New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1870-07-15
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| iyeneSS in Council that mus Iar lusPAlcs
all with confidence in the ultimate success
of the city government under ats new
charter, there is much in detail that Will
for time, escape the eyes Of the vigliant
heads of departments; muchsthat must
necessarily be left to the SUPERVISION OF
subordinates, upon whom devolves the
duty of seeing that'work is done. '''
At this season of the year the work of
keeping our streets and cutters clean is
most important one, from the fact the
health and comfort Of our people are
largely dependent upon it. It will not do
to neglect this work in any portion of the
CITY, and, therefore, if by oversight or
neglect the work is not done, it becomes
the duty of any citizen cognizant OF the
fact to report the same In no
other spirit than a just one, and
for good purpose, do we call the atten-
ton of those whose business it is to see
that we have clean streets and cutters, to
the extremely filthy condition OF that por-
ton of our city in the immediate neigh
borhood of the Workhouse and the Boys
House of Refuge. These institutions are
located almost in the centre Of this great
city, and as long as they are permitted to
remain where they are, fanked on one
side by the Girod Street Cemetery, espe-
cial care should be taken that the streets
in their immediate neighborhood are not
neglected, for not only the health Of the
unfortunate inmates of the Workhouse
and the House of Refuge may be depend
ent upon this work, but the health Of our
entire population. The short street rum
ming from Girod street, between Latay-
cite and the cemetery is frequently in q
most filthy condition, its cutters reeking
with foul and offensive matter. In pass
ing along this street, lately, we found the
stencil SO disagreeable as to sicken us with
its fetid smell. The street is narrow and
its whole length is bounded, on the one
side, by the graveyard, the Workhouse
and the House Of Refuge, and on the other
by a continuous row Of houses, densely
inhabited by persons who, from appear
ances, must make this street the receptacle
Of refuse animal and vegetable matter.
We think there must have been a coop of
dead poultry recently thrown into the
cutters, as We counted not less than a
dozen, not even piled up, but scattered,
as if for the purpose Of making display
of the same, to the disgrace Of those
whose business it is to see that we have
clean streets.
While on this subject, we will say that
the people of city can do much toward
adding to its beauty and cleanliness.
This they do voluntarily, for their own
comfort, profit and enjoyment.
They have an eye to identifying their
homes, and keeping everything in order
around them. This is evidenced more
plainly in neighborhoods where men own
their homes, or where they rent from
landlords who understand the secret Of
success; for nothing more improves
neighborhood than the good taste and
character of the people who live in it.
The man who has an eye to comfort and
the improvement of home, delights in
embellishing the same, and these embel-
lshments tend to beautify the city. A
little paint at times, judiciously applied,
gives the house bright and
clean appearance, and if built OF
wood, helps to preserve 1t; and
alittle time expended in planting few
trees-fg, orange, plum or peach-or
rose bushes and flowers in the yard add
wonderfully to the comforts and beauty Of
the same. All of these things combined have
had the tendency to build up SO rapidly
the Fourth District-known as the Gar
den District. Other sections of our city
are pushing ahead from the same causes,
and where these causes exist property is
sure to advance in value.
While nature has done much for this
city, it has done nothing for it in the way
of drainage. Give US sound and prac-
teal system of drainage and protection
against foundations from river and lake,
and the time is not far distant when the
city will be densely populated from the
river to the lake, from it's boundaries,
commencing at the parish Of st. Bernard
and running to that part Of the parish of
Jefferson embraced in the city of New
Orleans under the new charter. If it cost
millions of dollars to do this, the cost
will be as nothing compared with the
benefits that will flow to the city from
such a vast public improvement,
wherein not only the health of the city is
deeply concerned, but the redemption OF
a vast amount of land that will become OF
immense value when thorough system OF
drainage and protection against inunda-
ton is once established. Just think fol
one moment of the extension Of the build.
ing up of this city to the lake as it is built
in the Garden District, and realize il
you can the amount of wealth and taxable
property that will be the consequence. Ii
is estimated that the edeemine
Of that once wild and barren tract of LAND
in the city of New York now embraced IL
the Central Park-though it cost millions
of dollars to do the work-has returned
those millions, and added many millions
,,,o,a 70 tho golfers of the CITY Government