Newspaper Page Text
THE CAPE WEEKLY TRIBUNE AND CAPE COUNT YIIERALD
THE CAPE WEEKLY TRIBUNE
AM) THE CAPE COUNTY HERALD.
Every Friday by
THE CAPE GIKARDEAtl PUBLISHING COMPANY.
AI'I'I.R A THIN roil r.NTIlY AS SI'.CONI) ri.ASS MATTER AT THE POST OFFICE
AT CAPK (ill! AKHKM , MO., PENDING
ONE DOLLAR PER
LET'S HEAR FROM THE M. P. L'. C.
The excuse offered by the Missouri Public Utilities Company for
pumping water from the river south of Sloan Creek, is by no means suffi
cient. Why is it necessary to pump impure water into the mains whether
there is a fire or not? Why could not this emergency pipe be inserted in
the river north of Sloan Creek?
If contaminated water is drawn into the pipes during a fire, as the
employe of the water works informed a representative of The Tribune,
doesn't that water remain in the mains after the blaze has been ex
tinguished? And if it does stay in the pipes after the fire, which any one
with ordinary intelligence knows to be a fact, then it must be forced
through the drinking mains and is consumed by the public.
We appreciate the need for an emergency pump at the water works,
but we are unable to understand why it must pick up its water from the
immediate vicinity of a sewer. The mere cost of extending the pipe out into
the river certainly cannot be considered when the health of the city is at
stake.
The Missouri Public Utilities Company must give additional reasons
for its contempt for the people. It is time for this company, or the men
who own it, to make a statement of what they propose to do.
The Tribune's columns are open to them without cost. If they have any
legitimate reasons for refusing to improve the conditions at the water
works, they ought to make a frank statement. Surely the present service is
not to go on forever?
Many months have gone by since the Utilities Company was given a
franchise to furnish light, heat, power and water to this city in return for
promises that it would improve its plant, take over the street car line, and
sell clear and wholesome water. What has it done?
It has erected a few poles, on which it proposes to hang a light, and
this work was actively begun only recently.
If the Missouri Public Utilities Company has just reasons for its delay,
it ought to make a confident of the public. So long as it remains silent, ig
noring complaints, it is simply transforming friends into enemies. And some
day one of these enemies will take the case up to the State Commission,
and then it will be too late to take its case before the people.
What are the men who own the Missouri Public Utilities Company go
ing to do?
LET THE PEOPLE DECIDE THE QUESTION.
The CityC ouncil last night refused to repeal the old ordinance which
forbids the moving picture shows giving Sunday performances. This, we do
not believe, came as a surprise. A majority of the members of this body had
stated some time ago that they were opposed to assuming the responsibility of
undoing what their predecessors had done.
The lawmakers cannot be criticized for doing what they considered their
.duty, and The Tribune does not believe that a single Councilman acted in bad
faith by doing what he did last night.
Cut we believe the Council erred in not submitting the question t? a vote
of the people. The petitions which the picture show people presented to the
Council were evidence enough that the voters of Cape Girardeau were in favor
of doing what a majority of the cities in the State have done.
The Tribune would support a plan to submit the question to the people,
but we will oppose the suggestion that has been made to open the theaters
in defiance of the City Council's action. This has been done in other cities,
and the question taken up to the Supreme Court for a final ruling. It would,
no doubt, be approved by the courts, as it has in other cases, but The
Tribune does not believe in the principle involved.
The people of this city are the proper court to decide the question. If it
is submitted to them and they approve it, the theater managers may rest as
sured that the public wants Sunday shows. But if a majority of the people
vote against opening the shows, then they should remain closed.
To open the theaters on Sunday would precipitate arrests, and arrests
are always objectionable. The picture show men now have the friendship of
the people, but to resort to objectionable methods would sacrifice this friend
ship. The Tribune will support the theater people so long as they conduct
themselves as they have heretofore. Their demeanor in the face of the disgust
ing charges that have been made by fanatics have won friends for the theaters.
It is better to be deprived of some of their rights and retain the respect and
friendship of the people than to have all that they are entitled to and sacri
fice that friendship.
A DUTY FOR THE HOARD OF HEALTH.
Mr. H. W. Frissull, in another column of this iasue, presents some
startling facts concerning the water that this city drinks.
The intake pipe, which pumps the water from the Mississippi River
into the settling basins, whence it ii dispatched to all parts of the city,
enters the river south of Sloan Creek, which is nothing more than a sewer.
