Chicago eagle. [volume], August 31, 1901, Image 1

About Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??

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""."W - TfyVJI iVj ' VF m '
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INDEPENDENT IN ALL THINGS. NEUTRAL IN NONE."
I
VOLUME XXIV.
A MOURNFUL VICTORY.
i . .
There Are More Deaths Than Births
in Chicago Every Week, by
Official Count.
An Incompetent Health Department and
Grafting Drainage Channel the Cause
of This Holocaust.
Typhoid Fever Is Epidemic and Tet the
7 Health Department Pronounces
Lake Water Good.
Everybody Knows that the Fraud Drainage
Oanal Carries Off but Very
Little Sewage.
Hetween the Drnlnngo Canal and (lie
Chicago Health Depart incut Chicago I
the most unhealthy city In the world.
Thu Drainage Canal In u fraud and
does nut carry olT one-twentieth of thu
sewage of the city vthleh continue to
.contaminate the lake.
The Health Department Ih Incompe
tent, mid worse, when it reports the
lukcwuter us "good." or "usable" every
day, as It Is absolutely unlit to drink.
There were .7J(I deaths In Chicago last
week and only -(37 births.
When the deaths exceed the births
In any city or In any country, the crack
of doom has been Hounded.
The death rate In Chicago per annum
Is over 15 for every 1,000 Inhabitants, or
over 1,500 for every 100,000, or over HO,
000 for the whole population!
This Is dreadful.
For a corroboration of these llgures
wo simply nppeud 'the report of thu
Health Department Itself:
The weekly bulletin of the Health
Department nays: "At thu close of last
week thu Investigation of 07 out of thu
12a fatal eases of typhoid fever report
ed to thu Ilurenu of Vital Statistics be
tween July 1 nnd Auk. U4 had been
completed by the Volunteer Medical In
spectors under thu direction of Dr. John
C. Ncely, Assistant Chief .Medical In
spector. Of these 07 11 were found to
have been undoubtedly contracted out
side o'f the city and two others were
doubtful. This proportion agrees very
closely with the results of previous In-vestlgntlons-to-wlt,
that about 18 per
cent of thu fatal cases of typhoid In
Chicago are contracted elsewhere and
nro not duo to local causes,
"Among the remaining 54 deaths re
ferred to typhoid fever nine were clear
ly caused by other diseases, and, In the
opinion of the Investigators, six others
wero doubtful. Including these doubt
ful six, however, as among thu typhoid
deaths, the Investigators attribute the
following as causes of the disease:
Unfiling In the lake, U; eating raw vege
tables, L'; drinking untreated hydrant
water, It", and for thu remaining -1 out
of the total -15 cases no causu Is as
signed, "Dr, Xeely snys: 'In this Investiga
tion particular attention was paid to thu
milk and leu supply. Three different
milk dealers each furnished milk to
two of tho homes whore deaths oc
curred, and one other to threo of tho
homes. Ico was furnished to threo fam
ilies by two firms and to two families
by another firm, So far as can bo
learned no connection can bo establish
ed between tho homes supplied with
milk ami Icu by their llrms.'
"For thu first tlino since Jan, 1 no
new caso of smallpox was discovered
last week, and thero nru but two cases
remaining in tho Isolation hospital
four having been discharged during tho
week. Notwithstanding the alarm con
cerning scarlet fever and diphtheria In
certain quarters, thoio are no now In
fected areas, and tho preventive meas
ures now bolng enforced aro relied on to
restrict further spread in tho localities
heretofore reported.
"No successful Inoculations havo yet
lioen madu In thu experiment to test
Professor Koch's recent pronouncement
thnt bovine tuberculosis is not trnns
mlsslblo to mankind, Thefmly culture
of tho bovlno tubercle unci (us available
In tho city was so old as to prove Inert,
und n fresh culturo Is being made, with
which, when ready, tho test will bo re
newed, Six volunteer subjects nro
ready for tho test."
