The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1882-11-08
A Glimpse at New York's Streets.


Wv York, O-sb br 10 = New YORK
Is tasl -slalnI t.e a.ane lfy
Wires owlas 10 thc eau-ta:.r Increase b.
the forest OF po.e- an wire, ich nlR
lines every avenue and many ui the cross
street The increase IS s. steady tina,
we who live here never notice the grow
lug network until sOme visitor points 0
some new line of poles or some accident
directs our attention to the matter. One
day last winter we had peculiar storm
which covered everything with ice an
inch thick; the telegraph wires became
cables of ice to such an extent that hun
dreds OF posts broke under the weight
and many streets were impossible owing
the broken wires which covered the
ground. From my office window in the
tenth story of one Of our highest building,
found that my sight Of Broadway was cut
of by the network of Ice cables which
were hardly noticed at other times, and
by good means of good opera glss, and
patience, | discovered that on one short
block along Broadway, measuring two
hundred feet, 2l6 wires crossed the
famous thoroughtare, while 1S2 wires
ran parallel with it. This won
derful network had grown up wire by
wire almost mperceptibly. Every year
the Western Union Company is obliged
to put up new poles along Broadway, not
because the old ones are lotten, but be-
ause they are not large enough to carry
tie Increased number of wires From the
.eudcr p1.eS OF twenty years ago, we
have got 20 cnpImous liberty poles meas
uriug, frequently, three feet In diameter
At the base ami one huuUed feet IN
height II il vas ouly the telcl raph
companies winch put up poles anu RAJ
vines IN every CUectlOu there would be
less cause Tor complaint; but each compa
ny uSiug wires IN It's business obtains the
right t. put up poles on which to string
them ami the result l. a forest poles Of
every conceivable SIZE and shape, belong
ing to electric hight companies. stock
! quotation companies, telegraph cOmpa-
mes, and telephone companies, beside
| which we have the poles and wires be
longing 10 the fire and police departments,
and our electric light companies, instead
| OF pooling interests and using poles IN
| common. insist on having separate mus
ance. The rapidly and audaclty with
| which the new United States llluInlnat-
ing Company put up poles all over the
! lower part of New York In few weeks
| BY boiling iron sockets four feet high into
| side walk tagging, really dumbfounded
many citizens who were getting ready to
| apply for iDjunct;ons, but always found
! the work done ahead OF their protests.
| Whole blocks were ftted out In night
with poles By this rapid method which
did away with the digging OF holes. The
| poles fit into the sockets.
ARMY OF MESSENGER BOYS.
One company which is doing wonders
TO keen the light OF day out OF our streets
is the mutual District Messenger Com
pany. rival of the American District
Telegraph Company, and commonly sup
posed TO be connected with the Mutual
Union telegraph Company III its tight
against JAY Could, who contros the
American District Company and manages
il In connection with the Western Union.
The American District Company was or
ganized several years ago to furnish mes
senger boys Of unduubted s. eed and hon
esty to persons needing them. The aver
age charge was thirty cents an hour, and
from the beginning /, e ch, me vas a sue
ces, most large business houses, hotels
and theatres havin an csreciai electro
messenger call By which a boy can be
summoned from the nearest otfce. The
origin oi the buISue-s was u WAL street
aud il was AT first de-, gncd Tor III kerr; but
It's manifest advantages led the establish
ment OF offices il different parts o b Getty,
until now the American Company has -
offices, employing nearly one thousand
boys who are paid from So to s. week,
according TO their work. Extraordinary
stories are told from time to time about
the phenomenal sloth OF the boys who
take two hours TO 90 two miles, but the
public would scarcely know now 10 get on
now without them and rival company
was soon started by some Of our richest
citizens, with Robert b Minturn at their
head. In order TO drap custom from the
American Company the new Mutual
Company offered to put electric calls into
any house or place of business free Of
charge A. the American Company had
charged a month, for the privilege of
having a call instrument IN one 5 mouse, I.
the Mutual offer was accepted by thous-
ands of persons who are always glad to
cet something ior nothing. Moreover, the I
new company added another advantage I
1t agreed that when the bell rang three
times policeman should be sent in an
swer tho lie call, and when il rang 3 times
a III. L
employ messengers had instruments In
their houses for the safety of the thing |
and many women sleep more soundly now
that they can summon the police or the /
fireman bv touching an ivory button not
four feet from her head oil the bed. /
There l. no question "a ~ the e#p'mvu 1
convenience OF he system. aui A. as
instrument cost nothing, the nnA cha z
being for actual service reudere ever
one is having one put in, ana IN many
streets every house has its wire, some
Apartment houses having aoz,r wire
going il at the windows lhe Nh IA
60. trusts TO creating a aem2 4 or trt tc'
this system and 1t Is succcedtn-. Ga
rainy days market orders &c i gteaf
er than the supply and lafic, a.s go. a.
educated 10 the new luxury