Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1881-04-21
OUR HANDSOME STREETS.
The City's Pride and Boast The Commit
tees Annual Jaunt.

ID
The City's Pride and Boast The Commit
tees Annual Jaunt.
Wheeling has a national reputation
for nails and cigars. The native OF the
far north, away up among the pines OF
Maine, pulls contentedly away upon a
long smoker, cent from Wheeling 10 re-
tail at six for dime. The olive skinned
Creole OF Cuba throws away his Lopez
cigar and pensively pufis Wheeling
stogie at one-tenth the price. On the
far off plains OF the wide West the EN-
igrant builds his cabin and sinks to its
head many Wheeling nail without
knowing It's origin, and in the reviving
industries of the stricken South, our
nails figure extensively. Yes, Wheel
ing has great reputation for nails and
stogies, a name that stretches from the
storm tossed coast OF Nova Scotia to
where the ripping waves OF the Pacific
kiss the golden sands OF California. But,
oh! her streets. They are her pride
and her boaat. When the early settlers,
struck by the magnificent view
up and down the Ohio, founded
this village and from Fortress McHenry,
on the top of Main street hill, fought
sayages and thought OF the future city,
their widest dreams, their loftiest flights
of fancy never compassed such broad
boulevards and smooth, shaded avenues
as these we have to-day.
Our taxes are moderate and we are
glad OF il; our streets are broad, smooth
and shaded by fine trees and we glory
in it. When strangers come to us and
we show them. with pride, our manu-
factories, the vanity may be pardoned,
with which we turn and with majestic
wave Of the hand, the right hand, say:
"And now, gaze down the street and
mark its breadth, smoothness and clean
illness; and when you return, tell your
people OF the streets OF Wheeling and
make them envious." The average
Wheeling man is quite worn out simply
by saying and repeating things like this.
The reason We have such model
streets Is because OF the level-headed-
ness OF our Councimen. Without wait
ing for the stern teaching Of self-exper.
fence, they profit by the experience OF
others. They reduce the street making
problem to science. They go to other
cities and ransack the histories Of their
streets. They note in what they failed
and in what they succeeded, and this
knowledge is applied to practice. They
study what makes good streets and what
does not, and the bad is rejected and
the good is used. Economy is practiced
in every branch and every cent counts.
They bear in mind that it ia the peoples
Of ,,hi .h 10 nv 4.
eral sweat of brows, and they are care
full of it. No work has to be done twice,
for it is well done at first.
These are facts, and that is why we
are happy.
Once a year the Council committee to
whose fostering care the streets, alleys,
and grades are intrusted, makes tour
OF the city for the purpose OF estimating
the probable expense OF keeping the
streets in good repair. Yesterday was
the day, and off the committee went.
1t is not an arduOus task, and one full
day is amply sufficient-or has been so
considered. The committee sailed about
the city, re-eniorced by the Street Com
missioner. Health Officer and City En-
gineer. Every street, nearly, was visit
Ell, lrOH uTaHu view AVENUE, WHICll
stretches its majestic length upon the
summit Of Wheeling Hill, to small,
blind alleynear Squire Schultze's. The
committee WAS impressed with one fact,
viz: That Wheeling has worse streets
than any city of half its population in
the Union. Further, that the streets
were, in a majority OF cases, poorly
made and worse kept.
The committee learned that it would
take about four columns OF type and an
entire vocabulary Of adjectives to ade.
quately describe the condition-the
miserable conditioner most OF the
streets. But it is useless to FAY more
about it, for every citizen knows it.
Words are useless and epithets are vain.
The committee decided upon various
improvements, notably the rip-rapping
of the western termini OF some OF the
Island streets, and 80 the wheel turns
on.
In the matter of street making the
Council has for wears been wandering in
a wilderness. The present body has
not yet Tried its maiden hand, but If it
should produce Moses to lead us into
the promised land of better streets, he
will have reared for himself monu-
ment more durable than brass.