The Portland daily press., 1866-05-05
Sights in the Getty of Spindlesn

Lewiston seems to be nice place. The in
ducements it offers to that distinguished indi-
vidual known as King Cholera to pay it visit
are certainly ahead of those of any "fresh-wa-
ter city we know of. The editor of the Journal
is trying to stir up the people to some measures
OF sanitary reform; and wishing to be well
posted in the facts, he called to him the city
marshal and stout policeman, and thus escor-
ted made tour of observation among some OF
the choicest of the "slums." He says he made
the pilgrimage late in the evening because then
folks are likely to be at home, the babies gone to
bed. and life to be seen as tbs. We select sin
Gle chapter of hse1periences
The officials plotting, we made our way to
"Baby Patch" called thus from an enormous
Hibernian who once fourished there and who
reioiced in the name OF Baby" Passing as
by magic from Main street, we found ourselves
fiounderng In bitches, and unclean sediment,
The Patch seems to be "laid out" after the man
ner of Boston, with little regard to rights, cor
ners or streets. and We presently passed through
a polluted atmosphere In which RECALLED often
sive swine, and knocked at the door of a 'sshan-
ty." Not waiting for formalities in we bolted
cnd found ourselves in close room perhaps ten
feet square.
An. what is the trouble now, Mister Mar
shal, calculated the old woman OF the house,
having memory Of the whiskey jug before her,
Glad to see we Mister Far" and that worthy
aptly smiled grim official SMILE
We're not after your rum. We want you
10 clean up and keep off the cholera" said the
Marshal
''An' that we will shure," she replied, feeling,
no doubt that hers was the "natest" establish
ment in town. The windows were tightly
closed. An old woman sat obviously smoking
dirty pipe in the corner and three men puhed
away around the stOve The floor was gluti-
nous with foul accretions. A young girl stared,
and the whole Il occupants stared when it was
suggested that cholera likes dirt.
This is my sister--a fortnig 1T from the ould
counthry"-Said the proprietress, as she formal
ly introduced that lady to the Marshal who
bowed profoundly. Policeman Farr obsequi-
olsly bowed, and the sister bowed, showing on
the top of her head cap whose original color
mey have been white. .
ine mouse contained two rooms. Passing
into the next room by the light of a candle, we
found place eight feet square. Here chill
dren looked as though they were trying to
sleep. One of them turned and sighed in her
sleep. 1t was a mouldy, fostering, maggotty
place, and the air had long since parted with It's
precious oxygen and left in its place-poisor.
The sight and smell were sickenihg, and we re-
treated. On reaching the door and getting
breath, we departed, after receiving the follow
ing terse information in reply to query as to
how large her family now was:
I've small family now my boarders are gone,
four children, me daughter-in-law, me sister-in-
law, me brother, and small boy"
We dec 'mped-aghast
Floundering through the Stag where sunlight
never comes except second-handed, reflected
from some other sloppy mother of deflement,
We stumbled upon front door yard beautifully
planted with pigs which grunted contamina-
ton. Entering the house we found an old
lady grooming a song to sickly infant and re-
peated the stencil and dirt, smoke and suds
Five little children slept in a little room just
large enough to admit a bed. Did they ever
open window to let in the air No? The
night air was bad for them! sit stinks," quiet
ly remarked tne Policeman and retired Under
the window where the babies slept, was the
skeleton of cholera lowering in the slime, and
in excrement of man and beast. Why blame
cholera? Is the cause more occult than the
effect? "The sword of Michael is evidently
edged, hilt and all, and win cut the swordsman.
Is there nothing of the same sort here in
Portland?