The Sunday morning news. [volume] (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1886-1891, 1891-11-15
Nh. Agustus E. Costello,
Author of the Police His
tory, Thinks We Are
Behind the Age.
AN EFFORT TO PLACE THE BLAME.
SoulIess Corporations and NUM-
eipal Apathy Have Retarded
Municipal Progress.

A resident of New York city for twenty
eight years. less than twelve months ago
! had TO inquire NV way TO the City HalI.
Jersey City. Place ne anywhere in the
latter city and ! would have felt myself
lost. Lately have cultivated closer
acquaintance, aud now. after the man
ner Of British tourists, who 'sdoH the
States in q week and collect data from q
palace car with which to write big book
on the manners. habits and customs Of
the country, I deem myself qualified TO
place on record a New Workers. views and
impressions of your city.
L do not wish TO have 1t said that I am
provincial; Or that I jadge Of your city
according to The 6 othamits standard,
WHICH is nothing If not metropolitan.
During those Tong years Of residence n
New ork city 1 have crossed the Allan
tic and enlarged my knowledge of the
world. But traveller am not / have
been 10 London and seen few other big
cities the 'fother side Of the big pond.
have not seen Rome. however, not hav-
ing any particular desire to die know
more about Chicago, Minneapolis. St.
Paul and other distant prairie cities than
1 do about Brooklyn, Jersey City or
Newark
New Yorke rs are strange people in this
respect. I met an old resident lately
VINO had just returned from a three
months tour in Europe. he regaled me
with descriptions Of Venice. celebrated
for it's water streets, gondolas and Rialto;
it's Doge's palace and its Bridge Of signs;
and famous above all in that the first
form of government of the island com
monwealth was Republican. This ira
yelled New Yorker was thoroughly COS
mopolitan He could find his way blind
folded through the city OF the Spree. felt
himself when there as much at home as
the bold McGregor on his native heath;
played the role of the mon about town in
thst famous thoroughfare. the Inter den
! Linden; could give you points about the
/ museums, the royal palaces, the libraries.
etc. and could ind his way bfindfOlded IN
the City of the seven Hills. with its
storied memories ard classic SHADES
But our travelled FREUD could not tread
his way. without enquiring, TO the Lenox
Library or Mount Morris Park, and regard
/ ed Harlem generally as a place OF swamps
/ and rocks noted principally for its goats
and shaHties- AS for Jersey City-uZhi
he had never been there at all and never
\ wanted to. Life was too short for that.
There are mote people of this descrfp-
/ ton than one would suppose.
! con fess that ! was not favorably inn
pressed--nor am yet-when / first took a
careful survey OF yonr city | could not
! help contrasting It with its nsighDor on
/ the east side Of the river, and wondering
- oh cd
so woe-begone aud neglected. Il ma e
me melancholy and lonesome could
/ hardly believe that ! WAS within ten uain-
utes sail of New York city. But, said.
] IN wait and see ii this feeling is not the
result OF prejudice. aud, further sala.
perhaps the place viii improve on better
! AGO laintance- But ike the woman who
was convinced against her viii, I'm Of
the same opinion STILL
STREETS THAT ARE SADLY NEGLECTED.
/ The streets-Ye gods and lutte ashes.
how fearfullY aud wonderfully the streets
are made. There they are. ladies aud
gentlemen. in their aboriginal simplicity,
| dlt ltaturel: and this fine, abieDodied
| Jersey mud. undisturbed for VINO e
I generation by broom or shoFei-if You
don't ike it because dirt is not TO your
/ fancy, even dirty streets--Ehis venerable
compound of mud and garbage must az
least appeal to you on the score OF an
! tiauity Many things that are undesir-
able are not therefore public npisauces.
/ II the walking Is bad more people will
ride in cars aud that is q saving OF tune
I ana shoe leather
/ I name the streets first, because they
are a criterion that gives a correct clew &C
! the culture and civilization OF theinhahit
ants.
Nor can the public shield themselves by
! beratrng the city fathers. This is playing
tue baby act. Official negligence and
public apathy are convertible &c rms
'.We the people, are boss. We have
but to will and politicians must obey
! But IL public spirit is erus he'd out or pr.
I yate enterprise be dead. tuere is nothing
wherewith TO leaven the lump. Ortii
nances fail where corporations and bosses
i prevail
Aiahl Allah, cries the stranger,
NondIo IS SIGH the traveller sees,
But he great.st + the latest
Nhera the drones controle tae bees-
Macaulay's test Of the civiiiz alton oi
people by the condition OF tlselr roads
was NOT confined to the country high
| ways constructed alike for the con
venieuce Of the heavy dray ofAthe farmer
/ ac.i the lighter wagon ct the couutr,
| squire: but. II interpreted In lis propsl
\ sease AacauiSy's statement. 10 naVe
/ weight and c0Hency, inust refer 70 tn
4 streets and avenues Of q crowded city
4 The superiority of roads znd highway.
may consist ia the facilities fhey affe1t
for communication from place 10 place
FOR The bsnafiE Of the farmer 81 the <sax