, 1862-12-29
ICE And the ICE DEALERS,
TIE BEAUTIES OF BASIN ICE.


Ea~I ~N~@~S<A%~~~SN I
at this advanced day, and with the expert
cnce every resident Of Chicago has had In the
matter OF odors, no man will be found hardy
enough to insist -that the Chicago river Is &
peculiarly translucent stream. No man will
deny that the North Branch is couglomera-
tion Of the refuse Of ftanneries aud distilleries,
such as slops, manure, swill, and other cheer
fnl compounds; that the South Branch Is SIM
narly afflicted with coal tar, the blood aud
ofta1 of defunet swine and beeyes, and the
various river-cnptyings to which the natives
Of Bridgeport are sportiye'y addicted; that
the main artery Of the river contains mix
tu1e in equal proportions Of all these conf
pounds, sluggish1y dribbling out from tie
rivers mouth into the lake, where it is caught
by erery breeze from the North and rapidly
strained into the basin, skirting the whole
front Of Michigan avenue from Randolph to
Twelfth street. -,
One glance at the river will satisfy the |
cayilleT upon this point. For several days |
pasta stream Of blood has actually emptied |
into the lake, telling Enthusiastically Of the car
mage Of the slaughter houses. The usually
turb1d, clay -colored fluid is now crimson, set
ting out and edging round into the basiu.
But the river is not the only dlth~fecder to
the basin The drains add their freight of
mud, ofEal and impure liquid compounds in
regular diurnal discharges. The canine Fic-
Tins Of the municipal strychnlne float upon
its waves, swollen and putrid. The basin is
the regulator Of the cat tribe also. It keeps
down the continual tendency of the feline
family to overrun the city by its fruitful
propagation How many bags Of kittens are
at this moment rotting in the muddy depths
Of: the basin? Old hats, old boots, old tin
pans, decaying fish, old pipes, slime, swill,
orlure and those shapeless evidences Of hu-
man sin and shame which abound in every
great city, add their efiuvia to the water
In a few days at farthest. this impure fluid
will be frozen. Tie ignorant stranger, unused
to the customs of the city Will congratulate
himself that NOW at least he Will be freed from
the offensive stuff! The poison which has in1-
preEnated the air all summer and autumn will
be eounteracted by freezing, aud next spring
the ice viii dissolve leaving impid and pure
fluid!
444pEld121 14aAa ~ 10 ANi D4A3 AGHEaaAES
that you smell it, you must now cat it aud
drink it. Tile ice nr7a 7ein s.oao cut the cot.-
gcaltd nastiness ,yor.city consumption the ice
mcn who are vu1garly suppoEedto cutice from
Springs overhung by the Willows, clear and
translucent as amber; the ice men who are
vulgar]y supposed to cut ice from Lakes, ,Crys-
tai to their pebbly bottoms and all summer
exhibit paral1e1ograms Of ice through which
you may read your morning TRIBUNE; theice
men who are vulgarly supposed to cut ice
from country streams and lakes uncontamina-
ted by metropolitan impurities. 1t is not
enough that you have inhaled the odor all
| summer. You must now have it served up
| for you in solid cubes, to cool and favor
your butter, to impregnate your steaks, to dis
solve into gour drinking water. Thegreat ice
houses Will groan with tons upon tons Of So
| 1idifed stink and frozen filth. The Ice
carts Will rumble up to your doors and dri-
yers will deliver to you your quota Of con
| gea1ed inpnr5ty which you, in your innocence,
think has come from some far of, beautiful,
translucent river running over beds Of pol
ished pebbles between fowery meads. By
and bye, little Bobby or perhaps youyourself,
Patcrfamilias, will feel strange gripiugs, and
the family physician will look wise; and his
wisdom will either result in your paying a
long bill or occupying your real estate al
Roselil, and disgusting the life insurance
men.
Now, in the name Of an indignant public
VIC appeal to theice dealers-why will you moi
supply the public with pure ice? Why 1abe
the stinking stuff you cut from the basin will
high sounding names, and think you can i,n
pose upon CONSUMERS? 4 rose by any othc
name may smell as sweet, butyou cannot dis
guise the rank stuff you cut from tile basin
even though you placard your wagons wit1
Willow Springs Ice,'' or "CrSstal LAX
1ce,'' or any other elegant epithet.
Il You say yon cauaot afford to cut icc an,
, transport it Il great distance. Well, lien, pu
your charges up to cover your expenses. III
|, public will willingly pay an increased tariff
{ double, treble the present r1tes, land get
: pure, clear, wholesome article. We kuo7
, whereof VIC speak when We affirm that the ic
! consumers are indignant at this w!,o}esal
, fraud upon them. It is not the complaint {
, one but Of hundreds that is reaching us III
/ has reached us every summer. The publ
e indignation has reached lis eliminating poin
| and they will not endure the outrage mnc
; longer. There is no excuse for it. We la,
j. ! nunopo1ics enough, Heaven knows, withos
:, being subjected to a stinking-icc ,nonopol,
The public are willing to pay for good ice, an
The ice dealers should be obliged to furnish
$ Ii is not the matter of dollars and cents
u which tie public complain. but Of the quail
u of tllc ice furnished. There arc plenty
l. streams and 1,onds adjacent TO Chicago, whe
u pure elea. ICE may be obtained, and no excu
faI1cned themselves long enough out Of u
, pockets Of the people with their soulless II,
'e nopoly and filthy ice.
d. And tho Common Council Of this ci
II should compel them to furnish it. Wcappt
= to Aldermen to act upon this matter. r
IL public appeals to you. You have been vc
industrious il supl'ressfl:g some nuisanccs, i
IL which all credit. Now abasc the ice naisan.
d Positively forbid, under any consideration
ice-cutting in the hasin, aud yon will recei
'a :hc thanks Of your entire constituent
ne II is your 1riulc duty to guard the right.
IS citizens, and in no way can you better fu
Il your obligations than by prompt and rigid
d. tion in this direction. Make the penalty
AZ iee-cut1ing III thc hasin,a heavy line Or imp1
nd t anmcnt for for each Instance. We cannot III
IS This matter with too much seriousness. Il
od one of vital Importance to t1e health Of 1
ch city, and needs immediate aud thorough
,u- 1lon. VIII the Council act
~ TEE DEATH or sn1srLAsTEEs.-T1 Bo.