The Wilmingtonian., 1886-05-29
The Streets of Wilmington.

Instead of speaking Of the streets of Will
mngton, let US talk of Market street alone.
1t is not an attractive street by any means.
At least that is the verdict of visitors. What
could there be more Iepcllent harsh
and uugainly, or more provincial than tile
great coarse rubble or cobble stones that
are used for paving it. Then too from the
middle of the street where the street-car bed
is there is sudden fall to either side. like
the slope of a hogs back, to the gutter.
And this hogs back feature of the paw
ing of Market street is the general type of it
from bridge to bridge from the draw
bridge to old Brandywine These antique
cobble stones are quite out of place in the
main business avenue of the metropolis of
the State.
The passage of a carriage along the cob
BILE Cor rubhle as it is sometimes called) paw
ed roadway, jolting from side to side with
the sudden and violent surmlunting of one
wheel over an unmodilied Braudywine mon
olith with the Simultaneous buryiug of the
other in neighborng subsistence is equally
calculated to wrench the carriage springs,
dislocate the veltebra of the diver and
drive crazy the best tempered horse in exist
ence. Altogether, the picture of top.bug-
gy crossing Main street, its upper parts
sway;ng too and fro like the Tapping main
sails of an oyster pungy in IA ground. swell
is about as amusing picture as any one
need ask to see.
There is no doubt our theory of street
paving is mo- antique aud far from ad-
mrable or picturesque one.
A few day ago City Council had under its
consideration the budget of appropriations
for the new fiscal year. The sum of 500, 900
was mentioned for street purposes.
Why not apply that sum to paving Market
street with Belgian blocks 1t is perhaps
surprising suggestion to make and undoubt-
edly an innovation. But it is claimed by
some that our City Fathers are asleep in re-
gard to modern improvements, therefore the
appropriateness of waking them up to con
ditions that exist in other cities of less mag
nitude or at any rate of aspirations of state
metropolis as Wilmington is considered.
Give up the expensive waste of hundreds
and thousands of dollars suggested in gut
teriug Market street. That street is nothing
else but continued stretch, from bridge to
bridge, of hillocks and holes, with a cul-
minating crest along its middle so built up
by the street railway 1t is all good for
nothing, unsightly, worthless job and fur
ther expense upon it is only throwing good
money after bad. A Belgian pavement
comes right up to the sidewalk and gutter
is hardly needed. The cobble stones taken
from the street which the Belgian blocks
would replace might be useful to the Board
of Health who badly need them for the paw
ing of the small side streets and alleys about
which so much complaint is made aud in re-
gard to which the Board has so much trouble
The paving of Main street is disgrace tc
Wilmingtonians. 1t is hideous to look al
and aggravating to drive or walk over. Il
requires no great stretch of Imagination tc
inspire one with the idea of the Irishmau'.
"Rocky Road to Dublin" or that well-re
membered srot along the Race-walk, which
previous to its recent grading was known tc
frequsnters as Feather-bed Lane, ...