Minnesota weekly times. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1854-1859, 1855-05-15
THURSDAY, MAY 1C, 1856.
HEALTH.

What is tho city administration about? For
what was it the people hailed the accession of our
new Mayor, and Aldermen to oficep To hear the
sounding rhetoric of an inaugural address, and to
be amused with official reports of the Proceedings
of the City Council? To pay for printing paper
promises, and to be taxed for the luxury of rich
and respectable Board2 What has the new Gov
eminent done to improve its efficiency?
The highest public duty of the administration
is the public health. Every other consideration
should yield to that. Everything else should be
postponed to promote it. Never were vigorous
sanitary measures more needed than now. The
probable approach of dangerous epidemic which
already RACES on the lower river, and of which
we have had some alarming symptoms, admonsh
of the necessity of energetic efforts to prevent
the fearful fatality of some former seasons
But for all this we fail to see any evidence of q
proper attention to this subject on the part of the
authorities.
A stagnant swamp stretches fer mile and a
half in the rear of the city, bounding some of
our most public thoroughfares, and sinking at
the back doors Of quarter of our ci izens. 1t is
the towering nuisance of the Third Ward especial
it. Some of the aldermen were elected because
it WIS supposed that their private interests lay in
the direction of this indispensable improvement.
But not single spade has been employed about
it yet. If anything is to be done, now is the time
to do it. Better let it alone altogether than to
wait till July and then turn up the pestifcrous
mud to the hot of dog days. The bluffs
along Bench street too reaking with the stencil
of carrion and namele:s filth.
An ordinance should be passed imposing severe
penalties for committing nuisance on this public
thoroughfarc.
Some of the private yards in the city are nasty
with the elements of disease We had to hold
our nose in passing along some portions of Third
street, and on still night st. Anthony street at
some points yields moro varieties of sickcning CT
fuyia than Coleridgc counted in Cologne, so a
friend said whose nasal qualifications are of the
highest order.
The still pond at the upper landing should be
drained out and fresh supply Of water admitted
from the river at frequent intervals.
Among other things we notice that cartmen are
busy depositing barn-yard filth in the gully under
the bridge near our Office. If this is covered up
with two or three feet Of earth it will do well
enough, but this Macadam;zing roads with man.
nure and leaving it to rot uncovered under the
noses Of the public, as is the case on Bench st.
and other points, we object to on public grounds
as well private considerations.
We hope the administration will redeem its
promises. If it carries out one half its own sug-
gestions, we shall be amply satisfied.
If we complain, it is not cautiously, but in the
discharge of an imperative duty. Measures may
even now be in progress to remedy the evils we
have pointed out, but in that case, the admin
istration will understand the impatience with
which we, as we'll as they tread at every step on
the poisonous seeds of contagion, and causes re-
pinins with every sun into full blooming pestilence.
P. S. Since the above was in type the street
commissioners notice in another column was
handed in. That looks like business. The pro-
ject of ditching Oak and Exchange streets is as
important to the health as it is to the convenience
of the city.
We have no doubt the work will be vigorously
prosecuted.
E5y The sixth edition of j. W. Bonds "Min-
nesota and its Resources has appeared. In this
the typographical and editorial errors of the old
edition will be found corrected; and several new
AMI interesting features added in ali appendix, in
tended to bring the work up to the end of 1854,
as an authority in Territorial matters.
But 1854 already belongs to the chronology Of
history. What was said of 1854 has no arpl-
cation to 1885, except in the fulflment of its hopes
and the realization of its most extravagent
dreams.
Within the compass Of single year, Mr..
Bond has been under the necessity of adding 80
pages to his book to bring it up to our recollec-
tion-and, while the printed pages lie damp with
the hot haste of their impression-and before the
BINDERS work is fairly done-the freshest data of
the compilation become obsolete in the tremen-
dous forward impulse of our social status.
The almanack of the year is superannuated-
old Landmarks almost disappear in the interval
between tho issues of the daily papers. What was
true of the morning is a libel on the night.
'sNow" says Bond, &C a heavily loaded Steamer
arrives and leaves us every day, taking the aver
age season through
Mr.. Bond had probably not the least id "a that
before that sentence could be published, it would
fact, and that in 1855 We would have from three
to four boats day-more heavily loaded at that,
than the solitary boat per week of four years ago.
The statistics of st. Paul for 1854, as compar-
ed with 1853, will afford valuable food for rcGcc-
tion. 4.t .,-
An article Of several pages on the history and
business Of St. Anthony will abundantly atone
for any defect in the old editions on that score.
IIennepin county and Lake Minnetonka de-
servedly form the subject of a new chapter.
"Owatanna river'' "The military posts OF
Minnesota" The Territoria! Agricultural Socie-
typ "Thc Steamboat arrivals for l853," Real
Estate puff of doubtful taste-and a peroratior
in the intense style-arc valuable addenda to the
store of interesting matter contained in this pop
ular book. <haaa -sI ss-,-I
Indeed, SO highly do We think of this book, thai
we always have it on our table for reference
and with the authors permission We intend to ap.
propriate to our columns some of its historical
and descriptive contents. iasaf-i-ea 3. .0f--
GVThe Excelsior, from st. Louis arrived her,
yesterday, with 95 cabin and deck passengers