The Newtown bee., 1895-08-23
The NeWtoWn Bee
 FRIDAY. AUG. 2S, 1895.
 CIRCULATION: .,o LAST WEEK 3100
Affairs About Town.
FOR THE PUBLIC HEALTH.
POLLUTION OF THE PoHTATUCK.

To the Editor of THE BEE, Dear Sir: feel as If it were my" duty to offer you this short communication for publica- tion. Have the people of the beautiful village of Sandy Hook ever stopped to consider what partially constitutes the picturesque, yet disease spreading Poh- tatuck, winch glides so quietly and silently on, daily carrying by and to their very doors the offal, smelling and death. laden germs, which have been in the past and may be in the future the harbingers of intestinal, malarial, or per haps, even worse, contagious diseases to those worn out by the burdens of the world, the cares of maternity, or the in- roads of their not too well spent lives?
 Fortunately, Sandy Hook has been free from epidemics, yet none but the Omnipotent One knows what the grim future may some day have in store. If the we'll thinking people of this scenic village trace in their minds eye, or seek by practical investigation, the stream, known as the Pohtatuck, what will they find throughout it's entire course? They will observe the offai sewerage of nearly score of waterclosets and half as many stables, besides the dregs of hundreds of pounds of decaying garbage or other vegetable matter emptying into this ap- parently harmless stream, day after day, month after month, year after year; and during the hot weather of June, July and August, owing to the vast consump- tion of the supply for manufacturing purposes they will discover the water falling by day and rising bynight. What is the result? From considerable DOT ! tion of the bed of this stream, saturated as it is by the ill-smelling refuse and subjected to the incubating effects of the hot rays of the noon-day sun, they will find themselves by evening breathing the multitude of germs of malarial, in- testinal and kindred disorders, with no possibility of escape except through the intervention of their genial health officer, who, from lack of sufficient time, has, perchance, been unable to investigate as I have done during my residence, mat ter which concerns the welfare of large number of our most respected citizens. do not care to cast any reflection on the activity of our efficient health official ,fol the subject of this article may not have entered into his mind. But in justice feel it my imperative duty to call his at tentiod, not only to the existing condition of affairs in the Pohtatuck but also to small pond, better termed cess-pool which more fortunately is not so central ly located, namely that disease-spreadin, mudhole situated on the road to Berk shire and better known as the slaughte house pond. Why it is allowed to exia no one pretends to know. Would it no be better to fill it in, as it seems to hay no particular object except to add to tn number of disease germs in our immedi ate vicinity?
 The closets which empty into tn stream elsewhere referred to could be sit beneath them 80 that their refuse coul be conveyed away in it's entirety. Tn drainage from stables could be turnet into other channels and received int suitable vaults, from which the content could be utilized for fertilization in tn spring of the year. The garbage coul be put in proper recepticles and remove once or twice a week during the hot sum mer months to place designated by tn health official and there inferred. Thu at very small outlay would the danger r arising from the present condition of ai fairs, if not entirely obliterated, be a summer of '96.
 And one more word to the citizens i general: In constructing water close or pig pen or in sinking well, alway' see that the two former are situated a least 40 to 50 feet from the latter and als at lower elevation. With this simpl precaution you will be less liable to fin, your supply of drinking water contami mated and yourselves and your familie less liable to contract the numerous i'll depending on an impure water supply.
 As this subject Is a matter which tn, lay citizen would hardly stop to conside it is to the trained eye of the medical ma topic which is of paramount importance to the health of community and on that we'll deserves the consideration which has been allotted to it. Very re spectfully, James W. Gordon, A. B M. D., Sandy Hook, August 21.