Evening Star Newspaper, January 7, 1898, Page 12

12 AN OPEN LETTER To MOTHERS. WE ARE ASSERTING IN THE COURTS OUR RIGHT TO THE. EXCLUSIVE USE OF THE WORD “CASTORIA,” AND “PITCHER’S CASTORIA,” AS OUR TRADE MARK. J, DR. SAMUEL PITCHER, of Hyannis, Massachusetts, was the originator of “PITCHER'S CASTORIA,” the same that has borne and does now on every bear the fac-simile signature of QA wrapper. This is the original « PITCHER'S CASTORIA” which has.heen used in the homes of the mothers of America for over thirty years. LOOK CAREFULLY at the wrapper and see that it is the kind you have always bought, CLUE: onthe and has the stgnature of ODN, Lied wrap- per. No one has authority from me to use my name except The Centaur Company of which Chas. H. Fletcher is President. March 8, 1897. Do Not Be Deceived. Do not endanger the life of your child by accepting a cheap substitute which some druggist may offer you (because he makes a few more pennies on it), the in- gredients of which even he does not know. “The Kind You Have Always Bought” BEARS THE FAC-SIMILE SIGNATURE OF ° 0 Insist on Having : The Kind That Never Failed You. HE CENTAUR COMPANY. VY MURRAY STACET. WEW YORK c:TY. A RELIC OF PAGAN DAYS. STERN SHORE. ON THE © to The “R” on a Physician's Prescrip- tion Once 2 Prayer to Jupiter. From the Chicago Post. Reminders of a time when mortals were supposed to have close intercourse with the gods come up now and then, and often in the most unexpected places. For example, there are some five thousand persons in Chicago who daily write invccations to Jupiter or Zeus. Many times t number give of their substance for these talismanic ciphers, hoping thereby to be rid of some bodily ill. Now, the curious part of this latter-day pagan worship is that those who make the sign of High Olympus’ king ha little, if any, thought of what they are doing, and those who eagerly seek the “parchments” never suspect the ing part in a medico-religious rite of the middie ages. In short, the “priests of Jupiter” are phys s and drugzi suppliants their patients or customer: the parchments ordinary prescription: In the left-hand upper corner of physician's prescription or druggist’s recipe may be found a letter “R," having a line drawn obliquely across its tall Not one person in ten who writes a pre- scription takes the trouble to recall the significance of that little stroke across the “R,” and not one in a thousand who carries a prescription to the dispenser knows anything at all as to the meaning of the symbol. Physicians and druggists’ text books tell us it stands for “recipe” and means “take of the following.” Many of those who write and dispense prescrip- tions will pause in their busy moments long enough to say it is a mere arbitrary sign and means little, if anything; but the student of ancient things finds in that well-known symbol a relic of the days when prescriptions had to be blessed of the gods to be effective, and will tell us it originally meant “May Jupiter or Zeus (or some other god who happened to be not over-busy at the time) bless this prescrip- tion and bring the patient health.” Archaeologists, while agreeing as to the antiquity of this medical symbol or talis- man, differ somewhat as to Its exact origi- nal meaning. The oldest form of the letter appears to have been a figure like the English letter “z.’" with the lower _heri- zontal part crossed with a scepter-shaped Ine. This, or some modification of it, has been from time immemorial the symbol of the planet Jupiter. And this is given as the season for placing it at the head of prescriptions, for the great planet, bearer of the name of the father of life, was be- Heved in olden days to have a peculiar and powerful influence over diseases. The sym- bol has also been generally described as simply the initial letter for Zeus, the Greek name for Jupiter. But this only accounts for part of it, as it makes no provision for the scepter-stroke, an object which, ac- companied or entwined by a serpent, was prominent in representations of Jupiter. Stull others have figured it as being made up of the initial and terminal letters of Zadakiel, the ange! and spirit of the great It is Easy Get a Living Over There. Calvin Dill Wilson in Lippincott’s. The eastern shore produces more table ieacies than any other region of equal and it is claimed that a family may enjoy the Inxuries of life cheaver where, and that the really poor nan live on the peninsula for less than anywhere else, save perhaps in parts of Asia. The poorest inhabitants of the peninsula are colored people. The rural negro there probably averages annually for his work less than two hundred dollars in cash, and many earn less than one and fifty dollars