; HeW-YOrk has from 5oOOOe 70 oo00o0
they have miles Of streets, averaging 20 feet IN 8d
are nearly three times as long aud three times as wide
therefore they sweep "a miles, while we sweep Coo mes
horses we have at intervals force Of goo men and $50
horses employed. Theysweep once week-a lev streets
Rues three times week, and broadway from the Battery
70 Twentysxth-st every day They remove ashes ana
some streets twice day; From one ward we Ienoye
more ashes and garbage than is removed from the whole
tv ~ Boston The manner Of removal is entirely dis
similar In Boston the ash collector receives the same
M vessels apart for their reception taking them nom
ou OF aeys or "quety entering the houses as the case
may be-" EowYOTk Is not city Of alleys, aud me lew
ne have mostly entrances TO tenemehs anu
eAnnObe used the accommodation Of garbage vessels
ON account Of herDarrOTness Their ashes ana garbage
Arc kept separate and are not thrown into the streets
here "a general rule both ashes and garbage mot with
cut honorable exeepuons are thrown into the streets
When placed I'm vessels they frequently upset by
nisoheyOus boys Oyerhauled by the ragpeKef, ana
closely scrutinzed by the eoaseayenger VINO se9on
fails to extract from the mass All OF value ana tp1g
the ashes upon the sidewalk and 70 me guttsf me ne
6se in boston with met with at every turn ana
Whenever the experiment OF the " steam SIset anu
Sprinkler shall be put Ia use, IT. viii be FOUND thit zee
titan two per cent Of coal VIII be saved to reward the
BOSTON "a inland elevated good and rapid descent
strOets well paved her dirt ashes ana gafDage esg ~
ysa when put ID de s eS ns1iet to carry Off the
weter very bad pavement her dirt ashes ana g@IOage
very difficult Of removal to be done by DoaIs anu sc0
s labor more than doubled, OF course much very nuch
NJ nave Is CC0 tenement houses with poor population
Of from 6OO0 tenants TO care for ana TO contend
with which Boston has not.
Tho people OF proud Of their city do an they
can 10 feepi II cleam their laws obeyed ana where
Violated tine delinquent Is punished Here the laws are
bong is permitted to be thrown into the streets here
almost everything There the streets are not lneIIn
ne streets are encountered with old vehicles Of every de-
EOrpt0n. some Of them lave been on ING streey l0r
years There the street Railroad Companies are com
psed s. To clean the from the tracks not 70 in
Convenience the public travel Here every one knows
Inc Snth. Eleventh. and Seventeenth Wards have
populatson exceeding the whole City of Boston Trans
plant tenement houses with thelr popnlat9n 20 bV
Ton and she viii soon become as drty nay dfOer cIy
sweep nine times as many sqsare feet, labor is nine
fimos than hers and at the rate he pays CI ey
receiving s20CO FOR the street manure There the popu
ish b homogeneous and stable here ii is heterogeneous
Yeeting and uncertain Call 20 mind her Immigration
then ours Hers require but very Few tenement iu
buildings toms fifteen thousand ana Ihs oy 70 sIln
fOrEuOTe There, there is some repose here the never
ending business rejects cessation and rep0se hele
million Of busy minds there not one NTH Many oJlef
statistics might added but at this time fOrbealalcS ~
perhaps better Sufficient TO say that the streets Of our
City except In the most busy commercial porJs ana IN
several dOns Of tenement establishments, VIII az any
time 10 an unprejudced mind, compare taYoraDly WIN
the City o. Boston. Why Boston should have been Sc
lected for comparison ut lOss to conjecture FER
haps the report intended to show the propety OF
improving sanitary measures contemplated by inc
data statistics necessary for such purpose were con
In sanitary point Of view, permit me to say that
Pos.oa hes BY nature advantages which by art has been
lost to'tls city.
The idea that the city should be fiat and all the high
places the Island made low that foot Of descent IN
every 100 feet would be enough 70 carry off the water
has proved erroneous ana we are now being punished
gather the necessary statistics to speak now upon this
question.
The completion Of the reports Of the various depart
nents and especially those Of the Sanitary Bureau OF
eanDiy OF our dwellings has been increased and mao
tendency 70 aid tho physician In his labOrs 50 as 70 enaDe
the Health Board 10 declare the city free from epidemic
Ihe City OF New York stands alone, but lot Isolated
south. Every day Is market day. Her population Is
cosmopolitan. She Il the rival OF no ether city Inc
prosperity 81 every other city adds 20 her prosperity
she Is not envious She bears and forbe9s she STANDS
toeay az size win always stand the chief city OF Ametlea
proud o. her position, her wealth, and her prOsir
10 above All her ioygltyi deEtned ~ Se the greatest
fPlel fity % TIE WOfiu, II not money center; no
Nf "a her ulsetflshness great In her monument Of
Ess yor1s Jan. "a, 1867. . = "A--