The Sunday morning news. [volume] (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1886-1891, 1891-11-15
Jersey City as Seen Wi h New York
Eyes.

Jersey City as Seen WI u New ork
Eyes.
1T was Burns who sang
OF. wad some power the giftie gle us,
TO ses oursels as ithsrs see usl
He thought it was impossible, how
ever desirable; but if be were Jersey
Citizen this morning he would find
his desire realized, at least in a col
lectiye sort of way. An observant
New Yorker has been in our midst the
past year, "a chiel among us takin,
notesn-to use Burns phrase again
and this morning he unburdens him
self OF his accumulated reflections
through the columns of THE JERSEY
CITy NEWS Sunday edition.
Mr.. Augustine e. Costello is no
crude OF shallow observer He has
for twenty years been a professional
newspaper writer. As he hints in his
opening apologize sentences, he has
seen much both of this and the other
continent. He has studied men and
affairs and written books, the latest
and by no means the least of which
deals with an important feat ure of
our own municipal lite-for Mr.. Cos
tello is the author of the excellent
History of the Jersey City police re-
Gently published, and received with
much favor both by the press and by
raa6Ars generally
In printing Mr.. iCostello's review Of
Jersey City's civilization from New
Workers. point of view, we commit
ourselves, OF course, to no guarantee
Of his facts and no endorsement Of his
views. Indeed it is in the nature of
things that we should radically differ
from him, as esoteric and ex-
otarie Judgments must always
diyerge. 1t is la the nature of things
that he should mistake appearances
for facts and should substitute
theories for principles Indeed this is
the value to Jersey City of Mr.. Cos
telIo's article. 1t does not convey to
us the truth about our city. We all
AH0W THAT Dctuci lAldA dliJ Out1lhcis
however shrewd and observant. 1t
tells as how we look. as others see us.
Mr.. Costello's picture is not a fat
tering one. 1t doesnot matter that he
is absolutely wrong on fifty facts. He
shows us clearly enough why cur city
grows no faster. why it is spoken of
siightingly by New Workers. 1t
seems slow and dismal to them. 1t
is behind the age in the superfici-
aiities. in gingerbread on the building
fronts and asphalt laid pavements.
and SO the rapid and aesthetic New
Yorker looks with pity on as. OF
course, in some things he is right.
When lie speaks of our slow cars,
dirty streets and bad water, he hits
real evils.
s 1t is fair to Mr. Costello to say that
in one view he looks behind the
trifIes at the people themselves, and
he sees clearly enough that New
Workers have no advantages over us.
He sees, as he puts it, that the
people Of this city are well dressed,
Intelligent, industrious, progressive,
and it puzzles him that they
should live in a town, all Of which,
so far as he has seen in his
limited walks, is dinay and old
looking. This is the outsiders weak
point. He does not know enough OF
the city's history to know that what
we are, we are ourselves, while we
inherit most OF our surroundings from
bygone era
But all this is changing fast. Mr..
Costello must have shut his eyes not
to have seen the new city that is
springing UP on the ruins OF the old.
Let him come here again ia five years
and be win find inspiration for DIFF
ferent song.
Tae tin plate liar will give us Arrest now until
toe Presidential campaign opens next year.
Stufe Gazetfes
Yes. it's time. The public has been
waiting good while for you fellows
I'd sit down You can amuse your
selves, ad interim, by counting {or
anathelnarizing. as you please McKin-
ley's Welsh butrons.
WHY docs not the Board of Alder
men pass a fire escape and fire limit
ordinance Have the members been
seen bv some OF our unscrupuIous