a year, while earn less than one hundred dollars Nevertheless, the negro of the is seldom without the means of appeasing his hunger and of clothing himself comfortably. The winter is always short and usually mild, while fuel is ex- tremely cheap, and in many parts to be had for tke gathering. !t has been esti- mated by those familiar with the country, and upon a basis of the cast of a slave's keep in the old days, that a man may supply his needs on the peninsula for about sixty dollars a year. I quote an author- ity which states that a cabin and a little patch of ground can be rented for twenty dollars a years. One thousand herring can be bought for fifty cents, and cured and barreled for fifty cents more, making one dollar in all. One hundred and eighty pounds of pork, at six cents a pound, cost ten dollars and eighty cents; eight hundred pounds of corn meal can be had for ten dollars; coffee, sugar and tobacco 2an be supplied for six dollars, and clothing for fifteen dollars; total, sixty-two dollars and eighty cents. patch for vegetables and feeding chickens. There is many a negro family living in just this fashion. The children provide wild berries as summer luxurles, and in good years peaches may be had for the asking. In summer the children wear little clothing, and in winter the cast-off rags of thelr parents suffice. If the family lives along a strip of salt water, there may be had crabs, clams, oysters, free. The nearest forest and the shores of the river and bay furnish fuel. But there are many there who live on even less than sixty dollars in cash per year; these hunt and fish throughout the year, find a bed in some other man’s cabin, pay for it in proceeds of rod and gun and wear some white man’s cast-off clothing. —_—<_—_-ee___— Few Shut Doors in Canada. rom the Montreal (Quebec) Witness. Canadians are known in Britain as the people who never shut doors. Where rooms are heated, as they are there, by grate fires, the opening of a door sets up an im- mediate draught, and if the person who opens it does not close it again he quickly there than els can hundred other The man also cultivates his planet. Some, taking it to be a combina-/} realizes his mistake, ff not in his own sen- tion of “R” and “L" have held that it! sations, then in the reproachful glances of might be derived from the name of others. The first lesson in manners taught to chi:dren is to shut the door, and that quietly. The door handle, the child is taught, is not only for the purpose of open- Ing a door, but of shutting it. The reason why Canadians do not learn to shut doors is that their doors, for the most part, stand open. The houses are heated with a gen- eral heat, and before the days of furnaces, unless the doors of the rooms stood onen, the rooms would, for the most part, get cold. Thus has grown the habit of leaving doors open. When a Canadian comes to a shut door he is prone to think that some- thing very private is going on within which he must not disturb, and his first impulse is to retire from it. Where we in Canada have a door which we want kept shut we put a spring on it, and so where there are many offices there is usually a general and constant slamming of doors. To one not accustomed to the jarring thus occasioned, the result is torture. In time kindly na- ture steps in and mitigates the evil by making the auditory nerve less and less susceptible to an accustomed sound. Ask a person who lives in a cathedral close, or under the shadow of one of our great churches; whether the bells do not disturb my his reply is: “Bells? I never hear them.” Raphael, angel of the sun, while one—Tay- lor—says, “This ideogram resolves itself into an arm, grasping a thunderbolt,” which is only another way of ascribing it to Jupiter. The bulk of testimony, therefore, seems to strengthen the first position, that the symbol is a fragmentary and obsolete medi- cal talisman, once potent with the unseen , but now meaning to the average on little more than $2, an ill-tasting mixture and, perhaps, improved health. +e. Many Common Superstitions. Dr. C. C Bombaugh to the Folk-lore Soclety. The world is indebted to folk-lore for the preservation and transmission from remote ages of customs, usages, rules, principles and precedents to an extent of which It is impossible to form an adequate idea. It . gces back to the primitive conceptions which have been taken up into the thought of civilized nations and interwoven into their religion and philosophy. There are yet those who believe in unlucky influences of the mgon, in unlucky days, such as Fri- day; in unlucky numbers, such as 13. In numbering the state room doors of first- elass steamships and the apartment doors of