The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1913-08-15
Wild CAT CHUTE
DISEASE BREEDER
SAY OFFICIALS
Complete Investigation Made by DR..
Clark, Fire Chief Lind and
Officer Terry. 1
NONE OF HOUSES FIT TO
COVER HEAD OF A HUMAN

Health Officer Clarke, Fire Chief
Lind aud Police Officer Terry yes
terday morning made complete
and thorough inspection OF the
houses and premises fronting on
Commercial avenue and Twelfth
street and those fronting on Halli-
day avenue, known as wild Cat
Chute"
The owners Of this property
Clancy and Hannon nave been mall
ed notices to Immediately abate the
nuisances, complain of in the fol-
lowing signed address to the pub
lie:
Never In years have we been able
to understand and appreciate the
happy state OF our afflicted friends.
The blind, the deaf and dumb mute
the cancerous growth of the nose
subjects, all have a compensation
for their afflietion.
After our trip OF this morning we
are sure of more serious affections
| than the ones mentioned above.
Think of seeing white woman,
in rags. dirty, suffering from in
durable disease, squatted on floor
of fifth struggling for breath. Her
only ventilation window opening
above n pile OF human offensive
matter from the second floor above
her room. Her body covered only
| in places by the dirtiest OF rags, her
| every breath a struggle. a coffee pot,
a bedtiek Of paper and straw,
| laundry stove of one plate, all in
room Sx10. Think or the walks
between houses SO Uttered with
lnlth that the stencil sickened US.
only one outhouse to fifty people,
and all colored, with the exception
of this one white woman This
place built above the grouad, side
| boards torn off, and the odor con-
| stituting the available fresh air
needed for the many inmates. Sey-
eral were asked what rent they
paid. six bits a week" was the
answer and this for only one room
ften feet square. Great holes in The
floor, plaster off the ceiling, shingles
| long since used for fuel, dirt, damp
ness, litter, all a picture OF squalid
| contentment. Inside rooms a re-
eepticle for meat bone. rags, old
bread, old clothes, filthy old bed
clothing all piled together in decay
and rot. This condition present
able one for the dining room down
stairs and we visited two eating
places.
Have yon readers ever seen a
large, green fly, the kind inhabiting
the old time slaughter house, the
kind seen lowering over decayed
FISH? We saw millions and not a
screen or window to protect.
We saw people eating in their
rooms not ten feet from the clubhouse
and the same green fly close COM
panion to the dinner. We found
one little colored boy making his
home here and what can be his fu-
ture7 The Jail And this Is far
better than life in Wild Cat Chute.
Such buildings in use for the
| housing of human beings are not
| seen in any other city in the State
of Illinois. Holes In the floor that
make convenient places to hide
refuse, inside rooms a receptacle for
bedding used in times of sickness,
dlth in every conceivable form.
Why should we not have epidemios
of all sorts where such conditions
exist?
"What is the moral of this?"
viii we blame the negro and the
poor white woman, or will we 20 to
tho origin OF such trouble and by
calling spade a spade, to correct
this most horrible condition.
That such a place is a breeder OF
disease and crime, goes without say
ing. and that for such a place to
remain is a reflection on the owners
| Of this property.
We positively know that the
owners of this property have never
seen the true conditions because it
/ is impossible for citizens to be SO de-
void of civic pride as to permit q
2 continuance of this most disgraceful
state Of afaffirs.
| Hardly could there be an excuse
2 for this, If the rbntals derived
thcrefrom was bread and butter to
e the owners but we know this not
4 to be the case and as Officers Of the
! city of Cairo we wish the owners OF
: this nuisance to remove same with
S out recourse TO the law
We are serving a notice OF cor
= rection to the property owners this
5 date. giving ample time for the
e manifestation Of proper spirit and
we trust they may see the business
Of this act. hut. such conditions
should net remain in Cairo and
+ will not remain, of the laws govern
! ing cur city are sound
POLICE OFFICER TERRY,
FIRE CHIEF LIND.