The contract between the Missouri Public Utilities Company and the
city of Cape Girardeau stipulates that the intake pipe shall pick up its
water north of Sloan Creek, in order that the poople of this city may buy
wholesome water.
Sloan Creek is in reality an open sewer, carrying the refuse and deb
ris from the Normal School and that section of the town. It empties into the
Mississippi River less than one hundred feet above the spot where the in
take pipe is inserted into the stream.
We do not contend that this pipe pumps only water from this sewer,
rbut we do know that in the enormous amount that it must draw in every
day, there are a great many gallons that are venomous, so contaminated
that an epidemic of fever may result at any time.
The inadequate gas service pales into insignificance when we consider
the condition of the water. How many cases of fever have resulted from
this poisonous water? How many people are ill in this city today because
they drank it ?
The people who own the Missouri Public Utilities Company ought to be
'made to answer for its crimes against humanity. This company is not only
violating municipal laws, but it is holding the State Statutes in contempt.
It is the duty of the Board of Health to take up this matter at once. What
js going to be done?
GOING AHEAD BACKWARDS.
Almost every cablegram from Europe describes alleged defeats of the
Germans. Yet the dispatches today show that the Kaiser's men are miles
farther into the enemies' country than they were yesterday. When the Ger
mans reach Paris, we presume teh censored" cablegrams from Europe will
show that they are still moving buck wards. Put the Germans in this coun
try ought to find some consolation in the fact that their kinsmen are go
ing ahead faster than tin? English scribes can report them backing up.
YEAR IN ADVANCE
POPE PIUS X DIES
OF GRIEF OVER WAR
Continued from first pnge
was for the poor among his parishion
ers. He barely allowed himself neces
sary food and even sold his horse that
the proceeds might be used to relieve
the condition of the unfortunate. On
one occasion he gave away his own
dinner. A poor man came to say that
his wife was ill, the doctor had taid
she must have broth and he had not
the means to provide it. Meat was
boiling in a pot for Father Sarto's din
ner and, without hesitation, he gave it
to the man. Reproved by his sister, he
answered that the man's need was
great and there was nothing to do but
give him the food. Then he smiled be
nignly and assured her that the Lord
would provide for them.
Recognizing the extraordinary abil
ity of the Canon, Bishop Zinelli, head
of the See, promoted him from one
office to another, one of the most im
portant posts he filled being that of
the rectorship of the diocesan semin
ary, giving him supervision of the in
tellectual and spiritual training of the
future priests of the diocese. He was
successively appointed Chancellor and
Vicar General of the diocese and when
in 1879 Bishop Zinelli died, Sarto was
unanimously elected vicar to adminis
ter the affairs of the diocese until a
successor to the Bishop should be
chosen. Such was the high esteem in
which he was held by the Bishop who
succeeded iZnelli that Sarto retained
all the offices to which he had been
appointed.
November 18, 1884, he was conse
crated Bishop of Mantua by Cardinal
Parocchi, Cardinal Vicar of the Pope
for the City of Rome. After his con
secration he was received in a special
audience by Pope Leo XIII., who, as a
special sign of the favor in which he
was held at the Vatican, conferred a
number of important orders upon him.
The dioceses of Mantua contained
270,000 souls, and was one of the most
important in Italy. Here the future
Pope labored for nine years, until the
purple of the Cardinal was conferred
upon him in 1893. It was on the recom
mendation of Cardinal Parocchi, who
loved him devotedly, coupled with the
splendid reports of his work in Man
tua, and the favorable personal im
pression he had made on the Pope
himself, that induced Leo XIII. to se
lect Sarto for the high office of Car
dinal Patriarch of Venice, one of the
highest offices in the gift of the Vati
can. There was great rejoicing in
Mantua, as well as in Venice, when the
news of the elevation of the Bishop to
the See of Venice was announced.
His aged mother witnessed his cen
secration, and after he had been in
vested with the purple robes of his
new office she accompanied him to the
Vatican, where she and her beloved
son were received in private by the
Pope. In the February fololwing his
mother died.
CIGAR IGNITES BAKERY.
Yesterday morning at about 10
o'clock great volumes of smoke issued
through the grating from the cellar
of Charles Kaess' bakery at 624 Good
Hope street, and passersby who were
attracted by the sight rushed into the
building and advised the occupants
that their house was on fire.
