Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-12-01
EAST VERSUS WEST.
The Cost of Living in Philadelphia
and Pittsburg Compared.
HOW TO MAKE THE CITY CLEANER.
A GOmmunity's Apparel Affected by Its
Surroundings.
GAS CITY ARCHITECTURE DEFENDED
WRITTEN FOR THE DrssArcH.l

WRITTEN FOR THE DIsPATCH-I
The appearance of Pittsburg to a stranger
as he approaches along Liberty street or
along the hillsides of the Panhandle or Bal
timore and Ohio railroads is not an enticing
one. Many of the houses need paint and look
as though the hand of rusty Time had left
his corroding tint upon them. The paint
brush, scrubbing brush, the broom, the
tiler, the glazier, the scayenger, should not
thus be of the past, long forgotten. Re
appearing smoke, white from the furnace,
black from the chimneys: dust from the
mills, from the factories, from the streets, In
whirlwinds and clouds. Dust and smoke
mix and search every Granny and crack on
I the walls and shutters until the rain comes
I and turns it all into black ink.
Natural gas for two or three years was the
pride and hope of the people, besides bring
| ing great money benefits, as it promised to
do away with the former black, dirty ap-
pearance of the city. Under its use the face
OF things was changing. Paint had COM
menced to reappear, and the hitherto
gloomy crags around the city had COM
meneed to put on an emerald hue. Vegeta-
ton was springing up in hitherto impossible
places. The whole city had begun to put
on its good clothes, and the people were joy
full that smoke had disappeared, and that
sight could be had for miles from the hill
tops. But those dreams of Elysium too
plainly are gradually vanishing. Smoke
once more obscures the valleys and crowns
the hilltops. Dust and smoke have again
reappeared.
Gas was plaything, but now it is so val
liable and in such demand that coal in some
quarters comes cheaper, and many have
returned to it For two years Pittsburgers
took pride in showing strangers the grand
view from Mount Washington, which was
totally unobscured by smoke; but now the
scenery is only on sight on a very clear
morning, as the smoke is again filling the
atmosphere to large extent.
WHERE THE SMOKE FAULT LIES.
There is no excuse for so much smoke,
even if ifbituminous coal is greatly in use.
The fault lies with the carelessness of the
managers and the fremen of the mills. A
few years ago mill near Birmingham,
England, was complained of on account of
its smoke darkening the whole vicinity.
The owner went to see how the furnace
was fed, and found that the fireman, as a
usual thing, had filled the furnace as full
| as it would hold. OF course, a great
amount of fuel was wasted, as the life was
being baked, cooked out of the great mass
of it, and the chimneys belched out con-
stantly great volumes of black smoke, while
the fireman enjoyed his ease and his pipe.
| The owner Immediately changed things by
causing the fireman to feed his fires slowly,
not more than two or three shovelstul at a
time, scattering it we'll, and the result was
that there was no smoke to speak OF, and
saving of One-third in fuel, with fine,
steady white heat in the furnace. That was
with as dirt coal as can be found. The
same result can be had in Pittsburg by a
careful supervision of the furnace and fuel
department.; by employing fremen of in
telligence and energy, who won't shovel in
a cart-load OF coal to save trouble.
OUTER SIGNS OF INTERIOR STATE.
Pittsburg could thus be improved and
assisted out of her dirty appearance. If dirt
is to reign as king few people will care to
beautify their buildings or grounds or to
build fine buildings like other cities are do
ing. The condition of the clothing even of
most people met with on the streets is apt to
be affected by the condition of things all
around them. A smoky, dusty, murky at.
mosphere, muddy streets and black rivulets
| from every awning and spout cause people
| to become careless as to their appearance;
to keep on wearing out their old clothes,
and to present a generally rusty, shabby,
shiny, slouched-hat condition not at all
corresponding with their means and which
| eventually extends to the mind. 1t don't
cost any more to be neat and cleanly than it
does to be the opposite-it takes little
more trouble, that is all. The man who
leaves a spot on his clothing, has a spot on
his mind, of laziness or of carelessness.
The bituminous coal has now gotten
firm toothold in Philadelphia and New
York, as well as in many of the New En-
| gland cities. Hard coal, or anthracite, is
being pushed out to large extent by the
softer sort. The hard coal is still used in
house, store or CRATE heating, but the soft
coal has largely taken its place as a steam
coal. And of course wherever it goes it
scatters its smoke far and wide, causing
more discomfort than it does in Pittsburg
because of the cleanliness hitherto enjoyed
from hard coal and wood fuel.
APPAREL IN EASTERN CITIES.
Shakespeare says "Costly thy habit as
| thy purse can buy;" but that should not
mean extravaganza, but merely dressing as
veil as one can with due respect to his means.
People in the East have decidedly differ
| ent notion of dressing from their brothers
! West. They have much lighter cOlored
! and bolder garments, newer in style and
cut, and vet perhaps less expensive than the
same class of goods in the West. They look
bright and unobtrusive in the clean cities
and parks of the East, but when they go
West they seem rather too gay to Western
| people. Their apparel don't take; and from
the looks often cast at them they might wish
they had stayed at home or had worn dingier
clothes to suit the place.
In Philadelphia and New York clothing
is somewhat cheaper than west of the Allie
ghenies. Clothing merchants in the West
deny it, but I rather think it is true. The
item oT Guyot's suspenders, which can be
had in New York or Philadelphia for
80 cents, costs here 80 cents. That is
one article on which sure comparison can
be made. The ratio as 50 is to so for
socks, handkerchiefs, cravats, ties, shoes,
umbrellas and clothing generally would not
be out of the way. Woolen garments,
underclothes, are also cheaper East. 1t is
true thGt wages are, on the other hand,
from 10 to 80 per cent higher in Pittsburg,
for instance, than in the East. The price
of living in the West is generally much
higher. Butter will average 10 cents a
pound higher; cheese, to cents; grapes, 8
cents; cranberries, 81 so per barrel;
oranges, 81 30 per barrel; sweet potatoes,
over 81. Fresh meat is generally from
4 B to 10 cents per pound higher
west of the Alleghenies, though so
much nearer the source of supply. In the
Eastern cities the great abundance of
fish from the ocean furnishes a large
item of economy in table expenses. Fish
is both cheaper and more wholesome
than meat, and is much used by all classes
in the East. The fish markets are pleasant
sight to see. Elegant fish of all kinds, and
IN great quantities, on all sides. Great
turtles from the West Indies. Diamond
back terrapin from the Delaware Bay and
from the far South. Splendid Holsters from