The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1897-08-07
Sad(y -
~ - n -.
-...
Comment.

The board Of health is probably the
receptacle of more family secrets than
even the clergyman, family physician
or lawyer. There is difference, how
ever in these condolences. They are
like the expression of the small boy,
who with his brother, had been in
mischief: 81 couldn't stand 1t any
longer, Jimmie" explained this con-
scientious youngster. II just went to
father Ind confessed" You sid?"
exclaimed the brother visibly interest
ed. What did you get?" Didn't get
nothing" was the reply. "You see
didn't confess on myself: confessed on
you. and father wants to see you now
out in the woodshed." .7 '"-
The condolences committed to the
board of health are chiefly Of the same
sort, since they confess" on the neigh
Dor and not on the complainant him
self. II the public could gain, a
glympse of the complaint. book, 1t
would be somewhat generally believed
that this is not a free country after all,
but that we are living under'a close
and all-seeing despotism,g beneath
whose searchlight even our hidden
thoughts are blazened abroad, e 1t
NOulu diSO bt .Llldl d 4lltdFNtl-
Gus private detective system must be
in active operation in this city, which
it will be useless to attempt to dodge
Many of the complaints made to the
board Of health are never entered
upon the books. Unless they cam
construed to have bad odor attached
it is of little use to offer complaints,
for in most cases the board can afford
no relief For instance, the woman
who wanted something done because
her neighbors baby kept her awake
nights was unable to secure q promise
that the nuisance would be abated
neither could she be assured that the
chickens next door would be promptly
dispatched because they awakened her
at A a. m. with their cheerful Growing.
If she could allege that the chicken
yard was in a violently unsanitary
| condition there would be some hope
that her cry might be heard.
The complaint book is a very evil
| smelling volume, indeed. One cannot
| read page without having ones nose
| go up in the air. 1t IS full of dead
| dogs, dead cats, pigs, goats, chickens,
| butcher yards, unlovely barn premises,
| gas leaks, garbage and houses declared
| to be in an unsanitary condition. One
| of the frequent causes of lamentation
in certain parts of the city is that some
of the residents insist upon keeping
| horses, cows, goats, or ducks in the
| cellar, which really must be a discom-
fort to the neighbors, but not SO much.
one would think, as to the owners
| themselves.
One woman complains bitterly be-
| cause her neighbor has a liking for
| sauer kraut and stores that odoriferous
| article of diet in the basement of a
| double house the year round. The
health officer admits that this may be
| Objectionable, as sauer kraut certainly
smells worse than it tastes, but he
| doesn't see what can be done about It.
| Another objects because the family
next door will eat onions every day for
dinner, and again Captain Burke looks
| disconsolate and declares himself to be
| powerless. -.
One of the complaints recently offered
was that a neighbor persisted in feed
ing all the tramps that came along,
but this also was considered by the
officials to be outside the jurisdiction
of the board. A frequent cause of pro-
test is that a resident has a dog which
howls, a puppy which whines, a cow
| which moos. or n. cat which news and
| disturbs the nishtIv sIumhers NJ the
neighborhood. The cat question is one
| freouently disouSsad ond ,,suou,, tho
onicer adroits that rodrass Uas r,,ith
the complainant alone.
,aa,ad ~ oeoiaI, ~ ,it,,o -
iodroa o,otust T,,,i.t.L -, -
Nv, Il &c frao,,a,tI,, aao,arad 40.
nerson who hos never tol,an rnrt,ish
hoth ho ,,o,,a. hao,, - 49, :. Ill,
sean,s a.hor s,rrris,,o that 80 49, 80
ods n,a',as a. - n,,.,, lSs - 49, , 49,,
uass esp 90 ny o,ana 80 ot nitisan ,"o u'ho ~ nar
nsns 49, T,,,,.,sn VIZ 80,
rrod,,oa On aerao+ raa,,;r;na, i,,ta,,,nr,tta,,
20 49, hoarS 80 haoith &c, ~ III, ~
20 .ostaa,,t, a. tha ,,,a,,,i.s,
ne g.. h - ~" 80
raad tha ,,ar,as of thosa a,a;yst ,,,bor.
oon,nIo,rt is n,oda Not fou, q va
nrorainant oitiaons IL ,.,do a., e.
narriaaes ord attand a,,a, ,aotino
o,,d ,,,ho,,, - ,,a,,ar q, .to Ia
,,,or,a a,,s,oot 90 hauho.,ur. go 80
a. 49,, 80, 49, ~ tt,oI,,t,,a. 80
daodor,zad oahHa e,as oT,a,. - naiabbo,,,.
| sanoa vhar ~ nai,,hhors ranoot
thnso oseo,nos 80 .La ena,,si,v,t ~,
80, ,ar,as onnaar % ~ tha othnr "a
% tto naota, dop,,r,o'ats
| mt, ,.,,.,. .a,.o., l., s...,-.,-
1asa - It s
raotnd rona,, o. , a,,"s
IL, - .aoana IoL w. as n,.nttl
n,,ao,,iv =, - LII nnntha, III, $500