The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1893-07-18
BOARDS OF HEALTH.
A "Reminiscences of the Smells a
Quarter of a Century Ago
in Sedalia.
How the People of SedaIia Held
Their Noses and Let 60
Their Temper.


been publishing, time from time, ''re-
miniscences" of times and people con-
nected with the early history of Sc
dalia, | thought that a few lines re-
garding the sanitary evolution,
through which he have passed in the
last twenty-five years, might be inter-
esting Sunday reading, and, at the
same time, in some measure, relieve
the present sanitary officers from the
blame and ill-feeling that rests upon
the board of health, who may be
striving to conscientiously discharge
their duty. 1t is a fact, however, I'M
reasonable as it may appear, that
boards Of health and sanitary officers
receive censure, and often the ill-feel-
ing of their neighbors, for doing the
very things that all reasonable persons
admit ought to be done, in the inter-
est of public health. 1t may be
natural for people to complain.
DON'T LIKE 1T.
The child objects to having its face
or feet washed and its elder congener
Aiesi into rage if required to clean his
backyard. or abate a public nuisance.
In 1863 our city was new, but
the vast amount of filth was getting
to be old and evidently needing burial.
The accumulated offal of great army
of men and horses, the sequence Of
the military encampment at this place
rendered it absolutely necessary to
take some steps toward cleaning up
the town or suffer the consequences.
The carcasses of government mules
and horses were bleaching on the
plain, and many other more offensive
objects furnished the indus for dis
ease. In order to abate this offensive
accumulation "of the ages it was
necessary for the city council to pass
such laws as would encompass this
evil, and to appoint board of
health.
BAD SMELLS IN sEDALIA.
As soon as the machinery was in
order, the cleaning up began. Then,
as now, all good citizens were in favor
of thorough cleaning up. and, then,
as now, a great deal Of complaint was
made that caused i'll feeling toward
the board of health, and, not infre-
quently, between neighbors. To give
some idea of the condition of things.
we must remember that Sedalia, at
this time. could only claim populu-
lation of about one thousand or fifteen
hundred inhabitants. During the
spring and summer months, about
thirteen hundred wagon loads of de-
caying animal and vegetable matter
was carted out of the city limits. to
say nothing Of other palpable death
dealing microbes that were otherwise
abatcd. Near where the market
house now stanls. was a large body of
stagnant and bad-smelling water,
which maintained a small army Of
YOUNG AMERICA on RATS
and floating bodies-a miniature
navy, keeping the filthy water con-
stantly stirred and the whole town
inhaling the noxious gases. BY the
side and in front of the old BAzOO
building flowed liquid mass of sew
age, which. ON account of its pearly
appearance. was made immortal by
the editor of "he only daily paper" by
giving it the name of Pearl river.
The ashes. and other things too often
sive to remain in the house or under
the bed. were dumped in the cutters
of the street.
In giving the people a chance to
know, to what extent the board OF
health was expected to correct all this
unsovorv cfoto of tbiuua oud that