Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-06-01


streets-First Cor 'FRONT.', Second, Third,
Fourth, Filth, and up to Eighth, believe;
which last, according to my recoilection,
existed only as an abstract and hypothetical
street. 1t was there, but it did not show,
being occupied by railroad extensions or
something which prevented Its being so
available for traffic as the other streets
were.
In the course of municipal events it became
desirable to change this order OF things. L
oon.t recall what arguments were used in
urging the change; but one was that the old
arrangement was too cumbrous and compil-
Gated. Another, as 1 recollect, was that in
the increasing growth of the city and
the consequent multiplication of the short
streets, finding names for them all involved
too great strain on the inventive faculty OF
the governing powers. This last, however,
was the suggestion of satiric enemy who
opposed the alteration. IF the two systems
OF streets had only been continuous the mat
ter would have heen simple enough; but
their ends did not correspond at all. ST.
Clair street, for example, did not reach Lib
erty street opposite the foot of the old Sixth
street, so as to form the lower division of
that thoroughfare. So it was decided that
the two systems should henceforth both be
numerical; but those below Liberty street
should be streets and those above Liberty
street should be avenues. st. Clair street be-
came Sixth street and Fifth street became
Fifth avenue.
NOT WITHOUT PROTESTS.
Some of us who dwelt in Pittsburg when
the change was made remember the agita-
tion produced by it. The protests were not
so loud and emphatic as in the case of some
other projected innovations, perhaps, but
f1Arx fhalaa
Ridicule was not spared by those in opposi-
ton. They declared there was not street
in the city to deserve the title ''avenue."
One facetious advertiser announced himself
Zone time only as doing business at such
number Diamond avenue" and a reporter
described drunken row as having occurred
on Virgin avenue"
It seems queer at this date that state of
things which appears to have been always
part of the established order should have
been brought about against so much opposi-
tion. Of course the opposition did not avail.
But for a time after the change
was made it was productive of
no little confusion. If an old resident
wanted to find particular number on Filth
street, he was very sure to look for it on
Fifth avenue; and many troublesome COM
plIcations came about in consequence. The
trouble was not OF long duration; but there
were some who, as matter Of stubborn prin-
ciple, refused to accept the new dispensation.
They consistently refused to recognize Fifth
avenue as having any existence at all. 1t
was Fifth street. And even now there are
old Pittsburgers who are filled with wrath
and scorning when their thoughts are turned
that way. So long does mere sentiment
abide.
SOME FORMS OF EXPRESSION.
So, also, does habit Of speech. Indeed,
that is very apt to survive the sentiment or
the significance that inspired it. I have
heard old people in the country say of a lazy
fellow that "he'd never do to carry fire."
They themselves did not know what they
meant by the expression, or how it came to
describe lack of energy. 1t did describe it,
though, and very effectively. 1t simply re-
ferred to the old time when percussion
matches were not, and when people saved
themselves much trouble by carefully pre-
serving fire over night among the ashes in
the fireplace. II, by evil chance, the fire
went out living brand must be brought
from the hearth OF distant neighbor To
do this successfully required alertness and
dispatch. So it was literally true, in those
days, that a lazy man was not fit to ''carry
fire." The saying long survived the condi-
tiop of affairs that gave it meaning.
The California gold fever of 1849 gave
national currency to certain bits of slang
that still persist among people who have no
idea what they originally meant. "Pan
| OUT is one of them. 1t has kept its mean
| ing, but very many people use it without a
/ thought of the washing pan OF the early gold
miner. Not long since I saw an explana-
ton OF how the word "skedaddle" origina-
| ted, aud the authority stated that the
soldiers invented the term to describe the
panicky retreat of a routed enemy. The
soldiers adopted it and gave it currency, but
| the word was in use before the war began.
1 heard it in the West before Sumpter had
been fred upon. I suppose it grew out
there somewhere.
| sCoTCH-IRIsH IDIoMS.
And 1t has been suggested to me that some
| OF the peculiarities of expression which
strangers have noticed among Pittsburgers
had their origin in the idioms of the Scotch.
| Irish, who were the early settlers of Pitts
burg. If the city had remained Scotch
Irish there would probably have been dis
tlnguishing traits of language, but there has
been such mixing up Of peoples there that
any peculiarly now is only individual, not
general.
| There is one Pittsburg trait which think
may fairly be called characteristic of the
place. That is the lively and abiding love
of music. OF course, there are music lovers
| everywhere; but it cannot be said of every
community that it is music loving. That
can be truthfully said of Pittsburg. The first
season that Theodore Thomas took his or
chestra through the country, die he and his
artists meet anywhere a more appreciative
and hearty welcome than in smoky and
noisy old Pittsburg? Most certainly not.
He did not have to demonstrate what good
music was. The people already knew it,
and were enthusiastically glad to listen to
it. Even poor music they will take when
good is not to be had, but good music is
never astrav among Pittsburgers.
And not only so. They have made a good
deal of it themselves. Not the least pleas
ant of the memories an old-timer cherishes
is the memory of the many delightful con-
certs he has heard given by Pittsburg
singers. So many of these singers there
were; and of such excellence; so heartily in
love with their melodious work; so well
equipped for it and so cordially united in it,
that really do not recall another COM
munity that could SO well Withstand q
famine of pro essional music, if such a
calamity were to betall.
| JAMES G. PURDY.
| Efficacy of Vaccination.
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