Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-12-27
INDIGNANT CITIZENS
In the Section Surrounding the
Fifth Avenue Market House
Demand That 1t BE.
RESTORED TO ITS ORIGINAL USE.
The Growth of Population Such as to In
sure a Sufficient Patronage if the
Place We're ReOpened.
ENTIRE NEGLECT OF THE BUILDING.
a Public Meeting Proposed 70 Protest Against the
50-Year Military Lease.
RESTORED TO ITS ORIGINAL USE.
ENTIRE NEGLECT OF THE BUILDING.
Public Meeting Proposed 70 Protest Against the
50Year Military Lease.

i
discomfort has gone up from the citizens o.
the Eleventh and adjoining wards, who
once more demand that the Fifth Avenue
Market House. which is not even orna-
mental now, mag be made useful. 1t is
claimed hv the housewives from the Bluff
to the Hill and along Fifth avenue that
their families eat as much as Southsiders,
and that they should be afforded the same
means of getting their supplies.
They point 10 the pile of lonesome-look-
ing bricks in the useless building at Fifth
avenue. Miltenberger and Ann streets, and
then Indignantly attack city government
not enough interested in its citizens to keep
open a market house built with the peoples
money, and now TO be leased to the State
militia The lease has not yet been made,
but is in the hands of the Financial Commit
tee If approved, it will come before Coun-
ellis to be confirmed and it will be at that
time that indignation will be unpent and
given a days outing in the city's usually
quiet Council Chambers.
Formal Demand TO BE Made.
A demand will be made to have the mar
ket house remodeled and opened up for its
original purpose. 1t was closed about two
wears ago, although the city had commenced
freezing out the stall-keepers five years be-
fore. The windows are broker and nailed
UP, doors are of their hinges and everything
about it bears the evidence of neglect. 1t is
still substantial, however, end a few hun
drcd dollars would give it nineteenth
century appearance and prepare it for use as
market house.
The building was erected in 1871. 1t e1-
tends about 215 feet along Fifth avenue
and 19O feet deep. 1t is only one-story
high, but is well arranged and remarkably
well lighted. For few wears there were
enough stalls rented TO take up nearly all
the space. 1t was well patronized on ac-
count Of being new, but there were not then
enough people in the neighborhood to keep
running on the high scale insisted on by
the city officials
The First Encroachmen:.
In 1884 a stage was put up and seats ar
ranged for the first May festival The
srall-keepers were driven off into one cor
ner. They protested, but were promised
IheStage would be removed after the enter
tainment This was never done, however.
Their frequent demands were ignored and
the ST rugcling infant was kept crowded in
such small clothes that it eventually died
about two wears ago.
The overhanging stage, slanting down like
a roof shut ont all light and made the
place about as inviting a dark cellar
The last stalEkeeper TO 20 ont was W. Il.
Seitz, butcher who had started in busi-
ness when the market house was built. He
rod bp 81 n
the market house again would bring COM
petition. but without thought of that he
stated yesterday that if the city would tear
down the stage and open the house for
market purposes, the space would soon be |
taken. and besides relieving the crowded |
condition of the downtown market house it |
would be great accommodation to resi- |
dents in that part of the city.
ct was the fault of the officials, " he con- /
tiuued. "that the market house was not |
success. When il was first opened it was |
well patronized. 1t ran down atterward, !
bur Just when we were crowded off into one |
corner, was when we expected a revival of |
business We went before Councils and !
secured promise that We could return to |
cur old places, but Chief Bigelow would |
never make the change. The quarters under |
the stage were dingv, dirtT, and of course |
customers would not come in. They claimed |
they were not making enough money, but |
then a market house isn't supposed to be |
money making scheme
- Charge of Red-Tapr.
''That is the trouble with the Pittsburc |
government. 1t takes so much red tape to !
keep things going that they bleed every |
-hnC they can TO keep up the revenue, and |
think that a market house, which is sup |
posed TO he for the benefit of the public, |
in l,,e |
month Look at the way things are con- |
Quoted down town. Rents are put up every |
wear. and only iavorites can get the desira- |
able positions Philip Films case was an /
example of that. when a restaurant keeper
was frozen out TO get place for him be-
cause he stood in with the ring"
Why. certainly. the markets would be
patronized if opened now, >" answered Mr.
Seitz in response to a question. ''The stall
keepers who cannot get places down town
would come out here Farmers, who now
huckster their products, would be glad to
open stalls, and when people would find out |
that they could be accommodated near
home they would not go down town, and |
have no doubt that things would soon be on |
a paving basis. Because car fare is cheap,
Is not any reason for believing that people /
would not stop here. The market house is
between the Duquesne and Fifth avenue
street car lines, so that baskets would not |
have 10 be carried far, and you know women
don't like 10 carry bundles" added Mr. |
Seitz There are many arguments to show 4
thai we need market house here, and tha. |
it would he as successful as on the South
side"
Opposed to Military Occupation.
J. L. Brown, another former stall |
keeper, thought that two good results
would be achieved by again opening the |
market house The first would be the great /
for the public and another,
he stated, would be the shutting out of Bat
Tery B and the Eighteenth Regiment
I'VE might as well have a speak-easy or
a big poker room in the ci:y's building as
an armory," he continued ''for both are
run on about the same plan. The idea of
having drill room for these show soldiers
right on one OF the most prominent
streets in the city," exclaimed Mr.. Brown.
with evident disgust They ought to be
given place on Neville island or Mt.
Washington. 1t is a disgrace the way this
market house has been conducted The
were crowded out to make |
wav for few people who wanted to hold
Nav festival We were given such small
space that it was impossible to conduct
business. The city officials finally froze us
out entirely, and then it was announced
that the market house was a failure and
would be rented to those fellows that are
having some fun playing soldier. They
made a stable out Of another part of the
building for Chief Bigelow's Schenley Park
and the rest of it is store house
for glass firm or something else.
A Prize Fight Was on the Schedule.
"whv they were even going to have
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