Sacramento daily record-union., 1890-07-18
OF AWNINGS AND SIDEWALKS.

Some fimsy objections have been raised
to the rolling screen awnings Now the
RECORD UNION is not concerned in the
manufacture or sale of any particular
kind of sun shade. 1t is only concerned
in seeing the old post awnings taken down,
Tor the simple reason that on one side OF
all streets there is no need for awnings at
all, and on the other side the absence OF
the post awning can be supplied by sew
eral styles of light and ornamental shades.
The best of these, because the most dura-
bic and least likely to get out of repair or
become shabby, as cloth shades speedily
do, are rolling metal screens, or permanent
iron hanging screens The first are the
best; they are made of overlapping strips
of thin metal loose riveted, which roll
around shaft hung in sockets over the
doors or windows, or along the entire bus
iness front. A simple crank device is
used to roll them up out of the way. They
will not burn, do not rot, are strong and
never warp out of shape or become shabby
In case of fire they are quickly rolled up
and the fremen have free access to the
front of the building. They have been in
use for many years in San Francisco, New
York and Eastern towns generally for a
quarter of century, are not controlled by
any monopoly, and are not the subject Of
speculation whit more than are the
cloth folding awnings, or the post abom-
nations.
1t is the easiest thing in the world for
those who do not want to improve the ap-
pearance of the city to raise objections
and pick flaws in propositions of advance
ment. So far as awning improvements are
concerned the movement is now under
headway, and it is going ahead despite the
fears and doubts, and ifs and butts of the
querulous, and the ''stone-in-the -mill-bag''
men. One doubter, who claims to be a
scientific and travelled man and ought to
know better than to suggest such absurd
ity, asks if the firemen will have any bet
ter footing on the metal and slanting avn
ings than on the old style. Bless the in
nocent mans soul, one of the very pur-
poses of having movable or rolling avn
ings to supplant the post nuisances, is to
give the fremen freedom to get upon and
into buildings. The folding awning is turned
up against the house front in an instant
and secured in its box or cover, thus leav-
ing sixteen feet between the electric wires
and the building in which to erect ladders.
As 1t Is now, there are several places in
the city where it is next to impossible to
erect ladders from the street against house
fronts, because the wires run along and
completely blockade the awning fronts
But these objections to which we refer are
purile. Any man with half an idea in his
head knows what is meant by folding
sun shade for house front, and if there
remain any who have not heard or seen
of such shades, let them open any magazine
or illustrated paper containing pictures of
street scenes in the East, and they will not
fail to notice the awnings to which we re-
fer.
The truth is that there ought to be no
hesitation whatever by the city authorities
IN condemning the Objectionable awnings
In the city, one half of which are unsafe,
an ofiense to the sight and a positive detri-
ment to the city in many ways At the
same time the authorities should condemn
all the old corduroy sidewalks on business
streets, and give owners six months, or less
In which to replace them with something
that can be trod with safety, if not with
comfort. AS proof of the necessity for
such action let us relate one conversation
on the subject. A visitor from neighbor-
ing city who is surprised at the slowness
with which such improvements as are
needed here are pushed, the other day
asked an owner of shaky, dilapidated and
insecure sidewalks on the north side of K
street, why in the name of common decency
he did not repair them.
Il cannot" replied the landlord, "the
city forbids it-I will have to put down
new ones of other material"
well, why not do it now?" was asked,
and the reply was significant:
"Oh, / will, some time. 1t won't cost
any. more then, than now, maybe not so
much, and though these walks have been
condemned twice, they don't push you
here. You see, they condemn, but they
let things run on, and Pm going to let my
walks go as long as they let me-"
Is any comment necessary upon such a
truthful confession and frank statement