The record-union., 1895-07-03
A NEEDED REFORM.

Something Required to Keep Residence
Streets Free From DISTINCTIONS.
Something should be done at once to
free the residence streets of this city from
distractions. There is no fund for the
cleaning OF these streets save twice year,
when the semi-annual cleanup is made.
But it is certainly possible to enforce
the law by making two or three exam
pies in the courts for placing obstructions
in the streets. These are so plentiful and
common that they have excited notable
remark of late. II would seem that in
some sections people make a practice of
throwing whatever they have no other
place of deposit for into the street or the
alley.
AS examples, we call attention to the
alley-one of the most used in the city
between Third and Fourth. J and K
streets. Il is paved with Belgian blocks,
and should be kept scrupulously clean.
But it is the receptacle for all manner OF
filth. One side of it is almost constantly
Uttered with hay, old rags and papers;
broken glass glitters on and between the
stones all the time. Cast-of garments.
ol6 shoes. household truck and saloon
garbage are to be found scattered In this
commonway all the time.
Men who haul cobbles through the
the huge stones are scattered here and
there in many of the residence streets,
and we have reports of two instances of
the wrecking Of the wheels Of light bug
gies by coming into collision with these
powders at night. when the distractions
cannot be seen.
Broken bricks were counted In the CEN
ter of four principal streets Saturday by
the score. On Sixth street, between X
I'D EVia aou of "a
of chunks of heavy marble into the street,
some OF the pieces weighing thirty
pounds, and the ObstructiOns remained
in the center of the highway in the plain
view of the authorities until Monday,
when q RECORD-UNIoN reporter out OF q
feeling OF local pride peeled off his coat
and carried the stones to the gutter. Some
Of these marble chunks we're that day
seen in the center of X street. at the cor
ner of Sixth, on the new bituminOus
pavement, into which the wheels of pass.
ing wagons were driving the marble.
More broken marble was found In the
middle Of Seventh street. between and
l. streets. In both Sixth and Seventh
streets, on those blocks. on Saturday was
found an assortment of old boots and
shoes, broken bricks and crockery, and
cartload of large round stones.
On nearly all the residence streets large
loose stones are to be found that crush
buggy wheels, wreck bicycles and Grip
pie horses, several instances of whloh
have been brought to the notice of the
oRD-UNIoN. There are thousand
ladies and gentlemen in Sacramento who
use Bicycles on the streets, and have as
much right to ride safely on the highway
as have those who use buggies. Every one
of them will bear testimony to the
presence Of such distractions as have
been named, along with others that shall
be nameless for the sake of local pride.
It would seem that the Trustees could
make such orders as will prevent this
nuisance of dropping cobbles, throwing
out refuse and depositing brick and rub
bish in the highways. 1t would not cost
three days labor nor much money to
have the cobbles and large loose stone
gathered up and carted away. Superin-
tendent of Streets Murray says that some
time ago he had all loose stone removed.
aud he thinks other stone works up out
OF the alleged gravel. Observation for
Some weeks, however, has shown this to
be but partially true. for from gravel
wagons loaded to overfowing these
heavy stones have been seen to drop. and
from this source. therefore, comes Q
large portion of the dangerous stones.
But whatever tho source they should be
removed, and teamsters and others
brought up with round turn who per-
NIT stones to drop into the streets.
The slightest observation by anyone
will convince them that seven-tenths of
the stones now obstructing the streets
would not be succeeded by others were
the highways once well cleaned up and
Ihe Law against leaking gravel and cob