The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-09-27

CLOSING OUT SALE
TIRED or WAITING FOR COMPLETION or THE SUBWAY:
ALL STOCK AT COST.
Next door, to the east is a vacant store,
long vacant, to judge by the fyblown
appearance Of the 'To let" signs inside
and the thick dust which covers the in
terror In the building above are more
80 let" signs equally hyblown and dusty.
On either side more vacant windows. more
signs Offering desirable premises for rent.
They tell the story OF the wreck of the
business prospects OF one Of the most pros
porous cross streets in the city by the
method adopted in carrying out an i'm
provement designed for the benefit OF the
citys taxpayers, an improvement for which
the Forty-second street merchants who
are losing their good money are paying
a good share OF the cost. They explain
why in the last few years the street on
which other merchants used to cast envious
eyes has become known as @the highway
Of bankruptcy"
Fast and west from Fifth avenue. for
half the length OF the street. paving blocks,
dirt and dirty timber litter the sidewalks
almost to the doors of the shops. On the
south side, next to the little square of green
known as Byrant Park. there is an i'm
proved mortar mixing plant and general
heap OF left over subway material Here
and there the roadway is still open, showing
the network Of pipes and conduits beneath.
Through great part OF the street the tenn
porary plank sidewalks and road covering
are still in place.
The subway at this point is supposed to
be finished 80 far as the framework and
the building are concerned, but the mess
in the street continues. A few weeks ago,
al a protest meeting held before the Mayor,
Contractor Mcdonald promised to have the
street cleaned up in ten days. Several
periods of ten days have passed since then.
but practically nothing has been done.
A few men. possibly fifty altogether, are
seen pottering about in the mess every
day, but the rate Of progress is 80 small
that it is practically invisible.
The Forty-second street merchants de-
sire to point out to their threatened breth-
rem in upper Broadway that this illustrates
the value Of contractors promises.
Five years ago the prosperity Of Forty
fpCOnN SUIe6O Wdo lAChSooihS oe :" iiAoA o
rapid rate than that Of any other cross street
in the city. 1t is the general testimony
OF resl estate men who make specially
of dealing in property in that section that
Forty-second street realty increased in
value at least ohe-third In the two years
between 1895 and 1893.
Then the old Third Avenue Railway
Company tore up the street to substitute
cables for horsepower on the crosstown
line running through the street. The
mess this made didn't help the streets
trade particularly. The operation took
almost six months
After a year or 80 of cable traction tho
company decided that the under trolley
was better for street railway purposes than
the cable system. They upset the street
again to change from cable power to cleo
tricity. 1t took nearly six months more,
and Forty-second street began to have the
reputation Of being always a filthy and
uncomfortable thoroughfare to walk in.
Then came the subway and all the mess
that had been made before was insignificant
In comparison with the utter wreck made
nv the digging and the blasting for that.
1t was a trip OF peril to walk through the
street To drive through it was an i'm
possibility, unless there was plenty of time
to spare and the conditions we're unusually
favorable.
The piles of debris and material extended
to within few feet Of the merchants doors.
The cars crawled through the mountains
Of dirt and paving stones The C, CROSSINGS sa
and the blasting in the rock at the
bottom of the ditch shook buildings,
smashed windows and scattered dirt and
stones about. Then around in Park ave-
nue. the houses began to slide into the
ditch.
That was the climax. The dynamite
explosion which wrecked the hotels around
the Grand Central Station had done harm
enough The dirt and tangle OF traffic had
done more. Now several buildings were
condemned, and their tenants, glad of an
excuse to throw over their leases, joyfully
moved out. Shoppers avoided the street
as if it we're plague-stricken. Failures
among the smaller merchants In IT were
recorded by wholesale. 1t will take ten
years of prosperity after the street is itself
again. if it ever is, to recover from the
losses Of the last five years.
the city stood at the corner OF Broadway
and Forty second street. The building in
which it occupied the ground floor was
condemned after the subway work had
been going on Tor year OF TWO. Inc
proprietors were among those who were
glad to get out Of the street. One OF them
told his friends that the firms loss in trade
before they moved had reached an average
of 5000 day
The trade loss Of Acker, Merrall 4 Condit
has been estimated on authority, it is said i,
at $50 900 year. The firm Is not talking
about the matter for publication. The
manager OF the firms store said the other
day that it was impossible to estimate it.
I'VE didn't fare half so badly as some OF
the others" he said, because we have an
entrance in Forty-third street and we have
taken the bulk Of our orders by telephone.
On the whole, think the subway con-
tractors were as kind to us as they could
be"
1t may be said that it is difficult to get
many OF the merchants to tell just what
their losses have been on account OF the
subway and to express their feelings toward
Its buildings.
Don't quote me about it, one Of them
told SUN reporter. They're not through
yet. understand they have to tear up all
this pavement again to lay down proper
one, and therel be lots Of chances to get
even with the kickers. What time l
would have after all I've gone through,
with paving stones piled up within two
feet or 30 OF my windows and door"
merchant hasn't a rosy chance OF
getting much satisfaction out OF con-
tractor engaged on public improvement,
and with Citv officials behind him. III the