The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1873-07-23
THE MARKET SHEDS.

LUG 0VHxu ouJOuINeu 10 meet on FTlOdy next.
ION THE MARKET SHEDS.
Caxnenters 1T Work-What IL TO Be
Depe--A Busy Day Along West Street
Opinions and Fears or tho Market
Men-A Gutter Not So Foul ~ 1t Was
puanted-Win the Board OF Health
Eukyist In Its Ortlcrf
The saw was busy at Washington Market yester.
day.r Carpenters were early at work carrying out
Colonel De Woes plan Of reform upon the outer end
Of the wholesale butcher stands along the west
ends Early, however, In that locality is rather an
indDnntte term. What 10 early for workers in
wood ia late with vendors Of meat. Like printers
on morning newspapers, the wholesale butchers
work nearly all night, and make their daily sales
before most OF the community open their eyes,
Meats for the next mornings trade begin to arrive
at the thirty obnoxious stands along the east side
OF West street soon after nightfail and from dark
till two O'Clock IN the morning, at this season. the
stalls are filing up with their stock There were usu-
ally from twenty to forty carcasses for each stand
for each day., according to the trade demands and
the business connections OF each Shareholder. This
meat is brought in large trucks from the slaughter
houses OF the several dealers in the upper part Of
the city or the Hudson. having been killed
ouu VI CSoCu Ill euo aAtCiuOOus lIOm tLIto OClOCk
till dark. From two to three O'Clock commences
the active sales Of the morning, to the butchers
having retail shops in all parts Of the
city, In Brooklyn, Staten Island, Jersey
City, Hoboken and other suburban localities.
By seven O'Clock the bulk OF the trade Ia over, and
the strong iron hooks on which the "sidesn and
"quartersn are hung from the wooden beams Of
the stalls begin to look BARE for the retail butcher
must have his meat In his store In time to cut
BY nine e' O'CLOCK ; many Of the ssandhoiders have
cleared their stalls and are gone home to rest and
count their gains. Ten O'clock finds only q few
which the owners are glad to dispose Of at q re.
duction OF from twenty-five to forty per cent or
buyer appears these latshangIng pieces are liable
to condemnation by the sanitary oficials. making
deficit in the cash Of the unlucky dealer.
SAWS, HAMMERS AND JACKsCREws
So when the carpenters came, bright and early,
after hot breakfast on meat purchased four hours
OF the marketmen aoout closed and the stands
nearly ry empty and ready ior their operations
al the s1w e
the whole length Of the structure some TOUR feet,
rear there - viii Be aordeS ten foot high passage
IN the street under the of1ces and storerooms
ss IN II ss
accession ~, to :, the trsiic convenience Of the
SUIceVy WLICu ID HOW Ncqucutly % uiOCkcQ thbt
halfhouf at time. While the knights Of the saw
were divorcing the stands nom the market roof
their brethren, with hammers, let daylight and
air upon the scene by demolishing the siding FORM
ing the wall Of the stands. After this large
placed under the sawed.or rafters and beams, with
strong screws, preparatory to the intended up
ward movement all along the market line.
LOOKING FOR DIRT.
Taking out the Moor planks exposed the gutter
and the substratum OF pavement, and hundreds OF
1S ce1s sepCaed thereon o and therein
disease. To tell the truth, the search was not re-
muneratve. The gutter was dry and as clean as
beyond the gutter had only o thin covering
OF dry dust, which had settled through the wide
Won US az
any means as foul as the drain Of block OF tene
ment houses Unlike the stalls where vegetables,
stalls make no refuse, and, OF course, their drip
pings are but slight. During the whole day
smelling a,e were iooEnc iof sne Supposed
pated. still all must have been convinced that the
construction and use OF these West street stands
OF the market proper and those frequentng It, by
excluding air and light both OF which are deficient
all through the low, sprawng and unsighty struc-
ture.
During the morning a deputation from the Board
the work Of demolition andi reconstruction was
carried on By some nifty carpenters. No Official
declarations were formally made on the subject,
but It was Cleaned from remarks OF the sanitary
officers that nothing short OF an entire clearing OF
all outside the market walls will satisfy the judg
ment Of this important Department, which repre-
health Of a million OF people. Like tine Board Of
Health OF 1871, which complimented the Superin.
tendent Of Markets on his efforts to produce and
enforce Cleanliness the present Board probably
believes that In such structure as Washington
Market absolute neatness ID impossible, and they
are convinced their duty requires the absolute re-
moval OF all excrescences which add to its objec-
TfiR SIDE STREETS
sample OF the reform proposed for the side
streets was shown in Vesey street. At the rear
the wall was cut on three feet above the pavement
and oists laid upon posts Of that height run to the
sidewalk two feet. within the curbstone. These
joists will support the floor, leaving the gutter
nearly under the middle Of the stands, fully ex-
posed to view from the street and accessible for
cleaning. The plan OF dispensing with posts rest
ing on the pavement was not I0und feasible, owing
TO the weakness OF the market walls and roof.
EXPECTING AN ATTACK
Though these changes were In active progress,
under the direction Of Colonel De Voc, the City
superintendent OF Markets. and Captain Kettle
Interested group of marketmen who watched the
work indicated conviction that In the end the job
will be finished by the Board Of Health sweeping
the whole outside stand system into heap OF rub
Dish and matter OF history. 1t was pro.
posed to establish, by afidayits OF health and
longevity attested BY marketmen, that the
business, with all Its vile odors and unpleasant
sights even In the detective condition OF the Old
rookery, Is healthier than the average OF 0ccupa-
tons. Men were pom ted out, active and spry, who
weigh over two hundred and have worked
In washington Market from ff seven years down
to twenty. Their opinion Is that slaughter houses
and markets where fresh meats are sold are less
liable TO become the seats Of epidemics than most
other places Oh business or resort, and they pons
heavy old butchers who fed our fathers and pro-
pose to iced our grandchildren.