The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1891-09-30
WITH A HEALTH DOCTOR
EARLY MoBMNG SCENES ~ TENE-
MsNT HOUSE DISTRICTS

II Is a hot August day, s o'clock in the
morning. The air even at this early hour
is sitting. Are YOU surprised to ind
life astir here Remember you are IN
the midst of the poor people, who begin
their DAYS labor at O'Clock. Entering
our district, nothing escapes our eyes.
See this stand on the corner piled up
with fruit. beautiful to behold. suggest
ing a garden in the tropics. But what
Is that odors And this wee newsboy-
what does he want to buys
Curiosity to see what the child is go
ing 70 buy. also our duty impelling Us
TO discover the cause Of the odor, hold
Us a moment. We see that he buys two
peaches for a cent. and then for the hrst
time notice that the luscious heaps CON
sist Of piles Of decaying fruit thrown
promiscuously together-r0tten pears,
bananas and peaches; this rotten fruit
selling at two and three for a cent. We
mildly accost the owner and tel him
such fruit is not wholesome; it ought 20
be thrown away.
He doesn't care" about the unwhole-
someuess Of the stuff. We then show
QUIZ N4tA~t AAaA AA.laAE nm AaAANfA AN
We pass on thinking that we have saved
the lives Of many children, an ounce Of
prevention being better than a pound Of
cure.
Pushing our way we proceed. It is
really pushing our way, for the street Is
hned with mothers, each holding 2 baby
in her arms. with another dragging o.
TO her skirts. Some are sitting ON the
stoOps. some in the areas and others on
the curbst0nes, in fact they are allover
Suddenly we hear pihful wall from
little baby. We know what that means
lit means that the baby is thirsty. The
mother also thinks she knows. She
gives it the breast. The poor baby, after
clutchiag it eagerly and taking many
swallows, releases il and again cries that
same pitiful. forlorn wall
BLESSED WATER.
Can any one be ignorant that nothing
can quench thirst but water? Milk is ,
poor substitute. Here is a chance 10
give a private lecture, and presently we
are telling the mother that the baby
needs water 70 quench its thirst: the hot
weather makes IL sweat good deal; it
loses a great deal Of water and so needs
a great deal. n passing ice wagon fur
nishes a scrap Of ice. II does one good
TO see how eagerly baby sucks it. This
mother lives In a house where there are
fifteen other mothers, and asking her TO
tell the others. we walk away feeling
sure before night all these babies viii be
| drinking water. We have told her to
boil the water, put it on ice and then
give it to the baby 10 drink.
Looking up and dowl the street we
see that it is very dirty. Going over To
investigate a pile Of dirt, we see on its
uphill side a pool Of staguant water
which is almost green. Given a hot
August day, a peck Of garbage and the
universal dust, and we have a germ
breeding center. The people inhale this
air all day and all night.
Looking around we see the houses that
need US mOst-dirty, filthy houses. No
wonder the people camp out in the streets
all day-yes. and all night We see a
group OF mothers and children standing
at hall door. They make room for us
TO pass. We stop 70 speak to them.
Noticing a weary. white faced girl Of
about twenty years, and seeing a child
clinging TO her dress, we ask her aoOet
the baby, then about herself She tells
4hat the baby Is a year and 81 half old.
still nursing. ASKING uer AZ she dura nos
know that babies should be weaned at
nine months, the answer we receive IS,
yes, that she knows. but it does not hurt
it and it saves the cost Of buying milk
for the baby, for they are very poor.
DEATH II THE CELLAR
Out in theyard we notice a child about
three years old, with an Old mans face
this face being characteristic Of rick
stts, that disease now becoming so com
mon among poor people. This little one
is busy eating an apple skewered on
stick. and eating it as il it were its en-
tire breakfast; not dessert or any relish.
but its whole meal. In contrast to this
one and other dirty children. three clean
children attracted attention, and what a
contrast
Our twenty minutes Is almost up, but
we can hardly tear ourselves away from
this gypsyike encampment. a last look
at them forces q smile, rs We see a Ger
man hOUsefrau with her basket Of lunch,
blanket and knitting. She has evidently
come from an upper story 70 spend the
day on the sidewalk. In the hall we
meet a pleasant faced, motherly woman;
she is evidently the janitress. We ask
/ her about the number Of families in the
/ house. children, plumbing. sickness, etc.
/ We notice distinct od0r in the hall.
i Well try the cellar. She lights as down
there, and answers glibly all our ques-
tions. We are really ashamed to have
suspected anything wrong in the cellar.
but the odOr is a danger signal, which
| saws, Take heed: danger.'
We look around the cellar; all clean
and dry. We are just going to leave
| when we see a relieved look in her face
and suspecting at once something wrong,
| begin 10 pry about from end to end
1 Knocking on one end Of the wall we find
it not solid. but boarded Up. We pull
4 one Of the boards out and discover the
4 the Gause Of the odor. There lies an IN
derground lake. fed not by springs, but
! by an old leak IN the sewer. This, at
| east. the authorities can deal with. We
| report the case az Once.-New York
Il Herald