The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1913-05-07
CLEANUP REACHES
BUSINESS SECTION
Much Trade Waste Removed
From Skyscraper and Fac
tory Districts.
CHILDREN TAKE BIG PART
Campaign To-Day Includes Sec
ton East of Fourteenth Street.
Public Responding.

Richmond business buildings yielded
up the secrets of their cellars to the
shovel-and cart brigade OF tho Street
Cleaning Department yesterday. The
section bounded by First. Fourteenth
and Leigh Streets and the river was
the object of the days campaign, and
although the territory was relatively
small. the work was found to be heavy.
IL included the famous skyscraper dis
trict. the region of negligent janitors
and of twenty offices. one above the
other: and also the factory section
The "forwardlooking" business people
or Richmond saw fine chance to get
a large quantity of junk hauled away
ut one fell swoop, and they brought
forth their treasure without stint
The business people co-operated
splendidly to the extent of putting out
tons of rubbish for us to carry away"
said Superintendent Henry j. Cohn, OF
the Street Cleaning Department. who
led the work in person, but they gave
us great deal of trouble by mixing
up all sorts of material. l am sure
that the Easements of some OF the
big buildings gave up the accumula-
TONS of at least fifteen years"
Must Sort the junk.
MIR. Cohn explained that it is espe-
cially necessary to separate the com
bustible from the noncombustible ma
terial, as the one goes to the crema-
tories and the other to the dumps
Wherever possible. people should burn
their own waste paper and similar ma
terial, as they can thus save a great
deal Of trouble. In the residential sec
ton, where there are occasional vacant
lots. the cleaners made frequent bon
hres. leaving man behind to watch
them, thus disposing of large guam
titles OF waste literature: but in the
closely built business section this was
practically impossible
In spite of the formidable nature of
the task. the force succeeded in COM
pletinC the quarter Of the city mapped
out for the days work. and also in
finishing tho small section OF tho West
End which remained uncompleted on
Monday. More than 200 men were at
work from o'clock In the morning
until o'clock in the afternoon One
brigade goes ahead, placing barrels
and other receptacles where they will
be most accessible. and the carts and
leaders follow. The men have entered
into tho spirit OF the campaign. and
are doing n thorough and rapid job
Only few have been added to the
regular force. and II is stated that the
campaign Will be completed with very
little extra expense to the city.
The Children Help.
considerable part in the cleaning activ-
tiles. according to reports which are
coming in to Superintendent j. a. G.
Chandler. Cards were issued yester-
day to the children who had been on
vacation the day before. to be filled
out so as to show what part each
child had taken in the work. The com
plete reports have not yet been tab
ulated. but the partial results indicate
that the youngsters are making every
effort TO have the cleanup vacation
raised TO the dignity OF an annual
event. Thus in Elba School. 455 out
of go pupils certified that their houses
and yards had been thoroughly cleaned.
and that they had had a hand in the
work
Ruffner is the only school that fell
within the limits of yesterdays cam
paign, so that only about 500 children
were free, but nearly 5000 will be
turned loose tomorrow. The inteb-
ton is not that the children shall do
much work to-day. as the refuse is
supposed to have all been collected
but that they shall help in the work
the afternoon preceding and enjoy the
holiday as reward. They have re-
ceived regular instruction in civic duty
hygiene and sanitation for two weeks
preceding the campaign. and the holi-
day Is intended to make the impress
sion more vivid.
That the children took full advant-
ge OF it is very evident In the sec
tons where the campaign is In prog
ress. every day. as the parks and va
cant lots are full of them.
To-Day's Campaign.
The schools that will have a hoh-
day to-day. when the section east or
I Fourteenth Street will be cleaned are
Nicholson. Springfield. Fulton. Fair
mount. George Mason, Bellevue. Buch-
anan. Chimborazo and Jefferson. To-
/ morrow the remaining quarter Of the
! city Will he cleaned. and this will again
| bring holiday to several thousand
children. as Navy Hill. Baker, Monroe,
sidney (colored). Maury. Moore, Madi-
son. cambridge. Randolph. Newton.
| Powhatan. Sidney (white) and Arents
Schools are all in that section of the
city.
| Friday and Saturday will he devoted
| TO the cleaning of the streets and al
leys especially, and next week the
| same sections Will be covered on the
same days. This Will be merely the
finishing touches however. as the bulk