New-York tribune., 1907-07-28


around all the parks and squares may be fouhd
all manner Of tempting signs TO draw the man
with thirst within; in the slum sections dirty
stalls with shelves covered with bottles OF hlgnly
colored penny poisons advertise the wares or
-re cbeap drink vender. but unless one searches
,rf,, the seeing eve he VIII have difficulty in
hnding the few and far between. dirty. unosten-
tatfous drinking fountains that give freely Of the
purest drink obtainabe.
T0RRID ZONE OF THE CITY.
The torrid zone Of the city unquestionably
les IN the streets which skirt the southern end
OF the island along the waterfront. There all
day long IN the direct rays of a summer sun.
men and horses work TO their utmost capacity.
Beginning with Pike street, where the new Man
haitian Bridge is beginning 10 make itself evil
dent, all the way around and far UP West street,
there IS a continual stream Of vehicles thread
ing their way in and out from the wharyes.
Teamsters and steyedores. seamen and lands
men. work there in the dust and dirt and heat
until their clothes are soaked with the moisture
from their bodies and their thrOats as parched
as sun baked clay. There. If anywhere in all
this busting city, men ought to be thirsty-and
they are. There. TOO. there ought 10 be free
flowing public fountains 10 alleviate the thirsts
Of these men-but there are not. At Pike street.
where the hardest toll along the waterfront be-
gins, there stands fountain originally erected
for man and beast. It is a public fountain OF
the dingy green variety, a relic of q day long
gone when man might have a drink Of water
In New York for the taking. Into the trough on
the street side of the fountain water still runs
freely showing that the day has not yet come
when the horse IS begrudged a drink but the
other side spigot and bowl have been obliterated
long ago and If the driver would quench his
thirst his only recourse. other than drinking
with his horse, is the saloon across the way
Not far below this. at James slip, stands an
other fountain which freely for the
qualification OF the thirst OF alone. To-day
this stands monument 70 its former useful
nsss. its spout missing a hole smashed in the
bottom OF its bowl and much accrued rust and
dirt indicating how long it is since il served its
purpose. Yet. here. too a saloon stands on the
corner. Opposite saloon in Catharine street
the Society for the Prevention Of Cruelty TO AM
mails has charitably placed one Of its temporary
tubs filed with water for the use of suffering
horses bat no CUP or dipper marks any consid-
GRAFTON for the human animal on the seat bit
further down the two corners OF PECK Sllp
and Front street, and on two Of the corners OF
Peck Slip and South street, there are also drink
ing places, but for horses only on each OF
. these corners though, there is saloon
~ Burlng slip and South street is another
fountain. formerly placed there for man ana
beast Now all the satisfaction received by the
man les IL watching the beast drink, unless ne
a-o-s into the corner saloon and quenches has
thirst for there, too vand2l hands have "lpea
a-ra- the part Of the fountain that was INTENDED
Tor the use Of man again, at Maiden Lane a
horse can get drink without going into a sa-
1oor though not so his master. Still' thefe ~
barroon conveniently situated on the corner
Al wall and South streets the hanc "hlch ue-
spoiled TIE front Of the FOUNTAIN tleie vas 49,
more good enough 70 leave the front free for the
usA ~ the horse on this corner there Is also
saloon.
ONLY TAETALIZING.
~ old SIiD and South street, high above a
trimming horse trough and two small drinking
wells for dogs. Ike Tantalus Of old, is the visage
4 an iron Hon who with sad eyes and dry lips
that once gave forth limpid stream gazeS
lcrginrlv into the saloon in front Of him. envy
ing # the added power it has gained TO aIay
th.rg, since his own efficiency In that me was
checked by some ruthless hand.
Al Jeaunette Park. by Coenties slip, a mercl-
ful municipality has provided shaded plot Oh Oh
green. where the ground prostrate loIil'
sleep of debauches resulting from tIle squI' :
rel" vyhislev purchased wherever the sign OF
the dried up fountain stands; yet even mere IN
this pretty little park no fountain gurgles IN
cheerful murmur, though there is q saIooh JuS'
across the street. At WhltehaH ana Soutii
streets an ernptv fountain shell stands. tellinS
tale Of days when It was Of real beneht TO tile
weary traveller. though now the iron Ioiii
serves as a leaning place for loaters or as d
Ilace for young horses 10 cut thelr "lSIoil go
while their owners blow off the suds in the
cool of an electric fan inside. Around the Bat
terry and up TO West street the thirsty one may
20, passing numerous taverns and SOIL drink
stands but never a fountain until, loohlhs
across Battery Place, he sees, across from a
saloon. one OF the green painted iron fountains
Of the city dash brings him there. to fnd IN
Disappointment that some one has broken the
fpigOt and that even the horse trough Is empty
Just q little further along the place is a once
beautiful now broken and battered, stone touh-
tain, with In Memoriam g. G., IN small let
ters, on its front a fine incentive, thls' foT
future presentations Of memorial fountains TO
ths city, Across the street from thls' 100 Is
The Inevitable saloon.
Along the dry and dusty area or west sHee'
as Ear as one cares 10 walk there is not pre-
ieace of . fountain, save here ana theIe oI a. q"
occasional side street the temporary uousils %
ihe Society for the Prevention OF CrueIy u
Animals may be found for the use OF horses
though never q drink anywhere for thirsty man
IN THE DOWNTOWN PARKS.
Little better than this is the condltioH .,
things In the parks throughout the lower emo oi
The city. One finds himself almost enFyihg th'
fsh In the Aquarium when he accidentally rum
across one OF the other Of the fountains III BAT
iery Park with their dngy cups lying III uii = ,
Bowls ~ disfler water. In corner of tiIy ma
Park, at Broadway 3ud Chambers street III
sQuatty iron fountain also Gingy ana p"oii >
cared tor. This has three spouts. from Wich 'ii'
"Eler runs slowly though itseH Feiue -. - !,
s4te more for the public good tllan i apS'iN
-eeessary ~ ti..s fountain, on one OF lI's 10
'sEiers II New FORK. dangling from t''e Gnu -
al Iron chain and dirty ard repelianl ehous'
. take asay the edge of the keenest ihIIs'' "