The Sunday morning news., 1891-11-15
Mr.. Agustus E. Costello,
Author of the Police His
tory, Thinks We Are
Behind the Age.
AN EFFORT TO PLACE THE BLAME.
Soulless Corporations and NUM-
cipal Apathy Have Retarded
Municipal Progress.

A resident OF new 4OrK ciUy LOT twenty
eight years, less than twelve months ago
had to inquire my way to the City Hall.
Jersey City. Place me anywhere in the
latter city and l would have felt myself
lost. Lately I have cultivated closer
acquaintance, and now. after the man
ner of British tourists, who ''do" the
States in a week and collect data from a
palace car with which to write big book
on the manners, habits and customs of
the country, deem myself qualified to
place on record New Workers. views and
impressions of your city.
do not wish to have it said that / am
provincial; or that judge of your city
according to The G othamite standard,
which is nothing If not metropolitan
During those long years of residence in
New Y ork city have crossed the Allan
tic and enlarged my knowledge of the
world But traveller I am not. / have
been to London and seen few other big
cities the 'tother 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
l do about Brooklyn. Jersey City or
Newark.
New Yorke rs are strange people in this
respect. | met an old resident lately
VINO had just returned from three
months tour in Europe. He regaled me
with descriptions Of Venice, celebrated
for its water streets, gondolas and Rlalto;
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 tra-
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
that famous thoroughfare, the Inter den
Linden; could give you points about The
museums, the royal palaces, the libraries.
ETC., and could find his way blindfolded in
the City of the Seven Hills, with its
storied memories aud classic sdades.
But our travelled friend could not tread
his way, without enquiring, to the Lenox
Library or Mount Morris Park, and regard
ed Harlem generally as place OF swamps
anu EOCkSt HOlGtt pIluClpdliJ lot lOo S-Odo
and shanties. AS for Jersey City-ughl
he had never been there at all and never
wanted to. Life was too short for that.
There are more people of this descrip-
tion than one wonld suppose.
l confess that was no, favorably i'm
pressed-nor am | yet-when first took
careful survey of your city. could not
help contrasting it with its neighbo on
the east side of the river, and wondering
why everything in il and about it looked
so woe-begone and neglected. 1t ma le
me melancholy and lonesome. l could
hardly believe that | was within ten min
utes sail of New York city. But. said,
I'll wait and see If this feeling is not the
result of prejudice, and, further said,
perhaps the place will improve on better
acq laintance. But like the woman who
was convinced against her will, Pm of
the same opinion still"
STREETS THAT ARE SADLY NEGLECTED.
The streets-Ye gods and little ishesl
how fearfully and wonderfully the streets
are made. There they are, ladies' aud
gentlemen, in their aboriginal simplicity,
an qtotltrel; and this fine, abieDodied
Jersey mud, undisturbed for who G
generation by broom or shovei-if you
don't like it because dirt is not to your
fancy, even dirty streets-this venerable
compound of mud and garbage must at
least appeal to you on the score of an-
tiuuity. Many things that are undesir-
able are not therefore public nuisauces
If the walking is bad more people will
ride ips cars and chat is u saving of time
and shoe leather.
name the streets first, because they
are criterion that gives a correct clew to
the culture and civilization of the einhabit-
ants.
Nor can the public shield themselves by
beratEng the city fathers This is playing
the baby act. Official negligence and
public apathy are convertible tie rms
1--WE the people" are boss. "We" have
but to will aud politicians must obey.
But if public spirit is crus he'd out or pri-
yate enterprise be dead. there is nothing
wherewith to leaven the lump. Ordi-
nances fail where corporations and bosses
prevail.
Allah! Allah cries the stranger,
Womb Gus sights the traveller sees
But The greatest Is the latest
Whers the drones controe the bses.
Macaulay's test of the civilization of
a people by the condition of their roads
was not confined to the country high
ways constructed alike for the con-
venience of the heavy dray of the farmer
| and the lighter wagon of the country
| squire; but if Interpreted in its proper
| sense, Macaulay's statement. TO have
weight and cogency, must refer to the
streets and avenues of a crowded city.
| The superiority of roads and highways
may consist in the facilities they afford
1 e., r,io fnf, Dlnpp IN rNlunn