, 1864-12-22
TIE CHICAGO RIVER.
"A Pccuriary beginning and a
Practical Remedy.

a1e aEn1n charged OF being almost the sole
cause Of poisoning the waters Of the river.
Such articles cannot fail to call forth, among
class Of people who know nothing what the
packers are doing with their blood, lungs and
liycrs, and tank refuse, deep and intense
hatred toward that great branch of industry,
to Which Chicago owes half its population
We feel in honor bound to state to the public
that tho packers en- masse, with the exception
Of two, cart all their blood, lungs, livcrs and
tank refuse daily to our establishment,
amounting to two hundred and fifty loads
per day, ut an enormous expense to them
and Us, there to be properly taken care Of
One hundred and twenty hands are employed
by us daily to achieve this work, and in The
following manner The blood is boiled and
also the lungs mud liyers, and then pressed
into cakes by powerful presses. The tank
refuse is mixed with charcoal and lime, and
d todorized. The quantity used by us to eE
feet this is 80 pounds Of lime aud 500 bushels
Of charcoal per day. We only aQude to this
now in showing to the pablic what the
and to prove the Incorrect statement Of Mr..
E. C. L., and any one can see at glance that
after hauling such enormous quantities to our
establishment, little can be left to them to
poison the river with. Would it not have
been wise in Mr.. E. c. L., to see whether
there are not other Causes more serious and
detrimental which are poisoning the waters
filing their & already oyerlAdcn cofiers,'' re-
ga1dlcss Of the health Of its inhabitants
The packers are doing now all that ever q
city or corporation could compel them to do.
In no other city do the packers labor under
such disadvantage as regards their ot1al as
IN Chicago. In Cincinnati, Louisville, St.
Louis, lafayette, and all packing places Of
my note, all this material Is thrown into the
1tyers without one cent Of expense to the
packers. LII vain have looked through all
their Journals to find any slur on packers or
packing houses. But here in this city hardly
q day passes without finding columns full
about the stinking packing-louses. But
enough Of this; Ills does not rene
dy the corrupt masses of sinking
water which we will have in July and All:
gust in our slough, and in vain have ! looked
through this whole column Of remedy" by
Mr. z. c. l., and when came to the end Of
it, was just Us far MS I was nine years ago,
when first came to this city.
Citizens Of Chicago, is 1t wonder that the
water Of this river during the summer months
is Sinking mass Of corruption, when VIC
know that the sewage Of Isl, COO to 200, 600
people, besides all the animals which are
kept In this city finds its outlet into the river,
when We all know that the river is nothing
but slough, with no current whatever to
carry of this filth, aud controlled only bt
winds or the 1eyel of the lake: Articles upon
articles have appeared in all of our journals.
md the matter has beeen fully discussed in
every household. Strangers stand aghast
hen Jon tell them thai You live in Chicago
lone, but nothing to relieve this beautiful
and truly healthy city Of its oHn natural of
cnsiseness. But let me be plain with ron,
Every one wishes that his ncighbo rwould
DO something in the matter, and blames him
1t the sumo time when he does nothing. Mr.
E. c. L. complains Of lll:hcalth and being ten
years too old, and leaves 1t for the Legislature
Fore they will do anything In tllis matter we
may all be dead. Now, gentlemen, the only
way to remedy this evil, and procure fresh
md sweet water In our river is to come TO-
5cther forthwith and take the matter in our
1wn hands. It Is Of no use tlat we leave this
natter to any one else to do. We know that
|le city will not, OF perhaps cannot do much
With 1ts present funds, and precious time is
ost. ln few months the. summer nnd the
liver will be upon US again with all their
horrors.
Now gentlemen, and Ill those who have the
prosperity Of our city at heart, come forward
md show how much !" you are sorry' iu re-
ieving this glorious city of its eternal stink
ngriyer. Although we nre somewhat cramp-
d By our late heavy loss by fire, this firm is
. sorry" FIVE HUNDRED DOLLARS. We are
wiling 10 head subscription list with five
hundred dollurs, to collect fund to build
pumping works ut t1la Lake to pump wnter In
to the river, and no matter what engineers
may cay about bringing rain and surface water
from space Of eight Or ten miles into the
river, this mode Of purifying the river mrst
sooner or later be adopted. I know am
correct when state here that S2D, 600 could
be raised, at meeting called especially for
Ills purpose, In one evening. And with
s1o0 600 worth Of machinery placed on the
South and North Branches, sufficient water
could be pumped into the river to create q
strong current, and once our machinery in
order, it would not only be a benefit, but an
ornament to our cnterprising city. Now, who
will join us. The members Of our firm are
healthy and vigorous, and will, besides money,
give thei1 time and energy to this great en-
Icrprisc.
How many will meet us at our Office, No.
GO South Wells street, or tell Us where we
III moliony Certain firms could now we'll In.
vest their s22o0, coo, which they boastcd Of be-
ing able to raise last summer, to destroy the
first great enterprise started By us in Kidding
this city Of one OF the greatest nuisauce3
ever known {A[r. William Sturges for oue,)
They will not need that money any more, for
that benevolent prupose, as we have au Of our
material now under process Of preparation,
in an almost dry state, andcomplctely done
away with before hot weather comes. For
cur first enterprise, fellow-citizeus, in taking
care Of all this obnoxious matter, you viii
THINK us, before many mouths Will pass,
al although we are as yet working with in
complete machinery, our m0dus op1T1ndi is an
entire SUCCESS, and when our c. Wahl, who is
now In Europe building improved machinery,
returns, then you need not he terrified, whcn
you see the wind blow from those "classic
rcgions," Bridgeport; and our triumph will
then be complete. when all The inhabitants
will give us credit for Whnt We have done,
We have almost six months yet before hot
weather comes, and In this time all arrange
mcnts could be made 10 erect the pumping
works, and to pump when needed Now,
shoulders to The wheel, and let US show to
the world that the.e Is enterprise enough
in our promising city to carry out
have meeting this evening, il possible. Let
us discuss au before the holidays, SO that We
can 70 to work after New YEARS. Grumblers
and mourners tali into the rpnks; show US
that you can do more then gruinble, and there
is a brigade Of you, yes, enough und more
then enough 1hat By subscription Of elo
each yon eo!ild ratse $4,000: But for lea.
fen6 6&ht 1ou 1AlAs etup your EfuIu0l11--
and be ashamed Of yourselves, that you have
charged your own filth to q body of men
whose enterprise on the shores Of Our slough
elicits the wonder OF the world, and Of whom
VIC ourselves can Justly be proud. And nil Of
you citizens who have borne this dreadful
esil so long and patiently, come one. come
all, to see If VIC can not do away with 1t, and
speedily. For all Of us 1t s.ill be but a small
job, and that object once accomplished, Chi
cago can Justly claim what nature intended
her 10 be: healthy city, the metropolis Of