A hasty investigation developed the
fact that some one walking along the
street had dropped a match or lighted
cigar stuhb through the grating, ig
niting a pile of excelsior that had
been stored in the cellar. The flames
were subdued quickly and no damage
resulted from the blaze.
DOG CONCEALED IN GRIP.
Hurd, the magician, who has been
entertaining for the past few evenings
at the Broadway Theater, finished his
engagement last night and departed
for Charleston.
Mr. Hurd has a valuable little An
gora dog that he carries with him in
all his travels. He has a leather grip
in which he conceals the pup before
boarding the trains. It is supplied
with concealed ventilations and was
constructed especially for the accom
modation of his pet. Tootsy, as he calls
her, seems perfectly content with her
close traveling quarters and has never
yet expressed her dissatisfaction in
such a way as to make her presence
known to the watchful conductors.
CLEANING RIVER'S BOTTOM.
The dredging machine recently
towed to the foot of William street,
clearing the bottom of the river of
debris and foreign matter along the
foundation line of the sea wall that is
soon to be constructed.
Scrap and junk of every description
were brought up in the massive iron
bucket. One large log several feet in
length was dislodged from its resting
place in the bottom of the river, and
thrown beyond the foundation limits.
When the dredging work has been
completed as far north as the concrete
wall at the foot of Independence
street, great quantities of cement will
be dumped into the excavation to
serve as a foundation for the wall.
The cement will be conveyed
through sluices extending from' a
tower on the west side of the track
above the trains.
If the river continues to fall the
work of constructing the foundation
will soon be in progress.
BOARD OF HEALTH
WILL TEST WATER
Dr. Wichterich Says Exposure
Made by The Tribune to
Be Taken Up
DEMURRER OVERRULED
Judge Ranney Orders Utilities
Company to Go to Trial On
Its Merits
Dr. R. F. Wichterich stated yester
day afternoon that the Board of
Health will take up the water situa
tion as exposed by The Tribune in a
recent issue.
Immediate steps are to be taken and
doubtless a special meeting of the
Board will be called in order that nec
essary investigation may be made
without delay.
Dr. Wichterich declined to discuss
the plans that had been considered by
him or other members of the Board,
other than to say that a test would
be made of the water.
The demurrer filed by the Water
and Light Development Company to
the petition of Giboney Houck, who
brought suit to enforce a contract, for
damages, was overruled by Judge
Ranney in the decision handed down
yesterday.
The question involved was the con
tention of the defendant in its demur
rer that one of the stockholders in the
street railw-ay company could not sue
on the contract between the railway
and the water and light company, and
that in order to make the action valid
all of the stockholders should join in
the suit.
The demurrer was overruled, and
the water and light company was giv
en until the middle of October to file
an answer to the Houck petition.
I. R. Kelso, attorney for the Light
and Development Company, when in
terviewed by a Tribune representative
last evening, stated that he knew of
no contemplated arrangement between
the railway company and the water
and light company for the withdrawal
of the suit.
Notwithstanding his statement, a
report has been current in Cape Girar
deau for several weeks that an agree
ment would be effected before the case
came up for trail, whereby the street
car company would be taken over by
the Utilities Company.
A man who is interested in the suit
indirectly stated to a representative
ti the Tribune a short time ago that
if the case goes to trial, some promi
nent people will be placed on the
stand to testify to the details of the
deal which turned the Missouri Pub
lic Utilities over to the St. Louis con
cern. While the consummation of this deal
was in every way honorable, it will be
used to show other promises made by
the Light and Development Company
to the City of Cape Girardeau have
been broken.
A man connected with the Utilities
Company, who made promises as to
what the company expected to do, will
also be quizzed.
A bale of newspapers and other lit
erature containing promises will be
offered by attorneys who are suing
the company.
WHEAT IS MOVING TO EUROPE.
Galveston, Tex., Aug. 19. Nearly
a million bushels of wheat cleared
from Galveston for Eneland ad
France. The steamship Welbury took
176,000 bushels for London; the As
trae, for Bordeaux, took 204.000: the
Indiana and Carlton took 380,000 be
tween them. Two other ships are com
pleting their cargoes and will sail to
morrow, and two others began taking
on trrain today.
All elevntors are at work and the
number of loaded cars is being rapidlv
diminished. At the rate grain is now
moving the embargo ntrainst this point
will be removed by the end of the
week. Only about 1,000 cats are now
in the yards to be unloaded.
