New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-12-19
uUy no THE HEATHER R1GEI

:, ,s rather disheartening to see that some
oo,,, over in Brooklyn are dissatisfied with
their Bridge Plaza and are actually critcis'hs
the way in which 1t is being managed i"e'
apparently belong to the class or those WHO w
not know a good thing when they see II. LII 'he
words OF a popular saying. If some one were u
give them the earth they would Kick because II
was not offered to them on silver plate.
The Bridge Plaza Is that portion OF the city Oh
Rrooklyn bounded by Fulton. Sands, Liberty al"
High SITS. and Immediately adjoins the eastern
end OF the Bridge. Formerly 1t was owned II,
email lots bv various individuals and covered
with more or less dilapdated buildings. But
some time ago the city purchased it, for con-
side able sum Of money. ostensiDly lor the pun
nose If improving the avenues Of approach 10
the Bridge An era Of transformation scenes
followed. Alternately the area was mudhole
and a junkyard: open on all sides, ana ihcioseo
bv a Chinese wall: teaantless waste ana
,onulous resort II got to be the favorite even
Inc amusement OF Brooklynites TO speculate on
what would be the state of the Plaza next morn
ing
4, l.,gtb however. a startling thing occurred
oua ,norninr the PIaZx was found 10 be IN
evoc,lv the same state 1t had been In the even
ing before II stayed all that day; ana 'he
next dav and the next As day after day pasSei
md M change was seen. excitement became ~
tense. Large sums We're wagered as 70 ""''
the next change which required so long prePdl"-
ton would be- and when 1t would occur. "heh
several weeks had passed people grumbed anu
talked of protests and OF petitions 70 the Mayor
:, have their former amusement restored Ana
this IN face Of the fact that this apparently per-
manont state of the Plaza was about az oad
cato as any one could reasonably desire Tne
,vholc expansa was covered with stones so At
rangeI as infallibly to trip any man or peas'
that ATTEMPTED to travel across them the gen
eral surface was unduatlng or rolling anu lS
con,our SO ingeniously devised as always IN wet
weather TO make pools and ponds exactly "here
thev would be most in me way. The chiel siue-
walk. along which thousands OF people walked
ev.rv day. led straight into the deepest poo! Oh
All and was throughout ITS length plehuluIly
nroylded with stumbling blocks Of the most ue-
ccltful and deadly character
one would suppose that with this the people
NJ BROOKLYN would have been satisned. b"'
they were not Neither are they with the chd"se
that IS now being effected in Il. Men are no"
digging big holes several yards square, All over
the plaza and making big piles OF earth ana
stonea one Of the holes occupies eNactY thtTe-
quarters OF the width Of the sidewalk, competing
pedestrians to walk In the gutter or on the
tr.l,ev-car tracks. And yet the people gruHoe'
Nor ar. they pacated by the announcement tha'
this work Is being done FOR the beneht OF private
cornorations TO whom the Plaza Is 10 De sNe"
for their own Really. these grunoiers are LOO
reasonable FOR anything
Is not a plaza a place OF perpetual erup.'oh .
And is not public property thing to be sraooeu
for private purposes?