leading hotels the fateful number 13 is stuciously omitted. The horse chestnut, the rabbit's foot and the potato are still carried in the pockets of the credulous. ‘That crescent-shaped protection against evil spirits, tne horse shoe, is still nailed over doorways. Charms and amulets and talismans are still worn, the fashionable form today being the four-leaved clover. The mascot is not the exclusive possession of the gambler, nor is its antithesis, the voodoo, the inheritance of Creole communi- ties only, while the records of the stage show that actors still have their Jonahs. The witches’ cauldron is something more then a fading memory. Dreams and pre- monitions have not lost their alleged sig- nificance. Spectral illusions are still per- ceptible. Still clings the impression that “coming events cast their shadows before.” The horoscope still claims a bearing upon biman destiny. The divining rod is still used in search of subterranean springs or metaliferoug deposits. St. Swithin is still clerk of the weather for forty days after July 15. Young people still stand under the mistletoe. The asserted contiguity of red- haired girls and white horses is still a pop- ular jest. ——~+e. The Family Cinderella. From the Atchison Globe. A Fort Scott girl of seventeen eloped, and was brought back. She explains her ac- tion by saying that her parents made her light the fires. and she doefn't believe she is their daughter, anyway; if she was they would not make her work so hard. This opinicn ix shared secretly by every young 'Fhe Profitable Church. From the Pittsburg Christian Advocate. When the church shell come to fulfill the idea and purpose of Christ it will be the center of ceaseless holy activities and over- flowing benevolence. It will be in the fore- front of all real reforms, and be the pioneer of all right progress. It will be a refuge fer the oppressed, a home for the poor, a Place of consolation for the sorrowful. It is an old complaint against the church.that it concerns itself chiefly to maintain what it calls orthcdoxy; and that it wastes its time and strength disputing about dogmas, whicn may or may not be true, and, wheth- er the ene way or the other,-no practical difference iz involved; that it directs its thought and care to questions of order and form, negtecting the vital needs of human- ity. No reason for such complaint should be permitted to exist. We are planted, or- ganized, gloriously endowed for service in the world; and that church is nearest the heart of Christ which does the most to lift up the fallen. Any congregation of Chris- tian people finding at the end of a year that they have brought no wanderers to the fold ought to appoint a day of fasting, iliation, self-examination and prayer. hy have we failed?” should be a ques- tion of earnest and painful inquiry. + 2 + “Oh, my friends, there are some spec- tacles that one never forgets!” said Py ner a girl, who believes she is a princess by | “I'd like to know where they sells ‘em,” hts, buf there are not mai ‘ls who an old Jady in the audience, who Pepe he to it, gigas is always her glasses.—Tit-Bits. —_— THE EVENING STAR, FRIDAY, JANUARY 7, 1898-16 PAGES. Taxation and Sewerage Discussed by Board of Trade. REPORTS MADE ON BOTH SUBJECTS Explanations Made by Capt. Beach of the Engineers. MEASURES INDORSED —_s—___ The board of trade held a meeting of un- usual interest last evening at the Builders’ Exchange. Reports were received from the committees on taxation and assessment and on sewerage, and these subjects re- ceived considerable attention at the hands of the members. Capt. Lansing Beach of the engineering department of the District was present and explained the sewerage system of the District as now existing and the improvements that are contemplated by the system of intercepting sewers that have been recommended by the board of sanitary engineers. The meeting was called to order by Theodore W. Noyes, president of the board, George H. Harries being secretary. The board adopted a resolution favoring the establishment by Congress of a new executive department on commerce and in- dustries, this project having been advocat- ed by the National Business League of Chi- cago. Mr. Harries, secretary, was directed to inform the league that the board would do all in its power to secure action on this important matter. ‘To Repair the Long Bridge. A letter was presented to the board bear- ing the signatures of a number of promi- nent citizens asking the assistance of the board in getting the roadbed of the ap- Proaches to and the causeway of the Long bridge put in proper repair. The letter cited the act of Congress of June 21, 1870, by which the Baltimore and Potoma¢ Rail- road