The Washington times., 1895-03-06
WHY STREETS ARE DIRTY
Supt. Jobe SAYS the Sweepers Can
not Be Used.
Accumulations of Ice Under Piles of Dust
Picks and shovels Must First
Do Their Work.

For some time the condition OF the princi-
pal business streets of Washington has been
such as to inspire a doubt in the minds of
many as to whether that good old aphorsm
which says that cleanliness and godliness
are near akin has ever been brought TO the
attention of the street cleaning department
OF the District Of. Columbia.
No matter how spoiless garment may
be when its wearer starts forth in tile morn
ing, round of shopping or a promenade
in the business section is sure TO reduce it
to a condition narrowing TO the souls of the
neat and cleanly. Every gust of ind raises
an accompanying cloud of binding filth
and dust, choking and filling the eyes of ali
who may happen to be within reach.
Nor are pedestrians the only ones who suf-
fer inconvenience anddiscomfortf from these
conditions. Merchants and business men
along the principal streets acomplaiTr that
whenever theirdoors or windows are opened
the dust with which the air is filled comes
scurrying in. Sitting into show cases, COW
ering tables and chairs, and rendering ali
efforts TO keep goods free from dirt useless.
Ninth street is particularly n need of at
tentoD from theStrpet cleaning department.
All along its west side. from Pennsylvania
avenue TO New York avenue, the dirt and
filth have been allowed TO ac cunulate, III
some places to the depth OF all inch, New
York avenue is not So free from filth as il
might .easily-beg ana the south. side of F
street, especially from Fifth TO Ninth,
where the snow has been slow in melting.
is in a very bad condition. Indiana and
louisiana avenues are dotted all along
with piles Of ice and d rt, and many OF the
less important streets show evidence OF lack
OF attention on the part Of the authorities.
A Times reporter called at the street
cleaning department on Louisiana avenue
yesterday afternoon and inquired of Asst.
Supt. l. T. Jobe why the public was per-
mtted to worry along through clouds of dust
and the streets to be hidden under layer
Of filth, and Mr.. Jobe replied as follows
whenever the weather or the condition
of the streets VIII permit it. the streets re-
ferred to are swept daily. Since the recent
heavy SHOWS, however. ithas sbeenimpossible
to use the sweepers, the melting snow and
ice and the accumulated debris forming a
solid cake, so hard that it is impossible
to remove ii without the aid of picks and
shovels. Even these are in very much
battered condition after being used for
short time in such work. There is yet q
great deal OF ice on the shady sides of
streets concealed under a covering of
dust and dirt, which has adhered to it, and
it is this which we are removing as fast as
all the men we can press into service can
do the work
Work with pick and shovel, hn--cver,
is necessarily very slow, and it will be q
few days yet before the city can be gone
over entirely in this manner. The business
streets come first, however, and just as fast
as possible they are being put into condi-
ton to be swept. During the month of Feb
ruary the department was only able to put
in parts of three days in sweeping the
streets We have already a list of streets
that are ready for the sTeepers, and just
as fast as the solid dirt is removed the
other streets viii be added to that list. If
we are just given a little time we will soon
have the streets of Washington in as good
order as ever before"