, 1872-10-17
THE. BRIDGEPORT NUISANCES.

| THE. BRIDGEPORT NU1SANCES.
Letters from Professor NJ. De1asou-
tafne and HEr. Joseph M. Fsirs1a.
70 the Editor Of The Chicago Tribune:
S1R: In your issue for to-day, you publish Two
documents about the Bridgeport nuisances :;
that is, q letter from Mr. L. Swett and an ahda-
7it signed by A. Des Landes. have not time
to-day to present my observations about Mr'
Swett's virtuous Indignation, but would pray
you to publish the following answer to ME. Des
Landes affidavit. ANY disinterested reader Will
see that the said affidavit is one OF the thousand
Instances Of the old French saying: Give me
any ten lines written By man, and will prove
that the said man deserves to be hanged
Some time ago, fow days before the last trial OF
Messrs. Reid l. Shervin, I met with Mr. J. Hirsh,
who asked me whether Mr. 4. Des Landes had
called upon me; Upon my negative answer, Mr..
"approach" :" me in behalf Of Messrs. Reid &
sherwin, in order to induce me- to report favor
| ably on their business, or not to say anything
against them. Indeed, the said DesLandcs called
tet ~ Spsosd yos s5s
1iessrs, Reid l. Sherwin 2" Upon my asking
SWhat for?' he intimated tiat thsst
firm was going to offer mo some
Sf anything "a against ' it, As was - already as ID,
formed Of the object OF his visit, managed to
make him speak explicitly; and, when he con-
cludcd. I told him that already knew the OBJ
ject Of his visit -that is TINT he was sent to Of
fer me bribe from Messrs. Reid j. Sherwin,
| which he fully acknowledged.
! Then my answer was substantially as follows: !:
81 am Messrs. Turner & schoeneman's expert;
and, from what have seen at their premises, I
lhaTe nothing to do with them; they are not
my customers; therefore, I have no reason
either to whiten or to blacken them. cannot
report on their place the same as will do on
| them, nobody would believe me, and I would be
| numbered among those chemists i.eady to report
| whatever their customers want to be reported.
You know very well yourself that their place is
| not as good as Turner's.
Thereupon, l1r. Des Landes told me that I
was right. the premises Of r. g. S. being very
bad. q 7Some times, during the night, the stink
is so offensive, said lie, THAT cannot stay in
parts Of their offal emptied into the Ogden slip"
"Then," replied I, "instead Of offering me
| money for the purpose you have stated, Messrs.
r. 5. had better ask for my services as chem
ises, I could suggest eopae improvements, and, if
called in Court, would say what could be said
t in their favor
11r. DesLandcs finally asked me how much I
would charge for my work. I could not fx,a
definite price, but said that wanted to be
! paid in advance.
With my regrets for trespassing upon your
valuable space receive, Sir, the assurance Of my
best respects. PROFESSOR n. DELAFoS1A1sE.
| CHICAGO, Oct. Il, 1872
| 10 tho Editor Of the Chicago Tribune:
sm: Returning to the city after weeks ab-
sence, find, in one Of your last weeks issues, o
statement signed by Christian Wahl, which is
| made Of whole cloth, and should consider it
| beneath my dignity to refute it, were it not that
some people might think silence an acquiesence
in it's truth. Sixteen years ego, Mr.. VAIL asked
| me to teach him the manufacture Of glue from
waste leather. T was willing, provided he made
a written contract, stating his duties toward me-
| in case Of my SUCCESS. He promised, but de-
| fered the execution Of the instrument ssfor
pressing business" asking me, nevertheless, to
! continue my experiments at his works. When I
found that. with their progress, excuses but no
contract could be obtained, I dismissed" my
| self Of my own accord, though offered position
| in the factory of Wahl Bros, independent Of
! said experiments. The dodge was too thin.
Some six years ago. they asked of my father the
establishment in their works of the monufac-
promises were made, anu, when Wahl Bros.
| thought they hcd {: annexed" all the knowledge
they needed, they had forgotten their promises,
and only my fathers patent protected him from
same patent, used to-dny, and for several years
successfully in this city, at once stamps Mr.
| Wahl's assertions end actions.
Some weeks ago, Mr. Turner took Professor
Delafontaine and myself to Wah1s place, to lind
| there one of tho sources Of bad odor in Bridge
! port, il there it existed, and told the man in
charge the object of our visit, who showed US
tie best part Of the place, which certainly was
bad enough, in spite of the 100000 gallons Of
| water Which: from large tanks, wash daily into
the river all the putridity the establishment af-
ford6. The impression made by the establish
1nent was presented in writing to AIessrs. Turner
and Schoeneman, at the Hon. Leonard Swett's
| Office, when these gentlemen asked and received
our bill. Which they promised to settle next day.
| 4 few minutes after this promise, Mr. Wahl en-
| tered and asked the gentlemen mentioned not to
get him into any fuss, as he had often done them
great faTore, and, even in the late trial Of Reid
l. Sherwin, had caused the absence Of DR.. Rauch
from the city, to prevent him from testi-
Judge of human nature, Mr. Wehl proposed to
| take my suggestions as to the slaughter-houses
as his own to Dr.. Rauch, and have the latter
published and order their execution by the
ing that the Doctor would only under such cir
cumstances be satisfied with any innovation. No
intimation was made Of paying for this by Nr.
Wahl or myself, nor Tor the suppression Of the
report, IN part or entire: About the latter, I
| Of Messrs. Turner and Schoeneman; that had
nothing whatever to do with it. Where is the
matchmaking there7 Mr. Wahl knew Of the ma
tIre OF onr visit the day TIC We're there, for Mr.
! Turner told his man MIR: Wahl waited for Mr..
Turner at the latter's Office, the evening follow
ing our visit, till late after G. Upon meeting,
Wahl shook his fist in Turner's faca for taking
chemists to his place, and forbade, even to him,
access to hls works in future. Is it true, then,
| that I informed him Of it?
Finally, as to the air-wo7en assertion that we
were young and unknown chemists, allow me
to say that, unluclzily, am no more young.
As to fame, my name has been printed in con-
nection with scientific research and discoveries
in all modern ]anguases, and on both sides Of the
Asante; nt1soa ny Ratrons complain only that do
count Of having too much work. TIe yarions
medals and 1 distinctions 7 received at worlds
lence Of my manufacturers, render ali adyertzinr
On my part superauous5 and can only apply to
Mr: "ahl the reply y of noted Munchausen,
I assure you upon honor, you may know nm an
joking; but if / take an oath, you may believe
me, upon my honor. am, sir, respectfully
yours, JOSEPH II. HIRsH