davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star., 1955-07-17
BY JOHN sTEPP

The problem Of rubbish dis
posal dates from the beginning
Of time.
''It started" says one Federal
official, when Adam ate that
forbidden apple and threw down
the core in the Garden Of Eden
At a not-too-later date the
Valley Of Gehenna became Q
place Of abomination ultimately
regarded as hell itself. It's re
putation was built largely on the
fact that 1t was the trash re-
ceptacle Of the city Of Jerusalem
Long Road Ahead
The United States has come q
long way since but nowhere
near far enough--in the field Of
rubbish disposal.
Eve are only in q Renaissance
period OF trash" is the way that
Leo Weaver, sr.. sanitation ex-
pert with the United States Pub
lie Health Service, puts 1t.
"The whole problem is just
coming Of age. The trash dis
posal problem is now where the
sewage and water problems wert
80 years ago. The Nation is JUS
becoming aware Of It,"
Mr.. Weaver Is a dedicated
man who has clean fingernails
smokes an aromatic mixture ir
Ibis pipe and who Is as capable
LOT operating bulldozers as he Il
statistics.
He gets q kick driving a bull.
Evening star., 1955-07-17
Rubbish Problems Began
With Adm 5 Apple

dozer on projects demonstrating
how well trash can be compacted
into holes In the ground. After
all. skillful compaction Of pu-
trescent and nonputrescent
rubbish into sanitary landfills
still is the most generally used
and economical method Of han
ding the problem in most COM
munities.
Statistics Distress Him
The statistical scene. however,
tends to depress MI, Weaver.
Lass than 10 per cent Of the
$4,000 communities Of the
United States have satisfactory
means Of refuse disposal" he
reports.
This figure becomes pretty
ominous. considering that there
are about three cubic yards oi
trash generated per person per
year on q national average, ac-
cording to even outdated figures.
And the population Is greater
than 165 million. That's a lot
of trash to be generating.
The American Public Works
Association. aided by the Public
Health Service. : is currently
surveying the national scene tc
determine the shortcomings o1
rubbish disposal and to Offer
remedies. Aside from accumu-
|lating heaps ct rubbish statistics
stress viii be placed on the i'm
|portance Of proper rubbish dis
posal to the Nations health,
Evening star., 1955-07-17

|incinerator. Mr.. Hall said. The
city had To open the land I'LL,
however, to serve until. the in
Generator could be constructed
and for small-scale operations
afterward.
The incinerator will require
that garbage and trash be mixed.
In preparation for the opening
OF the plant. the City Council
started mixed collections July /,
since the land I'LL can handle
mixed refuse.
In addition, the council, as an
economy measure. reduced the
collections to once . week.
Previously garbage was picked
up twice q week and trash once
Mr.. Hall said that so far few
complaints have been received
despite the hot weather.
Mr.. Hall said the once-a-week
collection would mean Q saving
or $50. 900 a year. Twice-a-week
mixed collection was ruled out,
Mr.. Hall said. because it would
cost about $4,000 more than
once q week.
Evening star., 1955-07-17
COLLECTION CUTS
TRASH FIRES

One boon in increased
mass collection OF trash is o
slight reduction in the num-
Der of trash fires" which
used to keep volunteer fire.
men busy in suburban COM
munities.
"Now that the trash isn't
igniting brush all over the
place, we get few calls for
that type Of blaze" said one
fireman.
Evening star., 1955-07-17

tor be closed, but the volume Of
protests has diminished since
the incinerator went into opera
tion. The dump Is now used
trash that will not tit into the
mainly for burning brush and
furnaces. Before the incinera-
tor was opened. the county
burned all Of It's trash and gar
bage there.
Until two months ago. Arling-
ton was getting rid Of the in
cinerator residue at the Fairfax
County land-fill off Shirleg high
way. When Arlington was noti-
fed that 1t could no longer use
this site. it began dumping on
the old West Brothers tract.
south Of the Pentagon.
Mr.. Doe said he Is on the
lookout for new sites because
the tract will be filled In about
six months.
Evening star., 1955-07-17

