The Farmville herald. [volume] (Farmville, Va.) 1890-1934, 1899-11-24
THE PIG PEN QUESTION.
The Council Appealed to to Abate the
Nuisance.

allow me space in your valuable pape
in which to call the attention of On
"City Fathers" aud the public in gen
eral, to the really serious condition q
affairs now existing in the communit.
on account of the prevalence Of "pi
siys" in the various portions Of tn
town?
feel sure that the medical proies
sion will agree with me that there IL
no surer source (and most certainly NJ
more disagreeable one of disease, thar
a pig pen, the animal inhabiting il
being itself the most unclean and
filthy Of all animals, while the "slops'
and refused food he does not eat is
allowed to rot and ferment that he
might wallow aud revel in this
"muck", infested as it is with germs OF
disease, especially the germs Of typhoid
fever.
Speaking for myself, / can say that
my residence is made almost uninhabi-
table by the fearfully offensive odors
that are waited 10y the gentle breezes
blowing from the direction Of the cor
ner just below and in front Of my
house; and feel certain that the whole
atmosphere Of the town is made very
unhealthy by the many "pig stys"
which are now hourishing in many
parts of the community.
have mentioned this matter to
several persons, all Of whom unhesita-
tingly agree with me that it is a very
dangerous and hazardous experiment
To allow this state of things to con-
tinue, but they say that the town has
no ordinance to prohibit the existence
Of such offensive and dangerous
nuisances. suggested that the coun-
ell pass such an ordinance, as the
town council Of every community that
values the health Of its citizens has
done. In answer to this suggestion /
have been told that the councilman
who took such a step would not be re-
elected because it would be claimed
and used against him that he was
legislatng against the "poOr man" in
thus depriving him of his "meat"
Now, Mr.. Editor, | am unwilling
to believe that any member Of our
council could SO far forget his duty to
his fellowman, and the health and
welfare Of the community, as to viii
lingly jeopardize the health and lives
of its citizens, and especially Of the
children, who more readily contract
contagious diseases, by advocating an
evil, simply that he might remain a
member Of the council board / am
unwilling to believe this, say, but if
there be such councilman, | unhesita-
tingly say, that not only should he not
be member of that board, but that
he should be regarded AS an enemy to
the health and prosperity Of the citi-
zens of the community at large. We
are not living on farm. We are not
farmers who are privileged to breath
the fresh air of the forests and the
fields, but within the corporate limits
of this town are three thousand souls,
whOare forced To breathe an atmosphere
which at best must be contaminated
by the impurities, which, Of necessity,
exist where several thousand people
are forced to live i'm such close prOXi-
nifty. And therefore we should en-
deavor To keep our town as clean a.
possible if we would have the COM
munity a healthy one. THIS is a
serious matter and | am not making
too much Of it. We must all remember
the many cases of fever with which
the community was visited only this
last past summer and fall, several of
those attacked dying from the disease.
And call upon the medical profession
to bear me out in the statement that
the unclean condition of the town,
with its numerous "pig stys," was
largely responsible for the fever. And
so take this opportunity to bring this
matter to the attention Of the physi-
clans. and ask them to make a report,
as to the effect Of "pig stys" upon the
health of the community, and draft a
petition to the council, recommending !
and asking that body to create and
inforce an ordinance prohibiting "pig !
styr being kept within the limits of
the corporation.
There is an old adage that tells us
chat every crow thinks his own the
and so it seems to be with |
the proprietors Of the pig sty industry.
Several persons who have these insti-
tutions of domestic economy in their
yards have told me how clean their
stys we're and how absolutely molten
sive to the sense Of smell, and one gen
tleman kindly extended me the invita-
ton to come and "smell his pig sty."
Now, Mr.. Editor it may be true that
some of these stys are neatly kept,
know of two that are So kept but the
very large majority Of them are dens
Of filth and mires Of disease. am
very much in earnest in this matter,
and though / am not posing as a
philanthropist, | am sincerely obliged !
to my friend for his invitation for me
., ,tyr,aU his nig etv - At pre-eut. |