The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-01-06
DIRTY THOROUGHFAREs.


The New street Contractors and the Old Filthy
streeis-The Immense Anount Of Work that
"Hope deferred maketh the heart SICK ;" Is an Old
tme-worn adage, and 1t be true one, then verify
sickness ought to prevail In this go0dly city TO an
alarming extent. For the past two years our ct-
zens have been hoping and longing for the arrival OF
the day when with trHtb II could be said our streets
clean. Less than one year ago, when the Board
OF Health took in hand tho business of disposing Of
the contracts for street cleansing, each congratu-
lLted the other that all would be we'll But alas
for human expectations what had been considered
pad was rendered WcIsv, the latter condition Of
thq streets was tenold more filthy than the former
Al the outset the contractors procured few
brooms and screpers, and squad OF superannuated
specimens OF the genus homo, and for week or two
they nightly raised q DUST then they dcssted and
left the raising of the same to the mild winds OF
summer, and the stronger ones OF autumn. In one
or two instances hullabalOO was raised abont the
issuing OF warrants to the contractors who had not
fnlnlled the terms of their agreements but ths as
the sequel showed, was merely for tue purpose OF
throwing dust In the eyes of the public, The con-
tractors received their cash, and all was we'll
Towards the close Of the year Just passed, another
that none of the old contractors would receive notice
at the hands Of the Board but when the time for the
the successful bidders were made public, 1t was
found that four OF the old contractors for cleaning
the streets had received fresh contracts
gy the old rules OF the Board, street cleaning and
removal of ashes were made separate and distinct,
there being eighteen street cleaning districts and
nine ash districts. According TO the new wrinkle
there are now twenty-five districts in ALL and the
cleaning of streets and removal of onal ashes, etc,
are combined. The new list shows tnat out OF the
nine old contractors for the ash districts five have
received new contracts. This to the public eye,
looks well, especially for the discretion OF the
Board.
The new contracts read :-''For cleaning and keep
ing thoroughly clean at all times, all the paved
streets, alleys courts inlets market houses gut
ters cutters under railroad crossings cutters OF
paved streets, and all other public highways, and
the immediate removal of all filth and dirt there
from, after the same has been collected together;
also, the removal of ashes, and the collection and
hrar oil nf oil hnQn mi Inn nn IN
several districts named and described in specifca-
tons of said districts, all to be done under the super
vision and TO the entire satisfaction of the Board'
tramp yesterday showed that although some
time has passed since the award OF the contracts,
but little nothing has been done by the new or
old parties. In some OF the districts the ashes have
been removed and in one or two the dirt has been
scraped into piles and there left This is the case
Eighth street, from Vine to Chestnut, the district
under the control of Daniel McNchols. At every
few steps pile OF dirt Is observable each side OF
the street, and before night 1t will ALL or at least
! major portion of it, have aghted on the goods in
the various surrounding stores, carried there by the
freaks of the wind OF course that will save cartage
The High Constables visit their respective dis
| trcts, which are subdlylded as follows, daily
First, Sc cond and Third, High Constable Curley;
| Constable Kesh; Eighth, Ninth, and Tenth, High
Constable Mutt; Eleventh, Twelfth, aud Thirteenth,
| High Constable Logan; Fourteenth, Fifteenth, Six
| tetnth, Seventeenth, Nineteenth, Twentieth,
| Twenty-secOnd, High Constable Dehaven; and re-
| port to the Mayor the condition Of the streets.
This morning Mr.. Curley reports that the greater
portion OF all the streets of his district in bad
condition. more particularly Alaska, OtSogO, Marion,
swanson, Cuba, Shippen, Front South, Penn, Dock,
l.arkin, Water, Plum, Guilford, and all west OF
Broad street. Seventeenth street, from Carpenter
to Washington is covered with mud TO the depth OF
two feet on some OF the main streets the dirt has
| bcSn collected from the aides and piled up whilst
the cutters and the space between the rails OF the
| passenger railways are left untouched.
Mr.. kelsh reports Market street.. Darby road
Thirtieth, Thirty-sixth, Thirty.nlnth, Forty y-frs
street. and Hsverford road as dirty. Chestnut street
from Thirty-secOnd 10 Thirty-thrd street. has been
cleaned but the cutters and rail spaces are left in
| Mr.. Mutt reports his streets az filthy, whilst Mr.
Dehaven reports that he cannot find any streets ir
Manayunk at all. IL s nothing but mud and filth OF
all sides, and the bed Of the streets have passed
tirey out OF sight. This all looks exceedingly wei
| Again, now that the contracts have been al
awarded, it has been suddenly discovered that din
dead animals etc, during the summer months, un
less special contract be made therefor. 1t is con
tended that the contractors Will not be able to pro
perly attend TO this branch, and that, in order Il
secure the health of the city, new contract mus
Health, viii foot the bill. Why this was not dis
covered before cannot say, and merely mention
it now to show how tho 'cat Jumps
FIRES THIS MoRNING-A IuMBER OFFICE AM
SToREHoUsE DEsTROYED-DAMAGE TO A GRAVEL
ROOFING GEsTABLISHAENT.-Abou twenty lniDutes 0
one O'Clock this morning fire was discovered Il
street. The alarm was promptly given, and tn
flremen were soon on the ground, and to thei
efforts is due the saving OF considerable amount o
property. The ofnce was onestory brick building
and is now total wreck. In the yard was stored
vast amount OF lumber, but fortunately the flame
did not communicate with it. The entire loss wi
not exceed six hundred dollars
Shortly after two O'Clock this morning fire brok
out in the storehouse of Charles Cummings Co
manufacturers OF glue, hide whips, leather, etc Tn
building is located at No. 4s Richmond street, an
has front of about thirty feet, and depth Of on
hundred feet. 1t s of brick, and three stories i
height A portion OF the structure was occupied b
c. p Williams q Co, leather dealers. The buildln
was pretty well damaged, and its contents de
stroyed. The loss of q. p. Williams & Co. is nc
known. Cummings Il Co. had on hand stoc
valued at about $500. They owned the building, o
which there is an insurance OF $1,000 in the Frsnkli
Insurance Company.
Shortly before Ave O'Clock this morning WarreT
Kirk Il Cos gravel-roonng establishment No.
| Richmond street, near Cummings Co. IS st0rehOust
caught ire, but the flames were subdued before an
great damage had been done.
| LOCAL ODDS AND ENDs.-It is reported tina
Charlotte Cushman mas been appointed city hang
man.