Perth Amboy evening news., 1911-05-09
PERTH ANIBOY.

III llt lutd anu IhNluSAt NSlUMA
Of the Newark sunday Call, of this
week:
"The four corners Of Perth Amboy
have got every place in the state
frisked down to a freckle for statu-
esque poses any night in the week.
1t means the corner of Smith and
state streets. On Monday night
there were just III men, a police
man and a trolley inspector at this
junction. They all seemed rooted to
the curbs. At other points between
the four corners and the railroad sta
tion there were Just as many more
deep thinkers and conversatiOnalists
in nine languages. Well, what else
could they do at sac P. NJ. except
p~atronize the melodrama. They
can't loaf in the railroad station, be-
cause the two electric light (16 can
dlepower) are not lit up until with
in two minutes of train arrivals
What do you think of it, readers?
Are We to get real excited, condemn
the Call for this gross libel on our
fair city and deny that any such con-
dition exists? Or are we to admit
the truth, and exert our energies to-
ward bringing about a remedy?
o. course, the paragraph is over,
drawn. That is what the column in
which it appeared is supposed to do.
But walk up smith street almost any
night and see if that thoroughfare,
especially at the orn of State
street, is not almost blocked with
men who apparently have nowhere
to go and nothing to do excepting to
watch those who do have some aim
in view. Perth Amboy has got two
good playhouses, but what else?
Yes, we have a library-and a good
one, too. 1t is a trife off the beaten
paths at present, but it is well
worth visiting and a most profitable
evening could be spent there. Per-
haps this institution is not known
we'll enough. There ought to be
some way to bring the masses in
touch with the library. 1t is doubt
full If one man in a hundred who
spends his evenings on the streets,
knows the hours when the library is
open. He does not know exactly
what he could do if he went there.
There is a great mission here for
the library. The problem is how to
get the library before these people.
But everyone does not care for
books. Some would not go to the
library under any consideration.
What is to done for these men?
Where are they to spend their even
ings excepting on the street corners?
Here IS perhaps that greatest prob
lem that confronts Perth Amboy to-
day. We need more reading rooms,
gymnasium, indoor running track,
Swimming tanK AND TYPICAL Iounging
rooms where men can c~ongregate,
smoke and talk If they do not care
to do anything else. What are we
doing to bring this about?
The rapidly increasing number of
new industries in this city are bring
ing more men here all the time.
Many of these men are absolute
strangers IN the place. There ought
to be some place where these men
can go to get acquainted. What are
We doing to meet this situation?
There would seem to be a great field
here for our churches and our civic
organizations. Everything cannot
be done at once, OF course, but the
time has come when at least a start
should be made.
The Calls sarcastic reference to
our railroad station makes us blush
with shame. This is truly a disgrace
to the city. 1t is most embarrassing
to go to the station with a visitor at
night and nnd 1t practically in dark
ness. Reading inside the station is
out of the question. Outside 1t
would be amusing, if 1t were not so
ridiculous, TO see the lights suddenly
turned on as a train approaches the
station, and then see them quickly
turned off again as soon as the train
has started. Even country towns
get better service than this. How
long must Perth Amboy, one of the
fastest growing cities in the east,
be forced to put up with such accom-
modations?
1t is not very complimentary to