Daily evening star. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1852-1854, 1853-02-11
EVENING STAR.
WASHINGTON:
FRIDAY, FEBR UARY II, 1853.
Pure Water for Washington.

the improvements needed In the capital city
is attracting attention, and leading to the
adoption Of some of the preliminary steps.
This is all we desire We have no interest
whatever IN the Improvement of the thor
oughfares, and dwellings, and grounds, in
the lighting, and watering, and cleansing
the metropolis, except what is shared with
US in common by every good citizen, whe-
Their permanent resident Or temporary
sojourner in Washington.
Our paper IS hired by no onc-it'is inAu-
enced by no ciique-nor is it the organ Of
any party or any sect We speak as we
feel, for the interest and the honor of this
growing town of the nation, in view of our
responsibilities to our constituents-the
great public.
twill undoubtedly surprise some of our
readers &c learn that there are persons who
oppose the general introduction Of pure
water TO this city? Yet such is the fact
Il was exactly so, at first, with certain
class CT Individuals, and that by no means
n small one, in the cities of Boston, New
York. and PHILADELPHIA Hundreds, nav,
thousands cried out, at the suggestion that
every house should be supplied by law with
pure water at the public expense. 1t was,
they said, :. monstrous tax. It would swal-
low up eli the profits Of their rents. 1t
would Interfere with a great portion Of
traders, destroy the pump making business,
lesson tie number Of blacksmitLs, tear up
TIE streets, undermine tic stores and
dwellings, make their celiers and kitchens
awful da.ap, AID DO many and divers dread
frl things too frightful to mention? AS
John Quincy Adams exclaime9, On another
exciting occasion-''it was terrible. very
r-ibie.''
In New York, especially, the outcry was
tremendous. Three millions of doll.rs for
a watcrta Three whole millions of whole
dollars to he paid by property owners to
supply the tenements of the rich and the
poor. tic lofty and the humble, with that
precious Econ CT the skies-purc water i.
Why-it was p1eposterous. Itwould never
Go, in tie world!
let II - DO. Audit has done. And it is
still doing. Ard it will continue 10 do, to tLe
end of time. The New Workers would give
second j'ater-Ioo defeat to any nincompoop
v,lo shou,d seriously propose to lessen their
full supply Of the precious fluid.
So it is low, and so it viii be, in Wash
ington. The opposition to this great public
necessity here, is just as unreasonable, just
IS grouu,'Iess, as it was in the cities where
i. has been SO successfully introduced.
Eut VIC have too much confidence in the
good ;erse OF this people, too much reliance
on the patriotism of the national legislature
aad corporate authorities to believe that the
subjec. of abundantly supplying Washington
with pure water viii much longer lie ne
gected.
There is one consideration that ought to
move the public, and their servants in Con-
gress. if there were no other 1t is the dan
ger by uhich the property Of tie nation is con-
stdntiy opposed Jy fire.
How little is thought of as it should be by
the people and those they have appointed to
rule their rational affairs, Here are mil
lions on millions of property invested in pub
lie buildings, books, papers, patents, and
other ccn,bnstible art:cles-and yet what is
dore to protect them from the devourins
clement Where is the sufficient supply of
WATER Where is the guard to what water we