The Washington herald., 1906-11-11
SIDEWALK TALK.

Il has been suggested that, as asso-
ciated with street illumination and clean
Hness. bad sidewalks might well receive
attention.
The subject Of sidewalks is certainly an
8Huring one and not unworthy OF treat
ment By the poets pen. In plain prose
hallOwed assOciatiOns-dreams of countless
feet bearing their mortal burdens Of joy
and care and hope and fear, by which it
has been Worn-may cling about an
ancient sidewalk. however dIapidated its
appearance. As a matter Of fact the more
diIapid, ted the better, so far as the hOv-
ering muse IS concerned.
Among bad sidewalks all have known.
the old plank village sidewalk Of blessed
memory, that fiipped and Topped beneath
the passing tread and ratified and banged
and sagged and creaked. and rose up in
the night and SmOJe the shins OF belated
wayfarers. is distinctly worthy Of men
ton
Nor should one forget the suburban
sidewalk of gravel In good condition it
serves its purpose well, although it has its
faults. and is the source Of some irrita-
ti0n OF soul 20 the unfortunate mortal
who Is on his uppers But IL sometimes
wanders by hedges and lawn. and beneath
spreading trees. and with all its faults
people love IL stll
The hag-stone sidewalk in its grabbed
CID age, with its ragged edges and cor
rugated surface and treacherous puddies.
Is. perhaps. as desperately wicked as any
which peripathetiC humanity was ever
harassed and maddened. But after all. il
is an aristocratlc old sinner, and In It's
youth made a spacious footway about
the lawns Of costly mansions or led
straight up 20 hospitabie doors, as likely
as not along stately colOnn2des OF elm or
poplar. pine or hemlOck. As the old flag
stone sidewalk has almost entirely given
place TO the parvenu. but trim and ser
Sicaablo granolithic sidewalk, its faults
may as well be forgotten in remembrance
OF its former high estate
The old brick sidewalk Of Washington
possessed a deviltry which was all its
own. and In its day was a holy terror
and a woe forever At its best il was
soon worn down 10 a rough and peb5led
surface. which caused the development
Of cakewalk tread IN all our oldest
inhabitants. In rainy weather its end
less chain Of pudGles brought despair 10
the hearts Of ell-dressed women and
bad language TO the lips Of gents in
pants And after a hard frost followed
by q thaw. IL rose and fell in billows on
the sOddeu ground. and the rich. thick
juices Of the generous soil gurgled and
seeped and SquTted forth until the neither
garments Of every living soul were
striped and mottled in dirty yellows and
browns. with just plain mud as a back
ground.
Numerous relics OF this most remarka-
bly, bad of all bad sidewalks still re-
main. But as they have been rapidly
disappearing during recent years. and in
asmuch as it IS the policy of the Com
missioners 20 have granolthic replace
worn-out sidewalks. we do not think
there IS much room for complaint in this
connection.
II would be a source Of some satisfac-
tion. however. and would add materially
to the attracuveness Of our streets. if all
property owners. as so many have al
ready done, would replace their side
walks with the regulation material soon
after noticeable signs Of old age appear
instead of waiting until their condition
becomes intOlerabIe.