The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1902-06-22
NEW YORK TOPICS.
oo1FTs AND UNDERGRADUATES OF
THE METROPOLIS.

r.. city Is Hard Smoker Now.
uacl<ness and SCOT Cover the just
and Unjust-POlice Commissioners
portridge's Shake-up and Its Woe
.l Efects-The Great Peter De
,.cv. Mammoth of the Pool Room
v,orId. Is Routed HOOfs. Horns and
hide by "a Man From the Village
Of BrookIyn-CeDtraI Parks ParI-
,. ConditiOn-Fhe Bronx Man and
the Bronx Monkey.
New York, June 20.-Such gloom as
,.s never before draped this city dark
.,s il now. 1t is a visible, tangible,
Il rssnira BILE gloom; its popular, or rather
,,,nopular, name is that double-quali-
Cad soft coal smoke. If you want to
.aa the prevailing darkness lit up by
irrid flashes, just ask the first man
,.,p meet how he likes the soft coal
A. first warning of what was coming,
New Workers regarded the matter as
somewhat insignificant. Every man
said WELL it won't affect me much.
ANYWAY, it'll last only a short time.
The first week they stood it uncom-
rIainingly. The second week they be-
oan TO grumble; now the whole city
i in a ferment of fury against the
soft coal burners. That which was no.
body's concern in particular is now
every mans concern. How can it help
hit be when 1t is written across his
80
nothing, we talk of nothing, we
breathe nothing but soft coal smoke.
The news that criminal proceedings are
n be instituted at once against the
elevated railroad system has been
greeted with universal satisfaction.
The fact is that many concerns are
burning soft coal, not because they
haven't plenty of hard coal in stock,
but because they are saving money by
liz Some weeks ago 1 referred to a
statement by a high official of the Met
|ropolitan Street Railway Company
THAT the company always kept a six
months supply of hard coal on hand
as a precaution against strike or block
ade. This l find to be true in a lesser
degree of corporations which consume
large amounts of fuel. Nearly all of
reserve fund of coal. 1t follows, there
fore, that those who are befouling the
air with SCOT are simply taking a dis
honest advantage of the strike situa-
ton and the supposed tolerance en-
rendered in the police mind. More
lover, they are using an inferior grade
|of soft coal. The result is that the
lefty which a few weeks ago was the
|ceanest great city in America or Eu-
rope is a derision to the visitor from
anywhere and everywhere, who wipes
the CRIME from his forehead with a
streaky handkerchief and devoutly
wishes himself back in the clearer air
of his home.
The elevated roads have been sin
sled out for prosecution because they
deliver the defilement closest at hand
and are therefore subject to the most
complaint. Sixth and Ninth avenues,
lin particular, where only steam trains
|are run on the elevated are cavernS
|of darkness through which unhappy
|ciuzens plunge, gasping and splutter
ling. On threat of action the company
pleaded that it couldn't afford to use
hard coal and added the threat that
Iii would close down if the soft coal
embargo were persisted in. OF course
this is pure stuff. Should the Manhat-
Itan Elevated Company close down it
swould lose its franchise, and some
'body else would get it. 1t is to De
hoped that the authorities will not stop
with the elevated roads, but will follow
up all the corporations that are maxi
ling the metropolis look like a perma-
nent storm center.