The morning call., 1892-09-07
A SWEET LOCALITY.
The stinks and Filth of the Latin
Quarter.


Quarter.
The Mayor, Drs. Regeu sburger and W.
II. Mays OF the Board OF Health, DR..
Keeney. medical Health Officer, and Health
Inspector Jones started from the New City
Hall about 10:3O yesterday morning to in
spect the Latin quarter of the city.
They were driven TO Pinckney alley, off
Broadway.
New" said DR.. Keeney, I'VE are in the
hotbed of diphtheria."
The first thing attention was called to was
the Wet. Shiny fungus OH the walls of the
County Jail. This should be looked into,
remarked the Mayor, "and a stop put 10
such a vile nuisance"
One OF the tenement houses across the
street was inspected. There was nothing
attractive in the reception rooms, as some
are facetoGsly termed.
The kitchen in the rear was ia q filthy
condition. The walls were glistening with
dirty grease. and few yards behind were
several closets having all the feyer-bfeeding
elements that could be desired.
The tamale factory, at Nc. II, was an
eye-Opener.
Men and women were hard at work, the
former sitting around tubs husking corn
While the women were yaTiously engaged.
Some were baking tOrtiilas and others
grinding the corn on smooth stones for the
tamales
There was scarcely space left to move
around and the a atmosphere was suffocating.
In a small room scarcely large enough TO
hold an ordinary bedsiead there were four
hunks, and there were several others of the
same kind.
Tie Mayor boldly made his way to the
rear, and a little squat Mexican woman
fiercely resented the intrusion.
You are no gentleman. sir" she said.
4 t-n1 n n "a ian y ilyo
this? ?" She continued to pitch into the
Mayor until he was glad TO beat n retreat
It's something awful back there, ;" said
his Honor. as he forced the foul air from his
lungs.
"When you see one you see them all. They
are huddled together like sheep"
Hinckley alley, running between Dupont
and Kearny, was next inspected A restau-
rant near the corner of Pinckuey alley was
found 10 be in very clean condition.
When the tenement house No. II was
visited, a change came Ger the spirit of the
scene.
At the rear the stencil was terrible.
Millions OF flies were buzZiDg about and
piles Of all sorts of refuse were here, there
and everywhere.
Children were playing among the Itb.
while the mothers were grinding the corn.
Among the latter was an old woman with
her arms covered with the marks Of q foul
disease.
mo more tamales for me-" was the gen.
eral cry.
The whole Of this locality should be
burned down." was the indignant remark
DO you want to see some more?" asked
DIR. Keeney.
Go ahead" replied the Mayor with an
air Of martyr.
No. l6 was found to be as bad. il not
mo- fNan M loao fla cta nol,i ir
the rear was more penetrating.
An old man pointed to large box with a
lid covering the top and a chute running up
to the top OF the house. On opening the Id
the cause OF the unusual stencil was dis
covered. The box was almost full Of decay
ing vegetable matter and other refuse
dumped from the fats above into the box
through the chute. 1t was q general re-
ceptacle for all the filth of the tenement.
No remarks were made, all being too full
for utterance. The stencil was overpowering.
No. q was on par with the others.
Hinckey alley was unanimously voted
one Of the filthiest spots in that filthy por-
ton Of the city.
The party had seen enough to convince
them of the truth of DR.. Keeney's statement
that the Latin quarter could discount China
town in every particular.
A livery stable on Broadway near Bar
tol place was in most uusanitary condition.
The closets were in filthy state, and on
lifting mp one of the boards of the floor the
Mayor was staggered at what no saw.
Bartol place was not so bad, but Bartol
street made np in filth for anything III the
way of cleanliness in its smaller neigbhOr
The Neptune House. 800 Broadway, was
looking very clean, and the Mayor was
complmenting the colored man in charge
when DR.. Mays opened a window in the
rear.
Come and have a look at this, Mr..
Mayor" said the doctor.
The Mayor looked and what he saw drove
all thought of compliments out of his head.
Dumped in the back yard were tons Of
rubbish-r0tten clothing. old boots, putrid
vegetables and every conceivable kind of
refuse.
A policeman, who was standing on the
sidewalk when the party emerged from the
boarding house, smiled as he said:
They have all been cleaning up expect
ing this visit. Pinckney alley and Hinck-
ley alley have been al 1t since Saturday"
II that Is so, what must the condition of
these tenement houses have been before
they were cleaned up, when they were in
such filthy condition after two or three
days cleaning?
LET US 20 over there" remarked the
Mayor. pointing to the King Morse canning
factory.
About 300 women-ltalans, SpanIards.
Greeks and Portuguese-are employed In
the factory besides a number OF men.
The superintendent stated that the closets
were cleaned out every night with boiling