The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1874-04-18
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COMPANIONS

C0MPARIsONs
Are dangerous things, Men don't like
them, especially II they pinch their
toes. Still we, az journalists, enjoythe
privilege Of making them without dan
ger of mashed head or broken bones.
Well, we ARE some times compelled, IN
private meditation, Ia compare iheciiy
OF Dellns with other phces, TO see how
we can bear inspection by dlslnlerest-
I'd ladies' and gentlemen rom other
points. Laying aside our unprecedcnl-
al growth and central position, we nre
driven into the admission ofihe follow
ing deficiencies In matters which usual
~ pertain TO respectable and prosper
Gus towns, vll
FIrst--That Dallas has not solitary
park or public square In which ladies,
children or working men cnn take re-
creation In, day or night, ~, 81
Second--Not an avenue on which
vehicles can be driven for the reluxa-
ton and pleasure of ladies or gentle
men.
Thlrd-Not u fountain, or single
place where weary pedestrians can sit,
lecllne or lie down for rest, without
The danger Of arrest rs vagabonds by
the police.
Fourth--Not single room, outside
of the market house, whore the people
or any part thereof, or any fire COM
pany can assemble without paying an
exorbtant price for the room,
Flfth--0utslde Of the contracted linz
It's of the old village, not street over
fifty feet wide, and some only thirty
feet--the width of COW lanes In the
country. On the contrary, proprietors
of acres refusing to give wide and de-
cent streets, and demanding that the
public shall be taxed to pay them for
streets, the working Of which enrlches
the same proprietors, Some of these
propretors seem to value their ground
at so much per pound for dirt. Three
years ago they could not get twenty.
five dollars per acre. Now, owing t.
the enterprise of other people, they
want from five hundred to three thous-
and dollars per acre. Some Of them
would rob the very men who have
made them rich. Oh shame!
Sixth-Thet town is destitute ofalmost
every element of public character
which is foundin other towns, to invite
strangers to settle among us. Individ-
ual enterprise has done much, as in
Fields theater, Odd Fellows hall, the
iron bridge, the hall OF Pythias,
churches, ETC., but where is the evil
dence Of that fermenting, dlli'usive
spirit which has made other towns
great and prosperous? Through what
street or to what place can liberal
citizen drive stranger without feel
ing of shame at the narrow, filthy
lanes, called streets--mere lanes OF
twenty-five, thirty, forty and at most
fifty feet, in town laid out in n will
derness where lands, three years ago,
were not worth more than three to five
dollars per acre? Men owning ten to
thirty acres are unwilling to lay them
out in decently shaped and sized lots
with broad streets and sidewalks, lest
some pounds of dirt might bring in
their full value In gold OH!
shame on such spirit! Is
there no pride, no lberality, no conf
prehensive spirit among our property
holders? Dan they not see that less
ground with more and broader streets,
alleys, public squares and parks, would
bring them more money?
Seventh-Look at our facilities for
burrying the deadlock for yourselves.
Stuck off in an inaccessible corner,
overlooking a bottom, laid out after the
manner of n "Pinch Finger" and ped
died out at prices yielding three thous-
and dollars per acre.
Theseaeplain truths, plainlyspoken.
Our all is in Dallas, and we are bound
up in its prosperity. Its advantages
are so great that we believe its pros
Rerity is reasonably well assured; yet,
in some respects, we believe it has the
heaviest load to carry of any town we
ever saw, excepting one, and that one
died of the dry rot, incubated in the
nest Of seliishness in its proprietors.
There mustbe more liberality in ground
holders, or our prosperity may receive
an obstinate check.