The Spokane press. [volume] (Spokane, Wash.) 1902-1939, 1904-12-01


land, would be from 329 to 331 Grant |
street. One lot is almost wholly sub |
merged with rank grasses, green
slime and a deadly miasmatic stencil |
which is noticeable, even in this cool |
weather. In summertime the stencil |
is terrific.
Diphtheria has already broken out
in the neighborhood. Typhoid fever
grows epidemic and people who own
their property are either compelled
to pay heavy doctor bills or move.
Many times II is the undertaken who
collects the toll of the muskrats.
Time after time the property own
ers and residents living on Third
avenue, Sherman and Grant streets
have begged for relief from the city.
The health office has been beseiged.
petitions have been sent to the city
council and councilmen have been i'm
plored to abate the breeding place of
contagious diseases, but without re-
suit
Not long ago 90 residents of the
First ward signed a petition to the
city council asking for the abatement
of the vile menace to health The
petition was given to John Sullivan,
who lives on Third street abutting
the disease-breeding swamp and is
a sewer inspector for the city. That
petition was handed by Sullivan to
Councilman Funk and was never
heard from.
The people of the ward declare they
will hold Councilman L. NJ. Funk and
Councilman George Koontz RESPONSE
bic for the fearful condition of the
city's water-covered lots. These coun-
cilmen represent the First ward.
They have done nothing to abate the
condition.
F. n. Young, living at S14 Grant
street, complained to the health de-
partment that his wife had been made
i'll by living so near to the disease
breeding sloughs belonging to the
city and would die unless the city
took steps to remove the filthy
swamp. Mr.. Young was told by the
health officer to move. If his wife
~u.-.-'t live there. Although owning
his property and paying taxes, Mr.
Young was compelled to move.
Three weeks ago the little grand
daughter Of Rudolph Jundt was taken
with the measles. There were three
health inspectors at the Jundt home
in one day, obviously supervising
this one case of measles. To each
inspector the pond, the muskrats, the
green slime and the deadly swamp
were shown-but they were there to
look after a measles case and had no
time to spend on the city's fatal lax
ness.
Two diphtheria cases are quaran-
tined within 100 feet Of the swamp
During the summer typhoid fever
broke out. Yet the city and the city's
grafters do nothing.
Property owners have frequently
offered to buy the two lots in order
to fill them up. The city has re-
fused to sell. The lots were grabbed
by city officials just before they were
to be sold for taxes. The grab was
on an unpaid assessment for improv-
ing Grant street. Since that time
city officials have refused to allow
residents to buy and have ignored the
demands to fill up the lots.
The city had plenty Of material
with which to fill the lots. This ma
terial is taken by Contractor Peter
Costello and sold. Because of the
steal of material by contractors the
residents can get no city official to
order the slough filled. The health
4 20 l.
danger to lives to take steps to con-
denim the lots.
In the spring the swamp land is
turned into a big pond which over
flows into neighboring cellars. Dur
ing the summer the slough throws
off its fatal doors. Cows are turned
into the lots to wade in the ponds and
stir the sinking mass to the bottom.
The health department sneeringly
tells the property owners to move.
The police are waiting to arrest the
first man who shoots one Of the Shiny
muskrats, because they are within the
city limits. The board of public
works threatens arrest If the ponds
are drained by the citizens The city
refuses to sell the lots to those who
would fill them up.
When the Third avenue sewer was
built there was plenty of rock which
could have been used to fill up the
sloughs. The property owners asked
that the rock be used for this pur-
pose. Instead, Contractor Peter Cos
tello moved the rock far over to the
west side of the city and sold it.
Who got the money? Did Costello?
Did Gill?
Councilmen Funk and Koontz were
elected by the votes Of those people
whose lives and health are threaten
ed. They have done nothing toward
fulfilling their obligations to those
constituents.
DR.. Genoway is paid by the city
to care for the public health and