A statement of mortality for tho
weekended Aug. 24, compared with tho
preccdlug week and with tho corre
sponding week of 11)00, death rates com
puted on United States census llgures
of populatlon-vlz., 1,008,575 for 1000,
1,785,023 for 1001:
Total deaths, nil causes: Aug. 21, 1IMII,
520: Aug. 17. 1001, 507; Aug. 25, 1000,
4(10.
Denth rate tier minimi per 1,000: Aug.
24, 1001, 15.57; Aug. 17, 1001, 15.01:
Aug. 23, 1000, 14.:il.
llirtliM reported: Mules 210; females,
:ht; total, -int.
Steadily growing worse all summer,
the water In thu north branch of the
Chicago ltlver Is now In such frightful
condition that marine men say there Is
serious danger of lire from the alleged
water.
The spiles for six Indies along thu
river bank are covered with li heavy
black substance which looks like tar.
At many points there Is so much tilth
on the surface of the water that row
boats cannot force their way through.
When the steamer I'lienlx went up
Wednesday the water was so thick
that It would not run through the pipes
to the boiler.
On board the Phcnlx was Capt. .1. .1.
Harden, managing owner.
"If a fireman should happen to
shovel any live coals Into tho river,"
Capt Harden said, "I do not believe
anything could save that region from a
fire. A black tarry substance a half
foot thick lines the docks and is ivmlv
to be Ignited by a spark. At one point
i saw a man try lo push out a rowbout
to get some driftwood, but the boat
stuck fast In the illth and he could not
budge It.
"In the past there havo been some
great stories about the condition of
water in the south brunch, but I never
saw anything as bad as the north
branch now is. liven in its worst days',
before the opening of the drainage
canal, the south branch was a bub
bling brook compared with the north
branch of to-day."
Tug captains said that the north
branch, which was In a fair condition
In early spring, has been slowly tilling
11)1 with some refuse which looked to
them as If it came from thu gas works.
They claim that within a week past
there must have been a large addition
to the refuse, for It suddenly got much
thicker and spreads completely over
the suiface In many spots.
Thu Draluagu.Canal Is responsible.
The North I (ranch has not been drain
ed since the "canal" was opened.
Within a few days there has been a
great scare among the crews of steam
ins ami tugs over working In the north
brunch on account of thu dangers of ex
plosions, None of them has any facili
ties for carrying fresh water on board,
and they must use thu water from the
river In the boilers,
Two or threo tug explosions In the
south branch In past years, before the
opening of the Drainage Canal, wero
due directly to using filthy water for
steaming put poses.
A
Mayor Harrison Is reported as hav
ing said that ho was willing to accept
tho next United States Senatorshlp
from Illinois, If it should be tendered
to him by a Democratic Legislature.
A United States Seuatorslilp from
Illinois Is an otllce of which nay man
on earth might well bo proud, but It Is
doubtful if Mayor Harrison over miulo
such a stutoniont positively, or, If hav
ing mado It, ho was wlso In arriving at;
such a conclusion. It must not bo for
gotten that tho Mayoralty of Chicago Is
n high and exalted position, and that
If political soothsayers aro wlso as tho
CHICAGO, SATURDAY, AUGUST 31, 1901.
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HON. ZINA R. CARTER,
Whose Career as a Sanitary Trustee Has Always Bean Upright and In Line with the Wishes of the People.
seers of Chidden, there are higher
filings In store for Cutter II. Harrison
than a I'lilted States Seuatorslilp. To
accept such an olllce now would land
him well on toward fifty If he should
win It out, and place thu higher olllce
far away In the dim future. If he
should accept the offer, make the light
and lose. It would give his political
enemies an opportunity to say. "He has
had enough favors." Hotter wait a
while, Mr. Mayor.
The greatest outrage ever perpetrated
upon the taxpaylng citizens of Chicago
Is the Police and Fire pension fund.
It Is also a great outii'.go on the rank
and tile of the police nnd fire depart
ments. Thu rank and fllo nro underpaid In
fact our police and firemen aro the poor
est paid or any In the country. Hut
their otllcers besides being well paid are
given great salaries as pensions when
they retire.
The Idea of ex-Marshal Swenlu draw
tug a salary of $.1,000 n year for life
for doing nothing.
