New-York tribune., 1899-07-02
ONE OF MAYOR TIEMANN'S WORKS.

"The good is oft inferred with their bones
IS n too true saying which came straight to
mind at sight Of the half-mast flag upon the
CITY Hall. That symbol paid its mute tribute
of respect to the memory of Daniel +. llemahn'
who was Mayor Of New-York at time now
beyond the recollection Of all men not past
middle age. II waved above a city vastly larger
than Mayor Temann saw. perhaps dreamed
of and richer. and I'm many respects hand
somer and more delightful to live in and more
worthy to be the metropolis of the Western
Hemisphere One would say it should wave
above a city better in all respects than 1t was
forty-odd years ago But, unhappily, such is
not the case One of the best works the most
noteworthy and most benefcent Of Mr.. Tie
mann's administration has been permitted 10
lapse into decay, to such an extent that we
may almost declare that II Is now 10 De III
TERED with his bones"
II was Mayor Tiemann who gave the city
its first general system Of signboards at street
corners The system was primitive. but eHec-
tive and quite adequate to the requirements
OF those days Narrow strips of glass, bearing
in plainly painted letters the names OF the
streets. were placed in the glass cases which
covered the gas jets at the street corners.
They wero easily TO be seen, and the names
were perfectly leglble by day and by night.
If properly maintained that system would have
beon acceptable for most purposes down to the
present day But II was not maintained. Even
while those gas lamps remained In use the
signs were often neglected. misplaced or broken.
When electric lighting superseded gas on the
nrnc,pal thoroughfares they were practically
abolished. The lamps We're dismantled, and
the signs disappeared. In few cases little
metal signs were put upon the dismantled
posts. half the time twisted so ms to point the
wrong way Even when properly placed these
were Of little worth being illegble AT night
when such signs are most needed. In other
cases signs were put upon the corner buildings
where they were still less serviceable. And
down TO the last administration the city was
practically without any effective system or
street signs. Mr.. Temann was not yet dead
but his work was undone.
The last administration, in particularly
sensible and effective way. undertook to renew
Mr. Tiemann's work Handsome gas lamps
were placed at street corners bearing in large
plain letters and figures not only the name Of
the streets there intersecting. but also the num-
bers of the buildings on the corners. and these
would be easily legible al a distance or to
passenger in a swiftly moving vehicle. II was
an ideally perfect system, based on Mr.. Tie
mann's. but improving upon It as the city Of
to-day improves in other respects upon that Of
his Maycralty. Unfortunately. before such
lamps and signs could be generally distributed
throughout the city there was n change OF ad-
minisirations. and one Of the first acts of the
incoming and now existing administration was
to stop the erection OF such lamps and signs,
and even 10 order the abolition Of those that
had already been put up; an order not we are
glad to say yet fully executed So to-day the
city is without any decent system OF street
signs. 4 few streets in Manhattan are thus
provided but only few In Brooklyn the case
IS worse You may wander for miles without
finding n single sign worthy Of the name. And
the only relief suggested Is in the proposition
OF some local SOlon to put signs on the corner
buildings. n proposition half imbece. half ma
licIous II Is a fine bit OF fntes irony that Dan
iel +. Tiemann should have died during the