The Washington herald., 1913-06-01
Pavements IN Different Cities
Often Show the Genius or
Ignorance of Its People.

Oltcl OIlOW Tic oCiiluS VI
Ignorance Of Its People
The sidewalks and pavements Of tn
world vary IS much in character as d.
the people who have made them-broa,
or narrow, straight OF handsome, o.
rugged and uneven. Indeed, II has beel
said that .the street is the expression
of the city," an accurate indicator Of tn
genius Of its people. says a writer in tn
Philadelphia Record.
To the American, accustomed to tn
wide and crowded thoroughfares Of hi
city, IT is surprising that here shoult
be any town where the sidewalks ar,
private property. Such is the case Il
many towns of Holland. There II is ex
pected that one will not walk upon then
unless he crosses from curb to sill wher
he enters a house. The flrst-foor win
dows in these Dutch town houses are fol
the most part screened with netting. ant
the narrow sidewalks before them ART
OF brick as carefully scrubbed as tht
step itself. The pedestrians walk JUS
beyond the curb. on the well-paved road
way OF small, round stones
In cities of Importance in Holland there
is a regularly defined footway. but, as
in TIE Hague and Rotterdam. where an
elaborate network of canals Is inter.
woven with the streets, running like web
and wool through the city. the pedestrian
is often halted by a drawbridge rising
abruptly in front of him, and the side
walk is blocked by a brown curtain which
proves to be the colored sail of a schoon-
er threading its way into the midst Of
the city.
Canals in Streets.
In Amsterdam the canals often run
through the middle of the streets, shaded
by the long avenues of trees
When certain transatlantic steam
ships enter the part of Havre, they sail
dr. thy in from the harbor to the very
center of the city, and alongside this
Masonry canal runs a picturesque street
inhabitated by fishermen's families. Tall,
six-story houses line one side of the
street. From their windows peer many
faces watching the steamer pass where
an opposite row of houses should be. The
sidewalk in front of them is thronged
with hardy Normandy fishermen Then
comes the cobble-stoned driveway. over
which rattle the cabs, whose drivers
seek out fares among the passengers on
deck but a few feet away from them.
So from the deck it seems as IL one
looked out from a house-window directly
down upon this quaint seafarers street.
Under Arcades.
In many Swiss towns the sidewalks are
under arcades. The portly, cream-col-
ored m 7onry houses are built out to
the cuhb. The street of the clock tower
in Berne is alive with business. The
houses are veneered with plaster. and
have wide-jutting caves like cap visors
In the center of the street is deep gut
ter with swift-running fresh water. Out
side the arcades are numerous booths,
where are sold fruit. flowers, clothing
and furniture. Under these cool, shady
arcades are the paved sidewalks, which
in summer are thronged with tourists.
On the inner side there may be seen
most attrs ctive pastry shops where may
be had Swiss honey cake and chocolate.
Other shops display porcelains, carved
clocks and music boxes.
Che ser. in England, has in some of its
streets sheltered sidewalks similar to the
Swiss sort, but they are even more Curl
Gus than the Swiss, since, instead of be-
l. on a level with the roadway. they are
raised to the second floor, as II they
were cut through the front rooms of the
houses, which stand in rows.
In Thun. a quaint old Swiss town,
there are sidewalks that are elevated a
fight above the ground, but these are
built out from the houses, so that the
shop windows and front doors open upon
them. Pedestrians proceeding along this
broad, paved way look down upon the
carts below, while the space beneath
them is used for Easements. storehouses
and wine taverns.
The Island OF Malta, a natural rock
rises abruptly from the Medi-
terranean, south of Sicily. Its sides rise
on each side steeply from the sea, and
the streets that cross il. when they near
its limits, begin to descend so sharply |
that the roadway ceases entirely, and
they become simply long flights of stairs. |
From the rows of houses these stone |
steps extend directly to the fronts of the |
houses opposite, and when the pedestrian |
starts to climb several blocks or over |
heated stairs the proceeding at once
strikes him as no mean task No other
.ity has so many and important stair |
way streets as Malta. Somewhat SINH
ar are the ''Breakneck Stairs" in Que
rec. with wooden rookeries on each size,
md wooden steps with frequent land
ngs.
In certain of the old German towns
he sidewalks seem to be regarded as
Incidental. and WAIVER along the crooked
itreets. sometimes shrinking to a foot or
wo in width. When girding an abutting
hapel or apse OF some old church, they
un into it and cease altogether for
ew yards. In these narrow, busy streets
here proceed, Unfortunately, carts and
lorses and people on foot Pubic SER
ants keep the street so clean that this
5 not in the least inconvenient. as We
icles go slowly and are easily avoided.
| striking contrast to this is afforded by
Jnder den Linden, the famous tree
,lanted street OF Berlin. Besides Its
vide, handsome walks at the sides. there
re, down the center between separate
for heavy, teams and carriages
ong, green strips Of lawn and regularly
trimmed lime trees, which, shade wide,
ravel promenades and still other strips
or pedestrians. l.
Many Curious Materials.
Many and curious materials have been ,
mployed for paving purposes in various
arts of the world. An Italian nobleman
ad the courtyard of his palace paved
nth slabs of marble granite and other
tone. every one of which had been
rougtt from a different land. Europe, |
sia, Africa, America. and Australia all
materials for this curious mo-
aic. which was composed of over 500
ieces- each engraved with the name of
he country whence it came.
The famous Rue de Republique, in
,yons, is laid in glass blocks, eight e
lches square, which are SO symmetrical
fitted together as to prevent the en- J
ance OF water between the interstices.
On the occasion of his accession to the {
1rone of Bavaria Macmillan Emanuel G
18th plates of FURNISHED copper, which. Il
Ia, ,,,fpr ;n tha sr1pshipe had oil thai