Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1893-05-13
DOING AWAY WITH SMOKE.
A Movement Fayoring Clear Air-The
Mississippi River Floods.

Movement Fayoring Clear Air-The
Mississippi River Floods.
ST. LOUIS, Mo-, May 8.-The Citizens
Smoke Abatement association has just held
its annual meeting, and reports great prog
ress during the year. There are 30 many
large factories in ST. Louis that 1t seems al.
most impossible to entirely do away with
the smoke, but the association has succeeded
in obtaining municipal legislation in the
right direction, and expects to materially re-
duce the loss merchants and others COM
plain of every year in the way of damage
from smoke. There is no desire on the part
of the citizens to interfere with the manu-
featuring interests or to hamper manufac-
lures, but it is believed the desired reform
can be effected without interfering with
these interests at all.
The state of the Mississippi river is natu-
rally causing great deal of alarm in this
section of the country and as usual, state
ments are appearing in print enlarging on
the danger to property interests and even to
life. These dispatches emanate largely from
st. Louis, but it should be understood that
30 far as this city is concerned it is but very
slightly affected by floods, no matter how
high the water may rise. With the excep-
tion of the levee the city is so much higher
than the river that nine-tenths of the people
do not know the existence of a flood unless
they are attracted to the river by reports of
the grandeur of the terrible sight. On the
Illinois shore there is much greater danger,
as the land lies low and is protected mainly
by the railroad tracks, which form very sub
stantial levees. The only sufferers on the
Missouri side are the small store and lodg-
ing house keepers on the river front and
few squatters.
The rainfall in st. Louis in April was ex-
ceptionally large, but this interfered very
slightly with building operations. In fact
the records of the commissioners office show
greater activity during the month than in
other years when the weather has been fine
and favorable throughout. An immense
sum of money is about to be spent in street
improvements, and the worlds fair year has
every indication OF being exceptionally pros
porous and active. The demand for labor
is quite large and in some cases where men
have been advertised for by contractors
working on street railroads the response has
been insufficient for the purpose desired.
There are two concerns in st. Louis that
make money by furnishing towels and soap
to business Offices, the agents making one
trip day to their customers to put the toilet
rooms In order. woman here has just
gone into business which may have been
suggested by this. She has a main Office on
a quiet street in the western part of the city,
and she and her three daughters work there
all day darning socks. They do nothing
else and are kept busy. They don't work
for starvation wages. either. All their pat
ronage comes from Office men who have no
female relatives to do their mending for
them. They have advertisements in all the
papers. and when invited by postal 90 to
tho Office and get the bundle, returning it
themselves and collecting the pay. Their
charges depend upon the condition of the
and they say they make over SIS
week apiece, plying their needles not more
than six or seven hours a day.