The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1893-08-25
IN THE METROPOLIS.
CITIZENS OF NEW YORK MAKING
PLANS FOR THE FUTURE.

improvements on Gigantic Scale Project
ed-Hundreds of Millions of Dollars to |
Be Spent In Beautifying 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 a blaze of enthusiasm on the sub
| iect. but New York entered into the
competition in a listless, don't care sort
of way, which naturally resulted in Chi
cago carrying off the prize.
The fact is that New York is a city OF
markets, of ships, 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 arr engaged in strug-
gle for bare existence, and kave 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
|
exhibition of aroused public opinion that
prevented the outrages and would have
done credit to a much smaller but more
enthusiastic city.
Rich men are now contributing lib
eral portion of their wealth to enter
prises that will increase the glory Of the
metropolis. Columbia college is being
rapidly developed into great universe
ty. A magnificent cathedral has been
started. A spacious botanical garden is
to be established. A fine aquarium is to
take the place of Castle Garden on the
Battery. A splendid speedway for horses
is to be built. The city is to erect an
immense municipal building, which it is
proposed shall be notable architectural
addition to the metropolis. The present
city hall is to be given to the trustees of
the Tilden trust and made the home of a
s., 900, 900 library.
The art and natural history museums
are being rapidly developed and will
soon take rank among the best in the
world Monuments and statues are being
multiplied, and eight years after his
death the $500, 900 tomb of General Grant
} is approaching completion.
But in other and perhaps more inter
esting ways is the revival of public spirit
in New York being manifested. Busi.
ness men are showing an increased inter
est in the good government of the city
and in its improvement in little things
as well as great. 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
l zens and to secure, if possible, bette.
: pavements, better street cleaning an(
5 similar improvements in parks, bridge
and streets of the city. Lately munic
ipal art society has been organized b.
: leading artists, architects and others
u with a view of making the city NOR
/ beautiful. They seek to improve the al
o chitecture of the public buildings, to Sc
8 cure artistic decoration within them AM
to prevent the erection Of inferior stat
= ues and other inartistic structures. An
y other society is engaged in marking wit
K bronze tablets the places of histories
l. interest. Others of more philanthroI
" ical nature are endeavoring to better tn
Is lives and condition of the tenement hous
u population.
d The women have organized healt
/ protective association, and are endeavo1
ing to institute reforms that shall d.
l. crease the death rate and make Ne'
* York better city to live in. The lates
u reform which they have taken up is tia
10 of securing health regulation requirin
IL the removal of the refuse of the 60,0C
le horses in the city Of New York. TIL
III physicians comprising the Academy {
u Medicine have lately been acting wit
"a vigor and courage to secure improve
~ quarantine protection and purified W;
4. ter supply. The chamber of commere
~ and the board of trade-the mouthpiec,
10 of the merchants and bankers-have lat
u ly exhibited increased activity and exc
:. cised wider influence. All these thins
IN certainly indicate that New Workers a.
ea beginning to wake up and to show
w livelier interest in the welfare of the cit