New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1884-06-22
FIFTH AVENUES SAD PLIGHT
GRIEvOUS NEED OF A NEW PAVEMENT.
INDIGNATION OVER THE COURSE or GOVERNOR
CLEVELAND.

CLEVELAND.
Itmav be idle to expect the city authorities to
mend their: ways" unless they do 50 tray'l anu
traffic the streets Of the city VIII soon oeeomo
almost impossible. The condition OF tie pavement III
Fifh-ave. Is exceedingly had and 1t is growing worse
every day The mel elect OF Governor Cleveland 10 sign
bill providing for the repaving Of the avenue leaves
Of good horses in a sad plight "h't otno'
avenue can they drive out II they cake this one ney
the risk OF running both horses and carriages ln'
roadway is in wreched state. as any one VINO mas to
Gently driven over IL must know. The indighauoh
among those residing on Fifth ave. well as among all
others who been in the habit Of riding through '
avenue, is general. Among the dwellerS III INC "''i
who arc also the Of property there are h'Nc"
physicians of note who in the course OF their prAco
have occs ion daily TO ride this pavement Among
these are Christopher NJ Bell Morris H. Henry l.
Gaillard Thomas Lewis A. Sayrc, Nathan Moselnan ana
t. NJ Marcy. Their testimony IL that the roadway Is uh
1T II is full OF holes and inequalities thaI
make il dangerous for horses and unpleasant l" drivers
This is thing. II has long been the subject Oh
complaint carried before the Legislature IN the
hope that relief would be obtained The requirement. oil
the urged 10y prominent property-owner9 ana
was so evidently needed that both branches OF the Legs
aturc passed bill apprOprating much OF $3oOooo ~
should he needed for the purpose. From this bill Gov
crnor Cleveland withheld his signature without as
signing any reason why 1t should not become law.
WHAT SENATOR GIBBS THINKS OF 1T.
state Senator Frederick $. Gibbs to whose activity it
was largely due that the bill passed by the LegIa
turc, said To TRIBUNE reporter n.response To inquiries
"The bill was introduced by Senator Murphy and was
asked to push it, IA represented tho district In which the
work was to be done Theodore Roosevelt introduced
bill for rcpayng the from tifry-nnh to seventy
second SITS which IA embodied IN the bill that
finally passed. opposed the proposition to appropriate
$500 OOO the work TO be done under the supervision Oh
Hubert Thompson whose department wc were ehga@cd
lnvcstigating did think that the work should be
,l.o NJ liz
passed pu the work the hands Of the Commissioners
OF the Sinking Fund who to advertise for proposals
and under whose directions IL was 10 be performed uy
the lowest responsible bidder The bill originally apro
prated much OF 100000 as should he needed was
amended in the Assembly TO provide that II no re
sponsibc bidder would take the contract at 100000 he
Board of Estimate and Apportionment and the Com
missoners of the Sinking Fund could readvese ana oHer
not more than 100000 Tor it, to be given to the lowest
responsible bidder.
The whole avenue from Washington Square to one
hundred and feminist. vas to be paved with granite
block pavement The bill as it went to the Governor
was an ironclad bill No Job possible under IT
have never heard what the objections OF the Governor
were suppose the why he did not sign 1t was
because the TO he done under the direction
Of the Department of Public Works
BY the present law Uhe Consolidated Act not more
than 100000 be appropriated in one year by the
Common Council for repaying and repairing the streets
Of the whole city. Ffth-ave. cannot be repavcd this
season If all the money devoted 10 this avenue
there would be nothing left keeping thcircst Of the
streets in Ordei."
A TALK WITH Mr.. SHEPARD.
Elliott f. Shepard who lives in the handsome house at
Fihayc and Fifty second ST., found at the Column
Jia Bank safe Deposit Company of which
he is president Fth-aye. and Forty second-st He
said:
It's a great shame that Governor Cleveland did not
sign that bill. The people living in Ffth-ave., along
the Central Park and below II, united in getting
up the bill in the interest Of the taxpayers.
Any man going along there will see what bad con
dition the pavement in. In the winter time, when
they most want tose It. is muddy, broken full OF holes
and and in dangerous condition generally and 1t
Is in tuat condition now.
one reason why all the taxpayers should he charged
with the expense OF new pavement Is tat tth ave Is
daily hN of market wagons passing TO the
OF the city The stream begins 10 pour down al
4 O'Clock in the morning. Below Central Palk IL dls
tributes itself different parts OF the city IL Is the
thOroughfare supplies from the farms and vegetable
gardens large part OF the metropolis There Is more
business Of this KIND done ON that part oil tlh ave nc
fore O'Clock In the morning than is done In many large
streets IN the whole twCuty-fOur hours.
I'm regard TO the rest of the avenue the pavement
speaks for itself IL been dug mp many times for
purpose OF laying and repairing water aud gas
and badly replaced, that II
generally bad condition. and parts are III need or
Immediate repair The work should he done all at once.
new pavement should he laid under proper -uerlnend
ence avoiding the 1899 system Of patching under the
direction the Department OF Public Works William IL
Vanderbilt and all of the Vanderbilt family and all the
property owners in the avenue feel AZ do The Gov
ernor having failed TO sign the bill, nothing can now nc
done until the Legislature, except the 5000 patch
ing which is now going on IN some places