Telegram-herald., 1890-07-11
A POISONED CITY
The GREAT DEglND OF TEE AGE
The NeKt GreAt tnxenter II la be ; sIan
with Both Hsars aBa Ite4a Senl-
eaent AZ Give Parity TO the
AR Ne GHhale

Since cities were first built on the
face OF the earth, not the least serious
problems OF municipal lie have been
the nearallnag OF evils growing ous
OF the eroWdiag together OF large
masses OF humanity. Ii benefits aecrue
10 men which could come 10 them in 40
other way than ~ heFding them to-
gether, there are evils visited upon men
which would be unknown bat for their
social and industrial activities. II. for
instance, men were removed from the
earth, or were widely scattered over its
tace, the flying dust OF the air, as now
known, would not exist. Nature kicks
up no dust. Dust is essenualiya human
product; and even the ingredient Of the
compound which mother earth fur
nishes, old nature Is constantly en-
deayoring 10 cover over and fix down
and wash away by the heritage OF the
fields, the rooted trees OF the forests
and the laundry of the clouds and
rains.
BY the dwellers in cities. dust IS COM
monty spoken of as a nuisance, but II
is something far worse than this. II ls
the one omnipresent, slcsp!ess enemy
of human life. The dust OF "A city is
literally every filth of that city burden
ing every cubic yard Of It's atmosphere.
Every imagination can recall places not
ut to be exposed 10 eyes poilte, and not
10 be named 10 ears polite. Let MEM
DRY recall or fancy invent the deepest,
vllesI, most nauseaung cess-pool OF
filth known 20 experience. The thought
or falling INTO this would send FAINT
ing nausea. YET the ability 10 forget
that the city man literally swlms ID all
this every moment he breathcs, is what
makes the surrounding dangers ali the
more inyeterate.
Take a rotten egg and mix with II
any other sort OF filth. Dry tins mix
ture under July sun OF IN an oven.
Then trlturate the dcslccated stgH with
pestle and mortar. Then with a pair
of hand bellows blow these fioUry par
ticles into the atmosphere OF your
room. That Il exactly the process that
Is constantly going on within the walls
Of every city. Yet the citizen affects %
marvel that the contagious diseases are
SO stealthy IN their approaches and so
impartial in their victims. The tradi-
tionary "peck of dirt" winch al have
10 eat IN their lifetime Is luscious
meal compared 10 the actual venom
which all the dwellers III cities actually
do eat. There IS not a thing thrown
4 b., ,rt. 10.
enter peoples mouths. Where, n
deed, does the dust come from
if not from of the street,
And what, indeed. is this
substance composed Of, unless Of that
which falls upon the street, Enumer-
ate, now, with sonre care, the droppings
upon street. OF course every one
Will ea,ly recall the grosser and more
palpable substances, which make the
bulk of the daily sweepings. But what
of the deadly poisOns excreted and ex-
perforated by the diseased of all orders
and classes? Not only are the dustlngs
of decayed vegetation and street fall
ings, but the mucous and the spittle
from all sorts Of mouths and throats
aud lungs spitted upon the sidewalks,
dried and raised again into other
mouths than those that spat them. Con-
sumptive lungs, diphtheretic throats,
syDhilitic lips. feycred mouths, all make
their putrid contributions TO poison the
blood of those who breathe the airs OF
towns.
The prophets of modern science arc
daily foretelllng the marvels yet 10
come out of human inventive genius.
These marvels will not NC realized until
a portion, at least, OF the genius of
man is turned 10 considerations higher
than the invention Of machines with
which 10 make men rich. TIE dust
nuisance" is easily abated by human
skill; and is matter only Of dollars
and cents. The dust "nu.,auco' is al
ready well abated by the favored few
who take no thought beyond a brief IN
dividual comfort. IL is better that L
be as il is than not 10 be az all. But.
IN view of the potency OF the dust, evil
as II Is, that IS not TIE best en-
lightenment tha. treats dust rs
merely private concern. The
dust of city should be- attacked as
beasts and serpents in India are At
tackled IN a war OF extermnatlon. The
first step should be 10 enlarge the war
fare against II as a nuisance. In the
progress Of the war, there wll be sure
to come that which comes with al wars,
an education 20 q higher purpose than
that with which the war began. A hu-
name and lofty recognition Of the old
saying never entailod loss upon any
man or body OF men, that "lf one
member suffer All the members suffer
with It." Let the modern world ia it,
greatness say the dust must 80, ard the
genius will not be found wanting 70 in-
vent the process. The first step is for
city's fathers 90 say that, with the
means already az hand, the dust N
sance can and must 60.