Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1889-07-27
HERE AND THERE.
Good evening!

with an observation of the new era In
building that the city is Just now expert
encing. Never, in q recollection that ex-
tends back well nigh quarter Of q GEN.
Ary, at any one time were there SO many
large and important structures In course Of
erection as at present. Besides the Astrich
Improvement, the Foltz block on Chestnut
street, the Haas building on East Orange,
and the SURPRISINGLY beautiful McGrann
building In Centre Square, both nearly fin-
ished, the Heinitsh and Arnold buildings
on North Queen, the addition to William
son 4 Fosters, the Lancaster Trust COM
pany's building, the new Central mar
ket house, and tho Presbyterian chapel,
the Osborn & Hartman factory on Water
street-not TO mention the new Methodist
and st. Johns Lutheran churches and the
long-delayed government building in con-
emplation-prove most gratifying spirit
of progress now being realized in Lancas-
ter.
AS ground near the densely built, central
part Of the city becomes scarcer and moro
valuable, as II il bound to with every
permanent and substantial improvement,
the use Of the elevator will become more
prevalent. To this chief one of what are
called the secondary inventions" is
largely due tho erection of such magnif-
cent business blocks and " fiat " houses, as
began in Chicago ten or fifteen years ago,
extended to New York and Boston, struck
Philadelphia with the erection of the
Bullitt building and the reconstruction of
the Drexel block, and Is finally felt in
Lancaster. / venture the prediction that
no ground between Centre Square and the
-
pennsylvania passenger station will here
after he occupied by any new building of
narrow plan and mean dimensions, and
that elevators with constant attendants will
make the third and fourth floors Of such
structures more serviceable and profitable
than they have been of late years.
sas
THE wonder Of il is that so available and
valuable plot of ground as that to be oc.
cupied by the Central market house should
be taken up with one-story building.
What splendid floor for public library
and great town hall would have been
Afforded by some generous plan ofa second
story! For fairs, general political and
other public meetings such scheme
would have furnished a most eligible loca-
tion and have filled 'long felt want" the
supply of il would readily have COM
manded good interest on the extra ex-
| penditure required. Moreover the court
house should not be given up to the mis-
cellancous uses to which it is let. The erec-
ton of town hall would obviate the me-
cessity of misusing "the temple ofjustice."
| "a
AND what n fine thing 1t would be to have
| a town meeting once q month i'm such a
| n ha1l IN ha al1 A.
and speak their minds haul derelict coun-
ellis over the Goals, criticise school boards,
wake up sleepy Boards of Trade, rebuke
lazy or unreliable newspapers and have
free parliament and n free fight every
thirty days. Such AN institution would
lead TO independence of thought and free
dom of expression; it would eliminate
baleful partisanship from the municipal
government, it would provide better streets
and better water and it would quicken an
enlightened public spirit.
ONE year of continuous agitation In such
an assembly would secure for Lancaster
what everybody says it needs, public
park and 1t could be secured i'm Just the
right way, partly by private donations
and partly by city appropriation. The
other day well known business man,
who is neither rich nor gnudy, tapped me
| on the shoulder and said: " Glad to see
| You back ; go on with your park scheme,
| and when IL is ready / have $1,000 for
| YOU" know where other $1,000, 1000
| and $1,000 subscriptions are waiting. /
think $4,000 from the city Interest on
| that s., 900 year and $50, 600 from private
| subscriptions would about make the figure
| to start II with. If no better place could be
| found for 1t, how would that loop of land
do that lies between the almshouse and
| Winners bridge, all the way round on
the right bank of the Conestoga creek? 1t
| comprises beautiful knoll, high and
easily drained the fifty acres of Rocky
| springs opposite the point of it could be an
! neXed with picturesque bridge 1t would
be easy of approach reached by the street
cars, and yet not too remote for pedestrians.
II would afford boating and skating, and
good roads for driving and bicycling could
he added. When the people of Lancaster
really want park they need only ask
loudly enough and it will come.
-
! THE Hamilton club was named
for the founder Of this town; and
| one of its objects ought TO be
to perpetuate on its walls and in its
house the history of old Lancaster George
! Steinman has an admirable nucleus for this
In his collection Of photographs, drawings,
| &C. ID. Men. Stautier, esq, Rev. DIR. J. Ii.
Dubbs, $. II. Zahm and others of our local
historians and antiquarians could furnish
rich material and valuable hints If the
Hamilton will make itself the repository
of local curios of value, taste and interest
of portraits, engravings, sketches, books
plate, china and furniture that have q local
historical interest, il will not only find its
collection grow rapidly in extent and
wealth, but ii will be provided with a rich
and unique style of decoration and furnish
ing that Will be unusual in like establish
ments. Nothing need be admitted that will
be inconsistent with the character of the
club or its home, but to have its walls bls-
zoned with such illustrations of the life and
growth of our good city would he in the
highest degree fitting.
-.
lwoNDER sometimes where this Hood of
literature" is 10 end, and whether after
all the Conemaugh cataclysm was as dis
astrous TO what men and women ought TO
regard most dearly as this turgid and turbid
stream of fiction that rolls out from the
publishing houses. fno new novels were
written for generation if all the present
ones which couldn't last that long were TO
become extinct l am quite sure the popu-
lar taste would be improved and popular
morals purified. There are already acces-
sble enough good works of fiction To sup
ply three week to the average man and
woman, for his or her lifetime some of