Company was to maintain this bridge in good condition for railway and ordinary travel, and said the company had for some years past persistently neglected to keep the roadbed of the approaches and cause- way of this bridge in such repair as to make it suitable for ordinary travel. The board of trade was urged to bring this mat- ter to the attention of the Commissioners of the District of Columbia and the Secre- tary of War, in order to have a remedy for the present condition of the bridge. This letter was referred to the committee on bridges for consideration and report. Report on Taxation. When the special order of busines was taken up Mr. John Joy Edson, chairman of the committee on taxation and assess- ment, made a report from his committee, which has been printed in full in The Star. The report urged upon the board the ne- cessity of securing the passage by Con- gress of the bill introduced in the Senate by Mr. McMillan on the subject of tax sales, &c. This bill was prepared by the district attorney, with the approval of the coliector of taxes and other District offi- cials, and has been published in The Star. Mr. Edson strongly urged that the board secure tne passage of this measure. Inder the law,”, he said, “and the inter- pretation placed upon it by the decisions of the Supreme Court .of the District, in the case of John H. Brewer against the District of Columbia, when the property kas been advertised and sold for taxes for several years, only such taxes may be exacted from the last purchaser as may be due for the year for which the property was sold. Under this decision of the Su- preme Court of the District, a deed of prop- erty made in pursuance of a sale of ar- rears of taxes for any given year passes the property involved to the purchaser at such sale, and discharges the taxes re- maining due prior to the year for which the sale was made, so far as the District is concerned. This causes and has caused large losses to the government of accrued taxes. There seems to be no question that this defect snould be remedied by Congress._ A bill for the purpogce has been prepared’ by the collector of taxes, the assessor and the attorney for the District. This com- mittee strongly urges the board of trade to recommend this to the favorable con- sideration of Congress.” The bill provides that before a deed is given by the District to the purchaser of property sold for taxes for the current year all beck taxes shall be paid. Col. Bramhall’s Objection. Col. W. L. Bramhall objected to the adop- tion of the committee’s report on that part of the bill which relates to tax sales, claim- ing that the purpose of the measure would be defeated by court decisions. He claimed that, notwithstanding the provision that back taxes be paid before the District gives a deed to property sold for taxes for the current year, the courts would hold that the purchase of the property for current taxes would wipe out all claim the District might have for back taxes. He said the decision in the Brewer case, rendered by Judge Cox, bore out his view of the case. He said the bill should be so framed as to cause property in arrears for taxes to be advertised for sale for the payment of all taxes due the District, and not merely for the tax of the current year. Mr. Bram- hall moved to recommit the draft of the bill to the committee for further consider- ation. Mr. Edson’s Reply. Mr. Edson replied that he could not ac- cept the views of Mr. Bramhall. He said it was the decision of Judge Cox which called forth the preposed bill. Under the law prior to 1890 it was required that all arrears of taxes should be advertised each year, but the assessor found it physically impossible to make up back taxes, includ- ing the current tax. It would require a force several times as large as the one he had at his disposal to do that, so that in 1890 the law was changed, requiring him to advertise only current taxes. Mr. Edson said the bill had been prepared with great care after consultation with officials best informed on the matter, and he hoped the report of the committee would be adopted. Collector Davis’ Views. Mr. E. G. Davis, collector of the District, spoke in favor of the adoption of the com- mittee’s report, and said the bill would accomplish what it was intended to ac- complish. “There is today,” he said, “a condition of things in regard to collecting arrears of taxes in the District that every fair-mind- ed man will admit to be outrageous, to say the least.” He said the law permitted men to evade payment of back taxes, and said in apply- ing a remedy they had followed in the line of the laws of the state of New York, which were supposed to be the best in the United