Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1883-03-23

At the meeting of the chamber of COM
merce last Monday morning resolution
was adopted calling public meeting last
night to consider the sanitary condition of
the city. In response to the call about thir
ty people assembled, among whom were
Doctors Jones, Wheaton, Dedolph, Dayen-
port, Leasure, Abbott and Stone. Mr.. ii.
NJ. Knox was made chairman, and Mr.. w.
A. Somers secretary.
THE MEETING.
Some preliminary talk was INDUCED in
as to in what form they should get at the
matter to be considered. Finally, to bring
something definite before the meeting for
consideration, Mr.. Fogg offered the fol-
lowing:
Resolred, That the city authorities are
hereby requested to establish system of
scavenger carts for the disposal of garb-
age and refuse now difficult to be disposed
of by householders.
Mr.. Hodgson did net know what was
aimed at by this resolution.
Mr.. Fogg explained that he thought we
ought to have a system enforced that
would dispose of the garbage in proper
way.
DIR. Wheaton said there ought to be a
system of garbage carts that would come
around at regular times, and people ought
to have the refuse ready. In reply to Mr..
Knox, he explained that we had
several scavengers that went around oc-
casionally, but the way the business is
conducted is very unsatisfactory. The
ie hot hoy oh
dumping ground. For the lack of better
place the garbage had been deposited at
the foot of Chestnut street. He did not
think the city was any more filthy than any
other year when there is a large fall of
snow. When the snow disappears the city
will be cleaned up in the usual way. Moth
ing but a systematic scavenger system will
accomplish much.
Mr.. Willius could not see why all this
stuff should be thrown into the river.
If a company could be formed to
utilize the refuse by manufacturing it
into something useful, money could be
made.
Mr.. Hinsdale declared the first thing to
do was to remove the sewer gas from the
houses. The outside, after this was done,
would take care of itself. Clay pipes for
sewerage should be abandoned and cast
iron pipe should be substituted in its
place. We ought, in his opiniUn, to have
sanitary inspector to go around and in
spect all houses, and insist that each one
be put in proper sanitary condition.
Mr.. WilIius offered an amendment that
the system be based upon the most ap-
proved system as adopted in other and
older cities. This was accepted by Mr..
Fogg.
DR.. Leasure said this was very import
ant subject. He told how the Parisians
handled the matter. All the garbage of
that city is carried to certain place and
sprinkled with dry earth and sold at a
large price as fertilizing matter. In q
city of the size of st. Paul this could not be
done. He therefore favored having all the
refuse transported by cars to such dis
lance from the city as to be out of every
body's way, and utilize it by sprinkling
with dry dirt. 1t will not do to dump it
into the river. This will ultimately pro-
duce disease. It will be very diff
cult to make st. Paul an IN
healthy city. Nature has done
much for it. Every rain washes it out ex-
cept in those hidden places, that is, in our
houses. The trouble with scavenger carts
is that it will cost the poor more than they
can afford to pay.
Mr.. Pettibone, a stranger in
st. Paul, explained that certain
people in Cincinnati established fertil-
izing company and gathered all the gar
bage, removed it and manufactured it into
fertilizing substance. That city also had a
system of garbage carts that went around
collecting garbage and the system worked
well.
Mr.. Murray did not think it would be
judicious to adopt the above resolution.
Before it is adopted it would be we'll to
consider how the expense is to be met. 1t
would be better to see to it that our houses
are better plumbed, and our sewers made
more affective.
DR.. Jones placed great importance upon
pure drinking water. To impure drink
ing water he attributed a large amount of
the typhoid that we had few years ago.
The doctor told how Detroit and other
well regulated cities managed the matter,
and said that after all the best and most
practical way to dispose of the ref
use was to throw it into the
river. In this he disagreed he said, with
DR.. Leasure, and heldiffered with all due
respect. In his opinion the refuse would
be SO oxydized that it would be innoxious.
He believed that the topography of
st. Paul was such that with good sewers,
well flushed frequently, the waste-pipes
of our houses separated from the build
ings, and plenty of Phalen water to drink,
we would have the most healthy city in
the world.
PLAN BY MR. M'CLUNG.
Mr.. McClung offered the following:
First-The president of the board of
health, under section 16, chapter IL, page
122 of the charter and ordinances of the
city, to appoint sufficient number of as
sistants in every ward in the city to carry
out the provisions of section of the or
dinance creating board of health, page
17S, and reading as follows: cit shall be
the duty of the health officer, whenever he
may deem it necessary in order to secure
the public health, to enter in the day time
upon the premises and into the house of
any person or persons = x & to as
certain every nuisance which may exist.
and x X x to inspect the vaults, cellars,
privies, cess-pools and drains of such
premises, x X X and to cause the
abatement and removal of all nuisances,n
etc.