DOG BITES NEWSBOY.
Fred Walsh is Attacked by Vicious
Brute While Delivering
Papers.
Fred Walsh, a carrier boy for The
Tribune, while delivering his papers
along South Spanish street yesterday
morning was attacked and badly bit
ten by a vicious dog belonging to
George Chappnil, who live at 7."2
South Spanish.
The dog dashed out of the Chappell
yard and attacked the boy, burying its
teth in the muscular part of his left
leg, above the knee. The lad screamed,
but the dog held on until he was
chased away by pedestrians.
Young Walsh's leg was badly torn
and his trousers were ripped into
shreds. He went to the office of a
physician, who pronounced the bite a
bad one. The wounds were cauterized,
and no complications are expected.
The dog is known in the neighbor
hood as a vicious animal and has been
a source of worry to the parents of
children in that section of the city.
Howard Black, who was kicked by
his pony Tuesday morning, is re
ported to be resting well and improv
ing rapidly.
Ben Bruihl came un from Illmo yes
terday afternoon on his way to Jack
son, where he will visit friends and
relatives during Homo Coming.
MAN STRUCK BY !
TRAIN, UNAIDED
FOR SIX HOURS'
J. A. Johnson, an HHnoisan,
Hit by Freight Near Frisco"
uepot
LIES UNNOTICED ONLY
FEVVFEETFROM CROWD
When Found His Condition is
Serious and Relatives Are
Summoned
Maimed and crippled, too weak to
make an outcry and too lame to move,
J. A. Johnson of McLeansboro, 111.,
was compelled to lay unnoticed for
many hours last night within a few
feet of the depot in this city.
Johnson was struck by a passing
freight train at about 7 o'clock in the
evening, while walking along the
track a short distance north of the sta
tion. He was passing his time away pend
ing the arrival of the St. Louis train,
and inadvertently stepped too close to
the passing freight.
His moans were heard at about 1
o'clock this morning by a young man
named John Delaney, who chanced to
be walking near where the injured
man had fallen. Policeman Kain was
sought and with Delaney they con
veyed the sufferer into the depot,
where a comfortable cot was provided.
Assistant Superintendent Frazier,
who was at the depot when Johnson
was discovered, summoned the com
pany physician, Dr. D. H. Hope, who
appeared a short time later and after
a hasty examination, had his patient
conveyed to the hospital.
Dr. Hope stated that from his hur
ried examination, he did not believe
the man was fatally hurt, although
his injuries were of a very painful na
ture. His back had sustained a severe
snrain, and his right thigh and hip
also were badly injured.
Johnson came to this city with a
wholesale fruit dealer from Nettle
ton, Ark., and had assisted in disnnn
ing of a number of carloads of ban
anas in this city. His employment
ended when tha fruit was sold, and it
was his intention to go to St. Louis.
His relatives in Illinois have been noti
fied, but no reply to the message sent
had been received at an early hour this
morniag. v , . ,
FOOD INQUIRY IS BEGUN.
Government to Investigate Cause
Quick War Raise.
of
Washington, D. C, Aug. 19. Legal
forces, State and Federal, all over
the country are now in action to carry
out President Wilson's suggestion for
an investigation of whether food
prices are being increased artificially
o nthe pretext of the European war,
and for criminal prosecution if that is
found to be the case.
The national capital led off the
campaign with a grand jury investiga
tion to which commission merchants,
wholesalers and retailers, buyers for
hotels and restaurants were subpoen
aed and citizens having evidence were
Invited.
Reports of other investigations be
ginning in many localities by United
States attorneys and State and
County authorities began pouring into
the Attorney General's office. Special
agents of the Department of Justice
began their search for evidence of
manipulations or other methods of
price-fixing and Secretary Redfield
sent detailed instructions to agents of
the Department of Commerce on car
rying out their part of the investiga
tion. After a conference between Presi
dent Wilson, Attorney General Mc
Reynolds and Secretary Redfield, at
which the plan was generally dis
cussed, the Attorney General said, so
far ho was considering the conspiracy
section of the Sherman anti-trust law
as the only existing statute to cover
the situation and that he would not
be able to report whether additional
legislation was necessary until after
receiving detailed reports from his
agents.
