There's several of these gashouses in the district, and I wanted to get them over to Astoria for three reasons: first, because they're nuisances; second, because there's no votes in them for me any longer; third, because--well, I had a little private reason which I'll explain further on.

I needn't explain how they're nuisances.

They're worse than open sewers.

Still, I might have stood that if they hadn't degenerated so much in the last few years.
Ah, gashouses ain't what they used to be! Not very long ago, each gashouse was good for a couple of hundred votes.

All the men employed in them were Irishmen and Germans who lived in the district.