New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-07-05
FAIRGROUNDS ON THE ASPHALT.
oN THE EAST SIDE SMOOTH STREETS ARE
VIRTUAL ADDITIONS TO THE
PARK AREA.

That part OF the East Side which lies between
the Bowery and the river l.. 70 considerable ex-
tent paved with asphalt. and the Pubic "orhs De-
partment planning still further extensions OF tat
system OF pavement. Indeed. f.. +. North the
water Purveyor in whose direct charge this branch
OF municipal administration Is favors smooth
streets for house regions. even II THOR
oughfare-s used by bicyclists have to be content
with rough granite blocks a few years longer III
general the argument in favor or aspnait lot
streets where the population Is hudded IN greatest
numbers is the sanitary one. That material can
be kept clean easily that the health OF heish-
borhood is apprecably affected by its use' and De-
sides danger OF an epidemic which might spread
to weather. parts Of the city is averted
This Is true but it is not all Asphalt pave
ments are important contribution 10 the oppor-
tunities for amusement OF the East Side residents
They in a measure add to the park area OF that
region serving as they 90 Fairgrounds for the
children and breathing spaces for their parents
II NAV be- said in passing that these two classes
seem 70 make up the population over there. early
marriages are common. II might appear tna', as
the streets were there before, they would have
served as well for Fairgrounds when paved with
cobblestones but such Is not the case. Their SUI
peror cleanliness for thing. makes the asphalt
payements far more available. In the next place
they dry quickly after a rain, and. unless In poor
condition. are not covered in spots with puddles or
water.
The smoothness Is perhaps the chief element IN
their adaptabllity TO the sports OF childhood The
boys can play marbles on them. while granite pave
ments are useless for this. II Is lots more fun to
roll hoop play ball or zone O. cat or prisoners
base on asphalt than on rough stones. muddy
perhaps and slippery The little girls also md that
ring around rosy and other song games are
much more satisfactorily played on a smooth sur
face The Hebrew boys are not as much given TO
prisoners base" those OF other nationalities.
neither do they play ball a great deal There il no
room for batting and mere pitching and catching
get t,resome Besides the danger TO windows and
passers-by leads the police 70 stop that sport
zone o. cat" II is pronounced. has been the
favorIte game for the boys OF Hebrew parentage.
but this too has been generally suppressed on ac-
count Of the accidents to show-wndows and non
combatants The sport Is really form OF baseball.
except that piece Of wood Is used instead Of
ball II is some three or four inches long. and
inch in diameter at the centre tapertng to rather a
dull point at either end There sides. in
baseball. but the total number OF players Is usually
not larger than eight or ten. The piece OF wood is
laid on ground and the batsman touches the end
lightly with his stick. 1t rises into the air two or
three feet. and then he strikes II sharply. Some
times II Is sent half block and he makes the cir
cult OF the bases before OF the feeders can re-
1t TO the home plate, where the stands
II he cannot get beyond first or second base Uhe
number OF bases variesl he may be brought home
by the next batsman There Is need OF a pitcher
This for the children. The grown folk also reap
benefits from the asphalt pavements II furnishes
a fine surface for trundng baby carriages The
children being the street, there is more room on
the sidewalk for their elders. Soops are not nu-
merous over there. but on summer evenings crowds
occupy those that there Chairs are brought
out the sidewalk and the curhstones furnish seats
for many. With the old paving materials the
cutters more or less unclean and noisome but
the asphalt makes the curbstone really an attractive
place Sit
When II IL called TO mind that a certain East Side
block has 1900 dwe!lers II Is easy TO believe that
these streets are crowded on summer evenings And
they are where the blocks have a much
smaller population. Some has said that there is
not standing room az time these East Side
streets for all the people that 1--we In them Be that
as IL may. the people are thick bees Ii Is tn
teresting 10 ride on the front platform OF a car
through OF these asphalted streets In the early
evening. say at o'clock You in constant
dread lest some OF the children be run over. But
the driver goes slowly and Is constantly the look
out. Fer all that there viii be one two instances
when he Will rein up his horses at the very instant
that you think child Is beneath their feet.
The popularity Of asphalt Is attested In Avenue c.
A line OF through here but on fair days
and evenings children crowd the street. playing
their various games. Avenue ID has less trafnc on
1t. but being paved with stones has not nearly so
many people small, and adult. upon II. The laying
out Of two parks over there win keep many per-
OF the streets. but meanwhile the asphalt paw.
Ing forms . fairly satisfactory substitute