The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1868-09-05

CONDITION OF THE STREETS.-We desire
to call the attention. of the street commits
sionerg to the condition of our thorough
fares. We say thoroughfares " because
these should be first attended to. After
wards there will be found work enough to
do in the recently incorporated suburbs ere
the winter sets in.
We have never seen the streets in worse
condition at this season. A correspondent
writes that he often prefers hard-trotting
horse to the jolss of a spring vehicle, and
thinks that if the street commissioners were
carriage-makers he would seriously suspect
their motives. He really believes that o
vehicle upon such streets as ours will not
last half as long as upon well-graded car
riage-ways. .'s
When water or gas-pipes are laid down,
the redundant earth is left for the elements
to level. Some years ago gentleman lost
fine horse by his falling and breaking his
leg over one of these hillocks. If he loses
another, as is not unlikely, he will make
the city pay for it.
Half column of this paper might be
filed by citing special cases of gross neg
lect. But few will suffice On Cary from
Fifteenth to Seventeenth street there are
numberless holes also, on Clay from Third
to Sixth street there are a dozen ugly holes
and as many hillocks; on Ninth street be-
tween Broad and Marshall man may be
we'll shaken after dinner at very mode
rate trot there is q rocky hillock in front
of the Valentine House, on Capitol street,
that has been there for year or two, the
" eleme :" not having had quite time
enough to otheir work on the south side
of the Basin, at the corner of Tenth street,
there are about two dozen holes in the pave
ment, and no man can drive over them
even ut walk with comfort; Fifth street
between Grace and Franklin is in bad con-
dition. ....
IF cobble-stones were now used in paving
streets the city might realize something
handsome from the sale of those on Broad
between Eighteenth and Twenty-second
streets. These round rocks or boulders are
dangerous to horses, and have doubtless
thrown some down ere this.
The street commissioners will please
visit also Seventh between Grace and Main,
Fourth between Grace and franklin, Mar
shall between Seventh and Eighth. On
Seventh between Main and Franklin some
kind citizen is trying to fill up some Of the
holes with shavings, but the next rain will
spoil his benevolent work.
But we have no room for farther details.
Now, what is the remedy? 1t is simple
and, what is better, it is costless. Turn out
the chain-gang at sunrise, and begin on
Cary street at Rockets, and work. up all
day from that point to Sidney. This will
take but two or three days. Then do
likewise to Main and the other longitudinal
streets. After this, begin upon the cross
streets, and by November or December every
street in the city will be in good order. In
the repairs let some attention be paid to the
crossings. On some streets it is necessary
to rein in your horse every seyenty-tlve
yards, or be almost thrown out of your We
hicle by .jolting over bare tagging some
inches higher than the street-leyel.
We should not omit to note in this connec-
ton the improvement of streets in progress
in some parts of the city. The commission
ers for Jefferson Ward deserve special COM
mendation for energetic efforts to put their
streets in order. Still, much yet remains
undone