, 1877-02-03
TIE NORTH BRANCH.
A Trip Along the Banks OF the
Filthy Stream.
Various Points which Require the At.
tcntion Of the Health Officers.

In order 10 sec how tic thaw had affected the
North Brunch, and ascertain It's sanlsary conll-
tton at tho present time, TH1nrsE reporter
was detailed yesterday to mcandcr through that
classical tlfatrict, and search wllcro health Off.
crrs have not ut intrulcd, and wicro evidently
there Is much need for visit frum them.
In the first place, II Is perfectly safe to sny
that at no time in the history Of Chtrago, at
tits scason Of tho ycar, has tho North Branch
been more offensive. Tho stencil which arises
from tho yfttatcl watcr is sicEening in tho ex-
trcinc. 4 rising varor seems almost pcrccptt-
bio when one stands on any Of tho bridges,
tic smell is 50 overcoming mud strong.
Perhaps It would bo weIt to r,ye tho result Of
nctual observation. 1'IE TRIBUNE Investigator
took u Ciybourn-ayenuc rar at Clark nnl
Madison streets, aud thence 10 thu end of The
ousc,-Clyboutn placc,-whcrc, at tho bridge,
II located
THE ruGxt1 pisr1L1Rnr,
Of which Dickcnson, Abel {. Co. arc the pro-
prictors, Ecnr tho dtsttl1cry IA IN old slough.
II Is not now ~, most wholesotne condition,
Of. account. OF the accumulation. there of thu
scason's tlth. nnwcvcr, In 1t Is the platform ol
tho sl0p-ttibs The c0necrn feeds ,:e00 heal Of
cattle. Tho platform was bGlng cleaned oil yes
tcr.lay. The slough flows out under the Chl-
engo & Pacific Railroatl tFnek Into tho North
L9huSIls VI tNN4eG+ "uAk olVp - AfAb ID CA'b!J
sold and speedily cartcd away. set sotnc wlll
WORE tts way Into tho river. The cattle pens
are connected, and dung and Hrinc arc caught
Il, tanks nn.l cnEtcd nwhy 1T closcly.ebvcrcd
througl, into the eaftG, ind thus forms anotl,or
offensive addition to tho river. The firm pay
$40 lay during tho summer for taking the
manure awny by boat. and rFoportionatcly IN
q ".i clean ' and w wholesome p1aes. Hs Thss
winter i!as bccu 80 unusually severe that much
of tho fifth was frozen, md il now tLaw,ng out
and sending offensive valors high Into thu mir.
NJ bufrougl: th9rnughly Explained how It. was
keep tllcir places clenl mud allow no fntll stun
to ltoat intu tho river 1n tho summer It Is all
collected In boats anl luupcs! into tl,c 'aGc, hut
III winter Wagons !layo to 6c used. Having
convinced h!mscIt that tlo rrcr llcrc was per.
liaps moro frcu from smell than at my other
plnrp, tic reporter took himsclf through mud
lully SIX inches ~ depth to tic lll!noEs Dis
tIl!'i,g Colnpany. rhsa concern, owned by Law.
renee s; Ba!lcnttnc, Is feeding, sotnc 100 lcatl
nf vattle At,J selling great dca! vi its slops,
Tho river smells but little hero, uni everything
about tho pluec IL to!cfal,ly clean.
Again, coming buck to the North SHE Roll
ing.M!lls 9ud lust so,!t!, u u, tac North nsc-
]atton In tic slothful und filthy atrcai1l. Tho
cllluvIa which art4e from the s1iAc Is perfectly
fearful: A moro s'ckctinG stencil could not be
somo Of tho lots arc covered With water, anil
the houses In them cupnot hclp but he damn,
attl unhealthy. III ntilitton to these drawbacks
to health, tllt cutters colitatn rottinI aeri!-
mutation Of itlth, which, tn placcs, smells rank
to heaven. Vegetable i.nttcr in ttccaylng con-
itiot Tan be found OIL ali tito streets III almost
l1tnttlcss quantities. In placcB hogs wal1ow In
tho mud, a1,d the gentle goat butts Ills head In
to tho ssomaells Of pedestrians.
ANOTHER Dts0usTlNG AND rECuLiAn FEATURE
OF this 1oealtyis II thu keeping I'll onu tjr two
inileh COWS by industrious Germans, who like to
turn nn honest penny bv sgll!ng a1. cxcuao fot
milk. Tho barns arc generally filthy unl small.
They stink With ylGof fully Gqnaf TO tho North
dealing In their Tendency. It would bo invid.
| nhounds with Gnnll cattlc-stables, and q lA|il
| o!lrcr, III good condition, could find ninplt
| work either tu tncrtasc or lessen hia appetite
according 10 tho bttcnEth Of his digestive MP
| paratGs.
! Progressing south ntong tho river, tho stencil
grows stronger, and decidedly nlore disgusting.
At DtncktlaWk street, tho w1nlcr's accumulation
| llus Just bccn cmpt(cd from tho lyefoot sewer
into tho stream. Whatever may have been eattl
of thu Nurth avenue scwtr. ttIia Is worse q
thousand fold. II may scum cxaggcratlolI, uui
wurIla cannot dcacribo tho actual nasttncss oi
the smell which aslscs III this vicinity. The
wnter Is of a gungrci,ous color. It has floating
On its surface Il glossy, greasy seutn, the vcry
color Of which seclns to llavo stckMeas in It.
| or eoursc, ,us tho suwcr accutnulatlons art
washed away, tue Gr,cll In q mn1nGr subsidies
but tho effect must In Il great measure rcmaln
TIE uf.ACKlIAWk n1sT1LLBRY
| tA at tho loot III tho HtrLCts AnN 'tuu1l4lo' '
AtllEr has Invented W4F VI puffft{lE tho rttc]