The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-09-16
FISH HOUSE SMELLS ANNOYING.
said That Council May BE Called on
to Deal with Them.


Mutterings against the fish houses on
Bryan street, and in Bay street lane from
Whitaker to Montgomery streets, are be-
ginning to grow, and unless more care is
taken in removing effete particles, some OF
them may be declared nuisances by Coun-
ell. Much complaint is made that IL is
like running the gauntlet of a slaghter
house to pass some places in the lane,
while on Bryan street, there is a sitting
odor, which, at times, not only contami-
mates that street, but frequently reaches
Whitaker.
Health Officer LeIIardy has had the san
ltary inspectors keeping close watch
around some of the fish houses, but all
efforts have been Intellectual in stopping
the nuisance so far, because the stencil
abates at times, while al others, when the
inspectors are not around, il blows forth
in terrible gust Merchants along the
Bay, many of whom have Offices in the
rear, find 1t very annoying, and in some
instances have had to 90 into the lanes
and order the removal of barrels Of rotten
matter by threatening the dealers with
immediate prosecution.
Il consider all stables, fish houses and
hide stores nuisances in centers of popu-
lation," said DR.. LeHardy. "The sanitary
inspectors have been instructed to report
on the condition of these places, but it
seems they generally find them clean. This
l believe to be the case with some of them,
and there is no way l can account for
the stencil, unless it is from refuse fish
in barrels awaiting the scavenger wag
ons The proper time for persons to re-
port to this office Is when the smell is
most annoying. The inspectors Will then
be sent direct, and find out if there is
any refuse matter around"
Alderman Guckenheimer is among the
number who have found reason to com
plain about the fish houses, but he has
always gone to the dealers direct, with
out reporting them to the health office.
He said he was recently annoyed with
stencil through his private office at Bay
street lane and Jefferson street, in rear
of the main store, and, on investigation,
found a barrel of refuse fish that had
been in the lane three days He told the
dealer if the barrel was not removed at
once, complaint would be made about it,
The fact is the fish houses are becom-
ing slaughter houses on a small scale"
said the alderman. THE city requires
slaughter houses to be 1 or miles out,
but fish houses which do about the same
kind of work, remain in the city and leave
the e0tFdllS OF llSN standing IN the lanes.
While | do not think the dealers should
be required to move their store houses
outside the city limits, still they should
have wagons TO cart off all refuse matter,
without leaving il lay to decompose and
contaminate the neighborhood for blocks
around. In case the annoyance cannot
be stopped in any other way, Council may
be called upon 10 take hold of It, Any
number of property owners may petition
Council to investigate them as a nuisance,
and in the event they are found to be
such, the cost to the dealers would be
more than to arrange to have all refuse
matter promptly carted away The scav-
anger wagons cannot undertake trip
through the lanes several times a day for
the sole benefit of fish Dealers
Firms dealing in cabbage have also had
trouble in holding down offensive odors
about their places. When cabbage begins
TO spoil, 1t goes in a hurry, and it re-
quires quick work TO keep the rotten
parts trimmed off the heads. The refuse
is thrown around the buildings. sometimes
on Bay street, so that passersby do not
lind the odor as pleasant as that of tube
roses in Florida. There is not much com
plair on account of vegetables but il Is
said the fish house complaint is apt to be
taken up very soon, if not abated There
are number who assert that if the mat
ter becomes more Objectionable, and no
effort Is made by the dealers to remedy IT,
a united kick viii be made, such as will
be sure to bring relief.