The Minneapolis journal., 1902-08-27
PUBLIC BATHS IN AMERICA
What Minneapolis May Do in the gh What Other Cities Have Done
Few YearsChane to Fall in With the Movement

n Minneapolis should soon establish
public all-the year bathhouse, she would
still be behind eleven other cities and
towns of the United States, four of which
have much smaller population than the
flour city. She would follow not only
Rochester, with the population of st.
Paul. but Albany, which has less than
100000 inhabitants. She might obtain
facilities equal to those that now accom-
modate the $4,000 residents of Yonkers,
n. Y. But she could scarcely hope to
duplicate the splendid public bath, en-
fiched with marble and mosaic, that 20, 900
New EnGlanders in the little town of
Brookline, Mass, have built as a model
to the natoin. Yet so far as Minneapolis
shall succeed. 50 far will she realize the
truism engraved over the entrance to the
Brookline baths-"The Health of the PeO-
pie Is the Beginning Of Happiness
Goodwin Brown, the author Of the New
FORK bath laws, was justified in declaring
recently that 'the United States is sixty
years behind other enlightened nations in
the matter Of public baths Not only
England, but all the progressive nations
OF the continent had long enjoyed elabO-
rate public baths before the United States
took cognizance of an institution that both
ancient and modern civilizations have rec
ognized as a necessity And when the
first American city established lighthouses,
they were simply for outdoor, cold water
baths-a form Of ablution that, as has
we'll been said, is more refreshing than
cleansing. And Boston had provided more
than dozen Of these free summer ba tn
houses before she erected one building
where citizens could bathe thoroughly
with hot and cold water at any season of
the year.
Away Behind Other Countries
All-the-year public baths in England
have existed for fifty years or more. The
oldest Of which a record can readily be
found In the United States was estab-
lished about eleven years ago.
In England more than ninety com
munities, from a town OF 1000 inha abitants
to the greatest city In the world. furnish
their citizens at nominal expense, with
hot and cold baths. even with Turkish
baths. Russian baths and vapor baths.
In the United States eleven cities only
supply baths that boast Of mere hot
water.
OF these eleven cities that officially ad-
vocate the taking Of baths during cold
weather, five are in the eastern states
two are in the middle west, and only one
Is west of tho Mississippi river.
Five Of the eight eastern cities, more
over. are cities of the empire state. That
state. indeed. has secured an enlightened
legislation which has already awakened
the whole country to the need of pub
lie baths. The people Of New York have
formally declared. not that large cities
may have all-the-year. public baths, bu
that such cities must have all-the -yea1
baths.
In 1892 the legislature of New York
passed an act permitting cities. towns ant
villages to issue bonds for the construc
tion Of public baths Three years elapsed
and no community took advantage of the
privilege. Then a compulsory law wa:
ta6 1{rfy, off oF y,
or second class to establish as many
public baths as might be demanded by
the local board Of health. Each bath
house. according to this law, must b.
open to patrons every day during fourteen
hours at least. Hot and cold water mus
always be provided in ample quantity, ant
the existence or erection of ocean, rive
or lake baths shall not be held to excus,
any city from building 1.-the year baths
Shower baths are recommended as cheap
ar and more sanitary than tub baths
Two years elapsed, however, before tht