than the national average. News
papers, magazines. pamphlets.
old reports and advertising
MATERIAL jam the trash cans
hereabouts.
on the other hand, the resi-
dents are sending lower than
average amounts Of garbage into
the stream of refuse. Practically
all the new homes being built
are equipped with garbage-dis-
posal units which empty into the
sewage system.
Some Commercial Collections
Government operation has not
completely squeezed out the pri-
vate collector, who provides serv-
Ice for commercial and Industrial
enterprises and finds lots of busi-
ness left In the rural sections.
Collection Of garbage as slop
for pigs Is on the wane because
of stricter regulations on the
cooking Of the garbage before
feeding. However. some hotels
here still separate. clean garbage
from other refuse and sell it to
piggeries.
AS population mounts In the
area, the heaps Of trash grow
biggerand open land IN which
to dispose of them grows scarcer.
Incarceration produces the least
residue, but ID al the local juris-
dictions, its q constant race to
build incinerators faster than
their capacity Is outstripped BY
the in-pouring Of refuse.
Evening star., 1955-07-17
Trash Is Solved
On Local Basis

Trash collection and disposal
In Prince Georges County Is
primarily q local municipal re-
sponsibility, and residents indi-
cate a general satisfaction with
the system employed.
Although the county is en-
titled to this service by the
Washington Suburban Sanitary
Commission, Prince Georges has
never asked for it. preferring to
handle the problem on its own.
In the unincorporated towns
and some rural areas. trash is
collected by several private
firms by contract either. with
individual home owners or with
residential developments as q
unit.
The county is relatively free
OF long-standing complaints
from residents about trash
CO4lCSt1OA1s
Possibly this is because they
have easy access to their mu-
nicipal officials.
The remote location Of the
Anacostia land fill In the Kenil-
worth area also precludes COM
plants about the usual uri-
pleasantness accompanying the
operation of dumps.
This large dumping area serves
the entire county and most OF
Montgomery. Opened in April
1854, it is operated by the Sani-
tary Commission and closely
supervised by their officials un-
der frequent inspection by State
health officers. The operation Ii
called a sanitary land I'LL, with
the debris treated with lime and
carefully dispersed so that the
area when filled can be covered
over and be placed In use.
Use of the land I'LL has greatly
reduced collection problems be-
cause cofnbustible and noncom-
bustible wastes no longer have tc
he separated.
Because Of local municipal re-
|sponsibility and an adequate
private collection system, the
county officials have never beer
faced with trash problems.
The present board Of commits
sioners, however, has referred on
several occasions to the possible
lity that the county win be re-
lquired eventually to establish 9
Bureau Of Sanitation which
would include trash collections
lafnong its functicrsS.
Evening star., 1955-07-17

Arlington Is eliminating one
Of its major headaches in trash
and garbage disposal with .
t980.000 incinerator addition.
Still unanswered is the ques-
ton Of how to handle miscel-
laneous trash other than by
burning 1t on the old county
dump. Also under study is the
problem Of finding new sites for
disposing Of incinerator residue.
Expansion of the incinerator
plant, which was authorized by
the voters in a referendum last
fall. is expected to get under
way this September and be
completed a year later.
Shift Basis Planned
Completion of the project will
mean that the county can oper-
ate the incinerator on a maxi
mum of two eight-hour shifts q
day instead of on the present.
unsatisfactory around-the- clock
basis.
The plant. of Route / at
South Glebe road. now has two
furnaces that can take care of
about 200 tons Of refuse in "a
hours. The addition will provide
space for three furnaces. One or
two furnaces will be added. de-
pending on the building bids
submitted in August, and on
how much money the county
saves by acting as its own gen.
eral contractor.
F. H. Doe, jr., sanitary engi-
neer, said it was necessary to
put the crane-bin plant on a
24-hour-a-day operation because
Of increases in the population
and in the amount Of refuse per
resident.
Another factor. he said, wa.
that the character Of the refuse
had changed because of the pop
ularity of packaged foods. Mr.
Doe explained that this resulted
In the refuse containing q high
er percentage Of trash. which
Is more difficult to burn thar
garbage.
100 Tons Daily
The incinerator opened Il
1851 on an eight-hours-a-da.
basis but went to two shifts I
day In 1853. The county's 2.
trucks now collect about $50 Il
100 tons a day. In 1851. tn
daily collection was about IL
or 40 tons.
The cost Of burning and resi-
due disposal is now 80 Q ton
double the amount needed Il
1851.
Residents are still urging tina
the old dump near the incinera
Evening star., 1955-07-17

