Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1883-10-16
THE SLOUGH NUISANCE.

| The Effort to Belittle 1.-THE True Facts
Of the Case-Who obeys the Law and
Who Defes It-shan the Foulness OF
Chinatown be Abated7
In the evening pspar of yesterday refer
ence was made to the China slough and the
O'Neil and Mesick property nuisance as de-
scribed in the RECORD. UNIoN. and the i'm
preston given that the statement OF this
journal was exaggerated and untrue. The
report says that Mr.. Csdwslader, the agent
for O'Neil, accompanied by Mayor Brown
and members of the Board of Health and a
reporter, yesterday visited the premises
where "the nuisances recently have existed. .
and that "it was shown to the satisfaction Of
the Board and the Mayor that Mr.. O'Neil's
property had been filed up as required, and
| a complete system Of sewerage carried out so
| far as relates to that property"
| The truth is the RECORD U MONS report
was not correct, because it fell short of pict-
uring the nuisance as bad as il nOD is.
The lots are filed on q slope some twenty
feet of average width from tbs houses. They
are not filed "as required" for the order of
the Board of Health and Board of Trustees
declares that $50 much of the lots as are
under agater are in a condition inimical to the
preservation of the public health, and that
| Third, Fourth and Fifth streets, north of |
street, to the north side Of the alley between II
and streets, and the alley between h and l
streets from Third to Fifth streets, are in a
condition menacing the public safety"
This resolution has not been repealed or
retracted by either Board, which declared the
lots to the north side Of the alley to be
"menacing to the public safety" The Trus-
tees ordered on the 9th of August that 50 the
said lots, streets and alley, or SO much of
them SIS are under water and convenient for
the reception of filth, offal and other impuri-
ties from adjacent tenement houses, privy
vaults, cesspools snd other sources whereby
| the water of Lake Suffer may become fur
Their polluted to the danger and desriment of
the inhabitants of the entire city, shall be
speedily abated by filling with earth and sand
to level above high.water mark" By this
Act the authorities intended that the lots
should be filled to the alley, and not left to
the Judgment of the property owners as to
the extent of the I'LL. Not only was this the
intention, but a motion YVES made to have the
fill brought to the high grade; but that Sc
verify was Withdrawn, and the resolution
sent to the Trustees as given. If there is any
possible ambiguity IN the words of the order,
the sooner it is amended the better, that the
intent may be perfectly clear.
The fill, which it ia claimed is " as re-
quired," is still convenient for the reception
of filth from the adjacent tenement houses"
Captain Of Police Woods and representative
of this paper recently stood on the Third
street bridge of signs and stinkS, and saw
Chinese cast cffal from the windows of their
tenements on the O'Neil property, beyond the
fill and into the agater, butt was impossible to
10 -, ,ha sll,E &c 81,
swarm of Celestial rats that infest the old
rookery that is shame and an eyesore to the
town.
Further A visitation to the premises
made yesterday Afternoon developed that
along the bank of she apologize fill are dead
fish, decaying vegetables and other filth, and
that the waters are foul, offensive and green.
Standing on the fill the stencil was intolera-
BILE and sickening, and whoever has nostrils
80 case hardened as to be unable to detect it
is blessed among men. From beneath the
houses came fouler odors still. suggestive of
fever cholera, smallpox and sll abominable
filth diseases. These "smells are less ap-
parent when the sun, shining hot upon the
place, in part neutralizes them, but "smell-
ing committees" to be converted, should at
tend a seance in the humidity of early morn
ing or late in the day. Yet it is said the
premises are comparatively clean" It
would be satisfying to know with what
standard of cleanliness and civilization the
comparison is made.
as to "the satisfaction Of the Mayor,
it is to be added that he has not
expressed himself as satisfied with the
condition of things, and If members
of the Board of Health have expressed
satisfaction" the people will be anxious to
know why they have done so when the prop
erty Immediately adjoining - the Mesick
property-has q bank of earth back of the
houses as lgide as that recently put back of
O'Nieps. and had that bank there August 4th,
echen the Board declared both lots a nuisance
II the Mesck lot August 4th with that strip
of earth behind it, was q nuisance then, and
convenient for the reception Of filth" etc.,
it still is, for not shovelful of dirt has been
added. 1t seems impossible, therefore, that
the Board members can have "gone back
on their official declarations. Ii they have,
however, the people will be anxious to know
the reason why. August 4th the water stood
under the O'Neil buildings. The fill now
made there brings out the earth only shout
the same width from the building as that
back OF the Mesick houses when both lots
were condemned.
The situation on China slough therefore is
this: The railroad company, which began
filing as soon as required, is filing TO the
alley, and viii reach the line in day or two.
n. S. Bennett, agent for Torrey on the lot
adjoining, began to fill /" as required and is
nearly to the alley line. and still at work, and
to last night had put IN 1900 loads of more
than one cubic yard each. d. Gardner has
filed part wsy to the alley and stopped be-
csuss others have Mesick has not filed in
at all. O'Neil has filed in part on an upper
lot, and on that next to Mesick on the corner
of Third street, has filed Co about the width
Ok nj
domination, and O'Nsils agent yesterday de-
clared he will not fill q foot more until
Mesick is compelled TO obey the law. The
whole movement therefore for the sanitary
regeneration of the north side of Chinatown
Is blocked by the neglect or refusal of W. s.
Meeick to fill in his lot, and IL has come to be
question as to whether single lot owner,
better able TO FIJI in than any of his neigh
bors, can set all the authority Of this city at
defiance in its effort to remove a crying
nuisance.
HEALTH OFFICERS ACTs.-Health Office ?
Ferral yesterday arrested two Cinnamon.
whom he took in the act of emptying filth
upon the banks of China slough. The officer
being asked concering the complaint that in
given block where he had ordered ventila-
ton pipes to be put up for cesspools, the
order had not been obeyed, replied that i'm
mediate sction is not always possible; that
he has TO give reasonable time to property
owners to have pipes made and erected that
in the block referred to work had been COM
pleted on some lots already, and that as to
two others time had been extended on &C.
count of sickness, requiring quiet about the
premises, and rendering the noise of earpen.
ter work dangerous. The officer adds that
he il having printed 900 circulars, embrac.
ing the new sanitary ordinance, that the
people may know exactly what it is. These
he will distribute among property owners.
METROPOLITAN THEATER- The Theater
Comique Company will give a special per-
Torrance at the Metropolitan Theater on
Friday evening, October 19sb, and a grand
family matinee on Saturday afternoon, Octo-
bsr 2Otb. 1t is announced that the entire
company viii appssr in Q bill of elegance and
refinement, pure in tone, elevated in merit;
equal, if not superior, TO any Eastern combi-
nation, headed by the great Irish comedian
and punster, Bobby Gaylor. By request there
will be produced tie roaring comedy, "Gillis-
pies Troubles, or tee Senator's Visit" Mi