The Sunday herald and weekly national intelligencer., 1890-05-18

chaises avail to keep children from playing in
the street. They have taken absolute possession
Of all the less frequented thoroughfares, and
play away at their games peacefully and calmly
without paying the slightest attention to the
public who are compelled to use the streets.
If the uncomfortableness of giving over the
public highways to children for Fairgrounds is
not considered, the danger to life and limb
should make those in authority careful about
enforcing the laws 1t is not the most agree
able thing in the world to have hard base
ball, thrown with considerable force by an in
experienced small boy, make dent in your
hat or fall only foot or two away from YOU
Neither is it amusing to have a ball thrown
under your horse, making him shy, or to have
him hit on the legs by young fiend, who laughs
and runs away when he sees the mischief he
has done. And ones heart comes up In his
mouth when he narrowly escapes crushing
under his carriage wheels poor, ragged little
fellow who is running to his base in the middle
Of the street. AS a nation we are proud of
children. We allow them all kinds of liber-
ties, pet and humor them, and spoil them with
kindness. But it is not kindness to let them
endanger their lives as they do by playing in
the street. Let something be done out Of con-
sderation for them to keep them from under
carriage wheels and horses feet. Children are
easily managed, and If q few of the ring
leaders were given a scare by the policemen,
who are supposed to be responsible for order
on the public highways, reform will shortly
take place.
Now is the time when landlords should send
around to their rented houses and have the
tinkerng done so necessary at this time of
year. The water faucets should be seen to,
that none of them leak; the tubs should be ex
amined, the pipes, etc., etc. But it seems that,
as a rule-I would not, of course, include those
not guilty-it is the per cent. on his investment
and not the comfort, well-being, and health of
nanf hat Lord
course he is right to see that his investments
pay WELL but a landlord should be compelled
to keep his property in perfect condition, even
If the outlay necessitates charging higher
rent
II h r
In most Western cities there is law com
pelling those who have contagious diseases in
their families to placard the house announcing
the fact. l do not know if there is such law
in the District but surely there should be, or
any one Ill with malignant disease should be
under the control of the Health Department, as
in some foreign cities the house in which they
live should be quarantined and the health Of
ficers should see to the disinfection, etc. With
best intentions it is not possible for private in
dividuals to protect Others from contagion, and
many do not understand or appreciate the dan
ger. | have known instances where children,
whose little brothers and sisters were i'll with
some malignant disease, have been allowed to
play with other children, which is no less a
crime because it lacks intention. In the spring
there is always more or less scarlet fever in
Washington, and parents cannot be too care
full, not only in the treatment of their little pa
tients, but in taking precautions against the
spreading of the disease. If perfect care is
taken, the patient isolated, and disinfectants
inteligently used, there is little danger of con-
tagon The doors of the apartment used for
the patient should be hung with linen curtains,
which should be sprayed with carbolie solution,
every woolen and upholstered thing should be
bolc solution should be set about, everything
used by the patient should be dipped in dis
| infectant before being sent away, and absolute