and shifting 1t to its last rest
ing place.
More and more Government
Is being called upon TO cope
with the problem. In Prince
Georges County, towns have set
|up collection systems. but else
where refuse collection and dis
posal Is handled on q broader
base.
Dumps Disappearing
IN the rush toward eficiency.
the oid.fashinned, germ laden
and sometimes, rat-infested--
dump Is disappearing.
Incinerators are taking the
place of dumps In the densely-
populated areas like the District
and Arlington and Montgomery
counties and the city Of Alex
|andria.
Landfills are the second choice
for disposing Of refuse, but these
require sfzeable chunks Of low
lying land away from residen-
tial areas.
Placement Of a landflll ct
F,airIand in Montgomery County
set on louder protests than those
which arose when refuse charges
were increased in 1858.
Home owners seem less dis
posed to quibble about the price
of collection than they do about
the urgency Of establishing 9
standardized, dependable system
which will guarantee the empty
ing Of trash cans on Q given day
at q given hour.
Neighborhood Burners Protested
Once the system Is set up,
home owners, particularly in the
suburban Developments. are like
ly to have little patience with
the jealous neighbor who likes
to burn trash between collec-
tions. Such zealots have found
themselves herated as q class IN
recent letters to newspapers.
Part Of the urging to burn
stems from the mountains Of
paper which hit metropolitan
area homes In greater quantities
Evening star., 1955-07-17
Incineraior Due
In Alexandra

An $s00.00o incinerator now
under construction should take
care Of Alexandria's trash and
garbage disposal problem for
many years, according TO Philip
Han. public works director.
The incinerator. which Is ex-
pected to be ready for use by
July /. 1856, is rising On the site
Of the old city dump which was
once an eyescre and . target for
many citizen complaints.
The dump was covered over
with I'LL dirt and now also IL the
site Of . new sewage disposal
plant which is under construc-
tion. It Is located on Hunting
Greek at the end Of South Payne
street.
Can Be Expanded
The incinerator is designed to
serve q population Of about
100, 1000 and can be expanded to
serve approximately 10000, Mr..
Hall said. The city's population
now Is estimated at $4,000.
The city currently disposes Of
its trash and garbage in . land
I'LL at the end Of Mill road be-
tween Hunting Greek and the
Southern Railroad tracks. Mr..
Hall said the city will continue
to use the land I'LL after the in
goes into operation to
dispose of ash from the in-
cinerator and to dispose of items
too big to be burned.
Mr.. Hall said the city had to
begin sanitary land-flll opera
tions after the city quit selling
its garbage to hog farmers about
three years ago. When the. hog
farmers were required by the
State to stop feeding raw gar
bage the city had to look around
for another means to dispose Of
its garbage.
Complained About Dump
Citizen complaints about un-
sanitary conditions at the old
dump and the lack Of land
within the city for large-scale
dumping operations were the
reasons for the move for an
Evening star., 1955-07-17
Foiirfox Trash Collecting
Beset by Difficulties

now come from houses that are
missed. When you consider that
the trucks travel $4,000 miles .
month collecting from 10000
homes once . week it Is easy
to figure how q house is missed
once in q while.
Regular weekly service is con-
fined to about "a square miles
Of the urban section Of the
county. known as Sanitary Dis
tricts No. / and 4.
Before the county began coll
lections, many subdivisions had
contracts with private collectors.
But the private collectors weren't
willing to go to all, thes subdiyi-
sions scattered here and there.
The county decided TO take over.
In the first year q 25-cent tax
levy was imposed In the two
sanitary districts to get the sery-
ice started. The tax levy was
changed to q nat $1s charge per
household this year.
Rural Service Planned
Income from the service pays
the salaries Of the A collectors
who man the II trucks. and also
pays for operation Of the sani-
tary land I'LL the county operates
to dispose Of its trash and gar
bage. The land I'LL is located for
the present at Shirley highway
near Edsall road.
The county is preparing to try
out q rural trash pickup plan.
Trucks are to be stationed at
seven specified locations through
out the rural area every other
Saturday where people can come
to dispose of their refuse.
The rural service Is being tried
to help cut down on the amount.
OF roadside trash.
The sanitation department also
tries to make trucks available
whenever civic groups decide to
do . cleanup job on some lit.
tered roadside. County santa
tion men also work with the
State Highway Department
whenever they have time 70
clean up roadside trash.
Evening star., 1955-07-17
Disposal
in Districl

