The sun., 1897-10-10
A BRAVE CHICAGO WOMAN.
MRS. A. Il. PAUL rs TRYING TO CLEAN
SOME WINDY CITY STREETS.

SOME WINDY ClII SIhEETS,
An UndertnEinE in which No Man Has Vet
H,er AhIe to Bucceed-AHrs. Paul Not Ex.
actIy = New womnu, Rither-DInicuities or
Her Task aud Results she Hopes TO Achieve
One solitary ray OF sunshine brightens the Gus
tomary Chicago gloom. A woman by the name
OF Paul says she is going to clean few Chicago
streets, and the people have faint but fond
hope that she really means 1t.
Mrs. A. K. Paul is the only woman street
cleaner in the world, so they say and there are
not many places on the globe where her services
are needed moro than they are in Chicago.
She has tackled a modern Augean stable, and
she knows 1t. She is not in position to accom-
pish very much, for she is merely the inspector
of the street intersections of certain district,
and she has only seventeen sweepers and two
carts under her orders.
But her district comprises tho very heart Of
the business section OF tho city, and whatever
she does accomplish will be Immediately recog-
niZed. Even tho Chicagoans themselves admit
that there isn't fllthier square mile of munich
pallty this side of Asia. AS the Chicago people
generally seem to regard the Windy City as
superior to everything except the New Jeru-
salem. this admission is pretty strong. But
Mrs. Paul has reused hopes which had been
dead for years, and in the excitement of the
moment tho people have been led into telling
the truth.
"Mrs Paul's district" said ono Chicagoan,
"has been covered with dirt SO long that tho
new boss can, at present. carry on explorations
only in the upper strata. She has started In
some Of the central courts and areas to find
rock bottom, and has discovered evidences Of
the civilization OF twenty years ago. Bustles
which went out Of fashion a decade ago have
been recovered, also rare specimen Of hat be.
aA.G. ~.l
during the Worlds Fair. are common. In some
localities the layers have become only partly
fossilized, while in others petrifaction has been
complete"
1t Is into thia state of affairs that the now
| department-and Mrs. Paul says she will mako
| her department new or have nothing to do with
| it-has como with its sleeves rolled up. Tho
| new inspector SAYS that IL she could have fifty
| men instead OF seventeen she would scour the
| downtown streets to a degree which would
make them fairly unrecognizable. AS it is. she
| promises the women that on her crossings, at
| least, they shall not be obliged to hold their
| skirts up to their knees.
Strange as It. may appear. the % now = street @
| ited with having domestic tastes. Maybe that
| is the reason the Chicago municipal housekeep-
| ing appealed to her. She isn't exactly q new
she doesn't love to daily with theories. She
thinks that she knows the difference between a
|
has an aboundnG faith in a broom and q strong
right arm. Men have tried TO give Chicago
doesn't think they did. She. says they were in
that thcy didn't care very much II tho streets
| were as filthy as the lucre they received.
Mrs; Paul until few years ago was q thor;
ough home woman. without thought beyond
the domestic circle. Then suddenly every thing
| changed She was left alone-father. husband,
son. all died One day she began thinking that
she ought to do something for humanity. She
| looked around hcr, and, with O housekeeper' .
instinct, immeda tely wanted to clean things up.
emIssary of the Street Cleaning Department.
| and she invariably brought back the truth.
Commissioner McGann heard about her and
concluded that she was the person he wanted.
at her disposal. and awaited results.
Although Mrs. Paul has been In tho depart
ment only short time; 1t is claimed @ that the 70
resp respponsiele for each strip II he doesnt Keep It
sweeper won't DO blind and a cartman won't be
stupid II he finds out that he holds his job be-
cause of his ability TO see dirt., dirt.
TO ACCOMPLISH something: She begins her labors
before A. NJ. and It is often long after Z o'clock
thrown into cart, the brooms placed in q
corner Of the city barn, and the men instructed
as to their wErs % the nc mex. day; She d9es not sit
ing orders. In fact she has no real office except,
as she says; under her bat All day she drives
drivers have a mania for losing themselves.
ns ii eps ts
is only a struggling beam as yet, but 1t 10 the
only ono which has dawned on the inhabitants
It. II she carries out her promises a new era
will begin In the city by the lake, Tor she says
that with nifty , men she will make Chicago "a:
bright ~ as any big CITY should be- This is !
contamination devouty TO be wished.