The record-union., 1897-08-16
AN OBJECT LESSON.

There is one town in the State that is
an object lesson for all others-at least
for most others. 1t is a small city, it's
true but that is not matter Of import
ance in the present consideration. We
do not propose to name the place, nor
by any hint indicate its locality, yet the
name of this examplar is as familiar in
California as household words. The pur-
pose of citing it here is purely local; the
intention is to impress our citizens with
the truth that Sacramento can, without
any additional delay, at least very little,
be as truly a model town for cleanliness
as is the one referred to.
In the small city to which we refer. the
mileage of streets is quite limited, but
so is the population. In fact, there are
far less people to the street mileage than
in Sacramento. It follows therefore that
what this smaller community does with
its low street mileage population, our
larger one may do with its greater popu-
lation to street mileage. In this model
town there is no special effort made, but
only ordinary precaution and action, to
secure cleanliness-and these are the
results:
The streets, alleys and walkways are
remarkably clean; litter is not found in
the cutters; rubbish is neither dumped
upon nor burned in the streets. If per-
mission is given to burn refuse, it is
upon the condition that the resultant
ash and debris shall be at once re-
moved. Scraps of paper, old cans, worn
out shoes, hoops, sticks, chips, trim
mings nor any other unsightly object is
seen in the streets or alleys of this model
town. If at any time any such litter is
upon the street, within an hour the
owner of the property frontage is noti-
fed to remove it and he Immediately
does it.
It thus becomes the interest of every
resident to see to it that no such litter
is deposited in front of his or his neigh
bors' premises. If a fruit or vegetable
peddler throws refuse into the gutter
where he sells, he is certain of punish
ment. Alleys and vacant lots are re-
quired to be kept clean also; decaying
animal or vegetable matter is rarely
seen upon an alley, street or in va
cant lot. All such is removed and de-
stroyed daily.
If a lawn is trimmed no householder
dares throw, much less contemplates the
inf Ia
the highway. If garden bushes or trees
are pruned or trimmed, such a thing as
pilfng the refuse in the street is un-
heard Of If goods-boxes are opened
upon the walk way or in the alley, the
instant the unpacking is completed the
shopman turns his attention to cleaning
up the public way and removing the last
scrap of litter. Expectoration upon
walkways is not only forbidden, but the
Inhibition is strictly enforced
The droppings upon residence streets
are taken up and removed daily and not
permitted to remain to be ground into
and mingled with the soil. be blown ur
in form of dust and be breathed into
human lungs Oraln openings dIS hSp'
free and open and never permitted to
become clogged with leaves, corner
blown litter, or closed by accumulated
dirt and street wash. The result of all
this is a clean and wholesome town, the
influence of which operates upon every
man, woman and child in it. with cor
responding results of personal and
household and homestead cleanliness
throughout this model little California
city.
The end we have sketched is secured
by simple, kindly but firm enforcement
of the commonest rules of cleanliness
and some small expenditure for super
vision of the work of cleaning the
streets, or rather preventing them from
becoming unclean.
Now let the good people of the Capi
tai City ask themselves how it is with
them and their city? Here litter is daily
and on every street cast into the high
way Grass cuttings, tree trimmings
and shrubbery pruning debris, are near
ly always carted into the street, piled