Year: 1879

THEY SMELL RANK TO HEAVEN.


Those Stock-Yard stinks, like the poor, We
have always with us. It takes careful re-
reading of TIE TRBUNE's annual Trade Re-
view, and several estimates as to how many
times the cattle and hogs would reach around
the earth that are otherwise disposed Of in
Chicago to compensate for single Whit Of
the dreadful stenches that tpermeate the
atmosphere these cool, clear nights. A dis
tinguished gentleman, recently on a visit to
this city, WAS taken out for drive one after
noon to inspect the greatness and beauties
of Chicago, but begged pitifully to be spared
and brought back to his hotel when lie had
gone far enough south to be on'a parallel
with the stink urea. In spite Of the earnest
labors Of Health Commissioner .DEWo1F; in
spite of the ceaseless lamentations of the
public; in spite Of the apparently successful
prosecutions in the courts; in spite of the
fulsome promises Of the renderers; in spite
Of the police power Of the city, which in
this instance extends beyond the imits,-in
spite of everything, these mephitic blasts
from the Stock Yards and thereabouts threat
en- to go on forever. We begin to fear that
the Courts and prosecutors we're too lenient
in consenting to suspension Of penalties in
some cases, and non-prosecution in others,
On the pledge Of the stink generators to re-
form. The renderers contend now that they
shaye adopted the proper deodorizing ma
chinery md use it regularly, but they don't;
they contended in the same manner before
the prosecutions, and it was demonstrated
that they lied about it. As rule, the men
engaged in business which produces o
nuisance do not carry the typical hatchet;
they may be most exemplary citizens in
other respects, but they will not tell
the truth about the origin Of noxious
gases; they declare in tho most en-
phatic manner TINT they have all the
requisite facilities for killing or sitting the
stinks when they haven't it, and that they
make constant uss Of these facilities when
they don't. Eternal vigilance is the price Of
exemption in this case. The rendering es-
Establishments must be watchednight and day,
and it must be the special business Of some
body to do tae watching. Health Commits
sioner DEWo1F has learned this from e1pe-
rience. The license receipts from the
slaughtering rendering establishments
amount to about $4,000 year, and DR..
DEWo1F asks that ST, 400 Of this sum be set
aside to pay two men and keep horse for
running down the stinks whenever they make
themselves known. This request is entirely
reasonable, and it suggests tho only
way in which the responsibility for
the nuisance can be fixed in every case.
The demand has found some opposition, on
the theory that there is no authority for
using the license funds IN this way; but the
very plea which secured the sanction Of the
courts for these licenses permits and exacts
that the money be used in this way. The
Supreme Court sustained the right Of the
city to license these establishments On the
ground that it:wns necessary for police regu-
1ation. The revenue derived from these
licenses can be used in NO other way so well
calculated to benefit the city. There will
then be officers with the special duty Of run