The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1908-08-20
FIRST STREET LIGHTS
City Illumination Began In the
Time of the Revolution.
LINKBOYS AND LANTERNS.

These Were tho Precursors Of the Bril-
liant Thorouehfares of Today-The
Tax on Chimneys That Gave New
Orleans Its First Public Lamps.
To one walking abroad at night in
New York or any other American city,
traversing highways made as light as
day by artificial illumination. it seems
beyond the realms of the possible to
believe that only within the last hun
dred years street lighting has come
into general use and that not until the
of gas has it been enjoyed
on an extensive scale and sufficient
light been obtained to make outdoor
walking after dark anything but a dis
experience. Yet such are the
facts. The age of light in city illumi
nation began practically ut the same
time that the age of light in popular
can Revolution
At first glance there is apparently
no connection between popular gov
eminent and street lighting but close
reading of history shows the relation
to have been intimate. The American
Revolution gave freedom to the COM
mon people and made all men equal
before the law. Before that era privi-
legged classes held sway, and the COM
mon people were deprived of many
rights. Among them was the right to
walk the streets at night When cur
few rang all except the privileged
Glasses were obliged to stay indoors.
and as the privileged always had plen-
ty of slaves or other servants to carry
torches or lanterns for them when
they We're called abroad at night the
need for street lighting was not felt.
at least by the ruling classes. The de-
mand for street lighting was met first
by lanterns burning tallow candles,
then by lamps fed with fish or vegeta-
bic oils. These gave place to kerosene
oil lamps on the discovery of petrole
UNI, and they in turn to gas.
The history Of the United States
shows that in only few Of the large
cities was any attempt made to light
the streets prior to the Revolution. In
New York, Boston and Philadelphia a
few open flame oil lamps were main
tanned at the public expense in the
principal thoroughfares, but in the
majority Of towns and in the cities out
side Of the principal streets night way
farers either carried lanterns or had
their way lighted by linkboys bearing
torches. New Orleans, one Of the old
est cities in America, depended upon
lanterns and linkboys entirely until
1892, when the Spanish governor.
Baron Carondelet, inaugurated crude
system Of street lighting. Louisiana,
1t win 10 -e-,"'nhered, vas Still J.
spanish province when the United
States gained its independence and did
not come into the Union till some years
later. \ writer IN the New Orleans
Picayune recalls the interesting fact,
OF Carondelet's innovation In that city!
One OF the new governors first sug-
gestions to the cabildo. or council, was
to- provide street lamps and watchmen
the police Of those days-to protect
the lives Of citizens venturing out after
nightfall. The suggestion was approx
ed, but the question Of saising money
to pay for the lamps and oil and the
wages OF the watchmen proved seri
GUS problem. The yearly revenue OF
the city Of New Orleans in those days
did not exceed $1,000, and none Of /,
could be spared for such luxury as
street lighting. Baron Carondelet, how
ever proved himself financicr as well
as progressive governor. He decided
that every householder who could af-
ford a chimney on his house could az
ford to pay something toward lighting
the streets. At his suggestion the cabil.
do levied tax Of $1.12A on every CHM
ney in the city, and this supplied the
funds which gave the Louisiana me.
tropolis its first street lamps.
This system Of street lighting prevail
ed in New Orleans and other American
cities far into the nineteenth century
Many men now living can recall the
lamplighters Of the old oil lamp DAYS
and in some villages to this day oil or
gasoline lamps are as yet the only
means of street lighting. It has been
remarked often that if our Revolution
airy sires could revisit this country to-
day they would be frightened at our
big cities, tall buildings, the steam en-
CINE, telegraph, telephone and other
modern inventions. It is doubtful
whether the turning of night into day
by modern methods of street lighting
would not impress them more. No
sharper contrast could be provided than
the dark, rogue infested lane known
as the Broad Way in Washington's
time and the gorgeous glitter Of the
same thoroughfare today in that part
known as the Great White Way.
Instead Of inky darkness, a glare
brighter than MONDAY; instead of mar
row footpaths and muddy highway,
broad stone promenades and smooth as
phalt pavements; instead Of the sedan
chair and its linkboys, the automobile
md Its searchlight; instead Of the lone
~ Waterman with his solemn "AIrs
WE'LL throngs Of gayly dressed, merry
men and women seeking the theaters
and restaurants. 1t would indeed an.
pear like another world to the men
used to lanterns: wax candles and the
curfew.-Gas Logic.