The Great Seattle Scrub-Down
Facing a growing crisis of 'filth, dirt and garbage,' the City of Seattle threatens strict enforcement of sanitation ordinances to clean up the heart of downtown.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
Notice is hereby given to all property owners and upon all occupants of buildings within certain limits of the city of Seattle, that the ordinances of said city relative to the removal of filth, dirt and garbage in the streets and alleys will be strictly enforced on and after this date. City limits are also hereby defined as beginning at the waterfront at the end of Wall street, Elliott Bay, thence east on Wall street to Fourth street, thence south on Fourth street to Pike street, thence east on Sixth street, thence south on Sixth street to King street, thence west on King street to Elliott Bay. A word to the wise is sufficient.
“A word to the wise is sufficient.”
In 1888, Seattle's rapid expansion led to a public health crisis as waste management lagged behind growth. Today's Seattle struggles with similar debates over the cleanliness and public use of sidewalks, proving that the 'sanitation' of public space remains a persistent point of civic friction in the city's history.
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