The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1879-07-20

mixed with the dirt of the street. forming very
offensive combination which. il not removed, viii
breed disease wherever 1t is found
Words are lacking TO describe the filthy condition
of Greenwich and West streets Layers of dirt
the whole that the pavement is rarely vis-
bic. In West street this mud is, of course, the
thickest on account OF the great amount of travel
passing through that thoroughfare. When this
dries up il blows around in peoples noses throats
and lungs and what is left OF 1t turns to again
at the first rain In Ciarkson street near West, the
reporter found aged of the Street
Cleaning Department, who with antique broom
was attempting to gather few little piles of dirt
from the acres that surrounded him. The reporter
approached this gentle missionary Of the besom in
tending to confer with him upon street cleaning in
general and the neglect of this street In particuar
HERE TO-DAY AND GONE TOMORROW.
"How often are these streets swept he asked.
swell, can't tell yez. SURF. Yez see. be here
now and mayn't be here again for more AN week.
I'd go to some other places and maybe somebody
would be- in my place thin tomorrow. They changes
around 80 we can't tell nothing at ali about It,
"But this street looks as though it had not been
swept for n MONTH
"Yis. SURF; it needs sweeping pretty badly indade
it does" answered the workman. eff thin two
out Of the way Icould do better" he con-
cluded. pointing to two large trucks that stood
the gutter preventing all possibility cleaning the
space underneath.
The culvert. at the corner of Morton and
sorts of filth of the foulest description.
The gutter on the north side of Barrow street is
filled with dirty water and the efauvia from it is by
ing vegetables and other pestilence breeding refuse
that is thrown unfortunately into the gutter The
same thing is found in Washington street. only in
much greater degree. and, consequently, much more
dangerous. A pale looking woman in q butter store
inst south of christopher street in reply to the
porter's question said, mo. sir; they don't come
here very regular the street cleaners This street
very much neglected. especially around here"
well, how often do you them?"
"Well, sometimes they don't come oftener than
once in two weeks. Thursday was the last day they
to The b to IN
Washington street it was the same thing-piles Of
decaying rubbish erywhere. The only contented
indviduals in this neghborhood were the goats.
who to fatten well on the nauseating stuff and
eat the decaying leaves and vegetables as though
they were the most delicious food.
Perry street is one of the worst in the district.
Little hills of dirt piled up in the middle of the
street. swept there for the most part by the citizens.
disfigure the sight These piles supposed to be
waiting tor the cartmen to appear: but, they
never come. it is not removed, except by the wind
which scatters 1t again. only to be swept up some
filth. The culvert at Bank and Washington streets
is partly blocked up, and the interstices of the
dirty water. over which the flies hold noisy
caucuses. Bank street itself is covered with
several inches of thick black mud. In Bethune
street the sight is repeated In Washington
street, between Bethune and West Twelfth streets.
is pool of dirty water. half dried up with the
usual accompaniment OF millions Of small flies and
rotting vegetables.
Almost directly in the centre of the roadway where
West Twelfth and Washington streets
dead cat, of somewhat larger proportions than the
other the reporter had seen, and somewhat more de-
composed. chicken was quietly browsing on its
back pecking away at the naggots illustrating the
indifference OF one race for the comfort
of another West Twelfth ,r street is covered
had evidently been swept recently but the little
piles being fast dissipated. and not much Will
be left by the time the cartmen come. This system
is doubt very convenient tor the Street Cleaning
Department.. IL keeps employed number of la.
borers whose votes might be useful on election day
1t goes through the form of sweeping up little dirt
here and there to pacify the citizens and by allow
ing sufficient time to eapse before the carts come
around not much of the dirt can be found ready
the loads not 80 full, nor numerous, and the
Commissioners spared the dilemma of having on
hand large quantity OF dirt which they are unable
to get rid or 1t Is much cheaper to wait for the
winds to blow it into the river they think.
Horatio street is little better than pig pen. its
surface retaining all the foul matter that Is
collected upon it.
Gansevoort and Bloomfield streets abound with
ashes and manure. The latter is dropped from
wagons their way to the dock at the foot of the
street. where large quantities of 1T daily loaded
harges. An enterprising citizen was trying to
extemporze gutter by digging out the black mud
along the curbstone. As he was throwing out huge
shovelfuls OF the thick loan the reporter gently
approached and softly asked why he did not let the
Street Cleaning Department know Of the condition
of the street and have the gutter cleaned The man
looked cross. as though bad joke had been perpe
called out, els It Sthrcet Claiming Department
shure they've never swept the street since It'll
been paved; they don't come here at oil at all. :"
Another INSTRUCTED culvert exists at the corner o.
West Thirteenth street and West street and the
sequence il the attendant pools of water. Yves
Fourteenth street. the upper boundary OF the two
precincts, is badly in need of having the superfuou
dirt removed, especially the lower part or 1t.
watering cart on windy days would also be an i'm
provement.
THIS TIME THE DOG
On the north side of tho street, just west o.
Tenth avenue the reporter came upon the body of
large Newfoundland dog, lying in the middle OF
what is called by courtesy the sidewalk. 1t wal
much advanced in decomposition and had appar
emily been there several days. That such large
object should be- allowed to tester ami street
as frequented as Fourteenth can only be the result
of the grossest carelessnes Incidentally ii may bS
said that large yellow cat has been lying in Ann
street. about opposite No. TO- for the past days
On the south side of Fonrteenth street between
Tenth avenue and Greenwich. there has been col
lected great pool OF stagnant water. Hudson
street comp rAtivey clean. but the garbage hat
side OF the street. Jane street IL covered with dus
and dirt and contains the same array of garbage
barrels West Fourth street needs sweeping badly
At the corner of West Twelfth there is a culver
stopped up, and the other culvert the other side
is fast becoming so. being made the receptacle 81
the refuse meat bones of the neighborhood. Bank
street is filled with mud and Dirt and Green witch
avenue though such wide thoroughfare. has its
share of mud. aud the cutters are not lacking in
garbage, decaying leaves and other refuse matter
Charles street. opposite the police station. is nota
bly, clean spot, but in all other parts it very dirty
West Tenth street has also its share Of mud.
Clinton place is full or black muck. Opposite No
120 there is stagnant pool OF water filled with gar
bage and decaying vegetables. Washington square
is passably clean, though filled with dust. Thomp
sou street is dusty, but otherwise clean, as IA
being paved ut present and people do not seem to
throw things in the street while II is being paved
1t is poor choice of evils tor the residents. Oppo
site No. 76 Houston street there is % garbage barre
whose presence makes itself known by til,
smell at least block of. 1t is but
a poor advertisement for the French res
taurant in front OF which il stands
In Wooster street. near by, there IN a pool dirty
water. Greene street is covered with the black IN nd
which seems be the distinguishing feature of this
part OF the city Even Ia Mercer street. opposite the
door of the Fifteenth precinct station house, poo
OF water two feet square has collected in little de
presson the sidewalk. resident states that the
street has been in that condition for years. Broad
way IL as nearly clean the constant trave
through 1t admits. but there is reason why when
man. intending to the street, draws back to al
low the passage of a. vehicle, his newly polished
boots should be all spattered over with mud
TRICKS in THE COAL TRADE