Virginian-pilot. (Norfolk, Va.) 1898-1911, 1899-03-10
TWELVE PAGES
FRIDAY. MARCH 10, 1899.
PAVING THE STREETS is A MIS-
TAKE.

With the keenest perception OF our
inability to sit in Judgment upon even
the humblest subject nothing but
feeling of outraged dignity and dis
position to protect the weak from the
strong. causes an humble effort 10 re-
view the numerous complaints that are
now being made by our Taxpayers, on
account of bad streets and sidewalks.
The voice of the pedestrian rises up
loose bricks and no sidewalks at all.
His falls. slides and stumbles are laid
at the door of the City Fathers, and the
unsecmly language that comes to light
is connected with their good names.
The streets. too. that are not paved
prove subjects of endless remark and
discussion. Particularly Is this the
case In Atlantic City Ward and the
Fourth Ward.
1t Is in DEFENSE OF THE CITY
that q word should be said. 1t needs
help and advice in such q crisis
The sidewalks, 1t Is true, are in many
places too bad to be used. but why
should pedestrians complain when they
have the whole street in which to
walk? The sidewalks are supposed to
be kept in order by the owners of the
houses abutting. Why should they be
asked to spend money in putting down
a sidewalk which will inevitably be
worn out in eight or ten years, while
the street may be used, or people may
become accustomed to wnlking-over
debris and wrecks? Besides, the eXer-
else will do them good Indeed. the
people should have already become
accomplished acrobats and used to q
hop, skip and a jump, which accom-
plishment would serve them to good
purpose In the event OF an amateur
circus for the benefit of the City Coun-
cils
The most unfounded complaint, how
ever Is In regard to the unpaved
streets. like Front street, in Atlantic
City, for instance It Is true that I'm
rainy weather one has to swim, and In
dry weather n buster Is useful upon
this much used thoroughfare. But do
not these conditions create the neces-
sity for the cultivation OF an useful
art. that of swimming in wet weather
, and keeping ones mouth shut in dry?
The Councils are. therefore. right In
I spending the citys money otherwise
than In paving streets and fixing or re-
pairing sidewalks. Let the money be
used for other purposes, for people will
certainly find some way of getting
about. 1t will. perhaps. be the means
OF forcing them to invent fying-ma-
chimes. That will give our city q ire
mendous reputation all over the world
The only objection, at the PRESENT
TIME, to the above argument Is, that
many strangers come 10 the city who
are not used to these distractions in
the absence of flying machines, and
are not accustomed to navigation. nor
familiar with marine laws. and can't
swim fast enough across the street car
tracks to prevent themselves from be-
ing run over by the electric cars on
Front and other streets This 1t Is true,
Is serious drawback and might be
considered "insurmountable," until we
succeed in inventing our flying ma
chimes; but In the mean time, if stran-
gers, visitors. and capitalists contem-
plating investments here, from New
York. Boston, Baltimore. Philadelphia,
and other parts Of the United States,
unused to our grasshopper and frog
etyle OF locomotion over morasses and
ewampT streets.-inslst on coming here,
Msy mYst take pot luck" with US.