Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1894-06-20

WEDNESDAY. JUNE 20, 1894
City Life In summer.

OiJy LlIo III ouuiiltls
Life IN Richmond during the summer
months Is as healthful and enjoyable as
in any city hcreabost, bot in the course
Of time we hope 10 see reforms made
which will make it more than ever
desirable place OF residence during the
hottest weather OF the year.
RiAnond now has a population OF
about 5000 souls. not including the
suburbs, and. OF course. not including
Manchester. which Is a city Of itself,
and has a population of some 1000 or
1900 We are. therefore. populous enough
TO put ourselves under such regulations
as most large corporations find necessary
for the promotion of the health and happi,
ness OF their people.
or all our summer annoyances that
which comes with the most unfailing
regularity and causes most inconvenience
IS the lack of city water at elevated
points. Our water-works have cost us a
great deal Of money. and have capacity
ample enough to supply city of 10000
people, yet such IS the reckless waste
of water here that hundreds pay regu-
larly for supplies which they do not get
except In the dead hours of the night,
when the pressure" is greatest. In
other words. the waste Of water down
town" prevents consumers cup town"
from getting what they actually need for
household purposes.
To prevent a continuance Of this dis
crcditable condition there seems no choice
but to enlarge our water-works or TO
compel all consumers TO put I'm meters
and pay per gallon for the water they
waste as well a. for the water they
use.
The building Of our City Hall. at a cost
not very much less than sl.500,0o0. and
the increase Of our bonded debt to that
extent. make it undesirable that Rich
mond should now enter upon additional
water-works building and the only prac-
teal way out of our difficulty Is TO "mctei
the city" This plan, however, is not In
popular favor The people who get
abundant water at all hours of the day
and night are so much more numerous
than those who get little or no water
Inconvenience themselves for the general
good. SO far they haven't shown any
willingness to sacrifice their present snug
arrangement for the good of their fell
low-citizens. who complain of the scant
water supply. So. there is annually So
called water famine" a season when
most people have water to waste by the
x.bf ,th hat
az all in the daytime. This preposterous
condition makes summer more than ordi-
narily uncomfortable here for portion
of our population.
When will 1t end; how will IL end?
Another annoyance to which we Rich
monders patiently submit is the noise
OF sprngless wagons. In nearly all the
large cities OF this country all vehicles
are required TO be mounted on springs
Here there is no such requirement. Our
law permits any sort Of vehicle to run
on our streets. and there are some We
hiclcs here which seem to have been
constructed with the especial purpose of
making as much noise and dust as pos
sibie. 1t is bad enough for us TO be alto
gether without the Notwithstanding
asphaltum roadways. but to be without
them and to have the clumsy, old,
rafting, springless vehicles so common
here is 90 detract very much from the
attractions of Richmond as summer re,
sort.
And then there are the piercing noises
which assal our ears from the whiting
Of locomotives and the slipping and
shufi!ing Of trains in yards where trains
are made up. Some Of theGnost desirable
residential neghborhoods OF Richmond
have been much damaged in value by the
latitude which our authorities give &c
railroad managers In this respect. OF
course. We shah be told thathnoises such
as these are Indispensable accompani
ments OF city life in these days. That l:
always the ready answer for these com
plants. But it is n fact, nevertheless
that much OF this noise is wholly unne
cessary. We know of two roads lyins
close togaher and one makes the nigh
hideous with loud and long whistlng anC
an everlasting shifting of cars. while tn,
other seems TO be particular lest it shoulC
wake some one in the neighborhood, anC
makes scarcely any noise.
Ours Is also a great city for howlins
dogs. With respect TO controlling IN,
dog nuisance, Richmond has refrigerated
There are more worthless and vociferou,
ours here now than ever before since W,
abolished 'the dog catchers"-the officials
who used to go out upon the streets an(
net all unlicensed dogs. 1t is bad enough
for sick man or woman TO be KEEP
awake at night by licensed dog, but I,
have ones slumber broken by a do,
with no medal on is double outrage
There Is also the nuisance Of factorie.
blowing their smoke into dwelling houses
annoying whole families. vexing the pa
tience Of men and women, and smuttin,
the weeks washing.
There are city ordinances against nearl,
all OF these things as 20 which we yoic,
the general complaint. but they are no
strictly enforced. The police rarely ini
tiate complaints in these matters, The,
wait for citizens TO become movers II
the prosecution. That Is the custom. anc
II has long prevailed. but IL isn't a goot
one. for the average citizen will suffel
long and "cuss' much rather than swear
out warrant against great corpora
ton. or neighbor who owns a howlin,
dog.
All these sources OF complaint we hop,
To see removed as we advance In metro
politsn greatness. and then Richmond viii
become more than ever famous as q sum
mer home.
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