Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1893-09-07
IN THE METROPOLIS.
.OSE = SFTTT =. II NI,1S
CITIZENS Of MEM YORK--MAt<fAG
PLANS FOR The FUTURE,

improvements a Gigantic Scale Project
ed-Hundreds of Millions of Dollars to
I 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 a
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 il a Estless, don't care sort
of way, which naturally resulted in Chi
cago carrying off the prize.
The fact is that New York is city of
markets. of ships, of shops, OF hotelsa 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 1--we i1fdts AID
+ tenement houses are engaged In IA 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 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 a much smaller but more
enthusiastic city.
Rich men ara now contributing a lib
eral portion of their wealth to enter
prises that viii increase the glory of the
metropolis. Columbia college is being
rapidly developed into a great UNIVERSE
ty. A magnificent cathedral has been
started. \ spacious botanical garden is
to be established. 4 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 bea 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
| $4,000, 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, 600 tomb of General Grant
is approaching completion.
But i'll other and perhaps more inter
esting waysis the revival of public spirit
in New York being manifested. Bust
ness men are showing an increased inter
est III 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-
zens and to secure, if possible, better
pavements, better street cleaning and
similar improvements in parks, bridges
and streets Of the city. Lately 1nunic-
ipal art society has been organized by
leading artists, architects and others,
with view of making the city more
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
| uIOV4CoI' OthCAS VI d uOIt pIlldulIlTOP
ical nature are endeavoring to better tho
lives and condition of the tenement house
population.
The 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 thai
of securing health regulation requiring
the removal of the refuse of the GO, 900
horses in TIE city of New York TIL,
physicians comprising the Academy Of
Medicine have lately been acting will
vigor and courage to secure improved
quarantine protection and purified wa
ter supply. The chamber of commerce
and the board of trade-the mouthpieces