The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1873-07-12
MARKET NUISANCES.
The Filth Of Washington and West Washington
Harkets- DISTRACTED Cutters Odors Of
Deeaying Animal and Vegetable
xatters-An Expected Or
dor to Vacate.


der to vacate.
Many cities Doast OF the attractions OF their mar.
kets. New York has no such vanity. Her citizens
who visit her vast food depots do so from necessity
not choice Thoy make a point to leave their per-
ceptve faculties at home, all except those requisite
to estimate quantities and to discriminate in refer
ence to price. For head Of family or chief OF a
boarding house TO carry the sense OF smell to Wash
ington Market, would be fair evidence that 1t was
nrst experiment and would not willingly be re-
peated. 1t Is no news to the readers OF the
HERALD that that thr0nged locality whence SO
large portion Of the food OF our city and Brook
Ign Is procured, has for long years been
AN OFFENCE IN ALL DECENT NoSrRILs.
Many times have these columns arraycd It's PES
tilentia 0dors. its sickcning filth. its lOathsome
cumulations OF blood. decaying meat, soft fish,
spoiled fruits and vegetables and the endless list
OF offensive matters which, from the construction
Of the market, defy even the most scrupul0us neat
ness to remove In spite OF repeated efforts at its
amelioratlon. the fact stall remains that the old
building squatting upon the made land which was
originally covered by the river, with its piecemeal
additions ana annexes, has no thorough drainage,
and can have none till the old structure Is entirely
swept away and the building reformed upon a
thorough basis which snail furnish complete sewer
ing, anording no cRan0e for the l0dgment OF foul,
dangerous, decaying matters.
the CLOGGED CUTTERS.
Besides the total lack Of drainage in Washington
Market itself its unwhOlesome condition Is vastly
augmented by the booths which. like the ugly
warts on q msshapen hand. add to Its rcpu,sive-
ness and its dangers. Except upon the east side
it Is surrounded by rows OF irregular, separate
lean-to'a extending across sidewalk and street
gutter ansjbcy ond the curbstone from three to hf
teen feet upon the space supposed to be reserved
in all streets for the use OF vehicles That these
structures, which appear very nearly as substan-
passage OF water and hlth along the cutters
toward the river Is only what all can see who care
floors Shall be frequently removed for the sake Of
cleanliness. II the gutter thus bridged and hidden
continues clear then the occupants Of the booths
damned, why let them be damned, who cares? This
abuse grew up in the old times under the Ring.
when all was sanctioned which paid, and before
those disturbers the Sanitary Squad, discovered
that bad s;nois indicate poison in the airand
BUSINESS FOR TIKI UNDsRrAKEES.
The smelling committees, pOking their noses into
their neighbOrs' affairs, have so lar disturbed
these gutter-choking booths as to secure an open.
tho street, with the view Of keeping the cutters
free. But It has small practical avail The cutters
Is that there but one for tue
evil-the com plete removal Of the booths. On the
side next the river S1structng Nest street we
pings and refuse naturally find rest in the gutter,
which, with little fail, becomes rank POOL OF
are sold meats, fish, butter, cheese, potatoes
onions, poultry dead and alive). pigeons rabbits.
ps mans ess a5e es
etables OF all sorts, oysters clans, Obsters--in
short, nearly all manner OF human food material.
except nrcadstufY5. All these varieties OF raw
rations have their scraps and refuse. which II
neglected become sources OF bad smells and
" uYh nnr npft In m oil
nostrlls except those made obtuse by interest. At
all seasons OF the year the whole market Is per-
vaded by sickening Odor Of rOttinp, musty
frowzy, decaying organic matters unrecved by
ventilation and aggravated by crowdng and mani
out special notice. Hot weather ana the threat OF
pestiencc mas justly brought these nuisances to
the notice OF the Board OF Health.
REMOVAL OF THE BOOTHS
Yesterday there was much talk among the Occu-
pants OF the booths who daily expect orders to
vacate their shantics, so that the streets which
made to carry OF the DRAWINGS from the market.
So long have these dealers been suffered thus to
poison the city with the stencil their business ha
created that they have come TO consider themse YES
as holding natural franchise; and the determi-
nation Of the Board to clean them and their filth
awav together is taken as piece of Official tyranny
which in!ringes civil right and smacks strongly OF
Hs If b art 3u III, w v argt
leave the main defect. Still the market proper
will remain, without drainage and ventilation, q
breeder OF foul savorS and disease.
THE WEST WASHINGTON NUISANCE.
Beyond West street We have West Washin ton
wholesale market FOR meats vegetables fruits. &c.
This source. from which large share OF New YOi
and Brooklyn retail dealers procure their stocks. is
SIN worse IN a sanitary poiLt than the retail
market It's intersecting roadways are covered
with plankS, resting upon the sOi which Is lar
an accumulation OF Old decomposea animal and
vegetable matter. Yesterdays drenching midday
shower made It evident that these roads have not
the pretencc OF an Quite. for filthy water. In the
spots whore the planks have worn thin u passing
wagon would reveal the black abO.ninatiOn be-
meath, rankly offensive, squirting and O0Z:ng mp
through the cracks and giving on an OdOr uIl-
equa!ied except by the uptown dumping grounds.
| fountains, then may wholesome edibles be found
amid the rank. piercing smells OF West Washing
ton Market. But evidently, to make this a safe
depot for the food OF the CITY, Its streets and alleys
should be substantially paved aud the foul sink
holes OF nasty water removed
THE DUMPING GROUND.
In justice to the Police Board 1t should he said
that the dumping ground Tor market and street
dirt, which Is situated between West Washington
Market and The river, Is Tree from accumulated
gatherings directly from the carts at the dump,
aud the old heap, which in former years peruned
the nelKilbOrh0od, has Ill sappcared II the gutter
0bsructiOns OF the retail market ana the stagnant
water under the plankS OF the wholesale market
are likewise removed. there will have been made q
are crying evils, ana challenge earnest action on
the part OF those whose duty IL Is TO guard us
against threatened pcs;.leEce
The Superintendent OF Markets has written a
reply to the report presented to the Board OF
Health relative to the sirictures passsu In that
report on Washington Market Jne reply pur-
ports to be a vindcatlon Of the position OF the
superintendent, repeilng the charges made, by
giving crcumstantial reasons Tor The present con-
ditton OF Washington Market.