He received .flf.OOO a year for twenty
two years for serving the public and If
he did not save anything out of that It
Is no fault of tho generous public's.
t Why the people should have to sup
port him at such an enormous salary
for the lest of his life Is past finding
out.
The Mime Is true of ex-Chief of 1'ollco
Hubbard and of a great number of oth
er high salaried men In tho Police De
partment who havo retired upon half
pay and who aro drawing Immense sal
aries for doing no service wlmtover.
No monarchy In the world treats Its
pampered favorites as does tho City of
Chicago its high salaried policemen at
the expense of the taxpayers.
We have never heard It denied that
thu Pollcu Pension bill was run through
the Legislature of Illinois by bribery
of thu most lmru-faced and most un
wholesome type.
It has fastened upon the people of
Chlciif,o a burden which Is hard for
tlieiu to bear.
If the business of a policeman Is a
legitimate one, why does not the man
who enters upon this Hue of business
for a livelihood take his chances like
other business men?
Do wu pension our grocers?
Our Insurance men?
Our druggists?
Our doctors?
Our lawyers?
Our engineers?
Our laborers?
Our clerks?
Our dry goods men?
Why, then, should overpaid public of
ficials bo pensioned after twenty years
of nu easy llfo oiimv payroll?
It Is all right enough to pension the
poor firemen and policemen who risk
their lives for small salaries, but tho
mmsw?
tkWF SsSSBrj&. 'r.-
big guns who never risk anything, and
wlio are paid far beyond their merits,
should not be pensioned at nil.
Chicago Is paying out )f2(M),000 a yenr
to rich men like Sweule nnd Hubbard,
nnd this leak should be stopped by an
energetic and fervent appeal to the
next Legislature.
Halse the salaries of the llremen and
policemen and cut oft' the life pensions
to their over-paid otllcers.
Halse the salaries of the firemen!
The plpemen, stokers, hook and lad
der men and drivers of the Chicago Fire
Deportment are the poorest paid in thu
country. Too many pensions to rich
ex-otllccrs ami too little pay for thu
hard-working men.
Our Inelllclcut ami Incompetent
Health Department must bo In cahoots
with thu Drainage Canal grafters. It
Issues a "bulletin" daily, In which It
deuomliiatcs the thinking water as
either "good" or "usable." What does
the Incompetent Health Department
nie.in by "usable?"
Water for drinking can only be good
or bad.
There Is no half way station.
The Kagle, In common with a miijoil
ty of Its follow-cltlzens, holds the In
competent Health Department rospoii
slble for the typhoid fever epidemic.
Tho Health Dopaitiiieiit report says
that IS pur cent of the typhoid fever
case. did not come lioin local causes!
Where did they come from, then? Let
us have the truth,
The confession that S2 per cent of
the cases did arise lioin "local causes"
Is had enough, auywii.
What does thu Chicago Health De
partment get from the Drainage crowd
for reporting the lake water "good" and
"usable" when It Isn't.
Tim genial ami popular Thomas A.
Smyth will have the backing of the
West Side for the Doniocratiu nomina
tion for Sheriff.
P. McIIugh, who has tho respect of
bench, bar and public will probably bo
one of the Democratic nominees for
Judge next year.
Miles H Devlnu would mnko on ex
cellent County Judge.
Wouldn't It bu n good Idea to Inves
tigate the Civil Son leo Commission,
for a chnugo?
Tho 'Health Department might find a
few plague spots if It Investigated very
TWELVE PAGES.
-mm
closely In the vicinity of Illinois street
and La Salle avenue.
Lludhlom, thu "Terrible Swede,"
Wight to be Investigated next.
The Civil Service Commission will be
Investigated some day, and there will
be some hot developments, too.
The Llmlbloin method of reform Is
causing considerable comment both In
side and outside of thu City Hall.
"Hefonlicr" Hoglo has not said very
much about that city coal contract.
Mr. Kdwifrd M, Lahitf, the popular
Secietnry to Mayor Harrison, made u
great success out of St. Jeromu's fair.
Mr. Lahlff generally succeeds In every
thing he undertakes.
