The national Republican., 1861-07-26
WASHINGTON AS 1T IS AND OUGHT
TO BE.

The Washington correspondent Of the
looking into our sanitary affairs little, gives
vent to his dissatisfaction, in what appears to
US q very just manner.
"In its sanitary regulations" he says "Wash.
ington is one Of the best neglected cities in the
Union. Could we obtain the vision,
"To see ourselves a. others see u.s."
Shame, if nothing else, would prompt US, in
our corporate capacity, to introduce those
sanitary regulations which the health Of the
community demands. But, like the farmer
who, when urged to send his sons to school,
replied that "they had as much larnia' as
ever did them any good" we complacently
move along under the delusion that improve.
ment is innovation, and any attempt to intro
duce sanitary regulations would be an unneces.
sary expenditure of corporation funds.
To those at all acquainted with the city, it
is not surprising that we we're visited by q
National Hotel" fever. The matter of sur
prise is rather that the disease is not pro.
duced, or that it does not prevail generally
over the city. Our system of sewerage is de.
fective in the extreme, and at that it is con.
fined to a section Of the city. The waste.
water from nearly every house, in place Of
being conveyed underground to the main
sewer, III ptEWlttcu W run OpST tQ6 SIDEWALK
to the street and, increasing in quantity, as it
passes along from hoase to house, a flthy
rivulet is formed in the gutter, ADORE ground,
on the side OF the street, which moves slug.
gishly onward, seeking its level, until it finally
reaches subterranean passage, after passing
over several Of those magnificent distances
for which this city is noted. In consequence
of this imperfect system Of sewerage, the city
| is, in hot weather, filed with q nuisance that
tends directly to the increase of bowel com.
plants. Very recently the subject of sewer.
age has been under consideration in the City
Councils, but Judging from precedents, no one
is so foolish as to belive that any adequate
improvement will be made.
In connection with this, / am compelled to
mention the fact that no dirt carts are EN-.
ployed by the city to remove regularly, once or
twice O week, the accumuations Of waste ma.
terials in kitchens. These in other cities are
made source Of pecuniary income to the cor,
to know their value, nor to consider the claims
of health which demand their removal. Each
family is obliged to have all kitchen accumu.
lations removed at its own expense, or go
through tedious crcumlocution of an appli.
cation to the commissioners Of health, to have
it done, The result is, Of course, neglect on
the part Of many families, and another source
Of impure air, and consequent disease, is per.
mitted, through the bad management Of our
city authorities, to go unnoticed,
Another source Of uncleanliness is the i'm.
.mense quantities Of dust that are permitted to
accumulate on the Streets There is not single
street watering machine in use in the city.
The main avenue, the great thoroughfare, il
rarely swept, except by the wind, and never
watered, except by showers from the clouds.
Whether this is from motives of economy or
through municipal Incidence, or ignorance, !
will not say; but as consequence, we have to
suffer the intolerable nuisance of clouds of dust
whenever we are favored with the otherwise
welcome breezes Of midsummer.
Pigs and cows roam at pleasure over the city
and the writer was one Of party on whose
sympathies a large draft was made yesterday
! in consequence Of this objectionable neglect o
the city authorities. A lady, the wife Of y West
ern Senator, was passing from Willards, W
Fourteenth street, when, to avoid the horns o
COW, which claimed right to the sidewalk
she stepped aside. In so doing, her dress en-
countered a great SOW, that had just risen from
wallowing in the gutter, and, with a sonorou
grunt, reProached the lady for nnocsntly con
! oealing a dirty progeny that had run scamper