The San Francisco call., 1897-08-22
SAN Francisco. Aug. 10, 1Sf


ing startling communication at one OF the
coming meetings of the board:
SAN Francisco. Aug. 10, 1897.
To the Honorable the Board Of Hedith-GENTLE-
MEN: AS a result OF my investigations lnto
the abuses of the laws OF sanitation by the
proprietors ana inmates of the Chinese Iaur-
dries | have found IL necessary 10 lnaug urate
new departure and to take upon myself the
responsibility, in the interests OF good health.
as outlined by your honorable board, TO thor
oughly investigate he condition OF the many
Chinese cigar factories in the heart OF our
City.
While was tolerably acquainted with their
condition prior TO my inspection | Dut IlttIe
realized what source of contaglon-absoIute
defiance OF health and sanitauon-would un-
foid Itself as my researches proceeded. | can
hardly believe that in a city such as san Fran
cisco considers herself to be, in common
wealth composed of the most intelligent c1t1-
zens TO be fouad in any American immunity,
that such mass of living disease, zealously
cultured and propagated can exist in our
midst When one considers the great lumber
of consumptive and syphilitic hell engaged IN
the manufacture of so-called Cuban and Key
West cigars, and then actually sees these peo-
pie, in the last stages of their disease, blung
off the stems OF cigars to improve their ap-
pearance, one stops again to wonder under
what kind of a social system we are living
snd TO what mercy some OF our smoking pop ~
la ation owe their salvation from two OF the
most dreaded diseases known to mankind.
l can assure you that it is no pleasant task
low, to your attention. but the lives of our IN
habitants and that of their posterity is men,
&C ID by one OF the greatest evils that any city
has had TO contend with.
Assisted by Inspector William NJ. Tobln.
visited many OF the principal cigar factories
in Chinatown ana on the outskirts thereof at
various hours OF the day in order to thor
oughly fsmiliarize myself with the systems IN
vogue and the habits OF the help. AS stated
previously, found here consumptives side by
side with syphn1tic workmen engaged in all
ha Dr1lo
ton OF the cigar. Nor is this ali. LaborerS
exhibiting symptoms of cancer and skin
diseases handle finished cigars in a manner
horrible to behold. Even first curSory
animation convinced me that here was to be
found a monster equally dangerous as i'm
pure food ana more hideoEs in Its nakedness
than the Chinese laundry.
Imagine, gentlemen, that filthy, dangerous
and disgusting habit OF spraying clothes by
means OF water emitted from the mouth used
with deadly effect by these diseased persons
upon leaf tobacco. The water bore eyide nces by
the thick deposit in the bottom of each bowl,
of enjoying 1ong-continued use, wuile the
bowls themselves seemed TO deny any contact
with ordinary cleansing appliances.
Chinese with rare abandon bit of the ends
of cigars and rolled the end to be smoked in
u cir mouths to improve their appearance
when com pleted to facilitate and aid the
cigar presses IN their future work. The stumps
bitten of were deposited upon the floors until
an accumulation neCessltated the sweeping of
same into large sacks, which, was frankly in
formed were afterward sold in Chinatown to
be used in the manufacture OF cheap cigars.
Just consider how many thousands of bacilli
adhere to these stumps when bitten off and
how many more were swept into the filthy
sacks Future smokers at each indrawn
breath inhale sufficient number of tuberce
bacilh to cause rapid spread OF consumption
or to deposit IN the system the germs OF Syph-
ills, cancer and other diseases. Foul-Sm cling
paste mixed with filth was generously used by
skilled but dirty fingers to mold cigar-ends to-
gether with good appearance or to enfold the
previously
with water and saliva. This paste, composed
of many ingredients probably but vag ueIy
known to the makers themselves, is enjoyed
with equal delicacy by the rich and the poor
The smoker of the tly Havana or the cheap
nameless cigar, millionaire and laborer, q bsorb
it nocently, TO feel its effect in the course of
time and 10 be affi cted with diseases, the
cause OF which Is puzzling alike both TO the
pa tient Snd physician.
One OF the most dangerous practices noticed
was the common use of dirty clothes and un-
clean receptacles for holding leaf ana filler
tobacco prior to its use in cigar form. The
filthy bags used were SO stained by the raw
that it was an impossiblIity to determine
with any exactness what was the original
color of the goods composing them. II is
hardly necessary for me TO say what effect a
combin alton of filth and its attendant bac-
terra Will ultimately have upon a human
being
Old barrels were used with good effect to
soak dirty tobacco stems and other tobacco
refuse in order to change the color of the
water to dark hue and TO impregnate it with
deadly nicotine. When this water has at
tained the desired hue and strength light
co!ored-leaf tobacco is indiscriminately de-
posted therein TO color ii the rich deep brown
so nucn souyht after by the deuded cigar en-
thuSiast After this process the tobacco is
laid upon foul-smeilng floors 10 dry, which
floors, let il be understood, bear evidences of
constant expectoration by the Chinese help
and is otherwise in unfit condition for
even human being to be upon. In a number
OF cases have seen tobacco leaves lying upon
the sea S Eof lavRtories and upon the side
walks TO dry.
monty used for other and more disgusting pur-
poses, the only IDEA being, 1t seems to me, is to
produce the greatest mum ber OF cigars COM
patible with the slightest Inconvenience and
regard for health.
In many cigar factories the laborers sleep
and eat in the same rooms in which the cigars
are manufactured, payia e not the slightest re-
gaTd-to the ordinance passed By the City au-
thorIues and made compulsory upon The pro-
prietors and help of white companies The
pure air and health regulations enforced
without Partially in the business blocks the
alers and private residences in this City, are
in these factories totally and willfully ignored.
Returning TO the making OF cigars | desire
TO say that limitations of the best imported
and domestic cigars are manufactured in Chi
1atown in these filthy fac tories. They possess
the familiar band rolled around the center of
the cigar which certifies to their genuineness, !,
while their drum mers push the sale OF such
makes in direct violation of the trademar K
and copyright laws These cigars, while
slightly superior in grade TO the commonest
manufactured, are, nevertheless. packed in
the same unsanltary quarters and handed by
either diseased or uncIean work men.
My suggestion Tor the abatement of this
dangerous condition Of affairs aud for the
future surervislon of these establishments is
to detail an inspector, without relief from his
regular duties, TO undertake q cons tant and
weekly inspection of same. 1t is necessary
that the quarters be thoroughly oyerhauled
whitewashed and plumb bing placed i'll a sani-
tary condition. The mouth spray shou be
peremptorily abolished and prohibited bv law
The soaking o. tob7 eco leaves in filthy water
should he condemued, un ess the same is fre-
uuently changed and before it becomes mem
ace 10 the life and heslth of the future sm oker
The method of drying leaves upon floors a2d
sidewalks should noi, in any case, be permit
ted, but proper pans or racks should be or
dered. The help shonid be com PEELED to sleep
elsewhere and not in the rooms in which ci-
gsrs are manufactured. the purc-ai- regula-
Lious should be vigorously enforced and the
necessary ventilation demanded.
In order that official action by your honor
able body may be taken in the premises wi tn
out unnecessary delay l submit the follow
ing:
WHEREAS. After a thorough inspection it
has been found that the establishments in
tobacco prepared Tor use are IN an unsanitary
condition and the cigars so manufactured
dangerous 10 the healtn OF the smokers thereof
and n menace to life; and whereas. 1t has been
found necessary 20 appoint an Inspector OF
lsl H. ~ fE