Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1883-07-24
sspIY TO @cIr1zgsn By DR.. LIME

EDS. RECORD UNION "Citizen who
ever he may behaving frankly acknowl-
edged that he has been sufferer for twenty
yssrs from thu nuisance Of China slough, his
inquiry ia entitled to candid reply. Yet it
would be interesting to know Why Citizen
and other sufferers have not, during these
twenty years. sought the necessary Legislative
relief instead Of con;enting themselves with
q knowledge of tbs conditions Of the owner
saip of the slough. The Central Pacific
Railroad corporation own two-thirds or three
fourths-thst is. all north of the line Of THE
alley between IL and I streets. They are
filling their psrs every year, and at the rate
at which they are filing, from dumping
ashes, Stag and cinksr, they viii FL TO grade
al they OWE in six or seven years at most.
The contamination of the slough comes from
tbs south eide, where all sorts Of filth and
reoksriss into the water. Tiers She water il
comparatively shallow, while on the north
side the bapk q steep and the water deep.
1t has never been Charged against the Cen
trs! Pacific Railroad Company that they do
not look well to their own interests Con
Solicitations Of interest as well as Of humanity
indncs thsm TO bring pure water from tbs
mountsins for their men as the shops. A
few years ego twenty Per cent. OF their men
were disabled during the summer months by
melsrial fevers. TIE same considerations of
interest obtain 10 the filing of tfe slough.
They will I'll their part if we fiji OURS. Ad-
hitting the non-existence of any law by
which the owners of the balance can be COM
PEELED to fiji their lots, the fact remains
patent that they can be filed By people who
are not the owners. 1t is as unreasonable 70
suppose that chs owners would object to such
Improvement as it is that e Citizen would
object 60 the cure OF a grievous wrong, be-
cause it would benefit his neighbour purse as
much 81 the city's health.
Let Citizen accompany twenty active,
public-spirited citizens IL o canvas OF the city
and he will be surprised to learn how soon
so, coo or $50, GOO can be raised for that pur-
pose. / doubt is there are many resident
owners of property to the value Of 81, 600
who would refuse to give S25 or more, even
though i enriched the owners of the lots.
Theys are many who do not own auy real es.
tate who would 60 as much. IL is not de-
nanded that the filing shall be moro than
one foot above the level Of the wafer in sum-
mer. did not say it could be done 10 sixty
days but that sit could be done this sum.
mer, - and I etiil insist upon thss statement.
Enough money could be raised by subscrip-
ton from the owners of the lots and toe citi-
zens Of the city IN thirty days to i'll all that
not owned by the railroad company and plant
it in blue gum trees. It can be done for
! 81, 600. The worst will then be done, and
the necessary regulations could then be Ell
forced in a locality where now il cannot be
done. It has been suggested that such
course would cause half of our physicians
and apotheearies 60 seek less salubr;ous local.
titles. II would not be lonesome without
them, and other people would gladly take
their places.
The average citizen receives with 8 sense
of injury the notification of q city official to
cleanse his cesspoo', when he knows that the
municipality views with serene indifference
the green slime of China slough fostering IN
/ the sun.
No permanent Improvement of the present
condition will result from ths employment Of
single oiorless excav&tor, even ii worked
night and day.
would not attempt to kill rattlesnake
by tickling the end of its tell; [ would
crush its head and break IFS hack. Cellars
should be flle1. streets and alleys kept
clean, vaults emptisd of their contents. and
they and the savers should be properly ven
tilsted; but this cannot ell be doue at once,
aud no man with an element of independence
| in his character will enter into the spirit of
such sanitary requirements until you remove
from his sight, aud the sight and smell of
every visitor TO orr city, the seething nasli.
ness of China slough. J. r. LAME.