The New York herald., 1876-01-28
OUR STREET LAMPS.

Few cities, IL any, possess more natural advan-
tages either with respect TO water privileges or topo
graphical situation than New York; and yet, with
everything her favor, there Is hardly any place Of
Importance that impresses tho traveller sojourner
less favorably hrst sight than does the metropolis OF
America With inadequate means Of railroad
transportation walks Uttered with all sorts Of encum-
brances the view and beauty Of the streets obsructed
by long lines Of unsghty telegraph poles those who
for the first tmo visit New York must, indeed be
sadly disappointed At distance from our city poo
pie arc apt 10 look upon her in their maginatons 4
model OF cleanliness tidness, neatness WHILE in fact
the emporium Of American commorce-famous at once
for her enterprise and her prospcryis the dir,est
most wretohedy kept and worst governed place.
almost, that could be named.
Take, for instance street lamps example in
point We have street lamp inspector who earns his
81, 900 year, salary that would be considered
princely by Dutch burgomastcr Yet our street
lamp inspector who is even allowed horse and three
or four assistants to aid him. fails 10 Keep the lamps in
anything like good trim. Tho HERALD first suggested,
in years gone by, the idea OF painting street
lamps along the public thoroughfares and this has
beon adopted by several cities In various parts of the
country. While the plan was carried out as intended
the results we're perfectly satisfactory; but Just n
newly arrived for that matter the oldest in-
habitan-may wander up and down for half mile with
out being able the Of street any Of the
amps The glass strips on which the street names
painted get broken and our inactive lamp superin-
tondent omits 10 replace them; tho strips are some
times inverted that II would require the bohoder
walk on his head in order read them arght and in
this careless way they allowed to remain for weeks
and months together without receiving tho least atten-
ton from our So 900 salaried official Then again. the
street signs are often with "Broadway, directing
the bcwdcred traveller down obscure side street,
pointing up and down Broadway, giving the in
quiring tourist 10 know that have a
back street in New York that might
compare very favorably with many Of their show
thoroughfares in other cities AT many OF the street
corners blank strips Of som Opaque glass which the
signs painted greet the dspleased eye and
the traveller left bssfu ignorance OF his bearings
point OF departure or objective point Tho of
this is that the street glass signs, which should be
painted in OIL dabbcd With lampblack and tur-
pentne and the first shower OF rain obteratcs the let
tors But this does not matter TO the contractor the
superintendent The taxpayers are charged with the
price of good sign; tho city receives useless one aud
the corrupt people employed by the Corporation pocket
the profits
During the incoming spring. summer and fall there
will be vast influx OF visitors 10 New York from all
parts of the civilized world and II is very desirable
that our house should be put in sort OF order to
receive many guests. Let the streets be cleared of
all encumbrances--teegraph poles ncludod-let them
be cleaned and lei US have signs the Tampa
at each street crossing in order that the people and
the stranger who Is within walls may know in
what direction travelling There should be
better method OF lettering the lamp signs than that In
use at present colored ground with coloress letters
might be tried with advantage.