Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-09-08
THE PUBLIC MPS
WHERE THE ASHES AND REFUSE
COLLECTED ARn DEPOSITED.
Improvement Since n the Work Has
Been Done by Contract-Miscel.
laneOus MAterAal Found.

Since the first % August the collection
Of ashes and miscellaneous refuse has been
made by the street cleaning department,
under contract. OF course, there have
been bitches and shortcomings. as will
inevitably follow the introduction of any
new system. Scores OF regulation recep-
tacles," full of ashes, have been overlooked,
and other scores, perhaps, have been hand
ed over to the old-time collectors, to be
hauled to the public dumps, thus relieving
the contractor OF much of his legitimate
work. But, 1t is presumed, when the run
ming mechanism of this new order OF
things is properly oiled and the wheels
gets accustomed to their regulation ruts
there VIII be more systematic and satisfac-
tory results.
But the citizens may be congratulated
that at least one nuisance feature of .--e
old system is gradually disappearing, viz:
The old broken-down carts. loaded with
ashes, old bones paper, tin cans and al
most every conceivable variety OF filthy
refuse which have been dragged over the
streets by ringboned, spawned, blind, half
dead horses and mules But the law Of
Congress and the resultant rules and regu-
latons OF the District Commissioners,
which brought about the new state OF af-
fairs, desirable as they may be for citi-
zens generally, causing almost terror
among hundreds of colored people, for,
shocking to our senses as were those famil-
lar old horse and mule skeletons, end ram
shackie carts, with wheels OF varying size
and zig-zaggery motions, held together by
rotten strings and straps and wires, they
were after all about the only means many
OF these poor people had for clothing al
most naked bodies and filling hungry
mouths. which fact brings pertinently to
the front the serious question: What SUBJ
stitute can they hope for that Will even
in part compensate them for their loss?
The Public Dumps.
While 1t Is generally known that ashes,
dirt. street cleanings and other trash are
taken to the public dumps. the number,
location and cost of maintaining these
dumps are items in which the average
citizen takes little or no interest. There
are seventeen of them in all, located in the
suburban confines of the city. as follows:
One at Anacostia, one on the east and one
on the west side of the navy yard, one at
South Capitol and p streets, one at I'd and
Q southwest, one at and 18th southwest
one at and 10th southwest, one at b
between Odd and 25th southwest. one at 31th
and T northwest, one at 26th and o north
west one at Washington Heights near
Kalorama avenue northwest, one at Sher-
man avenue and Irving street, one at Pom
eroy and I'd northwest, one near Daish &
Sons mill one on NJ and 18th northeast
one on Trinidad avenue near the brick
yard, and one on b southeast near the JAIL
1t is a misnomer to call these places
public Dumps" although universal GUS
tom has made them SUCH They were
originally intended as dumping places for
the street cleaning department, which has
always footed the bills for maintaining
them. but the encroachments of private
parties and interlopation of the surface and
sewer departments have sort Of clandes-
timely robbed them of their rightful name
street cleaning department dumps'-hence
the misnomer. Each OF these dumps Is UNI
Of
dumpman, who is appointed by the SUI
perintendent of the street cleaning depart
ment. His duties require him to especially
see that nothing offensive or insanitary is
deposited and that the dump is kept in
presentable appearance as possible. He Is
furnished with proper. tools and imple-
ments to "leve or the heaps of refuse
deposited and keeps a record of the loads
ceived, which he gives to the inspector,
who visits the dumps every day, TO see
that everything is In keeping with depart
mental requirements.
For years it was simply impossible to pre-
vent fires on these dumps. because the
dumping OF paper and other, inflammable
material was permissible But so many
complaints were made that the Commits
sioners' finally prohibited such dumping,
since which time the nuisance has been al
most wholly abated. Fires on them are now
unknown But complaints of some kind are
still made because 1t is as natural for some
persons ito find fault as it is for water to
run down hill. 1t should not be expected
that these places can always be kept clean.
Objectionable matter will be struggled in
now and then under the cover of ashes and
dirt, in spite of the watchfulness of the
dumpman whose first knowledge of 1t will
be when he sees Ii tumbing out of the cart
and rolling over the embankment. when he
does the best he can to cover 1t up. Not many
months ago complaint was made that GER
tain dumpman was allowing the building Of
fires. Superintendent Stutler instituted an
investigation which proved the innocence
of the dumpman and the chronic propensity
of the complainant for fault finding. One
fire was caused by bolt of lightning. Nine
times out Of ten the dumpmen are in no
way any more responsible for nusances
than the one referred to was for the light
ming bolt.
Extent Of the Work.
On the average 1000 loads Of ashes and
refuse, 200 of street sweepngs alley and
gutter cleanings, and 1000 of dirt are daily
carried to the public dumps. While con-
cededly 1t is misfortune to live in the i'm
mediate vicinity of some Of these places for
unloading the city's filth, those who do
should not expect them to be kept in the
condition of front yards or private public
lawns. The wonder Is not that they are
sometimes offensive to the sight and smell
ing senses, but rather that they are not
more frequently repulslve to all our senses,
for in the mass of stuff deposited on them
things, like cats and dogs. rat or two,
rotten fruit and fish and other unnamable
filth should as before said, be smuggled in.
Give the dumpman credit for covering them
up when discovered. as he always does, not
only because he takes pride in his dump,
but because he is required to.
These dumping places have been, and to
some extent will continue to be- many a
poor persons coal and wood yards, and
but for them hundreds of homes would be
bleak and cherries under the biting blasts
of winter. 1t is pitiable, suggestive sight
when score or more of miserable looking
men, women and children, not all blacks,
either are seen scrambling on hands and
knees, almost crawling over each other to
gather in the ever so small pieces of half
burned coal that have been brought from
well-to-do folks houses. At some Of the
larger dumps many colored people find profit
able employment nearly the year round earn
ing from $40 to $12 a week collecting and SELL
ing old bottles iron, brass and rags And
then one would be surprised to see the va
riety Of things, many of them valuable
found among the refuse brought there, all
of which but illustrates the carelessness OF
servants and housewives as well. One
dumpman found a dozen silver teaspoons
carefully done up In the original store pack
age and knives and forks are common
finds" kit OF surgical instruments for
committing abortion rolled out of an old
ash cart not long ago. The dumpman never
found their owner, and ithe mystery of how