The herald., 1893-09-09
In THE METROPOLIS.
CITIZENS OF NEW YORK MAKING
PLANS FOR THE FUTURE,

ed-Hundreds of Millions of Dollars to
De Spent In Bcautifying the Chief City
of the Continent.
Much has been said from time to time
of the absence of public spirit, of local
pride and of neighborhood feeling in
New York. Even the men who have
made great fortunes here do not seem to
have any regard for the city that has
given them their opportunities for
achieving wealth. "Men do not under
stand the causes of their success" said
speaker of the board of trade recently in
commenting upon the difficulty in arous-
ing public interest here in the movement
for the improvement of the Erie canal,
on which SO much Of the prosperity of
the city depends. The lack of public
spirit was signally illustrated in the half
hearted way in which the business men
entered into the movement to secure the
Worlds fair for New York. Chicago
was blaze of enthusiasm on the sub
ject, but New York entered into the
competition in listless, don't care sort
of way, which naturally resulted in Chi
cago carrying OF the prize.
The fact is that New York is a city Of
markets, of chips, of shops, of hotels and
of tenement houses, but not of homes.
The rich men may have mansions here,
but their homes are in their country
houses. The people who live in flats and
tenement houses are engaged in strug-
gle for bare existence, and have not the
time or disposition to give much thought
or care for the city. The diversity of
races and languages represented in the
population serves only to separate the
people more and make them regard the
city with utter Indifference
But there is reason for believing that
this state of things is gradually growing
better. There are evidences of increased
public spirit. Of a greater pride in the
city and of larger interest in her de-
velopment and improvement. Great
schemes OF public improvement have
been projected or begun. Millions have
recently been expended In the acquisi-
ton of new PARKS, and twice lately when
it was proposed to DO something that
would injure Central park there was an
exhibition of aroused public opinion that
prevented the outrages and would have
done credit to q much smaller but more
enthusiastic city.
Rich men a-e now contributing lib
eral portion o. tl,eir wealth to enter
prises that VII increase tle glory of the
metropolis. Columbia college Is being
rapidly developed into y great universi-
ty. A magnificent catf.oa-al has been
started. A spacious botanical garden is
to be established. A fine aquarium is to
take tho place of Castle Garden on the
Battery. A splon did speedway for horses
is 10 be buile. The city is to erect an
immense rs7gsssaicipai -etsi5 5iir~, which it is
proposed shall be notable architectural
addition to The metropolis. The present
city hail IS TO ne given to the trustees OF
the Tilden trust and made tho homo of
So 100000 library.
The art ana natural history museums
are being rapidly developed and will
soon tsxe rank among the best in the
world. Monuments and statues are being
multiplied, and eight years after mis-
death the $500. 600 tomb Of General Grant
is approaching completion.
But in other and perhaps more inter-
esting ways is tho revival of public spirit
in New York being manifested. Busi-
ness men are showing an increased inter-
est in the good governmental the city
and IN its improvement in little things
as well as greet. Other cities might in
deed copy with advantage some of the
methods Of the organizations that have
been formed here for the public veal.
The City Improvement society has
been formed and has started out to in
vestigate the various complaints of citi-
Zens and to secl-e, "a possible, better
pavements, better street cleaning. and
similar improvements in parks, bridges
and streets Of the city. Lately munic-
ipal art society has been organized by
leading artists. architects and others,
with view of making the city moro
beautiful. They seek to improve the ar
chitecture of the public buildings, to Sc
cure artistic decoration within them and
to prevent the erection of inferior stat
ues and other inartistic structures. An
other society is engaged IN marking with
bronze tablets the places of historical
interest. Others of more philanthrop-
ical nature ere endeavering to better the
lives and condition Of the hetenement house
population.
Tho women have organized health
protective association, and are endeavor-
ing to institute reforms that shall de-
crease the death rate and make New
York better city to live in. The latest
reform which they have taken up is that
Of securing health regulation requiring
the removal Of the refuse of the go, 900
horses in tho city OF New York The
physicians comprising the Academy of
Medicine have lately been acting with
vigor and courage to secure improved
quarantine protection and purified wa
ter supply. The chamber of commerce
and the board of trade-the mouthpieces
Of the merchants and bankers-havel late
ly exhibited increased activity and exer-
cised wider influence. All these things
certainly indicate that New Workers. are
beginning to wake up and to show
livelier interes.. in the welfare OF the city.
Perhaps the fact that other cities are
getting closer to her in the competition
for business has some thing to do with
this. 1t is beginning to dawn upon her
citizens that unless she can unite with
Brooklyn, bridge and tunnel the North
river, throw more bridges over the East
river, get rapid transit from city hall to
Westosester county and institute other
x,oos,,Sac ~ ,,,,1,1.<> ~, V,..sssn,,,,,& nl,: