St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-06-02
TOPICAL TALK.

before other nations come upon the dla-
mond.
TOPICAL TALK.
How much money has been spent in
paving the streets in st. Paul? Well. II
the figures were given, they might
astonish you. Property holders who
have paid the assessments have made
no complaint that the amount was too
small. There is pile of money, and
big pile at that, represented in asphalt
and cedar blocks in this city; and yet it
is not satisfactorily demonstrated to the
property holders that they have got the
worth Of their money. In most in
stances it has surely not come back to
them in the increased value of their
property. and so far as the comfort and
convenience of these street improve
ments are concerned. much depends
upon their durability, problem which
Time only can soly0 A durable street
pavement is yet matter of expert
ment. An objection to the asphalt
pavement is that it is hOrse-killer,
and five years hence still more serious
objections may be apparent. There are
those who think that the cedar block
pavement will yet prove ruinous to the
health Of the city, because of the con-
tinuous decaying processes of the
wood. 1t is to be hoped that
these fears will not he realized,
for in other respects the cedar block
is the best paving material that we
have. 1t is noiseless and makes a soft
road-bed, so that a horses limbs are not
STAYED to pieces in driving over it, as is
the case on an asphalt or stone pave
| ment. 1t was suggested to ME the other
day by an old citizen and large property
holder that great deal of money could
have been saved on street pavements it
the matter had been wholly RENTED to
the property holders on each street. His
idea was that, inasmuch as the property
holders have to foot the bills. they
| should have been the ones to let the
I contracts and supervise the work. Ac-
cording to his plan, the city engineer
should prepare the plans and specifica-
tons for given improvement, to be ap-
proved by the board of public works.
| and then Il commission OF property
holders on that particular street should
be constituted a local board for letting
and experimenting the work. In this
way the property holders could be salts
fed that the whole amount of their as.
sessments went into the improvement.
HllH
Have you observed how lawn tennis
is growing in popularity among the
young people of st. Paul, and has it 0c-
Cured to you that is filling want that
the social conditions of the time have
created? The growing popularity of
the game is gratifying evidence of inn
proved social conditions, for the capacity
to enjoy this game demands certain
degree of culture that is not required in
the enjoyment of other popular outdoor
sports. Lawn tennis is free from the
faint of professionalism its atmosphere
is one of sweetness, and one that will
always keep the game pure. because it
is the only public game to which women
are admitted on equal terms. The earli-
est preference in English literature to the
game of tennis is found in the works of
the father of English poetry, for
CHAUCER must have had the game in
mind when he wrote the lines
s.But can stow playen racket, to and fro,
Nettle in, dokke out, now this, now that"
The s'racket" of the middle ages grew
into the Cricket of latter-day England,
then into s'court tennis;;" and finally
Maj. WINGFIELD, an English cavalry
off inxronfod &c
only within recent years, however, that
lawn tennis has developed into its high
stlte of perfection. In 1881 the United
States National Lawn Tennis associa-
ton came into existence. Two years
later the Western Lawn Tennis associa-
ton organized, with its headquarters at
Chicago. About the same time two
other organizations sprang into exist
ence-the Southern Tennis association
and the Inter Collegiate association.
RICHARD DUDLEY SEARS was the first
winner of the United States champion
ship, which he held until two years ago.
when he retired, unbeaten, on account
of physical debility. HENRY W. SLO-
CUM Jr. was the next winner. and still
holds the championship. For obvious
reasons the West is still long ways be-
hind the East in proficiency in this
sport, but the indications are now flat
tering that the time is not far distant
when the West will come to the front.
it,
There has been great deal said in
the newspapers lately about the Clam
na-Gaei in connection with the CRONIN
murder, and yet there are great many
newspaper readers who have no intelli-
gent idea what the Clan-na-Gael is
There is popular error in supposing it
to be part or branch of the PARNELL
| movement for the redemption of Ire
land. On the contrary, it is very old
organization, which has outlived its use
fulnesS. It came into existence long
before the PARNELL movement Origi-
mated, and was founded upon the idea
that the only hope of rescuing Ireland
from British oppression was by force OF
arms, Armed resistance to English
tyranny vas the cardinal faith of the
! Clan-na-Gael, and while the sentiment
was approved by the mass of Irishmen
at the time of it's formation, the progress
of events has demonstrated that the
modern idea of securing home rule for
Ireland by peaceable methods is the
wisest policy.
HHH
The latest fad in New York society is
''roast puppy suppers. They actually