New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-09-02
and hope to retain or regain power by mere
evasons and political legerdemain
HOME AGAIN.

The return tide Of travel to the city IS now
nj the full Every day sees heightened railroad
trains crowded TO the Platforms and express
wagons creaking beneath mountains OF tr'ihks.
Some are still lingering in the country Tor La
Dor Day. but the middle Of next week VIII see
them. too. returning. II Is bit or the irony Oh
fate that people should elect, or have, to return
10 the city just ut the time when the country
Is most enjoyable. Especially is this the case
this year. June was cool as to be really
more comfortable in town than In the country.
The same was true Of July. with almost inces-
SAINT rain and fog and mud. and also or the
early part OF August. But with the close OF
; August came clear skies. bracfng air, perfect
roads for wheeling. perfect surf for bathing'
The glory OF gOden-rod and astcrs and all the
other rich fall flowers came upon field ana wool
Yet in the midst of this ideal outing weather
people flock back to town by thousands, leaving
the best Of earth behind them.
II seems inevitable so let the best OF 1t be
made. The city is a good place. too. Hut there
are many things to be attended to II the nome
coming Is not TO be marked with disaster.
Houses that have been closed for weeks or
months are not in good sanitary condition. Pipe
traps have become dry and let sewer-gas INTO
the rooms The air and dust Of darkened rooms
have become infested with bacteria. Perhaps
some articles of food. carelessly left IN STORE
| rooms. have dccayed All these and score or
! other conditions are full, Of menace to health.
| II would he well II every house could be cleaned
and dsinfectcd pipes flushed and rooms well
aired before the family returns to dwell In II.
! In most cases that may not he practicable. But
at least such things can be done Immediately
upon the occupants return. If they are done,
and done thoroughly, much sickness and per-
| haps death will he avoided
unfortunately the return TO town Is almost
| cortain 10 be marked with some outbreaks OF
disease. There will be some cases OF typhoid
fever, and possibly of dlphtheria. and many OF
that protcan "malaria'' which is so often the
scapcgoat for imaginary or imperfectly under
stood complaints And all these will be most
uniustly charged against the city. In many
cases they will be chargeable to individual
negligence in not putting houses In sanitary
condition. In many others, and perhaps most,
the germs Of disease will have been Drought
from the country and merely developed here
! There Is no danger Of catching typh0ld feVer
| from Croton water. while there Is danger or
| catching II from the average farmhouse or VII
! larc we'll The streets OF New-lOrk are. as n
rule. far swccicr and cleaner and freer from
discas germs than is the average village street.
! There Is little danger even from torn-up streets
in such weather as that OF the last week. Tor
whatever germs there may be In the soil are
quickly killed by exposure TO the sunlight. The
recent complaint that the hot sunlight was
J breeding disease germs In the upturncd soil was
exactly contrary to truth and sense There IS
! no better gcrmlcide on earth than bright. hot
! sunshine
OF course IL would have been much nicer had
| all the streets been rebuilt and put IN splck-and-
span order before pcopl" began to come back
IN town But that was obviously Impossible.
! There is always n howl against tearing them up
in winter and properly And in spring people
/ say they should not b. torn up until they. the
/ people have gone out Of town. And In summer
they protest against disturbing the streets. be-
cause the smells are much worse in not
/ weather And In fall they say II Is shameful
/ thing To greet homecomers with bitches ana
piles Of earth. But. really. the work must be
| done some time There Is this consolation. that
when the work Is finished the streets VIII be
nicer than over and this also. that with all us
torn IN ness the city Is to-day better paved ana
! cleaner than ever before II is pretty good
| old town 10 come home tn. after all.