New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-12-27
SOME CHRISTMAS GIFTS.

Well the city Jared pretty well in Christmas
gifts in point of quantity. AS to quality-that
was somewhat various. The weather did itself
proud. and us happy. There was no snow. but
II was not green Christmas in the objec-
tOnablc sense of the term We are speaking,
OF course. of the two days over which Christ
mas was this year spread They were both
superb in climatic conditions; good for indoors
or outdoors. for walking or wheeling, for any
thing you please that Is worthy Of men Of good
will. For such Christmas gifts. much graft
tude. But there were others.
There were the smu-smOke chimneys. for
example. Their contribution q floating.
settling-dOwn Of foulncss. hateful alike TO
sight and touch and smell. There was that big
chimney near Thirdave. and First-st.. Brook
lyn. steadily bclchinG forth its carbonaccOus
and sulphurous horrors You could it for
miles You could smell it for many blocks. II
was all the more noticeable in the general clear
ness of the mir which was caused partly by the
weather itself and partly by the two days
cessation OF activity on the part Of other
chmneys. That particular stack seems to be-
long to some concern that runs night and day
seven days a week and ffty-two weeks n
year. or all the defilers of our crystalline
comfort it is the worst Death loves n shining
mark, they say Well. the Health Board ought
to seek this black. smutty. smudgy. malodorous
filth-scattering mark. and do In n hurry.
Then there wac the Christmas gift of the
streets. over in Brooklyn where few of the
streets are swept once in i'm administration,
some of the most frcqucntcd thoroughfarcs
rhn 1nt # Al M.,n .l,,r hnI al tl1n
mud and slime thai had long coated the road
way into dry coating. OF col.rsr there was no
preliminary sprinkling That is known only in
civilized cities. But gangs of men were set to
work with hoes and brooms. TO scrapc the stuff
loose and turn IT into powder and stir it up as
freely as possible. The result was that the air
was filled with suffocating clouds of dust com
posed Of all the accumulated foulness of the
street and gutter. to be borne into every win
dow and door that might be opened. and to
choke and poison the lungs and dcfilc the clothes
Of every passcr-by. In Manhattan, especially
in Broadway the trick needed not the artificial
Intervention of the broom. The dirt left on the
roadway by cartrack builders. or rebuders.
was sufficiently plentiful and mobile to get into
the air all by itself. on the wings of the breeze,
and to make the atmosphere all but unbreath-
able. Talk about Santa Claus.
one more sweet boon was presented by the
"cofincar' folks They had those exasperating
vehicles out in full force and finest fette
If you wanted 10 ride ut all You had to ride in
them. Given compartment with seats for ten.
Ten adults seated. with four children on their
laps Five more standing among them so close
as to be in constant physical contact with them.
Two or three Of the children sick. Smells like
the breath Of sewer. Four such compart-
mcnts in The car all similarly filled. Now and
then Whit from 4 cabbagc-leaf cigar. Not a
single vcntiIator in the car. All the windows
Theoretically sealed The only chance of fresh
air to be had in opening a door. thus pouring
a chilling draugh; on the backs Of a dozen nccks
and cvoking counter-blasts OF profanity Such
was Christmas Day travel on the lines that
have monopoly Of traffic in the finest part of
the Borough Of Brooklyn.
Nevertheless. men and brethren. let there be
peace earth TO mon Of gentle will: partly be-
cause Christmas comes but n year.