Our Man About Town

'lhere have been raaiiy complaints rom various sources, about the way in vhicli our streets are torn up bv the ewer trenches. Our Man fails to see vhy the eontractors aiv. to blame, vlien they have evidentiy puahed the vork as raoidly u possiblo. It is surey not their fault that the ground has been frozen so hard as to delay the vork, and üur Man thinks that they eserve credit for pushing the work so well under the circumstances. Our Man saw an old horse standing1 n front of a house in our city last Saturday during the cold, drizïling rain which was so disagreeable to all who had to stand it The poor animal was entirely uuprotected from the rain and snow, and presented a sorry spectacle. Our Man repassed the place an hour later, and the poor horse was still there. Any man who is so heartless as to leave his horse thus exposed, sliould bc made to obey the laws which force bim to bc mcrciful. This is but one of many similar cases which can be seen on our streets now-a-davs, and all friends of humanity will hope that the humane society can ferret them out and punish the guilty partios. There is a leak in the gutters on the roof of Harris hall, and water runs in a large stream from this dtiring every rain, or mcltiugof the snow. The leak is on the State t. side of the building and the water runs dowd on the siJewalk and freezos there. Thrre was a mound of snow and ice there last Monday afternuon, which was exceedingly annoyiug to pedestrians. Most of the passers preferred to walk around the place, in the deep snow, to risking their lives on its glassy surface. It would be a good plan to fix thi leak as soon as possible, because ït is not very pleasant to receive a cold bath from the falling water, even when it is not cold enough to freeze on the sidewalk. Our Man was walking' down S. State st. the otlier morning, when he saw an elderly ladv her way along the slippery, slushy sidewalk witfa evident embarassraent She was holding an urabrella ia one hand, vvhile with the other she tried to holdseveral large bundies and to keep her skirts from trailing in the slush and water. Just as the lady was 'passing the First Ward school house, several boys ran over the walk at full speed in a game of tag. and came dangerously near to the lady who just avoided being knocked down by a quick movement to the side. Two of her bundies dropped at this point, and as she stooped to piek them up, ■ome little girls carae gilding bf on 8leds, and ran so near to lier that she would have slipped and fallen, if Our Man had not come to her help. It is certainly a very anuoyiug thing to have our sidewalks uionopoüzed by children who are so vude and thoughtless. If no play grounds were provided, there might be more excuse for them, but when each school has ampie gjrounds and the city lias so many vacant lots, it seems as though the childreu should be told by their párente or teachers, not to play on the sidewalks. Ever since snow feil, there has been a crowd of coasters on the side walks near the Anu Arbor road's depot The sport is kept up all the afternoon and evening, and it is as much as one's life is vvorth to iry to walk up Ashley st. to Williara st. The passeugers who get their first impression of Ann Artor from this crowd of hoodlums, vvill not find it a favorable one. The worst part of the matter is that the coasters keep the air blue with profamty, and the residents ou William and Ashley sts. are annoyed by this uuinsnce all the afternoon and evening'. It would be dangerous for the coasters to slide in the ro'adway, as the . hacks and bagage-wagons, constantly passing up and down, would hardly turn out of their way for a hob-sled. But, because of this fact, the pcdestrians should hardly be cron-ded into the road and rislt a run oyer, simply to accommodate tho coasters, who have no business on the walks. This same trouble has been experienced, in other winters on the walks leading to the Michigan Central depot Our Man haa not iuformed himself whether the boys have started sidewalk sliding there this week, but if they do, they should te promptly told to keep in the road where they beloug.