The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1879-08-12
The Back Bay Again.


The article by Delta in the Saturday. PRESS
definitely pointed out the causes of the foul
odors which are causing SO much trouble to
our citizens. Any one going through Grove
street will see one of the lesser causes in the
foul and sluggish current which flows down
from the Poor House and along the creek into
the mill pond. 1t is of about the consistency
of molasses, and from it arise pestilential
fumes. The mill pond itself is the receptacle
of this, as well as of the drainage from the
northerly slope of the city. the slaughter house
and tannery. The mere flooding of this sink
of destruction, or the cleansing of it, is not
sufficient. 1t may temporarily relieve our
people from danger, but only temporarily, and
we shall continue to have trouble until our
city government, sinking all false ideas of
economy, and all desire to shift an unpleasant
responsibility over to a future administration,
takes hold of the work in earnest First, the
city should possess itself of behring's Oaks,
which have been offered to it at merely
nominal price, and should then fill up the
creek and mill pond, laying permanent sewer
through it, and carry it far enough beyond the
bridge to ensure the carrying away of its con-
tents by the tide. By filling up the creek and
mill pond, a dangerous nuisance would not
only be removed, but the city would gain
number of acres Of beautiful grass land-a
lawn or field for the sports of its children, and
for exhibitions Of various sorts. This would
cost money certainly-uot large sum-oW 1t
acould cost money. This is a sufficient reason
in the eyes of selfish and aspiring politicians OF
narrow vi ews, to prevent the scheme from
being carried out, as long as such politicians
are allowed to hold office, which with them is
of more importance than the health or comfort
of the people And the people, after all,
ought not to be greatly pitied. If they will
allow ignorant, or inefficient, or selfish and
aspiring men to be elected, they must expect
from them only the fruits which such men
produce. ''Do men gather grapes from horns,
o: figs from Mistleso" The world is old, but
it has never yet been done. If our present
city government will not throttle this danger
GUS foe to the peace and health of the people,
let us have one next year which will.
If vital interests are to be neglected because
it is desirable to show smaller expenditure oil
dollars this year than last, though such show
ing may cause the loss of many dollars for each
one saved, by depreciation of property grow
ing out of such neglect, it is time to look about
for remedy. What would be thought OF
man who allows poisonous pool to remain on
his premises, which would cause his family
perpetual discomfort, sickness, and perhaps
DEATH because it would cost something to re-
move it? Would not such man be exc
Grated? And yet this is just what our city
government has been doing for years: permit
ting dangerous nuisance to exist, which has
caused constant discomfort, peril and sickness
to the people, because, forsooth, proper and
thorough system of works for its abatement
would cost money. Let not this matter be
tempered with any longer. Let us have a
thorough and complete removal OF all the
causes of this nuisance-and one OF these
causes u.s. doubtless, the tannery and its ap-
pendages, which has not been before particu-
larly alluded to, except by Delta, though it is
we'll known to be one of the principal causes.
Let us have, it is repeated, a removal OF all the
causes of this nuisance, and then by all means
a competent Board of Health, which shall pre-
vent forever the growth of future nuisances to
cause our citizens to flee from home to escape
than