New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1907-03-13
SIDEWALKS.

The observation has occasionally been made
not without some provocatiOn, that the chleI
aim OF urban life, government and enterprise
seems to be to have what Is generically termed
rapid transit. The visitor from Mars-who has
quite replaced Macaulays New Zealander-
might at times imagine that the chief natural
and inalienable right with which New Workers
were endowed by their Creator was that Of
riding at a swift pace in cars on. above or
below the surface of the streets and that the
streets were designed for the facilitatOn Of that
process to the exclusion of all other uses. This
fantastic notion would be promoted not alone
by the attention which IS paid to existing and
projected or desired systems Of transportation,
but also by the elaborate encouragement which
is Obtruded against other uses OF the streets,
and especially against the simple. primitive but
Indispensable use Of the margins and crossings
OF them for walking.
OF the harricadng of sidewalks with skidS
and with boxes and bales of merchandise, We
have hitherto spoken. frequently and feelingly,
and we have no mind TO reCur in detail to the
subject save to remark that to our mind the
highest possible tribute that can be paid to
New Jersey as a place OF suburban residence
is the fact that hundreds OF thousands Of peo-
pie are willing, for the sake of living there,
to go twice day through course of hurdle
jumping and mountain climbing But granted
that it Is legitimate for the metropolis thus
earnestly, though Intellectually, 10 endeavOr to
keep all It's population this side Of the North
River it would seem 10 be bad policy TO apply
counter-lrritant in the making Of pedestrian
ism within the city and not outward bound as
awkward unpleasant and dangerous as pos
sible.
For some time we have noticed with mingled
amusement and amazement the substitution Of
an iron grating for a pavement for some dis
lance along the most freQuented part Of the
Park Row sidewalk-the former emotion at
the blithe assurance OF those who did the Job.
and the latter at the resignation OF the pub
lie IN submitting. Certainly nothing but abso-
lutely unavoidable necessity could Justify the
compelling Of scores of thousands OF people
daily to walk along an enormous gr,diron. I'M
comfortable treacherous and dangerous, and
we do not believe such necessity exists. The
engineering genius of the twentieth century
would, we are confident be able to devise some
other means Of preserving travellers in the
subway from instant suffOcation. Yet there
the grating is and there it seems likely TO stay.
while over in Brooklyn the precedent is being
followed by the substitution OF such abomina-
tons for tagging, for the whole width from
building line TO curb.
OF the still too prevalent practice of drop
ping banana and orange Feelings upon side
walks; Of the fashion, much affected in some
parts Of Brooklyn, of leaving snow and Ice on
the tagging, and even of letting boys pour
water thereon in freezing weather, for the con-
structlOn OF cOasting slides-Of these and other
like things both space and n realization of the
limitations of fOrbearance in expression forbid
us to speak In detail. But amid all the deluge
of discussion of ways and means for promoting
transportation, it really might be we'll to give
few drops Of thought TO making it a little more
easy and safe and pleasant for people to walk.
And if mora people walked there might be less
crOwding in the cars.