washington spends some $5.5
million q year to get rid Of Its
Of trash and garbage
Sanitation Supt. William A
Xanten, who heads q 4 1.530-mar
force, counts As million cubic
yards OF rubbish going through
his disposal mill annually, along
with 305 900 cubic yards of street
sweepings and 10000 cubic
yards Of garbage.
With a new $2.5 million In
cinerator on the future public
works schedule. the city looks
forward to q virtually complete
incinerator system by the early
1960s.
40 Pct. Burned in Open
Meanwhile. the three present
incinerators can handle about
so per cent Of the total rubbish
production. The rest is burned
in the open on The Kenilworth
land fill.
washington devours reading
matter Of all kinds-but not
Of course, and so 1t
lands on Mr.. Xanten's trash
heap to help make up q per
capita rubbish production OF
$50 pounds a year. The figure
has doubled in the last 20 years
Street sweepings. including
leaves from the city's many
trees, are incinerated, deposited
on land fills or. compossed. Four
teen leaf blowers grind UP leaves
and produce compost for the
park service.
The District annually collects
about 100000 cubic yards Of
garbage. a decreasing product
with the mounting use Of frozen
foods. Nearby pig feeders pick
UP hotel and restaurant output.
Transfer Of Garbage
At the garbage transfer sta
tion, most OF the collection is
turned over to pig feeders, and
other quantities are ground and
into the sewer sys-
tenn. Stubborn things like banana
stalks and chicken feathers are
shipped to the sanitary land I'LL
station at Cherry Hill, Va, and
buried.
The Districts practice Of
handling garbage and trash sep'
arately makes disposal cheaper,
says 1a.ssr xanten. It is impera-
tive that trash be handled sep
arately II 1t Is to burn In the
open, since the debris In the
first place wouldn't burn with
garbage mixed in.
Ashes, totaling about 10000
cubic yards q year and also or
the decline, are used as base
for alleys and by contractors.
The sanitation division also
must take care Of some $4,000
catch basins the traps leading
to sewers at every corner, which
fill up with silt and produce
about $4,000 cubic yards o1
a wear.
Evening star., 1955-07-17
Trash Disposal Becomes
Race With Accumulation A
By GEORGE FLYNN

bg-products Of Welto-do busy civilization create
continuing problem for the people who dispose Of them
In the Washington Metropolitan Area garbage and trash
Is burned, puried p1ed-but It can't be ignnred.
Since the end World War d. pressure developed
quicker cleaner Of removing the
Evening star., 1955-07-17
By MARY LOU WERNER

I. d d
Fast-growing Fairfax County
thought 1t had troubles until
|it went into the trash-collecting
business Is months ago.
Past difnculties with multi
million-dollar bond issues. zon-
ing and planning began to seem
tame when compared with COM
plants Of irate housewives over
trash collection.
F'airfax's experiences show 1t
isn't easy to establish trash and
garbage service especially in a
county where the subdivisions are
|stiil rather scattered and finding
roads is . task for experienced
explorers.
Snow Blocked Roads
As soon as trash and garbage
service was started In part Of
the county in January, 1854, the
first big problem was encountered
"a snowstorm. Many roads were
impossible. The county's II
trucks were stuck more often
than they were moving. And
through It all. the sanitation de-
pertinent was trying out new
routes until the service got es-
tablished on q satisfactory sched-
lule.
The snowstorm had hardly
passed when complaints began
Ito pour in. Jealous collectors,
anxious to impress the public
with the new service, carted
away just about everything In
the vicinity Of trash cans. One
mans garden spray disappeared.
Another woman complained that
she set down some blankets atop
the trash can for "just q second
land they had vanished with the
trash when she came back for
them.
A large wooden chaise Tongue
and mattress and sun chair were
reported missing from another
back yard. Even q swimming
pool - the small. department
store variety. disappeared. One
fearful woman complained that
her child's favorite toys-two
steam shovels and q jeep-were
victims Of the energetic trash
collectors.
Collectors Restrained
And SO 1t went. for months.
Sanitation Director Harry Hale,
Fred Grifith. who Is in charge
LOT operation and maintenance
for the Sanitation Department.
and James Scott, superintendent
of trash collection, finally per-
suaded the anxious collectors to
pick up only trash and garbage
In regulation-size containers.
Complaints have slowed down
4 a : - 4 a ~ - - 80 IL
Evening star., 1955-07-17
$3.50, 900 Incinerotor Job
Will Benefit Arlington

Arlington eliminating one tor closed but the volume Of
Evening star., 1955-05-08
Vienna, Austrio
]. ]. q, WashinQtOn

