The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1900-03-20
VALUABLE PAPER
BY l. c. HOLDEN
READ BEFoRE THE ECONOMIC
SECTION OF woMEN's CLUB.
Dealt with the subject Of Plumbing
and Drainage and Showed the Me-
cessity Of Having This Work Done
in Accordance with the Most Mod
ern Ideas-A Considerable Ad-
vance Has Been Made in This
During Recent Years in the Way
Of More Satisfactory Plumbing.

section OF the same IN tnat part OF tne
city, the street crossings are just as
bad in Green Ridge and near the Ii
brary. too, as they are on Washington
avenue and other important down town
thoroughfares.
There were many members OF the
economic section, however, who yes
terday afternoon waded courageously
to hear Architect L. c. Holden, of
New York, who has many monuments
70 his abilities in this city. where he
built the magnificent residences Of T.
H. Watkins. Judge Hand and others.
Before the close of the session
brief business meeting was held, when
the address of Professor Wingate to
the labor unions on the Goth at Gucrn-
sey hall was announced.
Mr.. Holden gave a most valuable
paper, which. with his illustrations and
diagnosis, afforded the clearest possi-
BILE exposition Of the subject Of plumb
ing and drainage. At the conclusion
Of. his paper he showed the exact
causes Of the entrance Of sewer gas
into a house and the methods of obvi-
ating the evil. The paper given was
in part as follows:
MR.. HOLDEN's PAPER.
The application Of scientific methods
to plumbing and drainage is compare
lively new. What is called sanitary
plumbing is the installing of fixtures
and piping with due regard to the COM
monest physical laws. such as we are
all familiar with. Formerly such work
was done with a total disregard of all
physical laws-except possibly the law
Of gravitation.
But plumbing and drainage has. like
almost all other branches OF mechan-
les, been made the subject of study by
men Of Intelligence and Is not now lett
to the caprice of every workman. or his
employer. From intelligent study of
the subject. laws for the Introduction
Of plumbing have been evolved to gov
ern us. Our mechanics of today know
more of sanitary laws than did the
employers of such men twenty years
ago. Almost every city and town has
it's board Of health, which has more or
less power and inclination to control
the actions OF owners and workmen IN
the installation of plumbing in build
ings. In our large cities the plumbing
is under most rigid inspection during
its introduction.
1t is hard for some people to under
stand why they should not be allowed
to do as they please with their own
property. But the rigid execution of
drainage prevent the too avaricious
real estate owner from bringing death
and disease into the families of his
helpless and ignorant tenants.
You that live in houses built several
years ago have not, 1t is safe to as
sumo, in many cases, what we may
call modern plumbing. 1t is only with
in the last few years that Scranton
has exercised q supervision over plumb
ing done within it's precincts. Former
ly the opinion of such plumber as you
chose was in many cases the only law
for your work, and you may have
chosen one whose only law was that
of self-preservation.
SELECTION OF A PLUMBER.
In selecting a plumber to do the work
in your house you should not be infiu-
enced entirely by the size Of his bills
or the neatness and dispatch with
which he performs his work. He should
be judged by the knowledge he has OF
the best methods used in the introduc-
tion of the system, and his disposition
to recognize the advantages to be
gained by such methods
Since the introduction of your law
governing the method Of piping In your
buildings great change has taker
place In the view your plumbers take
Of this subject. ! believe they all sym
pathize with the law and fully under.
stand the method and it's object. The
sins of plumbers have been multiplied
by the telling. From my experience
am pleased to say that most plumbers
with whom ! have had dealings are
honest and capable men. You have
them in numbers in this city, who are
worthy of all confidence.
Comparing the cost of plumbing Ol
years ago to that of today is almost In
the proportion of nothing to much
The reason for this Is that, as in mos
other branches OF our household equip.
ment, greater convenience is demand
ed, and invention has been busy in de-
vising more perfect and elegant At.
tings and fixtures. You not only re,
quire them, you demand them.
If housekeepers would not consider
their duty done when the visible par
Of their plumbing fixtures look clear
and bright but would extend their eff
forts to the unseen insides of the trap,
and pipes, all of which are accessible
in the modern fixtures. they would no
then have that unpleasant odor froir
kitchen sinks, laundry tubs. wast
bowls and bath tubs. and the room.
containing these would have as swee
and clean an odor as any others IL
their houses. An application of potash
from time to time, allowing 1t to pas'
through the trap and waste line. /!
beneficial, as 1t dissolves the grease Il
which the Objectionable matter at
taches itself.
CLEAN THE TRAPS.
This method alone is better thar
none, but the better way Is to hav'
your plumber clean the traps thor
Oughly at least twice q year. Don
allow your architect or your plumber