The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1874-07-18
rhe pollntion Of Streams.

4 great national evil in this COUNT! Is IN
universal habit Of poiluting the waters Q
our rivers and smaller streams by thfo"'"s
into them every species of ofFa' and ever,
sort Of thing that is an offence to the human
senses. Itis practice that is abominaoH
10 every principle Of ciyilz ition. ana QUE
that is growing to be a great source Oh us
comfor, and disease. 1t is time that measure
were taken to protect the streams ho"' ~.
no,lu,iop and 10 protect at the same Time ~.
public decency and the health ano eo''''o'
of mankind. ,
If we look upon a noble stream a"u oon'
slider !, in IFS relation to society, we h''o !"
In every sense beneGcent. Tue rivers al"
streams aud springs are amongst INC c"o'ee.'
If Heavens blessings to man. Ii we look
at the shores Of lovely stream, we hno
them thckly settled by inhabitants ~ho III
voluntarily turn their faces towards the HOW
ing waters. There is an instructive love
and devotion for them: men love to look al
them. TO glide over them, to fish IN thet''
and dive into them. An object of so much
love and pleasure should be protected from
offence: by no means should it become the
sever of every abomination that may be
created in the economy OF life.
The rivers are the best means oil transpor-
tation of commerce, aud from the WA ers we
NAV suppose one-ffth of the subsistence OF
man is derived. An immense part OF So
ciety finds its means Of livelihood from iol-
lowing the waters. An element that ali"roS
such solid benefits, and SO much nde>cIl0a-
ble Measure to man, canuot bc TOO highly APP
precited by him. If the people We kno"
were not blessed with revealed rehelon I'D
which we have faith, sc should think the
wisest and most refined devotion that man
could adopt would be the alteration OF Inc
waters. What then should we thirk oil the
de,e.taDle habit Of betouling The streams
mill they are sources Of disgust, instead OF
being as they were intended, The objects OIL
love and sources Of delight:
When we think that on every considera-
bic stream in the land there stand possl0lya
thousand priyies-tbat everything offensive
is thrown iGto it-that it is, in short, the
conductor OF everything disagreeable III
every part OF the serpentine way its waters
Iur, we wonder how men brought them
selves so low rs 10 beioul the thing they
might almost deity for the good they derive
flom it. We ,worder how In IN age OF CIVIL
zltion and rcveaIed religion men could so
far forget every feeling, every principle OF
civilization, morality, religion, and even de-
cency, Us to NIKE the objsct Of their greatest
good the victim of their selfindulgencc, bar
bariy, and needless profanity.
1t is time that this were reformed alto
gether. Decency, comfort, health, clrlllza'
tion-all proclaim trumpct-tonSued against
this vile usage. The Legislatures of the
whole lana should with one voice denounce
it US unworthy Of civilized age, as seriously
detrimental to The welfare and health of So
ciety. Laws should he passed to protect the
streams against this shameful pollution.
They should be kept pure and pleasant that
man may enjoy the blessings they are in.
tended to Confer upon him.
If we lock at the rivers we find them the
rcceptacIe> OF all sorts Of filth. A thousand
offensive curses dot over every stream OF
moderate length, and the easy way TO get
rid OF every nuisance is to UI'O,c al into the
rirer. Cities are beginning to complain
loudly 81 this barbarous practice. Yet no
esty can complain of these towns above 1t on
the stream while itself is charseable with
offences Just as bad rs those OF when II coni'
plains. The remedy must he complete.
Every town should respect the regulations
which are designed to save it from the elects
of the pollution of which it complains ana
from which it suffers.
Look Il, Baltimore: lis people are com
planning deeply Of the injuries from polluted
and foul water; and yet what city more pol
Iutes the nearest water to 1t than Baltimore:
None. To enter the basin OF Baltimore Is
10 encounter seven hundred distinct bad
>odors, and yet her peop'eaIe very much dsS'
cus,cd with the bad water they have from
Jones's Falls.
Did YOU ever 90 to Baltimore! 1t is nj
Doint of reference in the enforcement f these
views. Jone,'s Falls, from which Baltimore
gets her drinking water, is short stream
passing through populous country. Fer
haps it would be cruel to the people OF baitl'
more TO refer to the amount of nuisance that
is cast into that little rivulet before 1t Is
pumped up into those so-called lakes that
adoru Druid Park. We need not 90 So
Suffice it to say that those who should praise
their water thus pumped up for drinking
are now damuing it most heartily.
A better illustration could not be founa'
We invite attention to it, and we repeat,
with most decided emphasis. that the Legls-
Iatures Of the Union, with one accord, should
provide the most rigid measures for the pro-
lection of the streams from pollution.
We have in these remarks not touched
upon very important view of the SUBJECT
Taat Is, that everything that is barharousiy
thrown into the streams is so much fertilizine
material taken from the earth, where if re-
turned it would be valuable, and thrown into
the waters where it is OF no use. Thus tbe
land is Impoverished and the waters made
offensive with what would enrich the lands