The sun., 1892-10-30

have To bc educutcd into ~ perception Of the
thcn. so tho laying out OF Central Park in
lsoI , was was, r., really tho initiation Of that move.
nrn mnnt which Which has M resulted in tho magnificent
Tie magnitude OF That system is not. MS was
snid. generiily appreciated. but It is, u fact
and that these ,ity parks COMPRISE over five
thousand ~. "a acres Of ground il is true that the
more park space in tho more crowded neigh.
bCrh,niods. but even MS II is the parks are all
o transit ana hn s1 bons to ,So
near future they will bc even more so.
IL, 1t Is no, worth while to enumernte the nifty
ton of them. but fcw ngurea will not bo ont
OF place as showing tho cnim New York has to
the ideal. The "Xact cost "f all the parks can
not be stated The arrrorration!s hnyc been
cit Stg acsouns ana n ~ m% Gasn w
through SO MANY years that oven tn" Depart
mcnt of Parks to-day docs no: know Just whnt
has been a6ani"n" ' It ' i known. know h how.v"r. ~ orr
Tint the total amount is not less than s5OOnO.-
aero on an average. And the annual cxpcndi-
,nrt OF the city Y, for for thcH maintenance o! tho
Not only is tho park space already reserved
very Ireat in proportion to the area OF the city.
hut tn. greater, par, Of III" ground reserved
high ground where liiyyssrside and MorninEsde
much better a,iart"d to park purposes than to
my other that il seems rrofaiie tha, tho con-
,n,u tinna'!on Of it, all the way t" lnwood may he
beautiful of the entire chain. This plan would
INCLUDE mas massive and beautiful yiaduct from
DC. as whole; rerhars the finest in tho world
a2Ernte TO- the park plan Is the question OF
considered rather in connection with tho other
approaches to the CITY,. They are, however. or
Ss9H Ss to tho city ideal as we'll
much to he proud of ulrendy. and will have
morc i j, in a,, the tan'e Tho lrootlyH hrss
Bridge viii bS So and High Bridge is al alreaiy
4 hrid:o now in course of construction at
erSS, Already plans aro in preparation Tor a
still more. mnEn inccnt structure across the
Hnrlcm 1T Third avenue the span Of which
AZ these Will prove TO be only tn. PRECURSORS
OF others The day will com" when there will
three rtv"rs that bound the island. and with
,nesr ny" great strnctnrcsns ns models ther" Will
public sentiment Is alr"ady ar",iseu. n,. and i
VIII not he long before elegant and commodi-
Gus, Gus arrroashes will be provided fnr all of
York cannot lal of her destiny
In conIiderin$ next the indoor accomm oda-
nlate the requirements Of an ideal city home.
IL must 6e strong enough t. withstand the
to dsy s the rSsr rS weae. Of I fnn
must he provided with an ample supply Of
air, 81, light. and water. ant, it must contain
q
al dirt and dangerous accumulations Of refuse
thnt nat are ., liahls to breed disease,
called on to maintain tho public, health and
comfort have little concern with the houses Of
nSr. ,he rich a, as i,i Tne m Tho man who has money
be trusted to see that it has not only ali these
requirements. but the luXurics of beauty and
tccturnl features OF tho rusi,lrncc quarters Of
the more fortunate GitlZens Of New York show
than are here. and within the past few years
the houses that have tecn erected for the
wcll-tn-do are real marvelS OF beauty. comfort,
anu convenience. In respect OF these New York
has already reached high ideal. and there is
lowered.
In regard to the homes Of the poor. no such
Statement can be made without qualifications.
tenement houses which fail short of what they
should be-. thouEhthe improvements that hav.
tho regulations which are strictly enforced
in regard to the bull ding Of new and the
conraSenent to the belief that nc New e YerS viii Si
at least approach the ideal. One special diff.
iculty which this city has to overcome in a
creator degree than any other in the world
lies in the fact Of the constant addition to its
p3pulati9n il OF great numbers 9f POOR and un.
these may he. it remains q fact that they have
to be housed and cared for during the period
their habits to our larger civilization. and dt to
ri In ha.c sons"G1infe Of this there always
which the surroundings are not all that could
be desired, and it may be that tnero always
Moreover. SO long ns there are criminal and
vicious people in tho world. there will be cer-
tain houscs-thero always have Leen certain
ali large cities which arc
undesirable. TIN. last. however. is moral
consideration which has no proper place in a
sketch iIEo this of the material aspects Of IL
:, There is good reason to believe. in spite o.
these facts. that New York will reach an ideal
standard, even in it, poorer quarters. within
the next half century. And in order o Justify
such belief it Is only necessary to recall what
has Le"n done within the past quarter o. n
century or SO. There are many mlld.-aEed
men who can recall all tho horrors OF that
tim" when the Five Points was one of tho most
notoriously infamous neighborhoods on earth
1t was not only given over to vico and crime OF
tn" worst description. but 1t was rs desperately
untlt FOR human labitation in n physical sense
as could easily DO imagined. Yet tho entire
ncishhorhooa was reformed by the single mu-
There arc young men % in New YORK XIV Who S'V... re-
menb Der when it was no uncommon thing Tor
the families Of the very poor or the very iGno-
rant 10 livvs in underground cellar rooms.where
mono Of the requirements OF Il homo men
ti"ned above could possibly be PROV idch.
been for the advance New York is steadily AMI
rapidly making toward idcal excel lence. they
ing to menace the safety Of til" entire t H commu. @
nty; single rcgGl alton of tho Board Of
! ltG"i,n, viG;nrousy and lelentlossly enforced.
the standard ono long step moro toward tho
dea,.
:. For these reasons it is right to say that New
J ork will be. though it IS not now tho city
l!ctl. No houses are allowed to hc erected
hat nr" not IF sufficient strength for safrty.
None is al lowed To be built SO near another as
t. prevent 4 proper supply Of light and air.
None i suilt because there would be no de-
lnani Tor them without supply OF water. and
Pr"ner drainage is mudn rigidly obligatory.
! n nli these RESPECTS the municipality is doing
its fll, duty. and tho inevitable result is tho
Eraduhl Improvement even uf this ASPECT Of
he cliy. Moreover. tho dangers to public
health. wlici, almost nj WAYS originate" in such
Quarters rs were mentioned. are well UNDER
stood and 80 Nigantlv watched 10y tho Health
Department. that even tho poorest and worst
houses in the city are gradually
in condition. instead of dctcriurat-
ing. ~ they would naturally do
I"lort passing to the next aud last point in
order That "t he public buildings of the city
ilea! III Is perhaps best to cunsuer one that
has been barely mentioned. It is that Of tho
Snrnly OF the two things which ihn public is
mound I" furnish tothe indN Ndnal. VIZ. light
ana water. i j. :" hounI. not )" much 10.
cause o' any oblisat ion tn th" Individual Ms On
account of the puzzle welfare. Tho city ideal
must lie well lighted aud well watrred n
Ines" rrspscts, certainty. Now York stands
already In the front rank Of cities. and there is
,i,ul,i 4. n liar tai