J. ]. F, washington
I am planning to go to work
in Vienna. Austria. in about
three weeks. If any of the
readers have lived there re-
Gently l would like to know
about the weather, the kind of
clothes needed. the prices of
clothing, i.e.. whether to take
any clothes or to depend on
buying there. Also the facil-
tiles for college study.
Evening star., 1955-05-08
Readers Clearing
House

going up to Canada. We plan
on AAA assistance and staying
in motels The trip is to be
made in July. We would great
ly appreciate any tips on points
of interest, or any general in
formation concerning the trip.
Thank you.
Evening star., 1955-05-08

Mrs. F. G.. L., HyattSUille
For the woman who inquired
about Jimmy Durante's Mrs.
CalabaSh" I would like to fur
nish the following excerpts
from the book "Schnozzola"
by Gene Fowler:
Many listeners have Won
dered about his closing
line when he says that
his manner changes to one OF
great seriousness and his voice
takes on a tender. emotional
depth. Who is Mrs. Calabash?
"Assuredly there is some
disguised significance here.
for Durante will change the
subject when questioned as to
identity. =.
when asked to reveal the
significance of the Calabash
farewells, Jim replied, that's
my secret. I want it to rest
where it is. -.
Various explanations have
been offered by Jimmy's
friends. One of his writer's
thinks that the name itself
was arrived at after hours OF
search by all concerned for an
odd name for the Durante pro-
gram. Other associates
have held that when Durante
received a letter from the wi
dowed mother of a small son,
she had written that she liked
Durante's program and that
her son always referred to him
as Uncle Jimmy
Durante replied to this let
ter, saying he would mention
the lady's name on his next
program. He kept this promise
with a Good night, Mrs. Gala
BASH" Later on that year he
added the words, wherever
you are
According to Lou Clayton.
it is quite unlikely that any
one ever will know what really
goes on in Jim's mind when he
says his solemn good nights
to Mrs. Calabash. However"
Lou added, 1T might very we'll
be that he is saying good night
to the spirit of Jeanne (his
wife) and covering up his SEN
timent with a kind of public
privacy. if there's such a thing.
That would be like him, to say
it out loud. where every one
can hear it, and keep the Sc
cret of his feelings inside him.
self, like a prayer to somebody
up in Heaven.
Evening star., 1955-05-08
Writer'S Magazines?

Mrs. J. w. r.. jr., HyattsUille
I have two years of The
Writer" May, 1852, to April,
1854 and three years of
Writer'S Digest" April, 1851,
to May. 1854. I'd be delighted
to give them to any one who
can come for them. Write me
through RICH.
Evening star., 1955-05-08
Coop Open Houses
B. w. r., Siluer Spring

d. W. ~, OUUeT SpTHy
The Montgomery County
Cooperative Nursery Schools
annual open house will be
held Tuesday. May 10. from
8 to 10 pm, at the Wheaton
Recreation Center, Viers Mill
and Claridge roads, Wheaton,
Md. All interested parents Of
3 and 4 year-olds are invited.
Applications are now being
accepted for the fall term be-
ginning in September.
Mrs. F. w. S., SilUer Spring
The Garden Cooperative
Nursery School in Silver Spring
will hold its annual open house
on Saturday, May 81, from 3
to S pm. at the school. Pre-
school-age children and their
parents are invited to attend.
Applications for September
enrolment of children, ages
212 to 5, are now being &C
cepted. The school is located
at 8005 Eastern avenue, Sill
yer Spring, Md.
Mrs. D. L., Washington
Rock Creek Gardens Co
operative Nursery School, 8207
Grubb road, between East
West highway and Sixteenth
street NV, will hold it's an
nual open house for mothers
and children the week of May
1920, 9:30 to HAS am.
All those interested in en-
rolling their 3 or 4 year-old
child for the fall term are in
vited to attend. Registration
Wednesday, May Is. from 2 to
4 pm.
Evening star., 1955-05-08
Mrs. E. E.. ArlinQton

W1S. z. e, Arlington
For Mrs. w. G. L., Wash
ington. I have heard that MRS.
Calabash" is the nickname of
Mr.. Powell, deceased, who was
one of the partners in the act
OF Clayton, Powell and Du-
rante.
Evening star., 1955-05-08
Trip Tips?

Y. c., Washington
Two couples plan to drive
to St. AIMS Shrine in Canada
and we would like to return
by way of Niagara Falls. We
shall be stopping in N. Y. City