Fort Pierce news. (Fort Pierce, Fla.) 190?-1920, 1908-11-20
FIRST STREET LIGHTS
City Illumination Began In the
Time Of the Revolution.
LINKBOYs AND LANTERNS.


10 one walking abroad at night in
New YORK or any other American civ
trayersing highways made as light os
day by artificial illumination II seems
beyond the realms Of the possible to
Pelieye that only within the last bun.
dred years street lighting has come
into general use ana that not until tho
Introduction 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.
agreeable experience. Yet such are tho
iacts. The age of light in city illumi.
nation began practically at the same
time that the age Of light In popular
government dawned-wlth the Ameri.
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 priyi.
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
classes 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 were called abroad at night the
need for street lighting was not felt,
at least by the ruling classes. The dc.
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-
um, 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
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 llnkboys bearing
torches. New Orleans, one Of the old,
est cities in America, depended upon
lanterns and linkboys entirely until
1902, when the Spanish governor,
Baron Carondelet, inaugurated acrude
system of street lighting. Louisiana
it will be remembered, was still a
Spanish province when the United
States gained its independence and did
not come into the Union till some years
later. A writer In the New Orleans
Plcayune recalls the interesting fact
of Carondelets 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 atter
nlghtfall. The suggestion was approx
ed but the question Of raising 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 II
could be spared for such luxury as
street lighting. Baron Carondelet now,
ever, proved himself a fnancier as wen
as a progressive governor. He deciueu
that every householder who couia al
ford chimney on his house could al
ford to pay something toward Lighting
tbe streets. At his suggestion the caon-
do levied tax Of s1.12la on every emu
new in the city, and this supplied the
funds which gave the Louisiana ine
tropolls its first street lamps
This system of street lighting prevan,
cd IN New orleans and other American
cities far into the nineteenth century
Many men now living can recall tne
Iampllghters of the old oil lamp Gays,
and in some villages to this day Oh ~
rasoline lamps are as yet the onls
means of street lighting. It mas oeen
often that II our Revoluuon'
,ry sIres could revisit this country 10
law they would be frightened at ou
Mo cities, tall buildings, the steam gu
y line telegraph, telephone and O 01.',l
modern inventions. 1t is douDtLul
ybethen the turning Of night INTO ! Gay
~ modern methods Of street nsn'l NE
I, ronld NOT Impress them more, ~
'horner contrast could be provided tn ll,.,
' 'n dark. rogue infested lane knOM w
= the Broad Way in Wasning'o .sS
y u.s. ,n and the gorgeous glitter Of the