Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1871-02-26
THE CITY.
SANITARY CONDITION OF NASH
go ..rf Il VILE. 7st i az
Cleansing of the City Indispensable.

| sel agtr-r---s ffl-,aH
Let the Work Commence at Once.
As the spring season Is about TO open
and the hot summer suns will soon shine
blazingiy down upon us, we deem the oc-
casion BETTING one to call general and
ot1clal attention to the sanitary condition
OF our city. We would, if we could. too,
direct this attention in words earnest and
convincing enough to arouse immediate
and vigorous action in the premises. 1t
cannot be denied that our otherwise beau
tlful city, admirably situated for clean
streets and thoroughfares from the hilly
and unduiating CONFORMATION of the ground
upon which it is located, Is in an intolera-
bly, filthy condition, many localities being
unslghtly IN appearance and reeking with
efete and decaying matter and debris,
equally unpleasant to sensitive olfactories.
The pestilential and noxious exha-
lations of this accumulation, dis
tasteful as they are in winter,
during the spring and summer months,
become absolutely insufferable. Some of
the streets, many of the alleys, and va
rious localities are very foul, while in
many places the cutters have been check
ed and clogged SO as to prevent the pass
ing of Of such matter as they necessarily
become the recepticle and conduit of in
all large cities. The accumulation of this
matter and stsgnant water, the free pas
sage of which is prevented thereby, pro-
duce miasmatic efiuvia of the most un-
wholesome character. There are places,
too, where proper drainage has not been
provided in the valley portions of the
city, and where pools of water from the
winter and spring rains will stand during
the summer. if not drained of. The stencil,
fetid and disease breeding atmosphere
arising from these stagnant cesspools, when
the torrid and blistering rays of June and
July suns pour upon them can be readily
imagined. 1t requires no pneumatic skill
to tell this. In the Southeastern
portion of the city bordering on the river.
these accommodations of water are frequent.
and unless removed viii prove to the citi-
zens in that section nuisances of the most
pestilential character. But it is not our
intention to refer to special localities or
make distinctions The alleys of the CITY.
with few exceptions, generally are in q
wretched condition. The streets are all
more or less foul to a degree forbiddinp.
and which will be in warm weather nause-
ating, unless cleaned up. Back premises
and outhOuses are in many instances bur-
dened with decsying matter. Vacant lots
have been unwisely made the repositories
of refuse matter, unhealthful and danger
GUS. Some of the narrower streets and
alleys already emit disegreeable odors
The premises about many tenement houses
will soon be vapory with disease. - The
entire city should be scraped and cleansed. |
and every citizen should feel and show an |
interest that it be done speedily. That |
cleanliness is godliness has been
a recognized axiom from Seneca to the
present time. If an individual body be |
covered with filth and dirt when water |
abundant is at hand, no decent person or |
family will permit his association with |
them. If q corpc rate body be reeking |
with the same unhealthful ard disgust |
ing dirt and filth and effete matter.
and disease-breediGg exhalations, when |
the means of cleanliness are at hand, il |
cannot be expected to be respected as il |
should be in the family of cities. 1t was
for pollution and uncleanliness that God |
washed the world with q food of waters |
and wiped out its population. Without |
cleansing our city and removing the M |
clean spots ard places from our corporate |
body, it need surprise no one if we should /
be visited with some epidemic or disease |
with the coming Of the ensuing heated |
term. The grim rider of the pale horse |
comes sure and swift enough for us all |
without inviting inducements to accelerate
his speed. We observe that the
fearful scourge, Asiatic cholera, is raging
in the Indies, and according to all prece-
dent history of the epidemic, its course is
westward. We notice that other cities are
making preparations and adopting sani-
tary regulations in the contingency of its
affecting advent into this country. We
should do the same. Let us remember
the sad lessons Of 1S49 and 1866, when |
death was in the very air we breathed,
and lurked in every street, nook and cor
ner of our city, and let US cleanse, purify
and renovate by the removal of every |
miasmatic cause, and the free use Of lime /
and wholesome disinfectants Let us do
this, and whether afflicted with epidemic
visitations or not, we will be healthier as
a city, safely prepared and happier as a
people.
Our city and locality being a remarkably |
healthy one, we have been during the last
few years almost entirely free from disease
except such as arise from ordinary causes.
But from this we need not fold our arms
in fancied security, and think we have i'm
munity from sickness, whether we be
clearly or uncleanly, as a city. That the
city should be cleansed thoroughly, streets,
alleys, cutters, back premises, and pools
drained, and wise and timely sanitary pre-
cautions adopted are considerations of the
first moment. Let this cleansing process
commence at once, and let it be finished
before the warm spring weather opens
upon Us. The reputation of our city, the
business of our communicated, which
are more than al, the health and lives of
our citizens and Friends, demand alike,
that this should bedone, and done quickly.
A Delegate to the Negro Convention
Gets into TrOubIe-He is Arrested
for BigRmy.
The negro Convention which has been
in session in this city for some days past
has adopted some very curious resolutions,
but one of the delegates, it seems, has
been devoting his attention to something
else than the preparation of resolutions.
Yesterday delegate from Shelby county
(from Memphis we judge, was brought
before Squire Albert on the charge OF
bigamy. This delegate, it appears, has a
dusky wife in Shelby county; but on his
way to attend the Convention he CHANGED |
to fall in with an African damsel, upon
whom he looked with favorable eye, and
unmindful of his duties to his Memphis
spouse, he persuaded the damsel aforesaid
to accompany him to Nashville. The twain,
as we are informed, were registered at /
a negro hotel in this city as man and wife.
By some means, the other delegates be-
came aware of what had taken place, and
doubtless thinking that such conduct was
unworthy of delegate to the negro con-
vention, who had the interests of his race
to represent, one or more of them caused
their srring brother to be brought before
Squire Albert, on the charge of bigamy.
After hearing the evidence, Squire Albert
dismissed the case, but not until he had /
administered severe reproof to the way
ward delegate, and advised him in future
to pursue different line Of conduct.
UOnVicIS PardOned-