Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1920-08-21
CITYS TROUBLES SEEM
IN MAGAZINE OF 1884
Chestnut Street Was Even Then
Losing Social Prestige in !
Favor Of Walnut Street

A crisis in the history Of Chestuvi|
street, as the resort Of fair women and
brave men. arose more than a score h
years before the Civil War. at tin.I
when the ''late war" was the War n
1872. Walnut street threatened to b..
come the promenade of fashion
This development in the society Of IN
day is sketched in spriphtlv manner d
an article published in the Gentlemaui
Magazine and American Monthly Re,
view for August of 1880, just eighty .ons
years, ago. II
The magazine was edited by willaa
r.. Burton and Edgar 4. Poe. It 10.
teresting to note. by the way. that POei
name was not printed as it is know
today-Edgar Allan Poe. The maq.|
zlne was published in Philadelphia ia |
DOCK street, opposite the exchange"
Chestnut street Is discussed in he |
introduction to a contribution entitled
mHalf an Hour in the Academy Of ID, |
FINE Arts at Philadelphia" It III
signed BY a Philadclphian. 0thr
papers in the magazine on other sub.
Jccts are similarly signed. To be know
as Philadelphia was glory enough.
1T is a hot morning" writes d,
Philadelphian. ''and we have beti
Strolling in Chestnut street to rcfrea
our fancy with the various fcma.
wonders of Nature and Art. with whii
every great city abounds. We have not,
IL must be confessed. been very sue
cessful in our search. for Chestnsf
street we find is losing very dpcidedll
the character for high fashion which
once enjoyed and Walnut street is b.
ginning to usurp its best glorirS There
Is no place in the world where fashioi
I'VE alludc to the selecteSt) is so seusl'
tive or capricous as in Philadelphia,
Inc moment that n place is so attrit
i've or so well known that everybody
Is supposed capable of going there snd
the frequenting of it ceases to be a ds,
tlnctlon, that instant ii is prOnouncei
vulgar, and people of ton fly from i %
horror. In consequence of this fooi'l
tastldlousness the most agreeable places
in this city (as Washington Square
are entirely in the hands of SecOndS
third rate persons" III
Streets Dirty Then. Too
Obviously street cleaning was prob.
lem In those times also. for, CONTINUES
"Philadelphian":
Our Chestnut street walk has
therefore. brought us little but req
hot face and pair of dusty boots ~
The Academy is now ahead,
Now the only cool place in phiIadS
phia. says the writer, when tI
weather is hot is the Academy OF Wv
Fine Arts. We will. therefore, drop
there for a few moments to regain ""
due personal sOidity and aml!S ",
sight by turning from painted faces
painted canvas"
The critics view of the works ID ,a% s"t
Academy. however, shows that Ches'n., ne nv,
street was not the only faux pas, i.S, I
with that hot August morning OF %
ago. A lengthy technical review Vi ~
with:
"But we came here to get cool s.~ sus
must not allow ourselves to grow W."
IN anger
To paraphrase some Of the pIVSIISsS ISsS
lay humorists. "the Academy OF i %.
rs an academy was not even s00'
Reflected Life OF Day
This odd magazine is a mine OF oo,ntI, ,a, h
ast to Philadelphians. And anuston,
mirrors the life. literature ana '0'
" antebellum days.
Book reviews sparkle with Sucn 'D
Is this: ,rrcbaa
1--WE advise our readers 10 tsnl-
copy for presentation to ther srtick
line socialities." " There Is laoinbia, an 90
" Hall Grandgent. of PhlIaae'Pbnvr Pbv ths
he "Discovery of America y" 400
Sorthmen in the Tenth Cehtu,H
ears before Columbus set sa", "w,olDul
Mr.. Barrett's gymnasium .tics on " how
treet is praised and gymnastiness.,r an
yer "friyolous" they may apaprtsues.
wet of so much real pTTNoulsor
[oseph sill. Charles Wesl W,cs.,,ss Dug
sarah L. Lambert and Tnomat, ,a at,reaue
english. Philadelphiaps, Wat vas s
q poems 9 90 .ins me-