Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1896-12-26
NEW YORK LETTER.
SPECIAL coRREsroNpRNor.1

Lou" Psyn, whom Gov.elect Blacl
will probably appoint insurance com
missioner Of New York, is n politca
gentleman of old-iashioned ideas an,
u formidable past. He sbhors thes,
reform notions So prevalent Of
late wears, and has special talent
for always having his hand doep in
something. 1t cannot ha said tha
Mr.. Psyn Is necessary 10 give tono tt
Gov. Blacks admit tis,ration. but tho
friendship between him and Mr. Platt
is as much feature of the situation AZ
. mountain is in landscape, which
explains all.
The screech OF the peddier, tho mu.
| sicai mendicsnt and score OF other
slecp-disturbing and Notwithstanding
"uie"',o' !" 'h'- si.- will i~ all e~~h-
ability be ma ,e the subject OF lcgis-
Iativc action this winter. Tho foun-
dation has been laid for the Society
for tho Prevention OF Noise, by II
prominent physician who says: ~
could sleep in n boiler factory.
But as IL practising physician | know
that the unnecessary noises OF New
York have filled many graves. l hope,
and | thiul that this matter will be
brought before the Legislature this
wintor, and that the police will be in.
structod to arrest and punish people
who interfere with the sleep and rest
OF nervous people and inyalIds."
The doctor divides the street noises
of New York into six classes. In one
class he includes noises made by
wheeled vehicles. He would give q
policeman authority to arrest man
who drives his rickety wagon over
cobb!estone streets. He would make
rubber tires compulsory Elevated
road traius are inciuled under the list
OF wheeled vehicles, and he would
render these less noisy by compelling
the company to put gaskets III the
supports for the tracks, and to use
noiseless engines. The clatter of
horses hoof, he regards as an I'M
ayoilnble noise until the city is paved
with asphait. Tue wooden pavement
he does not believe in because he
thinks it is IA storehouse for disease
germs. In another ciass of street nui-
sances the doctor includes all noisy
animals other than horses, such
rs barking dogs, prowling cats,
squawking parrots and household
pets of that description, which
people are prone to put ont in the
open, much to the annoyance of their
nervous neighbors. He would compel
owners OF these pets TO keep them
within doors. Cats, he believes, should
be licensed aud compelled to wear
collars, the same as dogs. Peddlers
and mendicant musicians lie does not
believe in. He believes that they
should be taken in charge by the po.
lice, and removed to institutions for
tho care of tho needy. He claims
that the city has no moral or
legal right to give man with II voice
like calliope liberty to roam the
streets an! below for old clothes and
bottles right under the bedroom win.
dows of people who want to sleep. In
the summer, when it is compulsory to
keep the windows open, these noisy
fellows are simply distracting. The
doctor would take the bell out of
every church steeple. No clocks
in tall towers would strike the
hour. Nobody wants to hear them.
In these days of multitudinon:
clocks and cheap watches j, i,
easy for everybody to keep informed
Of the time of day, he says. Ho
would stop Sherry's barkers after tho
ball. Some of the doctors patient,
live near Sherry's and they want to
sleep when the clamor for "No. 211"
is mt its height. Blasting iu Harlem
comes in for II share of the doctors
ire. SO do the squeaky little whistles
which Indifferent Italians put on the
blow pipes Of their peanut roasters, and
which drive nervous people nearly
crazy. even in tho daytime. Bus
withal the doctor is not unreasonable.
He admits that street noises arc IN.
lvoiduble when the business OF the day
las once begun, and he does not think
hat people mind them 80 much then.
What he and his sympathizers aim to
10 is 10 make New York the city oi
lie silent night.
Rev. Lyman Abbott, ID. d., the
,ucceHsor of Henry Ward Beecher, as
pastor Of the unorthodox Plymouth
,hurch in Brooklyn is no less forcefnl
'r fearless than his more famous pre-.
lecessor, and he is undergoing severe
at present. DIR. Abbott was
BORN in Roxbury, now part of Bus
on. in 1885. He became lawyer
md practiced his rrofes,ion for
vo years, then studied theology
'ni became preacher in the