The scholarly Donald L. Mori III will
be one of the now Judges In all proba
bility. There Is gooil Judicial timber in Dan
iel J. Mc.Mahon. He Is popular vitth
everybody.
The iiuestlon Is often asked, What on
earth did .1, K. PiimlKlllu ever do for
the Democratic party to entitle htm to
a s.'i.ltio Job as Pollcu Magistiatu at
Ilarilson street?
If .1. K. I'rlndlvllle, .1. P., Is entitled
to .s.'.liio a year as a police iniigls.
trate, there Is no u-o In kicking about
crime.
Joseph P. Junk Is much talked of by
DeinoeriiiH for County Treasurer.
ja.lTiri
"
The Young Men's Hepubllcan Club
of the Twenty-fifth Ward has been
formed, wit It John W. Healy as Secre
tary. Corporation Counsel Walker says;
"Thero Is no ipiestlou as to tho power
of the City Council to compel tho street
railway companies to furnish a service
on all Hues to moot the demands of the
public."
In tho meanwhile, tho members of
thu Drainage (iaug aro still grafting.
How quick tho Health Department
went to thu assistance of tho Icu Trust,
didn't It?
Cnptnlu Win. P. HIack, Win. Prentiss,
Major K. 11. Tolmim, flcorgo Mills
Hogors, John C, King, D. J. McMnhon,
Miles J. Dovlnc, Donald L. Morrill and
P. McIIugh are all mentioned for Judl-
I clal honors.
&?W
TIN CANS GET A FEAST.
Hopkins Feeds the Weary Outcast
Politicians Who Are Out of
Their Old lobs.
And Who Have Been Tin-Canned for
Uselessness by the Regular
Party Leaders.
An Ingenious and Practical Way of Reaching
the Members of the Lobsters'
Union.
The Tilden Organization in This Way Re
ceives Some Well-Filled Recruits
Every Day.
Hopkins Ileitis the stun lug!
Hvery day the leader of the Tlldcit
Democracy calls In the hungry and thu
Jobless Democrats from tho outlying
woods and gives them to eat.
He feeds them all.
The Knocker!
The Kicker!
Thu Hum!
The Vagi
Al thoeu and more enjoy the bounty
of the chairman of the Democratic
State Central Committee.
.Air. Hopkins Is a line entertainer and
a most agreeable host.
Thu charm of his manner sheds Its
refulgent rays over the political dining
room on Monroe street, where he dis
penses his charily.
The ex-Mayor Is In soro straits just
now In his attempt to break up the
Cook County Democracy and he has to
call to his aid every cast-off politician In
thu town.
He knows that the het way to leach
these thi-cauucd gentlemen Is through
their stomachs, and he sends them
polite Invitations to dine with him.
Do they accept?
ell, we should say that they did.
The majority consider themselves
lucky to havo a red hot for lunch ami
an open, free-hearted Invitation to eat
with an ex-Mayor at n flue restaurant
Is too good a thing to oveilook.
The result Is that tho hard-working
and Indefatigable Hopkins has a half
dozen of gentlemen with tin cans tied
to them at lunch every day.
That Is, there Is a separate hunch of
half a dozen lunching at his expense
every day hi thu year.
Thosu pink teas aro models In the
way of political roasb, which aie
served up to the guests alougsldo of the
more substantial ones from tho kitchen.
One day recently tho bill of faro was
as follows:
Drainage Jobs on tho half shell.
Suckers, tried or baked.
Soup, a la .lone.
Uoasts (Harrison and Hmkc) ad
libitum.
Calves brains n I.i Tilden.
Vealy stew, a l.i Congressman.
Frappc, a la Civil Service.
I'rost cake, a la primaries.
Ice-., a la Jobs.
Chestnuts, a la Hopkins,
Hetwoen bites of tho delicious lunch
Mayor Ilarilson, Kobort II. Hurko and
thu Kcgular organization aro turned
over until they aro done brown.
The hungry guests nru well fed, well
conned and well Jollied, and aio then
sent forth Into tho wards to tight Har
rlon and Hurko and to organize thu
"Tilden Democracy,"
At those dally soirees .Mr. Hopkins
pours, asslhted by the:
Logiior Lumps, Aleck Jones Ca-
Altgcld Wursts, dots.
