Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1873-10-30
SEWERAGE.
BY GEORGE W. GIFT.
SECOND PAPER.


On each side of the bayou. through
the entire city, is belt of territory
which is practically morass. As soon
as you get near the bayou you come in
contact with squalid shanties, irregular.
ity and poverty. Leave Second street,
going east, and the buildings commence
getting poorer and smaller until you
reach nearly to the bayou; then occurs
the zone or poverty we speak of,
and as You leave and begin to get
on more elevated and dryer ground,
the buildings grow better, until you
get to the outer limits of the town. There
is an instinct which has taught the peo.
pie to avoid this sewage soaked bottom,
and it is abandoned to the negroes. A
stranger would view it as very singu-
lar anomaly if told that lots about st.
Agnes Academy are more saleable than
those near the bayou on the same street.
He would naturally wonder why bust
ness men voluntarily tax themselves
with the daily expense of car tickets
when they can get cheap property upon
which to build within a stones throw
of their business An examination, how
ever, Of the high but neglected localities,
would satisfy him that the ST Agnes
property is best, especially if that exam
nation should be made in the early
spring
This morass covers an area of about
two hundred and fifty acres, worth $l9,-
900 per acre, averaging the lots at $40
per front foot Two hundred and fifty
acres ef land, sold at $4,000 per acre,
will bring three and quarter millions
of dollars Yes, there are parties who
are paying taxes on this morass at that
rate, and who do noh get income
enough from tito pay those taxes. When
will this land be reclaimed2 When will
the money invested in it be made remu-
nerative? When will it be sought after
by weary business men, Who after walk
ing all day in pursuit OF their vocations,
must look forward TO a tramp TO the
suburbs at night 10 get home? Those
three and a 1uprter millions will be
rescued, aud the morass will be settle d
upon, and be as healthy as any other
locality, whenever it is reclaimed by
drainage
Covering up the bayou would reclaim
for building purposes three miles in
length OF unsightly, ragged receptacle
for manure, filth and garbage-three
miles long by forty feet vide. Now at
S45 per front foot for lots, each super
iicial foot is worth thirty cents. Our
reclamation covers T3a,60O superficial
feet, worth $220,O0O, which is nearly
enough to pay for tue main sewer.
What il one shrewd man had owned
this tract Of land, do you think he would
have permitted all these years to have
passed without an effort TO put 1t IN
condition to yield somethingY DO
you think that be would still permit IT to
be made receptacle for the filth OF the
city, when by an expenditure OF one
seventh of its value he could bring It
into market and make it desirable and
yield an income2 / should say not. IT
1t would be wise for one man to do 1t,
would il not be wise for several men to
do it? Is it not the duty Of the artificial
man called the corporation, acting as
trustee for all the owners Of this
property, to step forward and
do 'something2 Assuredly 1t IS. But
this artificial man seems heretofore 10
have been the yeriest man OF straw, pos
sessing no interest in his wards further
thop to squeeze money from them 10
fatten his parasites. And the morass
stands in no greater need OF drainage
really than the other portions OF the city.
As every one knows, the subsoil OF our
town site is hard, compact clay, stub
horn 10 take water, and loath 10 give
il up. Such soils, OF all others, must
require undertaking, In order TO make
them iHhabitable BY either animals or
plants. Rain water falling on the sur
I face works down until It saturates many
feet in. depth; and this water, strange as
il NAV seem 10 the uniformed, stagpaies
in the ground. aud brought ~ By capt.
larry attraction, slowly evaporaies ~ tee
atmosrhere, and carries 20 doubt into
into tbat medium, she Bsaferies Bi0rOi OF
mapv disease. We know that Il stag
nates or becomes poisoned, or
putrid. from the fact that the
roots Of plants will not tap down
mt II which thrive and flourish whilst
tbeir feet i laved by the living waters Of
ne flashing brook This is where We
6nd he face Of the country IN Us PRINT
tive condition. and the waters falling on
IA As pure IS the clouds. II this creates
oaenee. what must be the condition o.
H. Ground which Is conuuually beng
ssturaied With liquid eH0remcuis ~ both
-an ard beast, which has been Tor Any
go tbe absorbent Of th0usauds q tons
"a suds and liquids Of AT other kinds
and conditions, and al. more or less,