The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-04-09
RUBBISH.
Lack of Care in Dis
posing of the Re-
fuse Matter.
A SYSTEM NEEDED.
Trials Of the Housewife
at This Time of
the Year.

With The approach Of spring various
duties present themselves for the con
sideration Of the housewife and house
holder. Duties that come every spring.
the ssmi-annuaI renovation and clean
ing out Of the various departments Of
the household. the carpets to come up,
the stove Pipes 10 come down, and lor
a few days the family is plunged into
q state Of turmoil that Is not exactly
suited to improve the disposition Of the
most evenly minded Individual.
During mis- period while the lord Of
the house takes his meals as best he
can, inWardly consigning spring clean
ing 10 LSe depths Of the ItteTmvst PIT
another duty confr1nts aim, that VI
removing the winters accumulation Of
ashes-tde same thing Is true in d large
city whether in the residence or teAe-
ment. block district, ashes Will acCu-
mulate and in a majority Of cases are
not removed Oftener than three or four
times a year at the outside.
In modern tenement blocks the ton
ants dump ashes into shoot that
leads TO a fireprOof ash vault which
does duty for the entire block. Al
stated intervals tTuckman is hired
residence district the conditions vary
some have a number Of tin or gGl-
vanized iron ash cans which, Wh~I
filed, are carted away and dumped
In other cases ashes are merely dumDtd
in the cellar and allowed TO dccumu-
late throughout the winter season an
til spring or possibly inspection On inc
part Of city official rOuses the tenant
10 Z sense of duty in having the ashes
removed.
For several years past the board OF
health has advocated the establishment
in this city of some sort Of d system
whereby ahes may be collected at sta
ted intervals in the residence and bus
mess sections Of the city rs We'll, and
this disagreeable not 10 say danger
GUS matter done away with b. that
method.
In other cities Of similar size a sys-
TEN Of ash wagons is in operation. EV-
cry residence or place Of business has
its ash can that is placed under d
convenient back stOOp, or in the DlCk
yard AMI on certain mornings Of Inc
week the ash wagon comes along pre-
Ceded by a man, who sets the cans out
on the cu-bstone. where they are tax
en- by his associate. dumped n cne
wagon and the can put pack III place
the same general plan being followed
throughout the city with the result til II
accommodations Of this sort Of more than
a few days at most are done away
with.
Ten years ego the annual report OF
the board Of health cOnt2iped the fol
lowing recommendation, which has
been referred 10 several times since,
regarding the collection Of ashes:
Worcester is behind most of the
cities of the commonwealth in this
respect and the need is most pressing.
The present method, or rather lack Of
method is productive Of q great many
complaints to this board. IL d large
section Of the city the ashes mixed
with garbage and swill are pii-d up IL
the yards where they have been thrown
by careless tenants and servants and
are removed when a sufficient quantity
has accumulated for one or mole
loads.
This takes place once, or at most
twice a year, when a truckmda is en-
ployed to cart it to the nearest dump.
In a portion Of the business section Of
the city where the upper part Of tie
building is used as a dwelling place AND
where the amount Of land in the + ar
is limited. the condition Of things at
times is deplOrable as the tenants find it
an easy matter TO step across the rear
piazza and hurl the ashes. sWill and