The broad ax., 1916-05-06
BE A GOOD NEIGHBoR.

H016ekeeperS, listen TO tnls, eePccldi'
ly you good women who dwell in apart
ments. You love to keep things In
order, don't youf You are lovers OF
cleanliness in your homes. The win
dows are clean; your china, glassware
and silver shine; your pantry and ice
box are free from dirt. Of course,
they are.
But how about few little things
that you overlook Things that have
to do with the comfort and with the
health of your immediate neighbors.
There is a young mother with little
baby living in a hive of twenty-four
apartments; never mind where, though
these happen to be on the North Side,
in a very fashionable neighborhood.
She is a fond mother, very happy and
very much liked by everybody. She
is a clean little woman, who appreciates
the value of fresh air and the purify
ing properties of sunshine.
The other day this mother had as
usual hung out the baby's clothing IN
the SUN. The clothes had not been
there long when, from the back porch
of the fat overhead, came cloud Of
dirt from sweeping and the shaking
of rugs on the railing. The rugs were
out of the rooms occupied by case OF
measles. But whether measles or
diphtheria, scarlet fever, or none OF
these, it was dirt that rained down on
the baby's things; and the little moth
er pretty soon collected these and took
them in to the baby, not knowing that
they had been polluted from the
thoughtlessness of the neighbor over
head.
Section 1437 of the City Ordinances
pertains to rug beating and is as fol-
lows:
"DUST, FEATHERS, NOX1OUS
MATTERS.-No lime, ashes or other
substance that is in a similar manner
liable to be blown by the wind shall
be sieved or agitated or exposed, nor
shall any mat, carpet, or cloth be
shaken or beaten, nor any cloth, yarn,
garment, or material or substance be
secured or hung, nor any business be
conducted over or in any street or pub
lie place or where particles therefrom
set in motion thereby will pass into
any such street or public place or into
any occupied premises; and no usual
or reasonable precaution shall be omit
ted by any person to prevent frag-
ments or other substances from falling
or dust and light material flying into
any street, place, or building, from any
building or erection while the same is
being altered, repaired, or demolished.
Penalty $500 to 100000"
Lime and ash dusts containing al
kalies breathed into the lungs irritate
the delicate mucous Innings of the air
passages, make them susceptible to dis
ease and afford means of ready en-
trance for the germs of pneumonia,
colds, and grippe. Dust from garments
and rugs frequently is laden with dis
ease bacilli, and care is necessary to
prevent them from becoming dissemin-
ated through the air, breathed into the
lungs, or falling upon foods that are
to be eaten raw or uncooked. One
ought never to eat foods that have
been exposed without washing, peel
ing, or scalding.
Housecleaning every Friday is a
good habit to cultivate, and the yearly
roundup of dirt in May is an exelama-
ton mark of household self-respect;
but while we shake the dust of dis
respect off our feet and dislodge the
community dirt from our clothes and
curtains, let us see to it that it does
not fly into the eyes and noses of the
fellows over the way.