The Washington times., 1901-08-27
AFFAIRS OF THE DISTRICT.
Complaint Relative to the Naphtha
Street Lighting Service.
Mr.. NiceIai's SeIf-impOsed Task of
Espionage - Regulations Govern
ing the Collection of GnrbnEe-Pri-
,ate Browns Case Disposed OF.

| l.. S Nicolai. self-constituted watch
| man of the citys interests in the matter
of naphtha lamps. while attending to this
| self imposed duty at Il very early hour
| Yesterday morning. was discovered by the
| iamplighter whose route he was foilo"-
ing. and an alteration ensued. The lamp
| lighter, Mr.. Nicolai alleges, threw his lad
der at him, which the latter caught, es-
| Gaping without injury. Language unit
for publication. Mr.. Nicolai further al
| leges, was used by the lamplighter IN
| expressing his sentiments.
| Mr.. Nicolai's nocturnal wanderings IN
search of violations of the regulations
| governing the lighting of naphtha lamps
are the subject of a long letter addressed
/ to the District Commissioners. Only the
| latter part of last week Mr.. Nicolai pre-
| scented complaint to the Commissioners
concerning thirty-six lamps on Meridian
| Hill, which he claims were not lighted
| until long after the time set.
| In the present case. Mr.. Nicolai rose
| before o'clock in the morning to discov-
| er if the regulations governing the eX-
| tinguishng of the lamps We're being OBJ
| served, and his adventures and discover
| les of violations are described in the fol-
| lowing letter:
After having called your attention.,
| he says, to the lateness in lighting of
some thirty-six naphtha LAMPS on Merid-
| ian Hill northwest | made it my purpose
| to get out the Hill to watch the same
| lamplighter and located myself at the
| rear OF the large stone dwelling situated
| at Florida Avenue and Sixteenth Street
northwest, at o'clock Z. This is the
| point of extinguishing lamps, my res
1.
west. / discovered a great number OF
lamps not burning at the time named on
my way down Sixteenth Street to where
the lamps are extinguished and finally L
discovered the lamplghter. After he had
seen me at distance he called and way
ed his hand for me to come over, which
l Gid like man. When we met ] spoke
| and asked the lamplighter what he want
ed. He replied by asking if my name was
! not Nicolai. l responded by saying Yes.
He then asked what | was doing out here
watching him. l told him as a citizen
taxpayer ii was my privilege to watch
him or any others.
He Then slandered me by using pro-
fame language of the worst kind and
charging he would break my neck. AT
the same time he picked up his six-foot
ladder and undertook to use 1t by strik-
ing me- but failed TO do so. ! would re-
specially ask that this particular en-
ploye be called down, as well as sew
eral others doing work in the naphtha
work at present.
Once before called your attention to
the fact II was dangerous to fill naphtha
lamps at the time of extinguishing, when
the lights should contain q light as re-
qulred In the contract, but they are still
guilty of the act mentioned above.
Now, in my opinion. the American De-
velopment Company of Chicago, ILL.,, the
present contractors, are being supported
and allowed too many privileges by the
employees of the electrical department of
the District of Columbia, which should
not be done by terms of the contract with
them. Therefore l would suggest that the
Major and Superintendent of Police be re-
quested to look into this matter and re-
port whether the charges made by me are
not correct.
Mr.. Nicolai stated verbally that the
lamplighter started to eXtinguiSh the
lamps yesterday morning at o'clock. ex-
actly twenty-siX minutes before the time
set for the purpose by the regulations OF
the Engineers department. Mr.. Ntcolai
contemplates causing the arrest of the
lamplighter a warrant charging him
with attempted assault He states that
he does not know the name of the lamp
lighter. but that he is an Italian and
easily identified.
The Superintendent of Street Cleaning
has prepared a revised list of instructions
to householders governing the garbage
collections and refuse, which is as fol-
lows:
THE regulations governing the collec-
ton of city refuse provide for Its sep
aration into three classes, viz: Garbage,
ashes, and miscellaneous refuse. The
necessity for a proper separation is due
to the fact that the material is collected
under three different contracts and dis
posed of at different points and in differ
ent ways.
THE regulations have been violated by
housekeepers mixing the refuse. Contrac-
tors under the terms of their respective
contracts, may refuse to remove mixed
refuse. Therefore householders must
hereafter strictly comply with the reguia-
tions in order TO receive proper service.
Put nothing but animal or vegetable
matter in the garbage receptacles; moth
ing but ashes In the ash receptacles; ana
all Other refuse enumerated IN the reSu-
lations, especially tin cans, broken crock
cry glassware, etc, in the miscellaneous
refuse receptacles.
''The collector of ashes will remove the
miscellaneous refuse on the ash wagon
if in a separate receptacle. Tin cans.
broken crockery. glassware, and such ma
terial are Injurious to the machinery at
the garbage plant, and the contractors at
test that they will not in future take gar
bage containing anything other than anil
NAL or vegetable matter; and they can
not be required to do SO under the terms
of their contract.
Private NJ. NJ Brown, of the Metro
politan police force, tried before the Trial
Board on August 10, has been found
guilty on the charge of neglect OF duty,
and the Trial Board recommends that he
be fined s. This finding, with the addi-
tional recommendation that the police
man be warned that failure to comply
with the regulations governing the police
wilt-necessitate vigorous action on the
mart of the department, is filed with the
District Commissioners for final action.
The specific offence charged against the
policeman was his failure and neglect 10
rrocure q warrant for the contractor
who was plastering certain houses at val
lev and Q Streets northwest when Or
dered to do so by Sergt. e. J. keefe. In
the testimony taken before the Trial
Board Sergeant keefe testihed th5t on
the morning after he had directed the
noIiceman 10 secure the warrant thdt
brown came to him and stated that ne mad
OVERSIGHT himself, and had not obtained
IL Brown reported SICK, ana hah COM
plalned several months previous or nav
ing had a sore leg. Brown stated on the
stand that he was sick the day the or
der the charge of physician for the
mast fortnight He slept, as ne says, I'M
der the influence Of an opiate In the sta
tionhouse that night. and no one waking
him on time, he oversight.
He filed the report of his attending phy~
stefan TO the eject that the policeman
had been unfit los duty Tor some time
The recommendation OF the Iriai BOARD
for no further punishment than n line OF
IS Is made in ~. az the extenuating CIR
cumstances, detailed by the policeman.
The request of ii Colman, tr., of GA
Street northwest, tLat a 81 pound fee paid