Morning journal and courier., 1892-02-08
COMMUNICATIONS.

The old Sanitariaa Rejoices over the
 Increasetn the Number of Scientists
 Paid by the City and Laments that
 He is not One of Them.
 To the Editor of the JOURNAL AND COURIER:
 In order to prevent myself from becom- ing utterly exho usted by my severe sani- tary studies, it is necessary for me to oc- casionally take 8 walk in the streets for recreation and exercise. While on one of these sanitary excursions, I recently saw an exhilsrating sight. A sleek horse, with a scientific movement of his ears, attached to a business wagon was slowly but gaily trotting along the street. In the wagon sat a scientific plumbing inspector and scien- tic sanitary inspector. One of these scien- lists was smoking and great wreaths of smoke curled gracefully around their scien- tifc heads. Both of them looked sleek and happy and had the peculiar serene expres- sion only seen on the faces of men who are conscious that they have both done their duty to the cause of science and had an- other days pay recorded to their credit.
 The good spirit which has so often com forted me when dark clouds hovered over the cause of sanitation whispered in my ear: ''Here is tangible evidence of the victori- ous progress of sanitary science. A short time ago the taxpayers would have refused to pay these additions to our board of health, even if the poor fellows trudged along on foot. Now the city not only pays them handsomely, but in addition furnish es them horse and vehicle to ride around withr'
 observed that the springs of the wagon which had the honor of bearing sanitari- ans, were borne down as if by heavy weight. The ordinary man would neither have noticed this interesting phenomenon nor been able to account for it after his at tention had been directed thereto. l would not now reveal the scientific secret of this fact had I not casually done so a few days ago in grocery store. The gro cer weighed me, and after seeing the rec ! ord of 240 pounds remarked: "You are 8 | solid one for certain; l did not imagine | you weighed over 160 pounds" I replied | that sanitary knowledge was heavy and | that my whole frame was saturated with it.
 But there is 8 gloomy reverse side to the pleasant picture of brace of sanitarians l drawn by sleek horse riding gaily around the city and being cheerfully paid by an appreciative public, grateful for soien- tific warfare upon the bacteria. And that l is the sad truth that I, one of the reser- voirs for storage of oanitary lore, have neither an office nor salary.
 | When I think of the cruel ingratitude and indifference of the people and my own
 pressing need of check on the city treas ury every month, it makes me almost wild | with grief. But even these dire sfiiictions | do not make me waver in loyalty | to sanitary science. In fact, still can l not help secretly cherishing the thought | that an office and O salary will yet be pro-
 vided for me. This undying hope makes me all the more eager to resist any attempt
 that lessens either the power or the nunfs
 Der of shekels of silver now justly pos
 sessed by our board of health.
 have been told that the real estate
 owners of the city are learning that they can no longer impose on the public as they
 formerly did because the cost of build ing and maintaining houses has been
 largely increased by the benefcent plumb ing ordinance lately passed. This extra
 cost makes them unhappy. As the utter
 selfishness of real estate owners has here
 tofore been so fully shown by our scientif-
 ic health authorities it is useless for me to
 dwell upon that unpleasant fact. I am
 told that the real estate owners are medi-
 tating on the best way to secure the re-
 peal of the plumbing ordinance which
 prevents SO much sickness and death.
 Moreover, have been told that the under
 takers are going to unite with the real es-
 tate owners in the unholy work of repeal
 ing the anti-bactiris law.
 Some of my friends have suggested that
 the undertaken story was told to make
 game of me and my noble calling. But
 how any one who knows that life is short
 can joke about SO solemn . thing as the
 microbes is past my understanding. Like
 all other scientists my soul is spotless and
 my mind free fromsvil thoughts. Iaccuse
 no one. I suspect no one.
 But there Is one thing about the under.
 takers that, to my sanitary mind, has 2 very, very suspicious look. That is the melancholy fact that they have not, as they
 should have done, appeared in a body before our legislators and implored-yea , demanded, that more money be appropri , ated for sanitary purposes, and that an