The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1899-01-06
DoN,T WANT THE SHOE sAop

the Erection OF an UnsighsIy Little
store on Their Street.
The serenity which usually pervades
the eminently respectable thoroughfare
known as Atno avenue has been much
disturbed of late, because of the sudden
appearance of new building in its
midst; or. more properly speaking, at
one end Of 1.-THE end nearest Washing
ton street. Ordinarily a new structure
in neighborhood arouses favorable
comment, and heads of families cogitate
in secret and furtiyely plan to emulate
the example of the prosperous person
who is building a house. For houses are
a necessary adjunct Of civilization, and
too many of them speaking In a general
sense-cannot be erected But there are
exceptions; and most notable exception
is the unique, nondescript affair now
standing on Atno avenue near Washing
ton street. No property owner in that
vicinity, SO far as the CHRONICLE can
ascertain, has announced an intention of
duplicating the enterprise. The poet
Carew must have had similar structure
in his minds eye when he wrote
For here the architect
Did not with curious skill pile erect
OF carved marble, touch, or porphyry:
No sumptuous chimney piece Of shining stone
Invites the strangers eye TO gaze upon.
And coldly entertain his eight
Hardly. Looked upon from any point
of view whether from the upper corner,
from across the street, or when coming
up the street, and catching first faint
<.I..s....~ - A. IskkIa el,<,., ~ 10 .,of q
pleasant thing to look upon. Nor when
approaching the Atno avenue corner
coming down the Washington street
hills the sight of this new house,
guiltless Of paint, an inspiring one. For,
in this instance, distance does not '.lend
enchantment to the view" There could
be no better illustration of the wisdom OF
the custom which prevails in many lo-
calities of inserting in land deeds clause
prohibiting the construction of buildings
less than two stories in height. and Of
breadth and depth in proportion.
The residents and property owners of
Atno avenue are not lacking in enter
prise or in appreciation of good thing
when they see it. But they see nothing
good about the youngest house on their
street. While not denying the right of q
man to build for himself house in ac-
cordance with the dictates of good judg-
ment, allied with good taste, they reserve
the right to criticise the judgment, OF
lack of it, which permits the construc-
ton Of diminutive one-story shoe shop
on thoroughfa-e purely residential in
character and in opposition to the wishes
of every property owner, except one, OF
the avenue. This one exception, it ap
\ pears, is the ownero OF the property on the
4 lower corner OF 4Atn0 avenue and Wash
ington street, who has s'leased" th'
ground on which the ''eye-sore" has beer
built to native of Italy-to think tha
the descendant of classic race should
infict such house on any community
who intends conducting the shoe mend
ing business for the convenience of the
neighborhood and, incidentally, for hii
own benefit. There are other structures
belonging to the corner property before
mentioned contiguous to the shoe shol
: which are not modern in construction OF
appearance; but they were erected Ions
, ago, are sort of first settlers, as it were
And first settlers are generally allowed
, to die or disappear in any way thai
pleases themselves.
But the new shop-with its weather
boards full Of knots, and its one LITTLE
front window bulging out like a prize
: fighters optic after seventy-two round
mill-what excuse can it offer for OBJ
truding itself on Atno ayenueT Like {
certain other house, its front rests upor
rock foundation, but its rear is proppet
} upon spiles, as though the owner expect
ed high water at some time or other. And
its roof This roof appears to consist oi
tar paper of the blacklist description, and
is dotted at regular intervals with bright
big-headed brass clamps or nails. At 8
distance it would appear that the builder
had infringed on the patent of Silver
| Dollar Smith, the dispenser Of intoxi-
cants in the Tenderloin precinct of New
York, who, becoming excessively op.
ulent, put floor composed of silver dol.
lars in his saloon. Occasionally some
wayfarer prises a dollar out of the floor
and quickly departs. But no wayfarer
will be able to pick dollar out of the
roof of the little store. The shoe-mender
hopes to pick up some dollars in Atno
avenue, in the shoe business, but he may
not gather in many. Dark threats of a
rock-ribbed boycott are going up and
down the avenue, and it is likely the shoe
members supply of maccaroni will run
low unless he can induce the Atno ave-
nuites to agree to an armistice.
Another feature of this agitation is the
ground-rent idea. AT present the city of
Baltimore is said to have almost mo
nopoly of this method of transacting real
estate business in the United States.
The shoe-mender may revolutionize the
real estate business in Morristown, II
is said he is to pay $4 per month for the
front-foot space of his shop. This rate Of
ground rent would fill Baltimore real
aofata man chOc1x ft1Il Of iov Only nm the