The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-07-07
ODOR is FIERCE"
Topeka Desiccating Company in
Trouble Again.
Condition of Their Place Is a
Disgrace.
HOGEBOOM LOOKS IN.
Head Of Health Board Finds
FrightfuI Conditions.
Members of Company Say
enemies" Are to Blame.

NJ S. Evans, ". L. Osborne and G.
c. Bowman. composing the Topeka
Desiccating company. are threatened
with arrest by H. B. Hogeboom, city
physician. because of the alleged filthy
condition of the crematory plant east
of the city on the banks of the Kansas
river.
Il am going to have warrants is
sued and have every member of that
firm arrested, - said DR.. Hogeboom this
morning. I have notified the sanitary
sergeant. Mr.. Pattison. TO have the
warrants sworn to. shall proceed
at once and further recommend to the
council that the contract which exists
between the city and the desiceating
company be revoked because of their
failure to comply with its terms"
The determination of the city physi-
clan is the result of a trip of inspection
made to the plant by DR.. Hogeboom
and Sanitary Sergeant Pattison Friday
afternoon
The trip is the outcome of numer-
Gus complaints which have been
lodged with the mayor and the board
of health by residents living in the
near vicinity of the plant. The con-
ditiOn of affairs at the plant is de-
seribed by the city physician as being
very bad.
ii. S Evans, a member of the
desiccating firm, says that the COM
plants against the way the plant IS
run are made by enemies of the firm
who wish to get hold of handling the
garbage.
when I got there yesterday after
noon said DR.. Hogeboorn. there We're
spoiled eggs lying all about on the
road on the outside of the plant on the
enclosure about the grounds. A great
J. of al o carload of
them. were in one of the furnaces with
no fire and the furnace door open,
small fire smouldering in the other
furnace and the stencil was rising
from this strongly, while two dead
horses were lying on the floor in an
other part of the plant. Night SOIL
was dumped out of pipe that was
sticking out of the water and the re-
fuse was heaped up at the bottom OF
ssThe odors were something fierce.
You could notice them a good distance
off from the plant. It's no wonder
that the people around about nave
complained about it,
s'Those eggs were burned last night"
said c. c. Bowman, member of the
desiccating company. I'VE always
burn the eggs IN the evening. The
horses were only brought there in the
morning and we we're waiting for
man to skin them We had engaged
pipe that runs out in the river was
long enough until the water in the
river went down We are going to
build on to that right away. know
there is little smell about plant
of that sort; you can't help having
little odor we are going to keep
close watch over It. however. We ex-
pect to take turns about superintend-
ing the plant personally
I'VE have got some enemies IL that
part of the city who are always try
ing to stir UP trouble said Evans.
''They telephone to the board of
health that a dead dog or cat is lying
around down there when there is moth
ing Of the sort. One man down there
would like to superintend the plant,
responsible for the trouble that is al
ways raised. IF they want to revoke
the contract which we have let them
go ahead and do it,
Failure to handle garbage is also
one of the shortcoming which Mr.
Pattison makes against the desiccat-
ing company.
They don't care for this garbage
because there is not enough money in
it for them. said he. IT have had
number of people want to pay for
hauling away their garbage, and the
company passes them up All that
they care to haul is the night soil.
To complicate matters still further.
the property of the deslccating com
pany has been sold to the Santa Fe.
and under the terms the railroad
company may take charge at any
time Without a crematory plant the
desiccating company would be IN hard
lines. I'VE would have to hunt
around for a new location, I guess.
said Bowman. 1.-THE city could pick
out a new site. one that would not
be Objectionab BILE"
It will take up the matter with the
board of health" said Councilman
Sinner who is the head of the health
and sanitation committee.
What the city needs Is to create
the Office of city scavenger. and have
city dumps and dump this stuff and
burn it under the direction of the city
scavenger." said Councilman Swend-
SON The city of Albuquerque has an
ordinance that 7 think is a good one.
They divide their town into three dis
tricts and have dump for each dis
trict. over which the scavenger pre-
sides"
municipal crematory Is what the
city physician viii propose as a solu-
ticn out Of the difficulty.