March 1928

Street Cleansing Demo - Councillors Impressed

A demo of the two up-to-date motor vehicles for city cleansing purposes was given in Shore Terrace on Thursday. One vehicle is a combined road sweeper and collector. The other is a vacuum gully cleaner.

In the demo of the former a quantity of refuse was scattered thickly over the roadway, and the vehicle, sprinkling water in front of it, brushed the way perfectly clean. The refuse had been whisked up inside the sweeper.

The gully cleaner did its work by a tube resembling a large hosepipe, which was placed down the gully, and in a few seconds the contents of the gully were removed by suction.

Town Councillors who attended the demo were impressed by the effectiveness of the new methods, but when consideration is given to the question of purchase the financial aspect will have a big bearing on the decision.

Link with Old Dundee - St Clement's Well Found

An interesting link with old Dundee was unearthed during the course of the demolition of the buildings in the High Street to clear the site for the east wing of the Caird Hall square.

The workmen, who have been warned to take particular note of anything which may be of historical interest, discovered an old draw well situated on the west side of Tindal's Wynd and immediately behind the shop at the west corner of that ancient street. It is claimed, and there seems little room for doubt, that the well is that known as St Clement's Well.

In the olden days the old harbour was adjacent to the well, and it was from this spring that sailors filled their water casks. St Clement was the tutelar saint of the town from a remote time, and was recognised as the patron saint of sailors, no doubt on account of the fact that he was martyred by being cast into the sea with an achor.

The mouth of the well, which is beautifully rounded off, is not more than 20 inches in diameter, though it, no doubt, gets wider as it descends. The well is 18 ft deep with 8 ft of water in it.

The water is to be pumped out in order to see if any old coins had been dropped into it at any time.

Australia - Free Passages
Experienced domestics.
Mackay Brothers & Co (Dundee) Ltd
9 Whitehall Crescent, Dundee

Fire Brigade's Unlucky Day - Record Number of Calls During 24 Hours

Friday seems to be an unlucky day for Dundee so far as fires are concerned. Of the 415 calls which the Fire Brigade received last year, 74, the highest total for one day, occurred on Friday. Saturday comes next with 64, followed by Wednesday with 63, Tuesday next with 57, Sunday and Monday 54 each, and Thursday, the lightest day of all with 49.

One of the most interesting facts is that, while the number of calls - 415 - constitute a record for the past 24 years, the downward trend in the amount of damage done by fire in the city has been maintained.

An Obliging Hairdresser

A well-known hairdresser tells how to make a remedy for grey hair. Mr Frank Harbaugh, who has been a hairdresser for more than 40 years, recently made the following statement:-

"Anyone can prepare a simple mixture at home, at very little cost, that will darken hair and make it soft and glossy. To a half-pint water, add one ounce of bay rum, a small box of Orlex Compound, and a quarter ounce glycerine. These ingredients can be bought at any chemist's at very little cost. Apply to the hair twice a week until the desired shade is obtained. This will make a grey-haired person look twenty years younger. It is easy to use, does not colour the most delicate scalp, it is not sticky or greasy, and does not rub off".

To Renew Gilt Frames

Skin and bruise four or five large onions, boil them in a pint and a half of water, adding just enough flowers of sulphur to impart a golden tinge.

When the onions are cooked strain the water in which they were boiled, and with it lightly brush the frames.

Deserted Wife

Sentence of 60 days' imprisonment was passed on George Grieve, labourer, some time residing at 20 West Wynd, Dundee, by Sheriff Malcolm at Dundee on Thursday. Grieve was charged at the instance of Mr Robert Allan, Inspector of the Poor, with having deserted his wife and six children, whose ages ranged from 11 years to four months.

Collarless Dog

Mr A, Labourer, 156 King Street, Broughty Ferry, was fined 7s 6d at Dundee Sheriff Court yesterday for not having a collar bearing his name and address on his dog on February 20th. Mr A explained that he got the dog on a Sunday and intended to get a collar for the dog the following day. The dog, however, broke the chain, and he never saw it again.

Uncanny Practice

Some people have a very nasty habit of lashing out with their feet when mounting the stairs of a tramcar. As a result of this practice I saw a man who was climbing the stairs behind one of these acrobats get a bad kick on the face in addition to having had his hat knocked off. Surely it is not too arduous a task even for a lazy person to control his nether limbs when climbing the stairs.

Bus Tours

When the fine weather comes the Tram Manager should put on a bus for an occasional run from High Street eastwards to the road leading to the Kingsway right along to the west end of Kingsway, and on to Birkhill Road and so to Lochee Road and back to High Street. There are very large numbers of Dundonians who have never seen the Kingsway, and who do not know the frontiers of the city.