Passed Ups,
No lobsters aro served, out of legaul
for the feelings of the guests.
.Now It Is City Hnglnoor Hricson who
Is upon tho carpet beforo thu Civil Serv
Icu Commission on "charges." This
seems to lm thu era of "charges." There
Is an epidemic of them Just at present.
They nro In tho air, thick as mosqui
toes at oventldu lu summer, They blto
you when and where they please, and
they blto promiscuously. It Is errone
ous to Imagine that these "charges" aro
annoying but harmless. Llko mosqui
to bites they nro dangerous and bonie
times deadly, They often carry with
them tho malarial poison of scandal
ami Infamous libel which destroy tho
health ami vigor of a stainless llfo by
robbing It of Its good name, Iteputn
tlou, what a football art thou In theso
NUMBER 621.
degenerate days! Tlino was when men
defended their good nnmo with their
lives. To-day thoy go beforo the Civil
Service Commission for n ront nf wiitt
paint to keep off the mosquito bites, und
sometimes they don't get it.
Judging, however, by tho number of
"charges" now being Investigated by
tho "Three Tailors of Tooley Street,"
there must bo a most foul and dendly
swamp of conspiracy and scandal lu
full play somewhere In this town, pro
ducing the microbe of "charges." It
will bo well for tho good name of Chi
cago If this stagnant pool of scandal
can bo located mid obliterated. A lit
tle of the petroleum of healthy public
oplulo,u will do the work.
Kit passant, Mr. Western Starr will
be the attorney for tho gentleman who
has brought thu charges against City
Kugiiicer Krlcson.
Hy the way, who Is this gentleman
with tho luminous and heavenly name
Western Starr.
From what solar system has hu
strayed, and has his course through thu
vastness of space been directed toward
this town of Chicago by the
"Very hand which mollis a tear
And bids It trickle from Its source
The hand that makes thu earth u
sphoio
Ami guides tho planets lu their
course."
The Bugle knows not. Sutllce It to
say (hat Western Starr Is here. He
lirst began to twinkle nbove the politi
cal horizon, when lu Hepubllcan con
vcntlous he ns a delegate from the
Fourth Ward persistently plucked the
metaphorical beard of one Martin II.
Madden.
Messrs. Llmlbloin et nl. havo em
ployed Western Starr, ami, It Is said,
still contlnuu to employ him ns u mark
er of tho papers of candidates for posl
tlons under tho city ndnilnlstratloii
whose lot It Is to pass through the or
deal of civil service examination. Mr.
Western Starr also "watches" proceed
ings, Investigations, etc., on behalf of
the Civic Federation, and ho Is now
counsel for the gentleman who bilmrs
charges against City Knglueer Krlcson,
It Is claimed in ids lioliall' of course,
this Is with an eye single to the per
diem for marking (inputs under the
Civil Son leu Commission that Mr.
Western Starr Is a Democrat now. It
was demonstrated by a dally newspa
per ropoilor not long ago that Starr
was unlit, being a bigoted ami narrow
minded Individual on certain points, to
hold tho position of a marker under the
Clll Service Hoard, and Mayor Hani
son, it is said, at that time ordered his
discharge. Hut he Is back again hi his
old Job, It Is hard, after all, to dislodge
one of those fixed "Stairs," no matter
how eccentric their oi bit may be,
Theso aro the facts about Western
Stair, who will Iiandlo the charges
against City Kiiglneer Krlcson.
The conference of fio eminent
"weather prophets" at Mllwaukeu Is
one of thu silliest things imaginable.
Theso fellows are not prophets.
They never "forecast" anything.
They aro not scientists.
They nover foretell a gicat storm nnd
never know anything about onu until
after It occurs,
The St. f.ouls cj clone and tho stoim
which swept away Calvestou weio
neither of them scon hy thoni.
They do not oven keep a correct rec
ord of tho temperature of a city, as they
nro usually perched on tall buildings)
away from thu street level,
Tho Weather Hureau Is a fraud and
should be abolished,
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