President Wilson, officials said,
aroused by what he considered wholly
unjustifiable increases in the cost of
food, is giving his personal attention
and encouragement to the investiga
tion. Consideration of several Congres
sional resolutions for inquiry were
blocked in the House today by parlia
mentary tactics.
9,000 AMERICANS IN GERMANY.
Washington, D. C, Aug. 19. Per
fection of plans to bring war-marooned
Americans from Europe occupied
the Government Relief Board. Orders
for outfitting army transports for re
lief voyages stand, and for the present
there will be no acceptance of Ger
many's offer to ocean liners to put
temporarily under the American flag.
The State Department had received
no replies to its suggestion to nations
at war that the liners chartered for
refugees be recognized as neutral. Be
lief was expressed, however, that fa
vorable replies soon will be forthcom
ing. More definite knowledge of trans
portation facilities required was re
ceived from Ambassador Gerard at
Berlin, who cabled that there were
about nine thousand Americans in
Germany, who wanter to return home
immediately.
WATER PUMPED
OUT OF RIVER
NEAR SEWER
Intake Pipe Enters Mississippi
South of the Mouth of
Sloan Creek
REPORTER FINDS PIPE
NEAR OOZY BLUE MUD
Water Works Employe Says This
Pump is Used Only in Times
of Fire
By Richard W. Frissell.
After having heard numerous re
ports from various sources which I
believe to be authentic, concerning the
source of intake of the water distrib
uted for household use throughout the
city, 1 concluded to make a personal
investigation with the intention of re
porting the result, and without any
feeling of prejudice or favor I here
with submit a correct statement of
conditions as I found them.
In company with a professional man
whose standing in the community is of
the highest rank, I rowed in a skiff
to a point almost opposite the location
of the plant that furnishes water and
power for the city of Cape Girardeau.
At the foot of the abrupt bank lead
ing down to the river, at a point about
176 feet south of the mouth of
Sloan's Creek, I discovered a portable
pumping station, located in a blue,
slimy mud a few feet out in the river.
A pipe that I would judge to
be about six inches in diameter was
connected up with the electric pump,
and at the time of my visit, about 5
o'clock Tuesday afternoon, was being
used to convey the water from the
river. The pump was in operation and
the water was leaking from the joints
of the pipe.
A perpendicular section of the pipe
extended from the pump into the wa
ter for a distance of perhaps two and
one-half feet and by using one of the
oars, I discovered that the mouth, or
end, of the intake pipe was not more
than six inches from the oozy, blue
mud bottom of theriver, and waslo
cated at a point not more than six
feet from the water's edge.
I worked the oar freely beneath the
end of the perpendicular intake and I
know it was not connected with any
pipe extending further out into the
river.
The water in which this station is
situated while not entirely stagnant,
is so impregnated with impurities
from above that an offensive odor
arises from it.
The station is so arranged that it
can be readily moved and adjusted to
the stage of water in the river. It is
built on a sled-like platform and with
block and tackle, permanently at
tached and can be moved forward or
backward as conditions require. Of
course, during the process of moving
it becomes necessary to disconnect the
pipe.
In order that no injustice might be
done the water company, after leaving
the skiff, I called up the power house
and asked how long this intake had
been in use. The party answering the
telephone advised me that it was
never used except in case of fire.
I visited the scene at about 5 o'clock
in the afternoon and again at about
6:30, and at each time I found the
pump in action.
My companion advised me that he
had visited the plant a day or two
previous to my trip and that he had
found the engine in active operation,
and watched it work for a considera
ble length of time, and when he de
parted it was still running.
OPENING OF
State Normal School
The Missouri State Normal
School at Cape Girardeau
Will Open for the
Fall Term on
Tuesday, September 8, 1914
This strong, well-equipped school is
in your own Normal School District,
within a few hours travel of your
home. The future leaders in South
east Missouri are being educated here.
Come to your own Normal School and
join the fine body of young South
east Missourians here in fitting your
selves to use well the spendid oppor
tunities that this rapidly developing
country offers.
The school has an excellent prepa
ratory department, a strong college
offering courses leading to college
degrees, and an unsurpassed profes
sional department for teachers.
For catalogue and descriptive circu
lar, address
W. S. DEARMONT, President,
Cape, Girardeau, Missouri
Edward Langevin was given a pre
liminary hearing in Judge Willer's
court yesterday on the charge of car
rying concealed weapons. After hear
ing the testimony of a number of wit
nesses the defendant was acquitted.
