The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1906-01-31
WHERE PURE FOOD Is FOUND.
Rigid System Of Inspection Prevails
in City Of Washington.

In City Of Washington.
Washington. D. c., Jan. s1-wash-
ington residents are well-fed people
and Washington people enjoy good iiv-
ing as we'll as. II not better, than the
residents of any other portion of the
United States.
The District of Columbia is situated
In close communion with the sea-
Chesapeake bay, only a few miles from
Washington, furnishes all the first
quality Of sea food in abundance. The
farms OF near by Virginia offer the
products of the dairy. Garden and
truck farms are numerous in the To-
cality about Washington, the light
loan soil growing the best of small
vegetables. Farm and garden, wood
ana inland stream and even the old
sea offer up their wealth of products
to satisfy the oftimes dainty palate of
the statesman diplomat and public
man generally.
sanitary rules and regulations in force
within the borders of.the district. even
nature, In all her lavish generosity,
would be cheated and handicapped in
her efforts to win favor in the eyes
of her children. These rules are SO
rigid and exact, so we'll enforced and
remodeled to meet existing circum-
stances that Washington as a CITY
today stands protected in the matter
of pure food in advance of any other
city and the United States.
To be sure, there are several rea-
sons wherein Washington has natural
advantages over the other large cities
In the matter of cleanliness and pure
foods.
1t is not a manufacturing but a res
ident city. There are no tall CHM
neys pouring forth black smoke to
blacken and make unhealthy the at
mosphere. Clean streets, clean build
lngs, perfect system for the removal
of garbage combine to give the city
and advantage over the hustling man,
ufacturing city of the east and west.
The Water supply.
Washington receives its water sup
ply from the Potomac river. This
river, flowing between clay banks,
often presents a muddy appearance
and visitors have often commented
upon the brownish tint of the water
Physicians, however, are united in the
opinion that Potomac water, as fur
ntshed from the great reservoir near
Great Falls, is not in any way I'M
healthy and in fact it is maintained
that the banks of clay between which
the river flows serve in themselves as
a sort of natural filter.
There are many wells in the city, all
closely bricked up and carefully in
spected. AS soon as the water in a
we'll is discovered to be unfit for use
the well is closed and filled up.
Again, there are many springs within
the district furnishing pure, spark
ling water oftimes full of medicinal
properties. Water companies supply
these spring waters to Washington
residents at small expense and many
families the year around use nothing
else lin the line of water) for table
use.
The Inspection OF Meats.
The meat consumed in Washington
is subject to rigid inspection both
at the stOck-yards and the slaughter
houses. This is different system
from that in force in New York where
the meat is only inspected in the
yards. Those in charge of the dis
trict food inspection maintain that a
great many things might pass unno-
tfced in the stock yards, which would
readily be detected in the slaughter
house after the meat has passed
through the hands OF the butcher.
Here it is that tuberculosis is discov-
cred, If any exists, and the meat leaves
the slaughter house about as clean
and pure as is possible for meat to
be.
Condemned meat is treated here
much as it is in Chicago and New
York. The carcass is marked with a
large tag with three separate coupons.
The coupons bear corresponding num-
bers and are signed by the inspector.
The inspector removes the first cou-
pom and sends it, signed, to the de-
partment of food inspection of the
district government. When the car
cass reaches the offal pen, the second
coupon is removed, signed and for
warded to the department. The, last
coupon is removed and sent in as a
check when the carcass reaches the
dumping ground for all such mate
rial
Inspection of Milk supply.
The inspection of diaries and milk
is undoubtedly one of the most diff
cult and troublesome which confronts
the officials in the entire work of food
inspection.
Washington is supplied with milk
by diaries which are scattered through
the district. Maryland, Virginia, and
territory included within radius
of some twenty miles of the capitol.
Congress grants sufficient appropri-
ationfor the inspection of milk within
the district and that part of Mary
land lying near the city but only the
sum of $1,000 per year is allowed for
the inspection of milk in that part of
Virginia lying Immediately opposite
the capital, from which comes large
portion of the milk consumed at
Washington.
However, this territory has been so
divided amogn the milk inspectors
that Virginia comes under a rigid sur
vigilance as does the district and
Maryland.
There seems studied and deter
mined effort upon the part Of dairy
men to avoid the laws regulating the
proper housing and air space allow
ance for cows. Every sort of sub
terfuge and deception is practiced;
for instance, 1t is a favorite trick of
the dairy man to drive up six or eight
well conditioned cows for the inpec-
ton representing them to be the sum
total of his live stock when in fact
there are several others hid away in
the woods that are far from being in
as good condition. The questions
of enforcing the rules for adequate .
room and sufficient pasturage for cat
tie seems to be one of the most en-
barrassing to the inspectors.
Fish and Oysters.
The inspection Of the sea products