Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1879-10-15
A FEW FACTS
For the Board Of Health and Others to
Ponder Over.

EDITOR LEDGER You. have had
many communications during this SO
called epidemic, mostly theoretical.
| propose to give you some facts
which the board of health as we'll as
the common people can digest.
For twenty-five years | resided in
the city of Washington. The busi-
ness part Of the city was built on a
marsh no foundation for the build
ings from Fifteenth street (where
now the treasury department is built)
to the Capitol, and Fifteenth street
to First street. could be had.
The Tiber or James Creek ran
through the city like our Bayou
Gayoso, except it was in bed of mud
and subject to high water when the
river (the Potomac) rose above ordi-
nary tide; then the water backed into
cellars and sewers. No privies were
allowed except in boxes above ground
which, when full, were removed bv
the city authorities on notice to each
ward officer. The excrement was dis
infected with copperas or some other
material and then hauled to some point
far away from the city and converted
into pandrette for manuring purposes.
Subsequently the Potomac river
was turned into the city through the
most magnificent system of water
works in the world, costing the gov
ernment some $4,000 and furnishing
the city more than 10000 gallons
water per day. These water mains
were made Of hard brick cement and
stone, and the supply of pure water
was greater than in any city of the
world except Rome.
Next, the city government, under
the celebrated Boss Shepherd, paved
the entire city in the most substantial
manner. The payements are superior
to those Of any city in the nation. The
sewerage is beyond comparison the
best in this or any other country, all
made of hard brick and cement. and
many of them you can walk through
standing at full hight. The death
rate of the city of Washington since
the paving Of the streets, splendid
sewerage and full supply of pure
water, has increased, and is so per
cent greater than that of Memphis.
These payements and sewers we're
paid for by the property owners. |
sold lot to the Hon. Hugh McCul-
Tough, secretary of the treasury, and
before he would settle with me | had
to pay $675 for his privilege to tap the
sewer in front of the lot.
In Washington the Supreme Court
of the United States decided that the
property owners should pay all taxes
for sewerage, paving, water privileges,
etc. Here it has been decided that
it must be paid by general tax; from
that hour Memphis has been going
down, and will continue to do SO. No
merchant will submit to be taxed to
build sewers, pave streets, or anything
else that is for the permanent benefit
OF landowners.
Much has been said about the effect
Of cleaning and purifying of New Or
leans by General Butler during the
war. New Orleans is one of the filth
est cities in the world her priyies
cisterns and cemeteries are all above
ground. There is no means of clean
ing the city whatever. It's below the
level Of the river and only the heavy
rains which wash off the surface flth
clean the city in any manner; all its
surface filth is washed off by heavy
rains and carried to the swamp in rear
of the city. The true cause of the
health Of the city during its occupa-
ton by the Federal army was owing
entirely to the fact that the United
States feet prevented any vessel from
entering the portexceptfrom Northern