The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1895-06-18
ASYORlA'S STREETS
Pitfalls for the Unwary at
Every Corner.
SOME OF THE WORST spoTs
What the Trouble Is With the Un-
derpinning in Most of Our
Thoroughfares.

II II Is TRUE that no locaAty without con
venient and excellent set OF thoroughfares
can be honored with the des gnation Of
city" then 1t is certain then that our
own little part OF the inhabited globe Is
still very far from any merlted approach
to the use of that term. For no worse
hotch potch Of patched up highways and
byways exists anywhere ON the Pacific
coast than what THE residents of Astoria
are compelled to drive, ride or walk over
every day in the year. At each turn the
same story Is told-anh every fifty feet
of road and sidewalk appears to the
observer TN its true conditions tenn.
porizatlon with wood and nails. The
streets are patched, here, there and every
where just as If the carpenters who did
the work meant to come back "tomor-
row" and fix the job better. In several
localities, not a hundred yards from the
heart Of the towu, and often right in
the business centres themselves, are pit
falls that seem to be waiting a chance
to break the leg of man or horee.
Ruts that could easily sink the wide
wheel of big wagon up to the axle
abound everywhere, and many thorough
fares called by courtesy Streets" but
which would be put TO shame by the vilest
country lane that ever existed are barred
up with a double row Of fenc.ng-a for
chile object lesson teaching of utter mis-
management on the part of somebody.
At the outset 1t may be necessary to
say that the Alstorian recognizes in
Street Superintendent Chadwick an off,
GER who, since his election to office two
years ago, has performed his duties
effectively and well. He has done his Ut.
most to better the condition OF things,
and the fact THAT matters regarding the
streets are in such a chaotic condition
show the rottenness Of our charter laws
and not any culpabilfty chargeable to
him.
To start with the sidewalks. Most OF
them are In That condition OF health
which people describe. as bearing up
as brav6y As possible under the circum-
stances" the remainder have given up
the fight long ago and are tottering to
ruin, turning under the ankle weight OF a
small child and breaking into a wreck
under any heavier load. Opposlt the
residence of Judge Page, private house
hat would be an ornament to any city,
.ong shaky stretch of s.dsNalk that
offers a good subject for morllizing wer
pace not so valuable. 1t s a charming
ruin, and anybody venturesome enough
TO walk ON 1t VIII be able to feel the
roge, effect of making a hundr.d feet of
board swing anyway he pleases by his
owa unaided efforts. Dt Is on.y a coupla
Of books from the hosplbll, so, II few
legs should happen TO be broken by It.,
here are palliating circums ances whicn
should not be overlooked The Fave
res-dence, certainly the largest and most
costly building of it's kind on the lower
river, looks down from every one Of Its
four sides, across the road from Its
fences, on some of the worst sidewalks
in the city. All along the north side OF
Bond street, from Chinatown to Four
teenth, and running through several busa.
ness centres the sidewalk Is a series OF
)ltfals and rotten planlSs. There Is not
a street In Astoria, from Uniortown to
hderbrook, but, has some of Its side
walks in the same disreputab.e state or
ol4apse.
And now for the roads. One is apt to
sonjure up a feeling like Tennyson's
divine despair In trying to give on
paper some conception of their condition.
The worst Travelled thoroughfare In the
own Is one OF the most largely used
and most important-Bond street. Here
IS road THAT fronts the Occidental hotel,
the First National bank, and many of the
largest wholesale and retail stores we
possess; condemned three years ago by
street Comm ss,oner Norberg, condemned
two years ago by Street Commissions r,
Chadwick. and still alive 10 work what.
ever mischief 1t can, as II no protest
mad ever been lodged against the continu-
ance OF hts condition. 1t Is several feet
below the proper grade, mass of rot
ten, tumbI-ng and tottering timbers I'm,
derneath, and altogether presents an In.
teresting instance of p0nderous misman-
agement. Duane street from Sixth to
Twelfth, along past the F'lavel residence
and down, is a mass Of holes and hills.
In several places the planlos and their
supporting beams are absolutely worn out
and altogether past nominal repair. Ex-
change street, from Seventh to Twelfth,
from the Booking residence down TO
Bain's mill. is In even a worse condition.
No team dare travel over 1t. II Is all
below grade. and no two pGanlns are on a
level. Half OF 1t is fenced across. The
other half terminates In cranky jump
ing-off place overlooking a bay OF tine
river, and fifteen feet below q bridge that
only awaits favorable wind to send Il
INTO demolition. Tenth street between
Duane and Exchange has been a series OF
gaping holes for years and a few weeks
ago when II was fenced up the men DO
ing the work Mad to stand on the out
side Of the fence for fear OF taxing
through The north end OF Fifteenth
street, between Gramns' grocery store
and the Central hotel is another beauty
spot. In case Of fire anywhere IN the
vicinity, not even a man with q bucket,
let alone steam engine. could get near
enough to the water without going
through the planlzing.
Not half dozen streets in the whola
town that meet one another Ore on the
same grade. This necessitates the pres
ence Of an apron at every second cross
ing-a gradually descending road con.
Meeting both thoroughfares. wagon run