The daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1873-1877, 1877-02-12
The S]ailg Areas,
ROCK ISLAND, ILLINOIS.
Concluded from second page.

and the river, for its whole course through
the city, becomes stagnant pond. Ii
sickness is caused thereby, every new
country is expected to be sickly." 1t is
only when the graveyard becomes fat. and
the city poor. that the people are aroused
to abate the nuisance by costly litigation,
with a large waste OF invested property.
Thus, through lack of sanitary engineering,
the river is damned, and city too--but in
another sense. How much better TO locate
the mills where the fostering mill pond
shall be kept at safe distance from the
city, Or, for manufacturing purposes
| large reservoirs are created, which hang
like couchant lions above the busy villages,
at some dread moment to spring with deaten-
| ing roar and mad destruction upon all that
| lies in their path. Some one has said
that the best way to stop railway collisions
was to lash a railroad director to the COW
catcher. If the mill owner and hydraulic
engineer were compelled to live beloU the
dam. it might have good and conservative
| influence.
Slaughter houses are often SO carelessly
located as to contaminate the water supply
Of large population, and thus become
slaughter-houscs in more senses than one
The railroad company which plants its
cioyen foot in the shape of cattle-yards
whose concentrated filth shall polute the
water supply OF a whole city, should he
switched off the track OF our common civil
ization. These evils are easy of control
at the ouset, but after they have become
crystalIized as vested rights, and large
amount Of property must be destroyed in
their suppression, they present formidable
obstacles The pivotal principle in sanitary
science as we'll as in morals is. RESIST THE
BEGINNINGS OF EVIL. Remember the
aphorism of the father OF medicine: life
is short and art long; Occasion feeting; tx
pertinent dangerous; and Judgment
difficult" Seize Occasion before it fees,
nor trust to dangerous Experiment. and
then will Judgment be less difficult!
1t has been said that "a man needs to
build for himself one house before he
knows now to build house fit to live in. y
1t is sadly true in building a community
la the early life of community. when the
foundation is laid for the future common
health aud prosperity, it is individual in
terestS, chance. or whim that determine
to large extent the essential features
which shall mark the pubic health. San
itary wrongs Fbecome vested rights, anG
a needless blight is cast upon all its future
history. In advance oil the civil engineer
should go to the sanitary engineer, pre-
en,pting IN the name of public health al
that is accessory for the good Of the coming
State Then let the civil engineer avail
himself to the utmost of what remains
But let public health have the first choice
and not be compelled to eat the crumb:
that fail from the table of greed AMI nam
mon.
8 In the old world the foundations of socie
ty had been laid, aud the superstructur,
reared, before sanitary science had an ex
istence In the new world, where We re
ceiVe the natural conditions as it wer
= warm and plastic from the hand of God
S how noble the State we may rear it VI
act wisely at tie beginning! Usage, Gus
d tom, and antiquated law do not come IN I
= cramp and dwarf our endeavor. In n
= respect is the need more imperative to tax
the initiative tor the public good then /
the water-rlghts of community, the ingres
and egress of water, its control agains
pollution, and its conservation for the put
lie USE
In doing this work, we shall come i
= conflict with the selfish interests of many
= and must expect to be denounced as oil
fogies and opponents Of the busine:
- prosperity Of the place" In many r,
spects there Is no task so thankle3s as til;
of the sanitarian While 10 one can az
cuse him of sordid motives, he yet CONS
in direct conflict with the pride, prejudice
and ignorance of men. 10 tell men til;
: their habitations are unventilated and tt
air foul, their water filthy and unfit fl
use. or to criticise their habits and SUI
roundings, is poor way to awaken the
gratitude. Often the best work he doe
will pass unrecoguized, or bring dow
curses on his head. The best work whic
man does for his fellow is often so qui
and transformations as to pass without q
tice. To quench an incipieut conhagr
ton, to crush a pestilence 10 its nest,
pour life and health through the waite
courses of a city by means which u;
be incom prehenslble by the mass of me
1 these do not bring votes of thanks al
presents of plate. The noisy work tb
> fills the worlds eye is but the smoke of Il
\ furnace; it lacks the quiet glow but ferv
1 heat Of anthracite.
Yet there is one sanitary applicable
that men delight in, whether they are
- private or public positions, aud that
lCItite 10GSh. In no way can a sanltaTlan
cheaply win a reputation for fairness al
- sound Judgment" as by liberal use
this wonderful compound! But if Il
santarian insists on the use of the scru
bling brush and dislnfec;ants instead
whitewash, he often finds his friend
recommendation construed as host
!. criticism. The beatitude for the. sanitari
n is Blessed Is the man acho as not hdake
n And yet his work shall not be forgotten
4 last. The sauitarian who, 10 the name
his bountiful Master, both now and for
coming time shall give to drink cup
cold water only" clear as crystal and pu
as the water OF the river of, life, -
shall in nowise lose his reward "
df. | close by Offering two resolutions
all l. RESOLVED That it is the first duly of Sta
r. and municipalities, first in Importance and first
Ma the order of time. to make sanitary survey of
water supply, to preserve it against ali unneeess
and avcidable contamination.
j. 2. ResOtUed. That municipality should I'M
duce water system without at the came time |
. viding corresponding and coextensive sewer
TEN.
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