New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-05-25

in the office few minutes ago. He told me
that he had been coming to New-York for the
last twenty-five years, and that he had never
been through Forty-second- st. in all that time
so far as he could remember, when the street
was not torn up. l am quite prepared to be-
lieve what he said 1t tallies with my own OBJ
servation for many years. II is disgrace that
the people along this thoroughfare have mad 10
endure what has been forced upon them. The
condition of the street seems 10 be worse at
this minute than ever before. We had to make
an entrance to the bank on the Forty-firSt- st.
side. so as to accommodate our customers. We
were shut off for months at a stretch on the
Forty eCOnd-st side. We not in
much better shape. Murphy, that patrolman
out there in front of the bank. has saved a
dozen lives. If he has saved one. People get
started across the street, and IN trying to dodge
n truck or an automobile fall into hole left by
the contractors We are all growing heartsick
the prospect l am very much pleased
that The Tribune has taken hold of this busI-
ness. l am in hopes that something will be
done 10 hurry up the work, We would have
had hard work getting along If IL had not been
for Mr.. Green the Rapid Transit Commission s
engineer detailed on this work. He has stuck
TO his task. and kept the front Of our building
reasonably clea- Of debris. but it has been very
bad for all that"
The torn UP condition of the streets makes
travel along here very dangerous" said Thomas
V. Murphy. the big patrolnan post at the
crossing in front of the Lincoln Bank in Forty
second-st. yesterday. Several times people
have fallen into the excavation in trying TO
dodge horses or cars In this street II keeps me
the jump all the time 10 take care OF the
folks here. guess the contractors doing the
best they can. but they are awful slow in get
ting things 10 rights"
HARD WORK FOR THE POLICE.
It's our business 10 see that traffic is not
unduly INSTRUCTED ana that only those who have
a right TO leave things along the street do SC"
said Sergeant Hamilton, at the desk in the
Twenty-third Precinct station, IN the basement
OF the Grand Central Station, yesterday I'VE
have 10 respect the permits that the contractors
get from the Rapid Transit Commission. Our
instructed To do everything possible to
facilitate traffic through the street but IL is q
hard Job. Il Will be a great relief TO the com
handing officers OF this precinct when they get
through digging in Forty-second-st"
w. W. ST. John. at the southeast corner OF
Madison-ave and Forty-second-st., said that IL
hurting business for the contractors 10 keep
the street torn up so long and that he was get
ting Disguised.
Get after the Degnon company" said F. w
johnson. the bookseller. at No East Forty
seCond-st. The DeRnon people are the fellows
To get after They have till September - to fin
sh their work. and they don't care how much
kick. l have written them repeatedly, but
It does no good. For three or four months back
there was nothing at all doing on their work.
They said they We're waiting for the frost TO
get out OF the ground They are just beginning
To get down 10 work. l guess they are afraid OF
the papers. They don't do any night work at all.
IL they would work few at night. when
traffic Is light they would get this surface work
done in hurry
ut is high time that something was done 10
get this street in shape that people can 90
business here" said the manager for AcIer
Merrall Condit, northwest corner Fifth-ave
and Forty-second-st. Il have to keep two men
busy cleaning off the showcases. The dust IS
blown into the store in clouds. 1t is a curse and
Il shame the way this contract work has been
done. You can't put it too strong. We lost a
good horse the other day by accident in trying
to drive n wagon close enough to the store
to unload some goods. woman can't drive
up TO this corner in her carriage. There's no
use fighting. The contractors say they have a
city job. and that they have n right 10 use as
much of the street they like. We write down
to them and they promise they will get the work
all done in n hurry and get out of the way. And
then IT is the same old story Of delay. l had 10
hire eight men TO carry stuff from n wagon 10
the store the other day. The wagon stopped
clear the other side OF the street. The
| Waldorf-AstOr coach tried to get by here the
other day, and at last the driver swung the
horses right up to the sidewalk and drove the
| big coach up on the corner of the walk
| didn't blame him a bit. He couldn't get by any
other way"
GAY AND LIVELY CORNER.
| Fifth-ave. and Forty-second-st is one of the
gayest and lveliest spots in the world. The be-
holder with a discerning eye and brain gets
there a show that dazzles and absorbs at one
and the same time. Within compass OF sixty
seconds yesterday there drove by that corner In
| opposite directions furniture van, it's front
! seat occupied by three large colored men eating
bananas and q span drawing a coupe carrying
! two nuns. William Cullen Bryant may have
stood there years ago. although it more likely
| was down at tulton-st. and Broadway when he
wrote:
! How fast the fitting figures come.
The mild the fierce, the stony face,
Some bright with joyous hope, and some
Where secret tears have left their tract
! Surely enough they all there-all the types
| About one hundred equipages OF various kinds
| go by every two minutes The dust blow
! ing cloud yesterday, but the people were out
| for q good time and did not seem to mind It,
! Four policemen manned the middle of the road
| ways as usual. These men earn their money
! They are alert, capable enduring and patient
| The crosstown surface cars cut in twain the
! north and south streams of traffic. The Forty
| second-st East Thirty fourth-st. and West
! One hundred and thrtieth-st ferry cars run
! back and forth Any time of day is good enough
! to see people, horses and wagons. but the busy
/ time is between and 3. 1t is about that time
! when our several Lady Peggys are out calling
/ all in their best bibs and fuckers. Thank God
don't hev to buy all them clothes" exclaimed
/ a bewhiskered old gentleman with suggestion
of hayseed in his voice If not In his hair. In the
hearing of the reporter yesterday. For instance
| these were the wagons that went by in one min
ute yesterday: covered delivery wagon, feed
and hay Fffty-ave stage, one loaded with three
inch pine planking an Italian in a Yankee four
wheeled chariot loaded with plain shovels. an
! express wagon with dog yelping on the
| drivers seat. three automobiles. vehicle be-
longing TO one Degnon, contractor. loaded with
/ trouble for Forty second-st people, My Lady
Geraldine I'm her victoria, big coke wagon
drawn by three horses bound for Second-ave
! This democratic outfit the and