New-York tribune., 1908-08-11
GLEANINGS.

1t is amusing occasionally. when listening to the
muckrakers or to those who mourn for the good
old times to reflect how very much worse thoss
good old times were than the present Degenerate
days 1 isn't necessary to go back 70 the roooer
barons- The brief and troubled history OF ChicasS
is enough. In 1919 the dear. simple. old days De-
fore the war. Chicago's death rate was $50
thousand-an enormous figure II decreased steadiiy
until, since 1900 there has been only one year ID
which it exceeded Is a thousand Its most gisantls
leap downward was taken on January II. 1870,
when the drainage canal was opened This re-
versed the flow of the Chicago River and sent
food Of clean Lake Michigan water s"eepins
through the city and of through varied channets
into the Mississippi River. No one not there on
that memorable date can realize the transfornla-
ton Under the very eyes of the behoiders the
foul. polluted. torpid stream changed TO ciean'
bright Chicagoans used to hold their noses
crossing that river. and Il an Old chicago 1oAe
that could commit suicide in the river pc
he could sink the water being nearly
thick cold molasses- Now excursion oOats
ply on that river and swimming matches are heio
in it. The change has not only removed plague
from the city. but it has removed she drainage o.
Chicago from Lake Michigan. which supplies the
city's drinking As a result. IN 800. onS
one city OF more than 10000 population IN the
United States had a lower general death rate tnan
ChicagO-Milwaukee. only One-seVenth as I4I
Chicago's death rate 20 cent lower tnan
that OF Boston and than IS per cent lower
than New York Philadelphia In lsSl ChlcasO
all civilized cities in the world That rate mas oeen
reduced more than 50 per since the canal was
opened in 1900 For eight years before the cnanhsi
opened the death rate from diarrhOeal diseases was
20 90 per cent For the eight years since II mas oeeh
1856 actual saving of 1850 infant lives which
shows how very far the causes OF infant oearn
lie beyond the mothers power IN city NE now
the tenderest ties in life are bound UP with tnins
which seems so far -removed-munic1pal govern
ment.
In Mrs Hunphry Wards now famous letter
to The London Times" in which she related ner
winters discoveries in the United states sne
said that the woman suffrage movement was aCIISs
here during the second third of the nineteenth
century. but now almost extinct OWING 70
the organized opposition of women NIrs- Ju-Ia
Ward Howe, author OF The Battle hymn OF the
Republic has answered Mrs Ward Sne remarks
drflv that having lived nearly ninety years IN
America she thinks she may be better Informed
on the subject than person who mas mace one
tourist trip through the country Mrs Howe
says that she remembers the second third or the
nineteenth century very well. also the suffrage
movement at that time. as she in il She
SAYS the movement was then very small and un-
popular in the United States and was the object
of unlimited rfdicule. II has grown steadily in
numbers and strength ever since" As TO the or
ganized opposition OF women" Mrs Howe deposes
that out of forty-six states thtrty-three have
suffrage associations and only four anti-sunrage
associations despite the fact that all the former
associations charge dues, while the latter do not
In Chicago ninety-seven organizations OF women
petitioued for suffrage in the new city
charter and against il When the referen-
dunn on suffrage was taken in Massachusetts the
wouen's vote was for it twenty-five 70 one In
New York State the suffragists secured 100000
siguers to their petitions at the time OF the con-
stitutionaI convention while the "antis' secured
5000 Corresponding results have been obtained
in Michigan, Maine. Iowa, Kansas and every
where that women have petitioned for and
against, says Mrs. Howe
Italia Garfbald a granddaughter OF the great
Italian patriot is at the head OF the Methodist
Girls Home School Rome Miss CIaribaldt IS a
Methodist. a graduate from a Methodist school N
Rome.
Persons who congratulate themselves that they
are getting real honey when they buy in the comb
will be pleased TO that the original contents
are often drained OF the comb and glucose
poured in for the market.