States on the subject. A few years ago, he said, but few persons knew of the flaw in the law, and it did not make a great deal of difference, but now it was generally understood and the loss to the District was very great. Now property is bought in at tax sales with a view of eliminating back taxes, and thereby reduc- ing the revenues of the District. Farther Discussion. Mr. J. T. Petty, the auditor of the Dis- trict, approved the form of bill reported by the committee and said it would operate satisfactorily. ° Mr. Barnard said he was satisfied the bill would render the relief desired if passed by Congress. He said the bill was explicit in providing that back taxes should be trae peters &; Ceed wouls ba sgiveniby, ths ict. 5 ~ A vote was then taken on Mr. Bramhall’s motion to recommit the bill to the ¢om- mittee, but the action of the committee was egies DISTRICT NEEDS|""" getting the bill through Congress. The Action Taken. Mr. Smith's amend{néntjwas carried by a vote of 30 to 16. The entire committee-report was then approved. The, following resératitin reported trom the taxation co tee,» also unani- mously adopted; Seailren “Resolved, That, in the opinion of the beard of trade, it is the duty of the Dis- trict officials and citézeny generally not to propose or give assent, publicly or private- ly, to appropriations beiag made for any municipal purposes other than those made in accordance with tite act of June 11, 1878; ard that it should’ be made manifest to Congress, whenever necessary, in-an earn- est but respectful manner, that appropria- tions made otherwisé are not desirable or acceptable.” t 1 The Sewerage System. The report of the domimittee on sewerage being called for, Mr. Read, chairman of that committee, introduced Captain Lan- sing Beach of the engineering department ef the District. Captain Beach had .pro- vided a large map of the District showing the main lines of sewers, and he explained how the sew: = of the city is now carried off and the manner in which the recom- mendations of the board of sanitary en- gineers for intercepting sewers would op- erate. Until this system of intercepting sewers is completed, he'said, nothing fur- ther can be done to improve the sanitary condition of the city. The condition of the Anacostia flats is such, he said, that prop- erty owners in that neighborhood had re- quested him not to tell the full truth in regard to them in his report. The work of building the intercepting sewers, he said, would cost $3,500,000. At the present rate of making appropriations for this work, which average $115,400 per annum, it would take thirty-five years to complete the sys- tem, and until it is completed the city cannot be rid of the bad conditions which now prevatl. If a quarter of the amount desired were appropriated yearly it would give a good working rate. One benefit of the system would be to make it possible to have dry cellars along Pennsylvania avenue. Now the Pennsylvania depot is but 6 feet above tide level, and when there is a high wind up the river the water is backed up in the sewers and sewage is forced out of the manholes in that vicinity. If the bill now before Congress authoriz- ing a bond issue is passed relief from pres- ent conditions can be had in four years. New Plan Ample for Many Years. Capt. Beach said the board of sanitary engineers in their report stated that the system they devised will be ample for the Purposes of this city for fifty years, this estimate being on tke supposed increase of Population. But, said Capt. Beach, if prop- er filtration beds are established at the place where the sewage is emptied or other means taken to purify the sewage before it is thrown into the Potomac, there is no reason why this system of sewage disposal should not fill all the necessities of this city for 150 years instead of fifty years. Mr. Weller asked if the amount named for the work included all pipe sewers. Capt. Beach replied that the estimate was simply for the system of sewage dis- posal and intercepting sewers. Mr. Weller wanted the board to request the Commissioners to give an estimate of the cost of providing the city and coun- ty with all pipe sewers that would be necessary, but Capt. Beach said it would not be practical to give such information, for the reason that it could not be known in advance just how these sewers would be laid. Report on Sewerage. Mr. Albert M. Read,..chairman of the committee on sewerage, made the follow- irg report: 1 oon For the construction of the sewage dis- posal system, which Capt. Beach has so lucidly explained to you, the Commission- ers of the District ‘are about to ask Con- gress to authorize the issue of $3,500,000 worth of 3 per cent sewage