New Orleans Republican., 1873-08-24

/ - az b waG D. -. .ls 1a,-l-gG: ~ I
'Aa Whas Il h, asa What II lsaghs De.
The finest riding losd in Europe Il cs1le'
Rotten Row." md ought not u be. III
finest riding road IN New Orleans i no
called Rotten Rov," but ought to be- W
give it at present the pleasanses but fl,
lsSs sppropriste nssne Of St. Charles ave
| nue.. What particular ''Saint Charles
stood godfather to this wooden abortion il
not specified, but let - charitably hope i,
wss 'saint Charles, the Martyr" whom
President Cromwell 20 considerately pu1
ont sf the way. None other than that
wrong. headed prince could consistently be
expected to stand sponsor for such monu.
ment Of municipal obstinacy. legislative
corruption and penny wise shortaightedneaa
~ our great boulevard this day presents.
Traced back to its source, Whist cata.
logue Of fraud and bribery and juggling
chicaaery the history Of this magnificent
avenue presents. Begin with the original
contract Of the old Jefferson City Council
(Of unsavory memory with Taylor and
Lockwood; take next the transfer 10 the
Southern Paving Company, composed of
our oldest and best and that S50, 900 bribe
business never yet satisfactorily cleared up;
then consider thoss queer legal squabbles
~ to whether the corporations which had
ordered work done had right to bind the
people living within their limits for whose
benefit and ct whose request the work
was done to pay for it; and, last of all. view
this road itself, which was contracted for
- good foad, which was promised to be 8
good road, which turned ont to be bad
road, worse even than the wost of pre-
viously known bad roads; and then con-
template the consummate ''cheek" of the
defaulting contractors, who themselves
ought to be sued, but who now threaten to
sue the city for damages on contract
which va born in fraud, died unfulflled
and was buried in rotteness and corrup-
tion. After taking look at all these points
please say whether any great artery of any,
great city since the days when Noah made
the first mountain road down from the
top Of Mount Ararat has ever been SO VII
lainously handlsd-so grossly abused.
When one thinks of the capacities of St.
Charles avenue aad Of the incapacities that
have been thrust upon it by the blunders
and corruption Of the past and perpetuated
by the timidity Of the present, one has to
look about like Mr.. Weller, Senior, for
"more tenderer" words than those that
come first TO hand ia. order to meet the situ-
ation. The boulevards of Central Park,
New York, the Champs Elysees Of Paris,
the Deliciss of Seville, the Prado of
Madrid end the Paseo of Havana rise
before my mind, and points Of pos
sible resemblance, With many fear
lures of unquestionable superiority,
at once present themselves, when thinking
Of our own great street. This grand villa
lined avenue, shaded by stately trees, per-
fumed by the scent of magnolias, and or
anges, and myrtles, and countless flowers,
cooled BY the breexes from the great father
of waters, and stretching in one clear
sweep, broken only by that useless deformi-
ty Tivoi Circle (sacred to circuses and nuis-
ances), from gorgeous Canal street, the ba-
sar Of ell bazars, five or six miles in one
straight line, to the shady gardens Of Car
sollton-the bright moving panorama of
the Csrr0llton railroad cars forming q nat
aral division line between the up drive and
he down.
A little pluck to Get aside difficulties
which arc in great part imaginary, and q
title judgment and skill in the laying out
# the carriage drives and rides would rem.
ler St. Charles avenue one Of the finest car
isge drives in the world. Can any one
'lace too high an estimate on the advan-
ages that would result from a we'll laid
nacadamized double road from Canal street
o Carrollton and backl The immense rise
q the value Of property along the route
be ton" and character it would give to
bis, the Queen City of the South-the |
ealth, the daily evening exhilarating
rive along the paseo would bring !
0 our wives and daughters - the |
leasant opportunities for social in
which would be thus afforded |
be many runaways who, if such q drive |
vere established. would become etay-at.
ONES during our much abused summer
eason, New Orleans has a great future
efore her. As one of the most popular
nd eccentric Of our steamboat captains re-
entity said, "Bless your politics: / don't
are a-tsteamboat blessing)-fD them!
hey can't make and they can't unmake
his city. And whoever says that New Or
,ans amt just on the point of big run of
is a-(steamboat adjective)-
,ol; that's ALL" Jeremiads from defeated
oliticians and disappointed tricksters may
,tard, but can not prevent the progress
hich New Orleans is even now beginning
} feel stirring within her; and the paving
St. Charles avenue will be one Of the
10 first measures which the reviving life
nd prosperity of the city will demand.
Considerable liberty has been taken in
le first part of this communication with
10 name Of "Rotten Row." the great
ride of London, and perhaps il
only just to that singularly named ride
} explain that its rottennees, so far as
lat word may convey any unpleasant i'm
ression, is only in name. It is called
'tten because it is kept constantly covered
It very heavy expense) with the refuse
srk of the tanyards, material which
,sOrbs al moisture, and besides afford
6 . yielding surface to the horses,
'of renders the muddying and splashing
the elegantly dressed equestriennes and
uestrians matter Of impossibility, even |
the wetest weather. Separated by rail
&c from this ride, which 10 restricted to