Baxter Springs news. [volume] (Baxter Springs, Kan.) 1882-1919, 1917-12-27
CIVIC PRIDE IS
AWAKENING
BAXTER NO LONGER CON-
TENT TO WALLOW IN
IT'S OWN FILTH
PEOPLE DEMAND CLEANUP
Present Condition Dangerous
and Disgraceful-The City
Needs Enforcement Of
It's Present Laws

Baxter Springs, Kas., Dec. %, 1917
Editor News. City;
Dear Sirs:-
Cannot something be done to start
a clean up campaign in this city? The
conditions here are something deplor-
able and unless some means is taken
between now and March to do away
with The rubbish and filth that is ac-
cumulating behind out stores and
business houses, we stand a good
chanre Of having to fight an epidemic.
1t is almost impossible for travel
ers to go up and down our alleys for
The ytranch of outbuildings and cess
pools that are either open or exposed,
these toilets which were authorized
some months ago by our Mayor and
councilmen are not being cleaned out
periodically as was intended, indeed
some of them present an appearance
that would suggest the back yards Of
IN Arkansas railroad camp.
Such conditions should not exist in
town that advertises itself to the
world as the very best place in which
10 invest money. This coalition
catches the eye of the stranger and
the prospective buyer the first thing
when he starts out to get view Of
the town; as a matter Of fact we have
no public scavangers hired or in
touch with any who will take care oil
this feature of public work; other
cities and other states make it obli-
gatory for individuals to clean up
such places and impose fine if the
work is not done every month or ev-
cry so often.
Our streets are clogged with sur
face water; crossings are allowed to
stand in mud until a lady or child
wadcs slush to q depth Of sometimes
three inches in getting over our main
streets. This is poor advertising. One
or two men paid only ordinary work
ing wages could at least keep the main
street crossings cleared three or four
times a day and in so doing invite
shoppers onto the streets instead OF
forcing them to stay at home during
such weather as we have had in the
past two weeks.
The crossings from the NJ. o. &
G. depot to town for a distance Of
about 200 feet east of that building
is nothing less than qungmire and
looks like bunch of cattle had been
rounded up on the walks to. KEEP
them out of the mud. BY some freak
of engineering our old council
thought best to "invert" several OF
our main street crossings with the
result that the walks are buried un-
der from two to six inches Of mud
whereas they should have been high
in the centers and higher than the
street on both sides; to get across
such places we notice people take to
the middle of the road rather thar
take chances on getting floundered ir
trying to locate these brick crossings
We are not speaking Of streets, the
conditions we know are bad but thai
will be taken care of shortly; we de
plead for something to be done t.
clean up the cess pools and toilet:
especially the latter which are bull
on the ground and which are an alb
omination of the flesh to say nothing
of the several senses that come int
play about the time such distastefu
sights are encountered.
Our Chamber Of Commerce has Sc
out to do some things; let US sugges
plan Of cooperation that can b
successfully worked between thii
body of four hundred men and tn
city fathers.
First, hire a public scavangeT
make it several, not one. Second, &c
an ordinance (if none now published
compelling all business houses and al
residents to maintain boxes in thei
toilets and see that these boxes ar
cleaned out every thirty days on pen
atty of fine If not done so; make then
buy lime and use it freely on thes
places. Next get out the street clean
ing department and see that cross
ings are cleaned every day when We
and sloppy weather makes II neeel
sary. Dig the rubbish out Of tn
drains and zee that the CUTTERS I