disposal bonds, redeemable at the pleasure of the treasurer of the United States after ten years and payable in forty years from date. These bonds to be iesyed under: the pledge of the government that it will by proportional ap- propriations provide the revenues neces- sary to pay the interest as it becomes due and create a sinking fund for the payment of the principal at maturity. The sale of the bonds is to be madé’as money is re- quired to carry on the work of construc- tion. For instance, ‘the Commissioners cal- culate that the sum of $800,000 will suffice for the first year’s operations. If this is adhered to that amount of bonds will be issued at the fnception of the work, and the balance of them from time to time as need requires. Should this plan be carried out the an- nual charge upon the taxpayers of the District of Columbia for the first ten years will be: For interest, $52,500; for sinking fund, $87,500; for maintenance and operat- ing expenses, $27,460. Total, $167,460. The government, of course, paying a like amourt. At the end of the first ten years the interest expenses will be reduced through the redemption of one-fourth of the bonds by $13,125, and the annual charge to the taxpayers for the second term of ten years will be $154,336, when a further reduction of $12,125 in the interest charge will be made, and so on until the debt is firally extinguished. A bond bill for the purpose of putting in operation this sewage disposal system in accordance with the general plan recommended by the board of sanitary engincers in 1890 has been before the board of trade since 1894, when the committee on public health reported in its favor. Later in the year the matter was turned over to your present committee on sewerage, then created. Since that time it has occupied a very considerable portion of the board’s time, and has received its unanimous «nd cordial support, whether appearing wedded to or divorced from the general bond bill for both it and the ex- tension of the highways. Not New to Congress, Neither is this sewage disposal system new to Congress, which early approved it and has during the past few years appro- priated various amounts, now aggregat- ing $577,000, “Mor it construction. If we divide this amount by the number of years that have elapsed since the system was presented for congressional approval in 1890, we find that by the same rate of progress the system will be completed and ready for use in 1940. When we consider that no use can be made of the separate portions hereafter to be constructed until the whole is completed the stupendous fol- ly of further prosecuting the work by the means of small annual appropriations is disclosed and the necessity of a bond issue is made clear. When we reflect that this system is contemplated: to care for the sewage of a city of 500,000 inhabitants, it can readily be imagined that our suc- cessors in the board of trade of 1930-40 will have td agitate for a new system of sewage disposal before this one is ready for use. With the money available, as re- quired, the work can be completed within a period of five years. It is hardly neces- sary for your committee to dwell long upon the necessity for the immediate in- auguration of this system. It is compelled, however, to call to your attention certaia facts widely published in periodicals and works on sanitation that have been lately brought to light through the scientific in- vestigation of that type of preventable diseases, typhoid fever... According to these publications, it is shown that in 1890 out of fifty-four cities in the United States with a population éf 60,000 or more, but six had a greater death rate from that disease than Washington, and that forty- six, including such ‘cities as Brooklyn, New York, Boston ‘and’ Baltimore, had a smalier death rate+in-many cases much smaller. Nor is this.all nor the worst. It is also shown that. for the fifteen years ended December 31 18h. the percentage of fatalities from this disease in our city had Increased with’approximate uniform{- ty. In 1881 the rat 8.6 to each 10,000 , Was 83, and the average for the fifteen. years is 6.2. Let us @ longer, in order preciate the situation. 