Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1880-01-12
A Plea for the BOx-System rs a
Temporary Expedient.

EDITOR LEDGER-If the contro-
versy now agitating the public mind is
worthy of a little more space in your
journal, will you grant it to a quiet
but careful observer, even if his views
be somewhat at oads with your
own?
Let us in the beginning agree hat
the ultimate aim and desire of every
one of our fellow-citizens at present,
is to rescue our city-those citizens OF
course excepted who regard filth as
very harmless matter, and look upon
the Memphis Of to-day as a Paragon
of cleanliness.
Well, we agree something is to be
done, and among other things our city
is to be severed. | suppose we have
also agreed that our present way Of
disposing of excreta is highly OBJ
jectionable, and finally agree that
earth-closets have serious drawbacks.
What, then, are we to do2 The
question seems to be simply a choice
between two evils; and | would ask
your readers calm and careful consid-
Grafton to decide which of the two we
shall choose; for, situated as we are,
there is no other alternative.
Now, let us see. On the one hand
we have eesspools-the inheritance of
two or three generations-at least one
to every house, often two or three;
each containing tons of human ex-
creta, veritable hotbeds Of ~pestileaec
and death, %permeating and vitiating
the surrounding soil and atmosphere,
we hardly know to what extent. This
matter, impartial scientific men have
told US, might be one Of the causes Of
u past p%lagues-let us say might, for
the fact is yet to be demonstrated.
AT least we have deemed it proper to
accept their advice, and to make good
this violation of natures laws, in
dulged in for two generations and
punished but too severely. In order
to accomplish this end, we are told
among other things to fill up these
pest-holes, and until we can have
sewers built, use earth closets, and
this seems to me the one point not
sufficiently looked to, viz: That these
closets are simply a temporary ex-
pedient, to be made use of only until
we "a have secured better means to
accomplish the object in view. No
one thinks of making them a perma-
nent institution, because we need not
be told that our city offers advantages
for perfect sewerage and drainage sur
passed by but few, the question is
simply to bridge over this interval.
Our present privieG can never be
connected with sewers, hence will
have to be filled up in the end; and
why not, in the name Of common
sense, do so without a moment
delay
fear that to most opponents o.
the measure the question Of dollar.
and cents comes first; yet even thi,
seems %short-sighted policy when We
consider the issues, life or death; "a
be or not to be; that is the question
While opposed to earth-closets as
permanent fixture, | would ask you
readers to follow me but a little Will,
in my endeayor to show, that for TEN.
porary emergency, these closets ma,
be managed with due amount of care
labor and but little expense.
OF course, if we start from tn,
standpoint that God made Mem.
pills." or that filth is harmless
we might as well fold our hands
and like the Turk cry, Allah i
Great and resign ourselves to fate
but surely also to fold our tents lik,
the Arab, and silently steal away
Butte resume, earth--and here le
every reader first consider that earth
uncontaminated, is clean-earth ha
the power, when dry, especially, o
absorbing all manner o. obnoxious mat
ter and destroying it, the main diff
Guilty is the trouble TO prepare it fol
the purpose, aud this can be done witt
such labor as the question at issu'