The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1920-10-20

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Bests6, Nass., Oct H.-Dostoa,
city 6nllia1o ars woe131g - . pI1n
to cut . straight. broad artery
through the network. Of crooked
streets In The weatsfH part OF the
business distriet.
u This would not ordinarily b y
statemsnt to cause any great e.
cif1ment. for n the course Of It's
Bstory Boston hasFeTayely coustd-
Sred no lees thaa 100 proposals. to
simplify the maze Of 10 street sys-
TEN. The latest plan, however. has
been. approved By the legislaturs
and ID nov before the town council.
1t really begins 70 look g u Bos-
ton might eventually see this par
ticular proposition through.
The pfoposed channel would In
volve the widening OF some OF the
streets It would follow. and the
cutting through Of some new strips
OF street to make . continuous,
straight thoroughfare. It would
provide . short cut through the dis
trict south OF the Common and 1t
would attract large amount Of
tramc which now overcrowds the
numerous narrow streets and lanes.
Boston still expects some day
really to straighten It's streets, ana
any citizen wal tell you Just how It
ought to b done. Meanwhile the
crookedness Of the thoroughfafes
is q byword, and q sort OF trade
mark Of the city.
A Nsitor can have ill the exer-
else and excitement he wants sim
ply trying to ind the shortest route
from . hotel to IN oflcs building.
In some parts of the most consested
shopping district, walking In q
straight line 10 next TO impossible.
for the sidewalks are 50 Jammed
with would-be pedestrians that the
only way to travel with any speed
is to wriggle in and out among the
slowly moving throng. Anyone
who becomes skilful at this bust
ness Of ,wriggling can advance at
least four blocks an hour and at the
same time acquire . suppleness
which comes in handy when dodg-
ing taxicabs and wagons.
A Crowded Street.
l. The best place to observe tramc
ut IL slowest ID on Washtnxton
street, where the narrow sidewalks
are lined with lunch rooms. the
aires. once buildings, and innam-
cradle shops, from little. crowded
stalls, to big department stores
Anything which any Bostonian
might want 10 to Be found on this
street. and presumably half the
Bostonians are here all day. strug-
Cling, always with dignity and toll
erance, to fill up their Boston bags
so that they. can seek the subway
and the evening paper.
One Of the peculiar things about
Washington street is that the other
side always looks only half As thick
| ly populated as the side you picked
out to travel, and Of course when
you dodge a few automobiles and
traffic cops to cross over, the side
you were on looks more desirable
After hopping back and forth a few
| times you conclude that the mob is
about evenly divided. The best
course then seems TO be to retire
to . side street where navigation IL
less interesting but more speedy
and where you either get lost in the
maze OF turnings or walk . few
blocks only to come out on . blind
alley. At this stage OF the adven-
ture onl N policeman can solve the
! mystery and give you Z fresh star
toward the. original goal.
The trafic police are one Of Bos'
tons most efficient institutions
After the police strike last winter
400 Of the old force remained loya
and the others-1,16z men-gav,
up wearing white gloves in the day
time and retired from public Lift
to become chautfsurs, lunch room
proprietors. and watchmen on pri
yate property. In their places Bos
ton has taken on 100 men, all bu
about Is Of them ex-service men
Most of them had been in actiol
overseas.
| The old force ran to heavy
weight, middle-aged billy-swingers
The new recruits are largely lltne
young and full Of pep. 1t is sal,
that the >setting-up. exercises whicl
they take In the morning at head
\ quarters would have finished tn
old guard for the day, instead Q
putting them, In trim for work.
i The Ubiquitous bag.
| A new traffic organization ha
been formed. and at busy crossing
from one to four young trafiic d
fcers. handle the streams Of car
and passengers with brisk dispatch
From the stiff, jsrky gestures G
the hand and arm with which on
Of these ofiicers directs frame,