The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1900-12-07
THE PEST HOUSE NUISANCE.

To the Editor Of The Herald. Noticing
a communication signed Taxpayer in
wednesdays Tribune, from this local
i1y, anent TIE pesthOUse located and
maintained here by the city fathers. +
wish to indorse every word Of that pro
test 1t is a cruel injustice 10 the resi-
dents OF Sugar House. and a great
many residents of the city who have 70
use the water from the Kennedy ditch.
Z he pesthouSe is located within few
rods Of the creek. where all the refuse
from the uesthouSa must necessarily
lind It's outlet. either by seepage or
earelessness- The Kennedy ditch
takes the water from the creek about
one-thlrd of mile below the pestnouse.
The several hundred people who use
the Kennedy ditch water are placed in
jeopardy of -cOntaEion from this dread
disease. Now, there is a well defined
Law on the statute books that makes
II a misdemeanor for any person or
corporation who establishes a pest
house in any town. village or settle
ment that disturbs the rights or threat
ems the health of three or more indie
Viduals. Now. the residents of Sugar
House claim that this Desthouse in its
present location is a menace to the
health Of a large. pOpulOus district, and
if our city fathers intend to maintain
IT IN SIS present location or to equip
the large stone building that stands a
few hundred wards lower down the
creek for pesthOuse purposes. then we
wish to warn the city council il Viii
have a fight on its hands. as we viii
ask the courts to come to our aid and
protect MS. 1t seems strange that
Health Commissioner King and others
made such hullabaloO about seepage
from hog pens and COW corrals ia Par
Iey's canyon, some of them ten times
as FAR from the creek as the pesthOuSe
1rna nav 81 81
the establishing of a larger pestnouse
right on the very edge Of the creek
that is our only water supply.
DIR. King also says ia commenting
on Taxpayer letter. referred to
above. tnat the water that runs past
the pes house is the refuse Of what
the city and A. b. Sawyer don't use.
This IS anything but fact, for, as
stated in 'sTaxnayer's' letter, the res
fdeuts of the southeast Dars OF the
CITY and al of SUGAR House east OF
the city Canal company, nearly Z0y
fanatics. own ano use 20 per cent or
the whole of Parley's creek. This water
rims right through the yard of the
state penitenUary, and IS used by them
for irrigation and other purposes ana
v-hv Dr. King state to the puDHc
that no person has any legal FlgnJ 10
use this- water we demG2d 20 know
I'm regard to the charge made that pa
f
+ restricted. it il @ fact, and ample proof
can be furnished by persons Twins IN
close proximity TO the pesthouse- Men
mo- work on the Rio Grande Western
galway. have reported 10 the writer
that they have had men come right
mi Of the .sesthouse and come ana
Sand aroou- them and talk with them.
and the rsilroad mea nave protested
to the convalesecnt patients not %
come near them. bus their protests
vent unheeded There are two Duolc
highways that pass within q few rods
IF where this pesthousc IS located ana
yvo claim mat in its present location
o. anywhere on ParleE's creek or on
public highway the pesth,ou5e IS a
- ir This neighborhood, as well
rs fS the travelling public We hope
The ci.v council viii take this matter
mn and md q location for this much
--es5s5 bosnital IN some remote place
where it would not be injurious 20 the
-eaIth of so many people
NICOL HOOD.
es,7es.r FFcuse. Dec. 6.