DIRTY STREETS..The Condition Of Eastern District Thoroughfares
25 July 1879
Brooklyn Union Argus

What a Reporter Found - Garbage, Ashes and an Accumulation of Dirt-
Where are the Contractors?

There are but few streets in the Eastern District that are not in need of 
cleaning.  A number have recently been repaved and dust has accumulated to 
the depth of several inches in each.  Others appear to have been untouched 
by the contractors for a long time and the result is a deposit of dirt, straw, 
quantities of old leaves from trees, etc.  Where either of these is not the case, 
garbage and ashes can be found in both street and gutters.  

Fifth street, from Grand street north to Bushwick creek, is an illustration 
of the two former statements.  Although there is no garbage or ashes, the 
street needs cleaning badly.  The following are some of the spots at which 
garbage, ashes, stagnant water and other disease breeding matters were 
seen by a reporter:

North Sixth street, just above Fifty-A pool of stagnant water in the gutter, 
caused by the overflow of a watering trough.  Garbage in gutter.

North Seventh street, between Fourth and Fifty-Stagnant water and garbage in gutter.

North Eighth street, just below Fourth-Water covered, with a green scum, 
extending half a block.

North Eighth street, near Third-An ash and garbage pile extending from a 
vacant lot to side-walk.  The gutter on the south side of the street and 
for nearly the whole length of the block filled with stagnant water.

Third street and North Eighth, west side-Ashes, garbage and stagnant water in gutter.

Second street, between North Seventh and North Eighth-Garbage, stagnant 
water and ashes in gutter, extending whole block.

Third street, between North Fifth and North Sixth-Garbage in gutter.

North Sixth street, between Third and Fourth-Several coverless garbage 
boxes on sidewalk and garbage in gutters.

North Fourth street between Fourth and Fifth-Stagnant water in gutter.

North Second street, just above Seventh-Several coverless garbage boxes.

North Eighth street between First and Second-Seven lidless garbage boxes.

North Seventh street, between First and Second-Garbage in street and gutter.

Second street, between North Sixth and Seventh-Garbage in gutter.

North Seventh and Second streets-Stagnant water in gutter whole block, 
garbage in street; also the body of a dead dog which has lain for several days.

Third and North Seventh streets-Ash and garbage heap and stagnant water in gutter.

Junction Union avenue and North Second street-Open lot, large piles of garbage and ashes.

North Second street, between Union avenue and Lorimer street-Garbage and ashes in gutter.

Ainslie street, near Union avenue-Ashes in gutter.

Hope street, between Tenth street and Union avenue, old "Battle Row"-Entire 
street filled with garbage and ashes.

South Fifth street, between First and Second-Garbage and stagnant water in gutters. 

Ninth street, between Grand and North First-Garbage in gutter.

Grand street, between Eighth and Ninth-Decayed vegetables thrown from 
produce stores in gutter.

Ten Eyck street, just above Bushwick avenue-Not paved, immense pile of ashes 
and garbage in front of houses.

Waterbury street, near Grand-Two coverless garbage-boxes.

Grand and Olive streets-Ashes and garbage extending to where sidewalk should be.

Powers street, between Olive and Judge-Garbage in gutter and coverless garbage-box.

Union avenue, near Meserole street-Garbage and stagnant water in gutter.

Scholes street, just below Ewen-Stagnant water and garbage in gutter.

Graham avenue, between Scholes and Stagg-Stagnant water and garbage in gutter.

Ten Eyck street, near Graham avenue-Garbage in gutter and coverless garbage-box.

Ten Eyck street, between Humboldt and Bushwick avenues-Garbage in gutter and 
street and coverless garbage-box.

Lot on Judge street, near Powers, not fenced-Garbage and ash-pile 
extending to sidewalk.

In the Seventeenth Ward a majority of the streets have the appearance of not 
being cleaned for several months; this is especially true of Creek to Clay street, 
where the dust has accumulated to a depth of four inches, and in the same street, 
near Ash, there is a small mountain of ashes.  

All the cross streets north of Greenpoint avenue and sadly in need of cleaning.  
In Clay, Dupont and Eagle streets, east of Manhattan avenue, a quantity of 
garbage lies in the gutters, from which there arises a very unwholesome odor.  
In the lower section of the Ward the streets are not in such a bad condition, 
but the appearance of nearly all of them would be much improved with a 
little sweeping.

Transcribed by Nancy E Lutz  
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