The Emporia weekly news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1881-1889, 1885-05-07
CLEANLINESS OF CITIES.

CLEANLINESS OF CITIES.
If cleanliness is the next thing to
Goodness" We are Inclined 70 believe
that great many Kansas towns fall far
short of the latter happy condition. This
certainly is the case if We judge from Q
large number of our exchanges. Kansas
Is not state OF great cities but an agrl-
cultural and stock raising country. Yet
within the commonwealth are 9 number
Of industrious, growing towns that are
inviting capital to come and build up
manufacturing and other bus
mess industries. How many cities
are there in the state that If q capitalist
should come to survey the town would
bear q close Inspection 10 the back alleys
and side streets. Cities, like people,
are becoming deceItful. The business
thoroughfares and the principal resi-
dence streets are generally kept clean,
neat and attractive. They are the show
windows of the town and visitors are
expected to walk where 1.-THE sidewalks
are and nowhere else. But It
Is not proper to judge
g cities cleanliness by ew streets, and
the lawns of the wealthiest ci1 zens.
Look through the alleys Occasio nally
and go up the back streets until you
learn the actual condition of the place
you live in. There is scarcely a city,
town or village IN the state that does not
think it Is or is destined to be the clean
lest, and most beautiful place IN the
state. How few OF the citizens of such q
place have ever been up the alleys
or down the back streets. II
might be an excellent thing If
the councils OF some Of our cities would
pass law that when people were out
driving they should at least pass up and
down certain neglected streets, and when
out walking pass through certain odor-
GUS alleys. This, we are confident, would
not be pleasant to pleasure riders or de-
lightful to the contemplative stroller
but it would result in q knowledge OF
the disgraceful condition of some parts
of our cities and their final cleaning
There are few places even
in our own city that are
not inviting. Such a law of course
will never be made; it is impossible,
but Its suggestion may call attention tc
the miserable condition of some OF the
streets and alleys of our own and other
cities.
Aristotle says that cleanliness Is hall
virtue, and the statement seems plausi.
BILE. Our thoughts are subject to some
extent to the objects and the condition Of
the objects that surround us. The tow,
ering mountain, the irresistible and
drying locomotive, the sun sinking be-
hind the western landscape or lowering
beyond the towers and rooftops
of city, all suggests pure
and elevatInG thought. But mind fed
by the neglect of q careless city where
it is brought In contact with filthy al.
leys. dirty streets and slovenly parks can.
not 50 easily think pure thoughts. But
more clearly than the effect On thought
is the sffect upon the air we breathe and
hence upon the health of the city. An
alley in which decomposition is taking
place is quite manufacturing establish.
ment, makes malaria and delivers it to
you any place in the city and you may
settle the bill with the doc
tors. The air will be pois
oned If the city is not renovated
and the citizens must either breathe the
poison or hold their breath and the re
suit in either case will be the same, ex
cept slight difference in time. Let thI
houses be cleaned, furniture rearranged
flowers be planted. alleys and street
swept of their filth and dirt, decompos
ing matter taken without the city, and
general city spring cleaning take place
and the result will be that happines
will prevail, capital will come and in
stead of the citizens drenching them.
selves with blood purifiers, torturinI
their stomsches with pills and nauseat
ing medicines, they will enjoy heaven
most gracious gift-good health.
If attention In these matters are needle,
in Emporis, and certainly no harm coul'
come from an Investigation, let the pee
pie act with the wisdom that become
the citizens of beautiful and CROWN
city and protect the health and homo
that EmporIs always has and eyer viii
MAINTAIN.