The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1872-05-01
A FILTHY CITY
Alarming Condition of All the
Streets and Avenues.
Dirt Garbage and Pestilential VapOs Scat
tered All Around.
AN EPIDEMIC ENCOURAGED.
What the Street Cleaning Con.
tractors Are Not Doing.
HISTORY OF THE CONTRACT OF 1866.
How Money Is Made Out Of Dirt and
Who tho Money Goes To-
important Action of the Police
Board.
Results OF Street to Street
Inspection.
What the Street Cleaning Con.
tractors Are Not Doing.
HISTORY OF THE CONTRACT OF 1866.
How Money Is Made Out Of Dirt and
Who the Money Goes To
important Action of the Police
Board.
Results OF Street to Street
Inspection.

Inspection.
For six months now great public outcry has
been raised against great public grievance
namely, the filthy condition of our streets. Scarcely
sver has tho popular protest been so general, so
earnest and so continued, and yet the grievance
still remains, and, Judging from the little heed
which the responsible person or persons have paid
10 the Indignation OF the people, will remain until
that Indignation assumes more tangible form ana
the public demand their rights In terms the import
Of when c,linot % mistaken.
Summer Is come again, and it is no cXaigeraton
70 say that to-day the streets OF New York are q
dlsgrace 10 civilized Community, and are In some
cases In tiher Condition than the nlthiest streets
81 she thiest city In the world This last assertion
may seem an exaggeration, but those who doubt it
ought to have followed HERALD reporter In his
walks through the by-streets OF some Of the wards
adjoining the most crowded thOroughfares.
In the following article 1t s intended to show, by
facts and figures that this state of things is only
natural result Of
THE SPIRIT OF PLUMBER
which for years past has animated all who drew
money from the public purse; that we have SUI.
fered first small corporation and latterly ON ndi-
vidua to look upon the money stolen from the pub
lie legitimate prey, and to do little as possible
to discharge their obligations toward the people
that this neglect has produced evils which 1t win
require the most strenuous efforts to remedy; that
while the filth has been allowed to accumulate In
the streets to such an extent that 1t is now her
euean work to cleanse some OF them individuals
have made millions OF dollars by the street cleaning
contract; that the present filthy condition OF the
streets is the result Of years OF neglect and lastly
thAt really the gtroeta n New York oxccnt
which the street contractor endeavored to clean
lately, in more filthy condition than they ever
have been before.
During the session OF the Legislature Of 1895 bill
was passed appointing the Mayor, Recorder, Comp
troller, City Inspector and Corporation Counsel
q Street Cleaning Commission. Governor Hof-
man, then Recorder; Godfrey Gunther, Mayor; Mat
thew T. Brennan Comptroller; John f. Devclin,
Corporation Counsel, and Francis l. A. Boole, City
Inspector were the first members Of the new com.
mission
THE STREET CLEANING CONTRACT.
On the 9th of June, 1865 a contract was entered
into between the members Of the Street Cleaning
Commission, OF the first part, and John L. Brown
Shepherd Knapp and William II. Devoe, Of the
second part, that the latter should undertake to
clean the streets OF the city for the annual sum Of
$49s, 800 This contract was made for ten years.
and according to the different specifications 1t
would seem was altogether made in the interest OF
the second parties to the contract 1t was gencr-
ally believed at the time that each Of these three
men represented separate interest In the Street
Cleaning Commission itself. Space does not permit
us TO give the entire contract, but the principal
specifications show how little was really required
from the second contracting parties for the half
million dollars yearly which was awarded TO them.
TIE IMPORTANT SPECIFICATIONS.
The first and most important specification set
forth that each paved street In the city each alley
way, by-strect, wharf, pier and head Of slips,
except where prevented by snow or ice, must be
thoroughly cleaned at least once week % and
Broadway every night.
The second specification provided that all ashes
and garbage he removed from the city In water
tight carts once every day.
The other important specifications provided that
every driver of ash and garbage cart ring ben
In mont Of each house and take the ashes and garb-
age from the inmates free Of ali charge
II was provided, Also that all streets below Cham
bers street be cleaned at night except In the neigh
borhood of Fulton and Washington Markets, where
horses and wagons congregate. One specification
was put into the contract in the interest of the
Arst parties to the contract. II was that the pay
Ments to the contractors were to be made quarterly
and that ten per cent could be held back as guar
Such were the important provisions OF the street
cleaning contract made by the Street Cleaning Com
mission with Messrs Brown, Devoe and Knapp.
This is the identical contract under which the streets
are cleaned to-day. These gentlemen went to work
and "cleaned the streetsr Tor two years. AT first
NEW BROOM SWEEPS CLEAN
The new contractors, like new broom, swept
clean at first and made great show, but they fell
of soon, and at the end OF two years made things
80 hot for themselves that they were glad to DIS
pose Of the contract to the late Judge James n.
" niiing They were glad to get rid OF the contract
but it was balm to their wounded spirits to get
$3.50 900 for 1t nom the late Judge, and considering
that they cot it for nothing themselves two years
before this is not to be very much wondered at,
The late Judge whiting was On active, energetic
thought lie could aay 1t ana do the work Of clean
ing the streets thoroughly Tor
A HALF MILLION OF DOLLARS;
anpuollv and make money on 1t. He TOOK the nose
and broom IN hand literally, and cleaned the streets
for two years more-and did clean. lie had the
accumulated filth Of year ana ha 20 get r roo u
tractor It is acknowledged that tne streets were
never in better condition. lie himself superin,
been seen in some OF the Hthest districts In the
city, railing with characteristic energy at the IN
nabitants for allowing their houses 10 remain go
whiting had done the work for the money, had
PAID A CASH DIVIDEND
had built stables able to accommodate $50 nOrses
which are now worth Sl00,000 had bought s60,0Oo
worth OF harness and $4,000 worth OF street clean
ing machinery. He had succeeded, and his success
aroused the ambition OF the street cleaning ring.
Judge whiting put in bill one day of $50 0Oj. The
warrant for the payment OF the bill would not he
signed at the City lIall Judge whiting took fright
and expressed q wish to sell the contract to his
friend John L. Brown, who had made several pro-
posas TO him Immediately before, but to which he
would not aecede.
PROFITABLE INVESTMENT ny JOHN L. BROWN.
A bargain was made with Brown, who purchased
the contract for $500 600 IN or in other words the
contract had In four years acquired value OF more
than quarter of a million. Mr. Brown had had
experience OF what the contract was worth, and he
was not the man to give an extravagant price. For
TWO years Mr.. Brown has held the contract and 1T
has by no means decreased in value, as will be seen
by the following hcts:-Last year and the year be-
fore the Legislature, at the instance OF the Board
of Health who were alarmed at tho condition OF