The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-02-13
STREET NOISES IN WASHINGTON.
Evsrysoay sinrs. Or whistles. or Talks. and
Even the Bahies Cry.

Even the Bahteu Cry.
WASHINGTON, Feb. 12.-washington strikes a
stranger as being a very peculiar town in more
than one respect. without manufacturing cs.
Establishments and block ~pavements. it is, never
theless. a noisy town, and the visitor who is not
stone deaf cannot remain here many days with
out deriving the knowledge that there are
noises. The swill man blows a fish horn at each
house. and blows 1t hard. He collects the swill
in a sheet-iron cart, the heavy lid OF which is
raised by q lever and falls by its own consider
able weight. The fall 10 like the discharge of q
six-pounder, and 1t Ia repeated at every door.
The public vehicles, such as express wagons,
carts, and the like, are mostly owned by
negroes. who pay no attention to loose bolts
and tires. The steeds are like hat racks,
but oven tho rattle of their bones does not drown
the rattle OF the wagons they draw or that push
them along. Worst of all. however, is the
whistling of the negroes. The crying of babies
in the residence streets Is bad enough. As soon
as the little colored nurse girl gets away from
her mistress'ss sight she pays no further atten-
disturb her nearly as much as 1t does the neigh.
bors, so she makes no effort to pacify it. Every
under 20 can and does whistle. The negroes can
whistle well in most cases and loud In all. They
men. This, with the loud talk Of the negroes,
NV ~ tho ibito y
The citizen of New York cannot conceive Of
the distressing persistency of the negro whistler
bility. the many persons who suffer from by
peresthesia. find II q serious nuisance and a real
atfiiction. 1t is one OF the rarest things TO meet
Ave negro males who passed a given point
during = recent investigation, nineteen
i Seff v Uisistli aad G sss others Was singing MsIe t. K a
Eet6er. touching elbows. they viii speak
IA though they were 300 feet aDart- Some are
musical and artistic whistlers, who pick up am.
bilious melodies from the hand organs and
from a little German band that seems to, have
the Marine Band. 1t appears at the same hour
every day at certain houses, but as its repertory
Is limited and fixed it becomes wearisome. The
many street organ grinders. too. have their reg
ular patrons, but they exchange instruments
with one another occasionally.
her streets in respect OF noises at night, at any
rate she can change their names. That Is now
proposed; or virtually decided on. They are TO
be named in such n way as to indicate their re.
lations with the Capitol and with one another.
The people OF Washington have always boosted
OF the present system OF naming streets and
Is considered that the streets run in all direc-
tons IL may be worthy OF praise. To the
the system is explained it easy is the game.
1t is proposed To name the streets running in
~ their proper order OF succession. To know
how many blocks-squares they call them here
away any street Is one will have to be ac-
have held office. Then the streets running in
another direction will be named after the cities
of the United States. the initial. letter to indi-
cate its relations with the central street. Thus.
the first street will be Albany or Atlanta. the
second Boston or Baltimore. and so on. Then
rivers and lakes will be used. 1t is proposed to
retain the terminal designations n. w., S. W.
n Ss, e. and 8; E.; J.. Minor # streets and alleys wiz be
races instead Of streets.