The western sentinel. [volume] (Winston-Salem, N.C.) 1887-1926, 1888-07-19
PUBLIC FILTH 4 PUBLIC Dis
Ora 'E.

100000 for internal improvements.
She built sidewalks, provided water
works and otherwise made herself at
tractive. These Improvements, cou
pied with her natural attractions,
brought visitors. Visitors became
settlers, and the town now numbers
5000. She is now preparing to keep
clean and healthy, thereby keeping all
of her present population from dying
possible and inducing other settlers.
She is going to spend 100000 on
sewerage.
Winston has never voted anything
for internal improvements, but is
beautiful town. She has more hand
some residences than any town in
North Carolina. We know what we
are talking about. This is not our
unsupported opinion, but is shared by
many visitors to our Fourth of July
celebration who expressed their opin
ions to us.
Winston is over 1000 feet above
the sea and ought to be healthy. 1t
is healthy now with its nine or ten
thousand inhabitants, but it is grow
ing. Two new railroads are building,
new industries are attracting new set
tiers and it will soon be city. VIII
it be healthy then No, not without
| sewerage.
Its nresent death rate is too large.
1t is, but it should not be over ~ i'll
thousand during year. People
die here every year as they do in
Raleigh, Durham, Wilmington and
every other North Carolina town who
ought not TO die. " e have healthy
climate, but it will not overcome the
deadly effects of decaying vegetable
matter and standing cess-pools. 1t is
a horrible thing to think that many
valuable lives might have been spared
to their families and to these towns by
spending little money which was not
spent-it's sad thought to think
that we have allowed useful men to
die because we are too stingy to spend
a few dollars for the prevention of dis
ease
Now let's wake up to the impor-
lance of city cleanliness and health.
Let's preserve every life possible. HUI
man life is more valuable than dol
lars. Let us understand that and
show our understanding by putting in
sewerage system. We have the
money to do it and we have man to
do it-enough taxable property to
make the taxes nominal and Prof. j.
l.. Ludlow, citizen and a sanitary
expert who can do the work admira.
bly,.
Last year the city commissioners
had the right to vote an appropriation
for sewerage, but they thought the
people ready for it and preferred to
leave the question to a popular vote.
They were mistaken The better
class of people who love their lives
and understood the danger voted for
it but hundreds of negroes staid away
| from the polls, uninterested in the re-
| suit The election vas lost. 1t went
by default. The property holders,
| upon whom the tax would fall, were
almost unanimously forit. The non
| property holders didn't care and their
indifference lost Winston her sewer
| age.
| This being true, no one can object to
another attempt to carry the question.
AS it is the right of the Commissions
ers to vote sewerage to the towns,
| without submitting it. to popular
vote, the SENTINEL wants to see them
| do it. So does every other good citi-
| zen who properly understands the
matter. The commissioners have the
right, let them exercise il. Sewerage
is necessary to Winston's continued
health, yea to prevent terrible cpl
denic, and the Commissioners should
not hesitate Give US health.