100 Years Ago This Week: Jan. 9-15

From The Indianapolis News, Thursday, January 14, 1915: “The home is a menace; its poor construction makes it a veritable fire trap,” asserted Fred W. Rubin, Irvington Civic League president, in his appeal to the county commissioners yesterday calling for action to remedy the alleged conditions at the Children’s Guardians Home, 5751 University Av. Rubin noted there are approximately 50 children housed in the frame building, and a number of lives will be lost in a fire at that institution one of these days. He also claimed the home constantly violates the city’s smoke ordinance by spewing large volumes of smoke from its chimney which leaves a black oily soot on the vegetable gardens of nearby neighbors. The county auditor reported $3,000 (2013: $68,092.52) has been spent at the home repairing the boilers and installing a smoke consumer.