New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-01-20
BEYOND THE BIG BRIDGE.
VARIOUS TOPICS OF INTEREST TO PEOPLE
WHO LIVE IN BROOKLYN.

Tho occurrence OF greatest importance " Di"s
IN the last few days is undoubtedly The decision oil me
Court of Appeals in the elevated railroad cases Inc
rights of these corporaons in the streets they occupy
and claim are determined now by the highest author
ty, and though Is extremely Improbable that any
decision could have been rendered thar would compe
the placement Of tho structures that are SO great
boon to the public II Is gratifying TO know that their
titles are clear and indlsputable. South Brooklyn
has . peculiar interest In the matter from the fact
that one result of the decision in the OF the Union
Company will be the construction of elevated road
in Fffth-ave That important region has suiferec In
comparison with other parts of the city, by the lack
of rapid transit facilities; and as II has been mainly
dependent for public conveyance on the cars OF MI
Richardson's companies, the relief that an eleNaSu
road will bring viii BIO all the moro keenly apprc-
dated.
Efforts are still being put forth at Albany to pre-
vent the Kings County Company from making the con-
nection which 10 desires with the brighton Beaoh
Railroad. They ought not 10 succeed. The punhc
interest clearly lies in the opposite direction INK
Of road two blocks loDg and extending over the tracks
in Atlantc-ave, would supply rapid transit mmedi-
afeIv In Flafbush and Coney Island, and the entrc
intervening region. The opposition to this scheme Is
eneendercd by the Long Island Railroad Company but
the interest of no private corporation ought 10 DO
allowed to stand In tho way Of an important ch'er
prise like this. There should be such an emphatic
favorable action.
The disclosures at Mondays meeting OF tho Bridge
trustees furnish one argument in favor OF Bridge
reorganization. 1t does not appear that Trustee
Barnes had any knowledge Of the fact that small
amounts of stationery for the Bridge had been pur-
chased from his firm. but Trustee swan was prNS 10
all the transactions that had been going on win 'ho
firm OF Swan g. Finch who have supplied OIL ETC., 10
the Bridge for considerable time. In fact the luor
fdqnf
upp snecaIly for the purpose by Mr. Swan. That tho
improperly of this did not occur to either oil them Is
an illustration of the absence of sensvenesS that Is
not an uncommon trait among politicians III broohlS
and elsewhere Mr. Swan thinks IL all right hoW anu
probably deeply regrets that the matter was ven.
tateds TO use the language of one Of the trustees al
the meeting on Monday. There have been so many
Illustrations of careessness and incompetcncy On to
mart Of the Bridge management. that TINS se""u"4
ought to create great surprise nope. '"ouH"'
that IL will help TO impress on the minds Oh io 0n
hers Of the Legislature the need Of speedy aco 70
put an end to tho present method Oh coh"U'uHS
Bridge affairs.
A stem In the right direction has been taken oy 'he
societv of old Brooklynites which has presented 10
Ts..-1a,,re netition asking that the control OF
tha Bridge shall be placed in the hands OK ohioa4S
directly responsible to tho people More pcliuons
,he Same effect would not be BAD thlhg IN ashihS
that o,mpact board of commissioners De hanou W
.be MAYORS of NewYork and Brooklyn both OF "hoin
are Democrats IT cannot be charged that the hepuon
cans who arc seeking reorganization from hePuO-
~, oe,s,at,re are striving to compass any partisan
80 Tn. sole purpose is TO secure better manage
rsnt IN nut an end TO scandals. and to remove tho
pdge az far as may be, from the sphere OF pohuoS'
,,.ro, Giant attended the trustees meeting on Mon
aay by the way, and 1t is understood Una. 10 VIZ
sniar attendant hereafter This is as 1t should De-
$50, rban,n has been a delinquent entirely 100
,ong He IS in favor of change in the management
ant that does not exempt him from the du'y thd'
b,s official position lays upon him. 90 lohs aS 'i'
yresent Board of Trustees remains, IL is monument y"
svery mcmber to attend faithfully to the duties Oh inc
Office he has accepted
n ..port feature of tho meeting of the Democratic
r.neral Committee was the manner In which the
,ontrol of the BossS displayed. III was quiet
hut tell;pgly effective. beforehand there hau Oooh
coma talk of pitching Secretary William A. fureS'
,ho holds 10 office of Commissioner OF Jurors, over
,a".s uis management Of the campaign last fall
d,d not Give entire satisfaction to the workers oil the
n.rtv ana tho outcome was rathor pitiful. Perhaps
tbe success OF Alderman Kane In bucKhg against
the Boss and Insisting on the nomination. 1or
Register had encourage some to THINK lhat M-saush
lin could safely be dsied. Be this as II may "heh
a.. General Committee came together Harmony with
big III was the word, and the business was trans
acted with facility that showed that the machinery
had been well oiled and was IN the hands Of con-
hdeut and competent engineer.
AS was predicted in this column, the election Of
Franklin woodruff to the charmanship OF the Repub-
iIcan General Committee was made unanimously at
the first meeting OF the year. Mr.. Woodruff has
marked fitness for the Office and his administration Will
I'm all probability materially strengthen the party for
the contest for the Mayoralty next fah IA his aP
pojntment of committees he has performed delicate
f~i1 nSpal
satisfaction The party is certainly in excellent shape
for entering the fight for the Office of Mayor ana vic
tory wifi surely belong TO 1t If no mistakes are made,
II the party is fully aroused TO the Importance OF the
work In hand, and If such nomination Is maze mat
the support Of all citizens Of independent ways OF
thinking on municipal affairs is made certain.
A public work that concerns the whole city vitality
,s the enlargement of the Rldgewood Reservoir Tho
estimate of tho chief engineer o. the City Works De
partment was that the work would cost about
s4OO O0O Nevertheless the contract has been awarded
for S2eo,77O. This would be regarded as decidedly
In the public interest IL not that the contractor
Is Edward Free whose work at st. Johnland Is low
subject of investigation. The Eagle terms him a
contracting suspect which Is certainly a telling
characterization. Frcel is well known political coli
tractor and is believed to have exceptionally pow
erfu, puuS The award was made by Commissioner
Adams, of the City Works Department, and II there
is scandal growing out the alair IL VIII seriously
reflect on the admin t.sGon of Mayor Chaplin Of
course the work may DO honestly done, but more CON
fdcnoe would be felt that point IL the contractor
had not given heretofore for suspicion. How
he was able to make such low bid is an unexplained
mystery.
The claim that Brooklyn is literary centre has not
yet been asserted with any force or with any IDEA
that the claimant was able TO make good his point.
He who should mako the contention, however would
be able adduce considerable testimony on his side
The number Of we'll known literary workers who make
their homes in that city is not small. ] have no
purpose of making a catalogue Of them, or even Of
noting few sample names complete list would
include the Of active member of the news
paper fraternity whose avocation for number Of
years has been the study Of astronomy, and who has
RECENTLY published a book entitled Astronomy with