New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-05-20
COMPRESSED AIR AND SALT WATER

For reasons which it must be presumed are
satisfactory to himself, Mr.. j. Sergeant Cram
appears to be uncommOnly anxious TO counter
act the impression that he is deeply interested
in the mysterious scheme for supplying com
pressed air and salt water to the inhabitants Of
this CITY, In justice to Mr.. Cram it should be
said that his retcence is not sudden Last
year, when the Aldermen, having bestowed a
franchise for the same purpose upon persons
unnamed were requested TO explain their singu-
lar benevolence they fastened to assure the
public that it was all right and must OF neces-
sity be all right, inasmuch as Mr.. j. Sergeant
Cram guaranteed it. But thereupOn MIR. Cram
promptly and emphatically declared that the
Aldermen were laboring under a strange de-
fusion, and that so far from fatherng the
scheme he had no interest in it and knew moth
ing about it, We suggested at the time that
an expedition ought to be organized for the
| purpose of discovering the anonymous bene-
factors who were secretly preparing to confer
| colossal blessings upon the community. But
nothing came of this, and soon afterward the
| Aldermen recalled the bill from Mayor Grant
and sequestered ii.
| But those who supposed that this was the
| last we should ever hear Of compressed air and
salt water were mistaken. measure Of es-
sentially identical import was passed by the
Legislature few weeks ago, under the genial
auspices of the Hon. Timothy Dy-Dollar Sui
| Iiyan. II NAV be remarked incidentally that
one of the interesting circumstances connected
with the passage Of this measure was the fact
| that it purported to be something totally differ
ent but, all things considered, this is not so
| interesting as the other circumstance that when,
| in the course of his deliberations upon the work
of the Legislature, the Governor reached this
bill he promptly sent for Mr.. j. Sergeant Cram
! to elucidate it. and that when it had received
his appreciation the Governor compIacently
affixed his signature. After this. of course,
everybody supposed that Mr. Cram had been
investigating the project which the Aldermen
endeavored to foist upon him last year, and
| had satisfied himself that it was sweet boon.
| But now, to the amazement of all save Mr..
| Cram, he continues to protest that he has no
| interest in it, and appears as anxious as ever
he was to create the impression that he is the
last man on earth to approach with questions
as to its meaning and probable operation.
| We hate to intrude upon Mr.. Cram, but it
seems almost necessary to suggest to him the
ue>irdpih'! VI So.uHS 'c""y w ""o"V' inquiries
| on the subject Here is measure which the
Governor approved after Mr.. Cram had COM
mended it. 1t is a measure which sneaked
through the Legislature in disguise II is a
measure which gives to corporation the power
to take enormous liberties with the streets of
this city. 1t is a measure which numerous per-
sons are either afraid or ashamed to talk about.
If MIR. Cram is one of these persons, then il is
| measure which Mr.. Cram cannot afford to be
identified with in the popular mind. And Mr..
Cram will not escape such identification by