The herald., 1893-01-27
THE SPICY TAMALE IN DANGER.
Its Existence Seriously At
tackled by the health Board.
DR.. L. NJ. Powers Selected as City
Health officer.
A Lively Discussion as to Tam al es--The
Prison Hospital Keeper APP
pointmsLt Goes Over
for a Week.

The new board of health met yesterday
afternoon at 2 O'Clock, in the mayors
office. The portly figure Of DR.. Davis
son was supplanted by the white hair
and military moustsche of DR.. Gilling-
ham. while DR.. Hitchcock sat in the seat
so long occupied by DR.. Hagan. DR..
MacGowan, retiring health officer, sup
planted DR.. Wright. DIR. Kurtz was
the only hold over, in reality. The
mayor presided, of course. After Clerk
Robinson had read the minutes, the
first thing was
MESSAGE FROM THE COUNCIL.
This message inclosed petition from
sundry citizens living on Sixth street,
protesting against tamale factory, car
carried on by one Dillon, as being
nuisance.
DR.. MacGowan said that a compilation
or codification Of all city ordinances had
been made in 1887 by Freeman G. Teed,
then city clerk, and now president of the
council; and that codifcation embodied
all the health ordinances of the city,
under which case like this could be
deemed an infraction of law.
DR.. Kurtz said he thought that if the
board prosecuted tamale makers, it
should also prosecute the vendors of
those comestible conundrums. Every
morning the sidewalks OF our five prin-
cipal thoroughtares were to be found
strew with husks in manner that
Inn hA Inf
the prodigal son had been giving birth
day party. 1t was neither in the inter-
eat of good health nor cleanliness to
have the sidewalks Uttered up in this
manner. This was particularly notice
able on Second street, between Spring
street and the police station, which would
superinduce belief that the average
constabuiary diaphragm yearned for the
| fiesh-pots of Mszatland and Acapulco.
The mayor remarked that the council
had already taken the bull by the horns
in passing an ordinance forbidding
tamale peddlars to begin operations on
the streets before pm.
DIR. MacGowan, with the gallsntry in
herent in his nature, rose to defence of
the cuisine of the dons. He said there
was no use in the council taking the bull
by the horns, SO long as people persisted
in making tamales from beef amputated
| just behind the horns. Again this was
TO certain extent local industry. He
denied that the tamales of Los Angeles,
which had acquired world wide repu
tatlon among epicures like the pork pies
of Melton Mowbray and the cheese of
Gorgobzola, were made from the flesh of
jack rabbits slaughtered at Bakersfield
and Fresno. Here was home industry
that had 30 far received no protection
whatever from the Mckinley tariff; and
so long as good and healthy meet WAS
put into the tamalea, the purchaser
could always be congratulated upon
having warm meal. Again, If you re-
strict this traffic by premature legisla-
tion, you throw poor men out of honest
and useful employment, as some of those
peddlers receive only $1.50 per diem for
their services. Some of these are old
men who would find it very difficult to
earn living if they were driven from
their present field of employment. OF
course there were nuisances without
number in all our large cities, a charge
from which some of our butcher shops
were hardly exempt.
The mayor, after congratulating DR..
MacGowan upon his eloquent defense of
the pioneer cookery, said the council
should not be hasty in trampling down
the old traditions of the argonautic era.
His honor closed very forcible argu-
ment in favor o. cheap and healthy diet
by quoting that beautiful proverb,
"Better is dinner OF herbs, with con-
tentment, than a. stalled mule team with
profanity"
On motion of Dir. Hitchcock, the peti-
i H., e.. l.
next meeting, in order to give time for
investigation of the premises complained
| about.
A petition from R. B. Pulliam. asking
for the appointment of health inspector,
was referred to the incoming health
officer.
THE HEALTH OFFICER.
DR.. MacGowan moved that the board
should proceed to an election for the
position of health officer.
DR.. Kurtz rose to make the first NOM
inatiop. He said the retiring health
officer was on opposite sides of political
sentiment from himself, but he had
made euch an energetic and efficient
officer that, were he candidate for re-
election he should be compelled to vote
for him out of regard for his coolneea
and his indef tigability. Not being
able to get him to serve another term,
be had looked about him, and thought
he had hit upon the next best man in
those qualifications that DR.. MacGowan
had exhibited. He therefore begged
leave to submit the name of DR.. j. H.
Utley.
DR.. Gillingham said he could cheer.
fully endorse all that DR.. Kurtz had
said about Dr. Utley. He was gentle
man of excellont qualifications, but he
thought the office dema lded younger
and more active man. f. therefore de.
sired to nominate DR.. L. Ia. Powers.
DIR. Hitchcock referred to the probable
chances of visit from the Asiatic
cholera, and said that next summer
would be one that might demand more
vigilance and less repose in health
officer than in any previous year of the
city's existence. With this end in view
he would place in nomination DR.. Col
| burn.
The mayor said he had hoped that
only one name would be submitted, but
as candidates seemed to be abundant, he
called DR.. MacGowan to the chair while
/ L A,or nd