1,4 of con neigh- unity, were rovers and 240 of them Phis disease, mind ik ger eé gadget i ik a question of fit, and our stock is Ti i Mii TTT TATA takes no persuasive eloquence on at such price sell themselves. strap seams, some’ satin lined—blues, ’ bl tans. An extraordinary value at.... fy $25, $2 fashionable reds, cut—as fine a lot as was ever offered for sale iT NTT ATT $10 Marten Collarettes. Beautifully meaee of $5.98 genuine marten—lined excellent qualiy silk throughout — the most fashionable sty! ‘RE MAKING QUICK SALES IN COATS AND CA —since we anpounced our January Clearing Sale. The bigness of the bargains is so evident at the first glance that it becomes simply Jackets and Capes worth $5. In this lot are splendid examples of Kerse: Beaver and Astrakhan Capes—trimmed in the fas! iemabie styles, with det, braid or, fur—full weeps, Jackets of Kersey, ver or Boucle, plain and icks an The finest lot that was ever choicest of the new styles. and made with the utmost care. Misses’& Children’s $3 Cloth Coats. — Deep sailor collars—Watteau and Empire backs— plain and fancy effects—well made and perfectly Misses’ and Children’s $5.00 and $6.00 Cloth Coats. A ‘Special Announcement.? JACKETS ANDCAPESj. that were $5, $6, $7 & $8, 2.48 Kersey, Beaver, Boucle, As- trakhan and Covert Cloths— some half silk lined—some all silk lined—Blacks, Blues, Greens, Browns and the fash- ionable shades of Tan—storm and notch collars—tailor-made. A specially fascinating lot, and a bargain that is absolutely unique. t i ‘ ' i i ; H so large that that part is easy. It the part of our salesladies. Goods $8 to $15 Jackets and Capes. A magnificent collection of All-silk Lined ‘4% ments, in plain and rongh cloths, and Embrolde or Jetted Piush and Cloth Capes, Blacks and col — seams—perfect in cut and tailoring and of the most expensive description. x6 | 98 ors—stiap trimmings and $15 Russian Blouse Jackets. put on the market at any price. The greens and blacks are all represented. The Plain or braid trimmed. All tailor made, No bigger bargain was ever heard of. cadets, blues, $20, $15 & $12 Jackets & Capes. This lot includes the most fascinatin, in the fashionable light shade of tan. Black. th effects in kersey, h and rough effects of all kinds: silk taffeta and satin lined—strap pockets—silk stitch—man-tailor made. garments: ss i ams—pateh A. superb KING’S PALACE, 812-814 Seventh St. 715 Market Space. n extending up to within less than DT aonaentl yards of their walls. If you wish an object lesson go to the B street canal, south of the White House, at low water and cast a stone into its murky depths. You will witness an eruption of gaseous bubbles, followed by an upheaval of slimy ooze that will astonish you. Along this river frontage are located a large pro- portion of our typhold and malarial fever cases. That the sewage disposal system will very largely cure this evil is, I think, plain. When it is in operation no sewage will be allowed to enter the river at our water front. The James creek and the B street canal purified can be converted into slips for shipping or made ornamental features of the landscape. The privies and vaults can be abolished, and this, with the closing of the wells, the introduction of Potomac water into houses, will extend to all parts of our city the same immunity from pre- ventable diseases that is shown by that best-sewered, best-watered section of our city lying west of 13th street to Rock creek and north of the Potomac to Florida ave- nue, with its 52,000 inhabitants, which in 1895 suffered a death rate from typhoids of but 1.7 to 10,000 of population, while the suburbs and the northeast, where resort to box privies And wells is had, showed a death rate of 3.44mnd 6.76 per 10,000, re- spectively. Theprate in this northwest sec- tion in 1895 let it be said was but one-tenth behind Lynn, Mass., which heads the list of cities as regards exemption from typhoid fever. If you need evidence from beyond the seas that proper sewage disposal large- ly reduces the rate or mortality from pre- ventable diseases let us take one or two cases out of many examples that present themselves. In Berlin there was shown one case of typhoid fever to every nine houses without sewers, and but one case to forty- nine in houses connected with sewers to the 10,000 population. Duty of Board of Trade. In Dantzic, with a wretched system ot privies, there were ten deaths to each 10,000 inhabitants from typhoids prior to 1872. In 1869 an abundant supply of water was in- troduced without affecting this death rate. In 1872 the city was sewered, and in the following twelve years the average mor- tality was 2.4, and in the past five years it was reduced to 1.5 per 10,000. With these facts before us it would appear the part of wisdom for the board of trade to drop all non-essential matters and concentrate its energies on making this the healthiest, as well as the most beautiful, city on the face of the earth. To do this it is but necessary to require of Congress two things—a pure supply of water and an adequate system of sewage disposal; of our Commissioners—the closing of all wells and of the rigid enforce- ment of the law requiring house connection with sewers. Until