The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1877-04-27
PLEA.

| A PLEA.
Taking a retrospective view Of the
past century what q grand cHlmInat
Ing landscape Of improvements, In.
ventions and discoveries gladdens eur
minds eye." Can it be that in ter
decades man has transformed this
"howlIng wilderness" where 'fpool
Lo" was wont to stalk In native mai
esty, seeking whom he might scalp
or madam "Lo" drudged unceasIng-
~, into this beautiful, enlightened
land, threaded with railroads and
rejoicing in her manufactures
steamboats,. telegraph, schools
churches, newspapers, fair men
and brave women, telephones, and
blueglase, over ali of which scars the
American Eagle warbllng Excelsior,
Liberty and Union or something to
that effect. What years of deep study,
hard thinking and weary labor and
patience were necessary, in order to
bring about this wonderful adoption
Of the resources of nature and art
for mans use and enjoyment. And
yet one powerful, health, giving,
thought inspiring, brain clearing
eyer needful influence, has been
often times crowded ont or perverted
into a deadly poison. This much
abused blessing is pure air. I do
not claim to be the original discoverer
of the lsmentable fact, but only q
suffer Their efrom. To the intelligent
community 1t Is only necessary to
mention the following well known
statements.
1st. For health the smallest allow
ance Of the air per individual should
be 300 cubic feet, and that frequently
changed.
and. The poorer the air, the lower
the animal temperature
3rd. The poorer the air the less
able is the system to expel its waste
matter and by consequence, of such
inability the less able is it to work
advantageously.
4th. The poorer the air the slower
the mind to comprehend the lessons,
of book and pulpit.
9Th. The poorer the air the slower
and more imperfect the physical
growth of children.
9Th The poorer the air the more
powerful the physical incentive to
use liquor, tobacco and other stlmu-
lants and narcotics.
7th. The poorer the air the lower
inevitably becomes moral tone and
moral force.
Cenceding the truth of these in
disputable facts, why are so many of
of our public buildings so construct
ed as to compel the inmates to in
hale slow but deadly poison. Much
might be written about the want of
fresh air in private houses, but the par
ticHlar object of my pent up wrath
and indignation, just now, is a public
buildlng-a church in this city. 1t
is called one of the best and most
costly in town, is nicely carpcted and
cushioned, contains q pretty set of
church furniture, a good toned organ,
chandeliers, hymn books and prayer
books, and in fact every thing we
need but just good air. 1t is heated
lin warm weather, it seldom is in
cold-by furnaces. have heard of
an invention, called an ''Infernal ma
chine. Is that a synonym of fur
mace? hope the inventor has repent
cd, but how can we ever forgive him
for that disagreeable, health destroy
ing heater.
What are the scientific causes of the
almost universal unhealthfulness ar
ising from the use of furnaces, can
not tell but the common sense reasons
are SO plain that che who runs may
read" They are usually made of
either cast iron or wrought. The
gases generated by combustion pass
very readily through the former,
whom heated, and so pass with the
hot air to the rooms above. A safe
cast iron furnace 1 believe to be an
imposibility. If constructed of
wrought iron the number of Joints
necessary give vent to these same
gases. Be the joints ever SO tight
ct first they will work loose. 1 have
also heard the theory advanced that
In a house thus heated, the inmates
are constantly bathed in a current
Of warm air which has the debiliat-
Ing effect-though in less degree
of prolonged submersion in warm
water.
Perhaps the furnaces are not re-
sponsible for all the bad air penned
up In this church. The windows are
not so constructed as to be lowered
from the top. 1 have gone there
bright Sabbath mornings with, "peace
and good wilr' and my Sunday School
lesson in nay heart. hoping for q prof.
table and happy season of worship.
But the moment 1 stepped inside,
something entirely different from
the "odor of sanctity" seized me by
the throat, clicked out and numbed to
Stupeiaction, my spiritual, mental, and
physical powers. The children might
as well have recited the multiplIca-
tiOntable for the purpose Of receiV-
ing spiritual instruction as to have
told the story OF Elijah, for it was
impossible to receive and take in
lessons In such an atmosphere, and
1 saw unmistakable signs of the same
misery in many faces. To such
depths of depravity have 1 sunk un-
der the influence of this poisonous
air that in my heart OF hearts, have
more respect for the bad boys, who
punched holes In the windows, than
for the person who filled them up with
paper.
The gas producing power of that
particular furnace, I venture to saw,
exceeds In quantity even that manu-
featured on Commercial sreet during