New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-12-30
BEYOND THE BIG BRIDGE.
WHAT PEOPLE IN BROOKLYN FIND TO TALK
AROfJT

arc few and hard 10 find No one has yet cono ioI
ward TO show wherein Brooklyn VIII Dc INC saiio,
one city takes the place of two moreoNoi' ,
RenubIIcans ere confidently looking forward 10 me
time when Brooklyn Will be a Republican CITY, i"'
signs pointine I'm that direction numerous ana u
mistakable, and with a continuation OF 'io 'o'.
growth that has been going on In Brooklyn SO rapuS
of late ten years or less will that happy "i"s
formation achieved. And at the same time there ~
not much likelihood that the Democratic rihs WI" "'
a disposition to loose its hold so long as chanoo VA
retaining IL remains. AS for the people geheraAiy
they fail to perceive the advantages when u Is sa
will accrue from consolidation. Almost the only vaho
argument that sde apart from senumehtal reaSo"'
Is that the government of the two cities maze ONO
would cost less than the penses Of two separate se
of machinery. still even that is open to donoL
Would the proving Of ono hugo ring on tho proposed
big municipality be any less than the prcying OF TWO
rings on the two cities as they now aref
have met at least one we-known citizen OF
Brooklyn who is confident that In the competition
between cities In this country Brooklyn Is destined
to outstrlp New-York itself Why said he, " theie
can be no doubt about It. Brooklyns opportunities
for development and expansion are pracue@ly WIN
out limit. They already talking OF ahheAins
FIatbush and New-Utrecht and part OF Queens
County, and Of course stretch ourselves OUT
until the city extends from the East River TO the AT
lantIc Ocean, And still the whole of 1t VIII be
readily accessible. 1t can all be MADE much more
accessible than the upper part OF the annexed "as
I'm New-York, which is fourteen miles from the Clty
Hall Then, again, NewYork Is being more ana
more given up to trade. See how the wholesale
business is advancing uptown, and the retail business
Is invading streets which very few years ago were
occuped solely by residences. People Of moderate
means cannot even now afford to live In New-fork,
and they bound more and more 10 seek MONIES
elsewhere. A. good many Of them VIII surely como
to Brooklyn and the growth OF our city VIII only DC
measured by the facilities for travel which are pro-
vided. In twenty-five years ] confident that
BROOKLYN viii exceed New York IN population, and
then II there is any talk of consolidation It will be
Now York that will have to be- consolidated with
Brooklyn"
II was not little odd to note, in connection with
the first OF the two messages recently sent 70 the
Common Council by Mayor Chaplin. the fIsome anu
uncalled-for compliments which the Aldermen received
at the Mayors hands. He spoke of the many proofs
Of their courteous and friendly sprt' and Of the
harmonious and agreeable relations thus malntaneh
and still subslsng" and further made this astonishing
statement, More important than the mere personal
relation IS the fact, which glad to publicly re
cord that the bstaDa interests Of the city have re-
ceived Intelligent progressive and patriotic treatment
at the hands of your honorable body That the
Brooklyn Aldermen should be charged with being IN
telligont progressive and patriotic must have caused
reflected on the course of obstruction which they SO
long pursued I'm reference to tho application OF the
Edison Electric Light Company for the privilege OF
competing with the concern owned ana controlled py
a gang of Democratic politicians TO be sure they
finally Welded because political exigences seemed 10
demand It: but to characterize their conduct as pa-
Otto progressive and intelligent, is audacous In the
extreme and Mayor Chaplin would not have resortcd
TO such palpable attery unless in tho expectation OF
thereby forwarding his own political amDtlons' on
transparent device could hardly accomplish It's pur
nose and an astute and sagacious official would nave
adopted shrewder course.
The report of the Subway Commissioners indicates
a compacent frame Of mind on the part Oh tnoSo
officials which IS fully justified by the iacss'
Oddly enough, they count as buried seven MICS Vi
wires I'm cables attached 10 the elevated railway
structures The elevated roads have dou'lesS cohi'
TO STAY for some time at least, and If they can Do
used As substitutes telegraph poles there can DC no
reasonable objection thereto provided there warrant
in law for doing this. There IS no such Warrant a'
present as the bill TO that effect fsllcu lds' "fn0r'
and consequently the Coulpis VINO were ap-
poined for the purpose OF putting the wires uuue-
ground. are guilty of subterfuge and evasion when
they reckon wires disposed of as buried ana uiey
act without authority when they grant permission
Cor the strn cinc of wires on the elevated structures
81 far as the burying Of electric light wires Is con-
cerned the Brooklyn subway officials are as iar from
a solution as ever when they set out to master
the problem Of underground electric conductors they
displayed marked zeal and gave promise OF acheVhs
excellent results But their energy has subsidized to
large extent and the public has lost the confidence
which It once entertained as 10 their disposition ana
ability.
Tn connection with tho repavng Of streets, which
has become a subject of pressing concern uiro"en
the recent outlying of the Mayor, an Interesting pos
has been made concerning the effect of asphalt pave
ments on trees Experience shows that in streets
where such pavements have been lald the trees w
not flourish If indeed they do not speedily winner
The reason IS not far to seek 1t is apparent on
moments thought that 1t is almost Impossible LOT
water TO penetrate the roots Of trees beneath such an
impervious covering and hence their decline In newt
able. No plans are now in view for increasing the
asphalt pavements in Brooklyn. but this matter IS
worth keeping in mind against the possibility that
the question may be raised at some time IN the lute'
Asphalt pavements have certain undoubted advantages
along with equally undoubted disadvantages Inc
drawback mentioned here IS doubtless seldom taken
into account
At last It has been decided to place in Plymouth
Church a memorial tablet In honor of Mr. Beecher-
1t IS a little surprising that action in this direction
was not taken earlier, but in the months that fol
lowed Mr. Beccher's death the church had other
things 10 concern itself about, including the response
bility Of selecting new pastor That matter having
been satisfactorily settled, after one failure, attention
has now been turned to a memorial of the man VINO
made Plymouth Church what IT IS within the pam
brick edifce which was for many years the scene
Of his labors 1t appears that the site for the statue
of Mr. Beecher to be erected by the citizens OF
Brooklyn, has not yet been finally settled upon
Some months ago ii stated that 1t was TO be
placed on the east drive Of Prospect Park, on tho
spot where the bust of Washington lrvn2 has STOOD
for some twenty years. This was by no means the
most suitable place in the park for the great preacher
monument and the contributors TO the monument iund
will not regret the selection OF moro fitting Site
That the statue should be made feature OF Prospect
Park is generally agreed be the wises thing possible,
especially as other sites suggested were almost
equally objectionable ono because it was too public,
and the other because it too remote from the
habitual resorts of the people