The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1899-04-25
SWEPT UP FACTS.
Some Amusing Incidents Of
the Enforcement of the
Street Cleaning
Ordinance.
HOW THE RESIDENTS TAkEIT
Some Object, Some Won't
Understand, Some Scold
the Policemen and
Some Approve. {
HOW THE RESIDENTS TAKE IT


AS a rule the police are having little
difficulty in enforcing the order recently
given compelling merchants and residents
to keep the streets in front of their prem
Uses clean. The citizens generally are SO
anxious to see the streets kept clean that
they willingly obey the order. OF course
there are exceptional cases. They are ma
tural born kickers, and borrowing an old
slang expression. They'd kick If they
were being hung"
Captains Kelly, Wohleben and Cody all
declare that they have experienced but
little trouble since the orders were given,
and say that in. nine-cases out of ten the
orders are cheerfuily obeyed. They point
TO the present condition of their streets
with pride as a result of the new order.
And pertaining there has been a surprls-
ing improvement. Newark avenue, Grove
street. Payonia avenue. Palisade and Cen
trail avenues and all business streets show
a decided Improvement.
Waste paper, rag and all other refuse
except ashes and garbage, no longer adorn
the ash barrels and garbage boxes when
they are set out on sidewalks. The latter
no longer nave a charm for the rum
~ AZ "AN
tents over the sidewalks and thus litter
up the streets. Alas, the poor ragpicker!
He, too, is disappearing as a street or1la-
ment. Paper and rags are now burned in
the house, and their ashes mingle with
those from the range and furnace. Other
wise the collectors will refuse to take the
contents of the barrels. The merchants or
residents are not allowed to burn the re-
fx,~a =. <h1 -f-0o<- 1rz4 ~ Axn1 nf %hn o11t
lying districts they are allowed to do so
in the open lots.
In some of the downtown streets many
of the residents appear to TAX 40 heed
of the order. Even on Washington street,
in the vicinity of 'The News office,
boxes and barrels bloomed with a varie-
gated assortment of bursted pasteboard
boxes. old hats, rusted and battered stove
pipe, old coffee pots that lave outlived
their usefulness, and other articles too
numerous TO mention. 1t was a sight to
bring tears of joy to the eyes of the ash
barrel managers. Only the ash cans of
The News" and those just outside the
Second National Bank Building contained
ashes alone.
The police find some difficulty in making
well-meaning citizens understand the full
meaning of the order. A well known resi-
dent of Fifth street rushed into the Sew
enth street station house a few days ago
and Indignantly demanded to know why
the collectors of ashes and garbage had
taken everybody else's ashes and garbage
except his. On investigation it was found
that he had been gardening and trimming
up his yard, pruning bushes, arbors and
other vines. Nearly two barrels were
filled with dead vines. He was told by the
police hat the contract between the city
and the contractor fer removing ashes
and garbage did not call for the carting of
dead trees and shrubbery. The indignant
citizen was obliged to admit that that
was so, and apologizing to the police went
out n hired a man to cart the stuff
away.
A German grocer of upper Newark
avenue, when served with the order in
dignantly protested in about the following
language
WAS a SPLENDID game, dat vas, ain'd it?
Veil, 1 don,d vreckon, yah. Vat? Me pay
Meester Heinrich Vyrnes to clean der dirt
off mine premises from der streed und den
be eggsbegted to do dot mineselv? Nicht.
Nod even vor Vilhelmi"
H.. -De~ LIZ OAiN 6ofS III ~ dAiOO ol
that he would either do 1t or be sub
poenaed TO appear in the Second Criminal
Court to give his explanation. Though
he kicked at first. after the matter was
thoroughly explained he Joined in with
his merchant %neighbors. and the front of
his premises are as clean as that of any
of his ~neighbors.
Mrs. O'Hoolihan, of Cork Row, said to
~ - --
tice on her: Go wan, go wan, Mike; true
an it's misself wat knows We be only fool
In. For hivin's sake, do yez be afththcr
tillin' me that I must sit down on me own
doorstep an watch for livery piece o. pa
per that might blow from in front OF me
~ncighbors' house on ayther side of me?"
But Mrs. O'Hoolihan usually keeps the
front of her premises as clean as a new
pin. and it required but little explanation
on the part of the policeman to enlist Mrs.
O'Hoolihan's assistance in not only keep
ing the paper and rubbish off the side
walk and street in front of the door, but
in inducing her %neighbors to do the same
without grumbling.
.'Shure, an it's nisself, Mike" she
said, "ez will be sinding in. me applifca-
tion for admission to the WINNERS Club
Mkt
The police of the First and Second pre-
cincts had considerable fun in carrying
out Chief Murphy's orders. These pre-
cincts differ materially from the others,
assmany of the people residing there are
foreigners and are not conversant with
the English language. Down in the old
Sugar House district, where the inhabi-
tants are made up mostly of Polacks and
Ewedes, the duty of delivering Chief
Murphy's orders fell upon Patrolmen
Frank McGurk, Mike Oxley and Steve
Stanley. These men are all Of Celtic
origin and in ~onsequen are not familiar
with the language spoken by occupants
OF the houses. McGurk, who is con-