National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1875-08-16
A GRUMBLER GRowLs.
Complaints About Street Lights.


To the Editor Of the National Republican:
SIR: Please allow me . brief space In your col
umns that II may add my ''bsrbsric yawp" to the
grand chorus Of grumblers. i do not desire to
hurl ansthemas at Schneider, Of the Marine band,
or to pitch maledIctions at Professor Marsh !;
neither have anything to say about DR.. Watts
dispensatory Of garden seeds, nor the Official cow
at the navy yard. These exalted themes COM
mand ADLER pens and more luminous intellects
than mine. step to the front with limpIng gait
and aching joints, supported by two canes to COM
plain Of the imperfect, uneven and irregular man
ner of lighting the streets Of Washington, where
BY divers persons are grievously afflicted, and
your correspondent is disabled with many bruises,
1t happened that had business to attend to in
SwsDpoodle Q few evenings ago, but the business
still remains unfinished; for as was quietly and
rapidly pursuing my way Istspped suddenly from
solid sidewalk into vacancy and landed at the
bottom Of dangerous pitfsll, left, with many
other traps, by the sudden interruption OF I'm.
Public Works. Had there been any street lights
in that vicinity, had that part Of the town been
half Is we'll lighted Is many others much less
pice and not walked of, thus avoiding severe con-
tusions Of the flesh, much vexation Of spirit, and
the sacrifice Of some "store clothes"
1t is hard to understand why q food Of gas.
light is needed about the residence Of ex-senator
Stewart, for the accommodation Of q very few
people, while thickly settled parts Of the city are
Of the tripartite monarchy under which the cap
ital OF the great republic is pushing along, but
the monarchy may be reasonably expected to
regulate the conduct Of Mr.. Superintendent
Bailey, whe has direct charge Of street lighting.
1t is welLknown fact that the city Is often In
total darkness In stormy or cloudy weather,
while at other times all the lamps are lighted
early and burned late on clear, star.lit nights.
Gas is not dear here. 1t costs but one cent an
hour for each public lamp, and the gas company
IL ready to furnish any amount at 81 80 per thou
sand feet. II Is believed that all needful light
might be furnished without increased consump-
ton If proper care were taken IN the matter Of
distribution and time Of lighting and extinguIsh-
ing. The present allowance Is twenty-five hun
dred hours Of light per annum. Were those hours
properly distributed there would be no occasion
Tor totally dispensing with light seven Mig hts In
each month on an average.
Many years ago the superintendent Of street
lights In Western city was gathered TO his
fathers, and the "Wabash Waller" poet Of
great local celebrity in the same line that has
been worked SO successfully by Colonel George
W .Ohilds, handed the defuncs superintendent
DOWN to lame IN an obituary commencing with
this immortal verse: ~ ,.iI'6-' E. ....
- This world Of fools hath such store
80 rll That he who would not see an ass
r.sE Must bide At home and bolt his door
= 80 And break his looking glsss.pl
Z Let Nj. Bailey beware The time viii come FOR
his obituary TO be written, Let his light so Shine
before men that when IL 10 finally snuHed ont his
fellow citizens will mourn his exit /. ia. y