, 1864-12-19
CHICAGO RIVER,


CHlCAG0 hlYERs
The EvN and TIC Ec1ncdY.
Editors Chicago Tribune:
It is extraordinary that the condition of
the Chicago River does not awaken more A.
tention, and create more anxiety in the pub
lie mind.
That u city Of nearly two hundred thou
sand inhahitants, Of enormous wealth, and of
the energy and enterprise Of which this city
is s1epnted, should quietly permit river run
ming through Its entire limits to be converted
into gigantic sewer; that they should, day
after day, and month after month, look down
upon It's waters, here red with blood, there
Shiny with grease, and black with filth and
putria matter, turning whatfsin itself anoble
and beautiful object into sight 50 foul and
]oathsome SIS to excite only thoughts Of
"the River Of Death, y Is matter OF profound
ngtonishment.
And that such people should tamely sub
NIT TO have the atmosphere which they are
daily compelled to breathe made 80 offensive
rs to become disgusting, and so full Of pois-
inous and unwho1esome e1halttions as in the
opinion Of their best medical men to be dan
gcrous to health,i t. indeed, it does not in
time cngender pcstilcnee that they should
permit the water which they drink, and In
which they are compelled to perform their
daily ablutlons, to be made so vile to taste and
smell Us to remind one Of decaycd fish mar
ket. and to make all bathing, and even the
ordinary ablutions, extremely offensive; that
all this can 60 on in city like this, and
among people like ours, seems to- me
n1Tr 1$nFE
Are our citizens so absorbed in the one over
mastering passion of money making as to have
become lnsensible to all that makes life At
tractive and agrceabley Apart from all ques-
tions Of health, ,have our citizens SO little pub
lie spirit, 50 little regard for the reputation Of
our city, go little pride In It's outward condi.
tlon as to permit It to continue in state SO
distcputable and SO offensive!
But not only is its condition rcproach to
our good taste, but it convicts US Of the
grossest neglect Of duty with respect to the
public health.
Pure air and pure water are sanitary condi-
tions universally conceded to be essential to
the health a. well Us the comfort Of every
city.
There has been scarcely day this fall Or
winter when the atmosphere Of this city has
not been charged with disa;sEeeable odors, OF
when the water Of this city has not been
offensive to the smell, and yet We 20 on our
way as If this extraordinary and disagrceable
condition Of affairs WAS Of no particular conse-
quence, but quite matter Of course.
Truly wemu5t confess 'tour oHense Is rank,
it smells to Heaven" We have reason to be
ashamed Of ourselves that we have tolerated
such . state of things 60 long; and from
citizen Of our beautiful city, or any just re-
gard for Its welfare, or for the comfort and
health of its people should make 1t his spe-
cial busi ness to do his part toward etfectfnS 4
change.
Let us determine once and for all that U.is
aate Of things shall moi continue; that cost what
1t will, affect what interest or class of money
makers 1t may, the river which runs through
onr city shall be clean and sweet the water
which we drink and In which We bathe, shall
| be pure1nd wholesome, and the air We breathe
shall moi be corrupted by no1ious and ofen-
| siyc eIhAlations.
Those of our citizens who were living in Chi
cago when the existing Sewerage Law VAS en-
acted, will remember that By the terms Of that
law, no sewerage could be commenced In any
part Of the city until d plan Of sewerage
adapted TO the needs Of the whole city lad
been first planned and adopted, and 30 studi-
ously careful was that law to insute plan
that The Board Of Sewerage Commissioners
were, after making such plan obliged, to pub.
lish it and submit il to the critical review o1
the public for sixty days, who were expressly
authorized to file objections to 1t during that
period, and the Don1d were also to submit IL
to the Common Council whose duty 1t Was 10
appoint q committee to examine and report
upon it.
Now the chief objection which was enter.
tanned at that time to the enptying the sew
| age into the river was tic danger Of fouling
| tie stream and making it noxious and disa-
greeable. and if yon turn to the original
plo1ai Of our i citizens M rs md the Common coun-
Gil, you will find that this apprehended dan
| ger is there fully considered and provided
| against by the proposed erection of pumping
| works at places specified in the report, and
the construction Of fluid canals connecting
tic lake with the river in such manner as that
| once In every twenty four hours
| If this provision had not been inserted In
that plan it would never have received the
| approval Of our citizens and Of the Common
Council. But The danger which was appre-
hcnded from corruptipg the waters Of the river
by the sewage was by such plan completely
Now the evil has come upon us to an ex
tent b, yond our worst upprehensions at tha.
time. The river has become black. puttid
na1,,e Of I'LL that Is decent is not the remedy
which was provided for this very state O.
things put into optrations
Upon whom is the fau1t, I might almost say
the crime of this neglect properly chargeable
Is 1t on the Board of Public Wprkss The1
let us have new. Board, or legis1ate ths
present one out Of existence, and provide
some more efficient body.
Is It on the City Engineer? If so, let hin
be made 10 perform his duty, OF give way te
some one who will. Is it on the Mayor o.
tie City Council: If so, let us have a neN
Mayor and new Council who viii do thel1
whole duty to the city ind the citizens in re-
I <- ft,fn ynnef tanf N11 rnunfefna
matters.
But ii is said that The sewage does not al
present befoul the stream sufficiently to atfeci
1t injurious9y or require the application Of thu
remedy to which I have alluded that the
evil Is owing to the pork packers and distn
lers. !
II this be 60, let suitable and sufficient
measures be taken nt once 1T praciicable) tt
clcanse and purity the river from the corrupt.
ing effects Of their operations and business
eTs and the distillers be compelled By prope,
legislation and proceedings to desist from
coT1ip,ing the public waters Of this city.
Is it possible TINT the mechanics and labor.
Ing men Of this city, who number thousands
aud tens Of thousands, are going to sit tame1y
ruVt the air mud the wnter, which are the
common property Of all, in order that they
\ may pile up additional wealth on their al.
ready oyerladen cotrerse
will not undertake to dete1mfuc whether
the evils under which We SITTER ore the fault
Of the Board Of Public Works, the Distillers,
or the Pork Packers.
Ny present concern Is with the remedy.
| From whatever cause the evil comes, it
must be at once, and effectually and forever
remedied.
Now what is the best mode Of ctecting d
renedys
II is obvious that the ublicatteDtion needs
to he more generally and efectnally aroused
10 the magnitude Of the evi1 that more ac-
curate and reliable information is needed as
to Its cause and the best mode Of relief, and
that there is need Of combined, continuous
concentration Of public sentiment and action
on this subject until the work Is accom-
plishcd.
There Is nothing that the people cannot do
# they will only set about it. The l,eople are
the rulers here, not the Packers or the Dis
TILES or the of1ice-holders, and 1t is only
ncedful that the people should act In such
manDcr as to make their will felt to sweep
away nll these evils from the face Of the city.
and restore to rs clean md healtllful air and
water.
Let, then, some energetic man who works
not only to win good name and fame by
devotion to great public work, bnt also to
be borne upon the strong tide Of public favor
into high position and influence, take upon
himself the engineering Of this work. df I
k~ur~