this fs done all else will not avail to rehabilitate Washington in the eyes of the nation as its most desirable residential city. But do this and thus place its name at the head of the column of American cities having the least number of cases of preventable diseases and all else will follow. The wealth and culture of the country will flow to us and the other bless- ings so ardently desired will follow in their wake, Gen. Sternberg Uurges Action. Gen. Sternberg emphasized the necessity for the sewer system proposed in the bill under consideration and said no better in- vestment could be made by the District of Columbia. It had been shown conclusively, he said, that typhoid fever and other com- plaints of children were directly traceable to insanitary conditions, such as exist to d large extent in this city. He spoke of the danger of infection in various ways when there is lacking means for carrying off sew- age. Flies alight on decomposed masses of filth and then enter houses and con- taminate food the family is to eat. The sources of this contamination, he said, should be disposed of. The report of the committee was then adopted, as were the following resolutions: “Resolved, That the board of trade were- by reaffirms its unqualified approval of the immediate issue of a sufficient amount of low interest-bearing bonds, payable jointly by the United States and the District of Columbia, to complete and put in operation the system of sewage disposal and protec- tion against floods recommended by the board of sanitary engineers in their report to Congress upon the sewage of the Dis- trict of Columbia in 1890. “Be it further resolved, That the board of trade, through its officers and the commit- tee on sewerage, use its utmost endeavor to procure from the Congress of the United States during its present session such leg- islation for the issue of the required bonds as may be necessary.” ‘The board then adjourned. Members Present. Among members of the board present were Job Barnard, Henry L. Biscoe, Dr. Samuel 8. Bond, Chas. 8. Bundy, A. 8. Caywood, Loring Chappel, Samuel W. Cur- riden, E. G. Davis, Wm. F. Downey, E. F. Droop, John Joy Edson, Dr. A. P. Fardon, Wn. J. Frizzell, Edwin N. Gray, Edwin W. W. Griffin, Frank L. Hanvey, George H. Harries, Henry B. Looker, Josiah Millard, John Miler, Daniel Murray, W. J. a wa Busy Shoe-Selling Im Dull Season. Although the first part of January is looked upon by merchants generally as the dullest part of the year, we have been kept unusually busy all the week. “The several SPECIAL SALES we have been advertising have created quite a sensation amongst Washington Shoe buyers—and no wonder — when you come to look at the truly elegant Shoes we're offering at only about oneghalf of their actual selling values. Come tomorrow if you possibly can — your size may be sold before Monday. $1.45 Sale $2.37 Sale of of Ladies’ $2.50 Shoes, Fine Vicl Kid Button and Laced Boo's, made and finished in the best possible manner—with Men’s $3 to $4 Shoes. Hand-sewed, Double-ol> Extension-edge Wiuter Shoes, of dark tin willow calf, light tan Russia calf eavy, medium or feather- or black box or wax Weight ouk-tanned soles, with wide English backstays on 9 different styles. . on the latest balldog shapes $1.27 Sale of $1.50 and $2 Box Calf Shoes for Boys and Girls. 95c. Sale of $1.25 Kid Boots For Ladies and Misses. Heeled and Spring-heeled, Solid-sole, Shapely and Serviceable Laced and Button Shoes, with neat patent leathe: tips. Spring-heelad, made on nobby, comfortabl: r Tomorrow only, 69c. Rg 4] Misses’ and Child's Stout Boys’ Sizes 10 to 2 Hecled 4 Dongola Kid, Patent Tipped d 5 Laced and Button Shoes, 3) with solid leather soles, calf. with substantial b Peg on dressy shapes. double sles, Be « —_—_. 4) ¢) 9 839 aad 932 7th st., 4 [ > \ p4 >| VW ol | Al IN & C¢ ). Ss 1914 and 1916 Pa. ave. |) ¢ ba >| RELIABLE SHOE HOUSES, oe me Oy = : re Tete eee Se ee bbb : The Great Selling Of those Made-to-Order Trousers at $4.97 still keeps up at a brisk and lively rate—and this fact is a forcible proof of the extraordinary and rare values of each and all of these offerings. But let us warn you that there is an end to every- thing, and when Saturday night comes this sale of Trouserings will end, too. You had better provide your wardrobe with one or more pairs before the opportunity is gone. There is still left a large array of dressy and stylish effects, as you will see by coming down and looking at our Big Window Display. Mertz and Mertz, “New Era” Tailors, 906 F Street N. W.-. $ toed t to order’ Trousers Pbbritrrirttrtetrrttttetttet tees: EEE EE IEEE EEE EEE EEE EEE EEE EE EEE EEE EEE EEE EEE EE EEE EEE EEEEELEE EE $ *EEPEGE Fe