New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-07-01
PERFUMES OF THE CITY SUMMER.
LOCAL ENTERPRISE COMPETING WITH
COLOGNE IN ITS OWN SPECIALITY.

LOCAL ENTERPRISE COMPETING WITH
COLOGNE IN ITS OWN SPECIALITY.
II New-York had only the monks and bones and
pavenents fanged with murderous stones and rags
and haas and hideous wenches," II might compare
favorably with Cologne. For it has the "two-and-
seventy stenches," with few over for good meas
ure The air for the last two weeks or more Wheh
It has been let alone and has been allowed 10 DC
simply air has been as good any large city
could expect and better than most large cities
get It has been clear fresh and reasonably cool.
And yet locally 1t has been filed with wel-denned
and several stinks"
Some OF them arise from mere carelessness III
street cleaning. There were times when new
Workers did not mind that much. II Tammany
had been steadfast and had not allowed ltseit 10
get beaten once they would not mind 1t now. Ihat
is they might think that 1t was disagreeaDie, out
they would suppose 1t to be inevitable. But ram
many was foolish. and carried things 100 lar' anu
got beaten and then New-Yorkers FOUND out 'ha'
streets could be cleaned and they were never more
sstonished since they were all Dutchmen. 80 that
now when a little puddle stays in a gutter so long
that II smells bad they feel annoyed IT Is such a
mistake to teach people wants that 'hey oiu "o'
know beforel o. ,,.tr,o
tions that there are holes In the streets some Oh
these holes are in Park K9w ane as aiTeady been
made in these columns Their smell was omitted
at that time for want OF space, and all but me
mere mention of II is now omitted again, for the
same reason. There is another and worse mole at
Sixth-aye and Forty-second-st. That is region
where more people live and 1t is always nouceapIe
that the streets are kept opened ongest anu u, .ue
smells are worst in the residence districts. Inc
smells that come out Of this hole can be perceived
all over Bryant Park where hundreus Vi p"pie'
are brought every day to take the ar ~
This smell is the peculiar one recognizable HllIe
Of nroduced. by the mixture Of Illuminating gas
with earth. The odor OF clean, fresh earth' ,Dy
itself js neither unwhOlesome nor unpleasant But
the odor Of Illuminating gas is unpleasant: ms ms
can be proved by any who does not kho" II, oy
turning on the gas without lighting II, and stand
ing near The experiment requires only Few MIN
utes Now when this gas has leaked through the
imperfections OF main and has saturated me sur
rounding soil for many months, perhaps years ana
&c then liberated by the opening OF the street and
the throwing up Of the soil. its smell Is dozen
times as sickening that OF the pure gas; ANU
that IL what some portion OF the popuIauon Vi
New-York is treated TO for weeks every summer
Tbat some people do not mind II is proved by the
conplacency with which the workmen IN the
trenches eat and drink in them, and even ne down
for noon maps the very piles or gas-satutatsu
Garth But there are others who distinctly 30
njrd and Il is rough on the babies who are taken
n BRYANT Park for the express purpose OF breath
ing plenty of that sort OF air anu are Hot asheu
whether they Ike II or not