The Portland daily press., 1865-08-12
DECIDEDLY FUNNY.


A gentleman who has proposed to supply
our city with fresh pure water-if he can and
wiN do it he should be encouraged-in defend
ing his proposition, says;
II do not proceed upon the apprehension,
that the city has, or can acquire any rights to
use at any point of the lake or the riUer, one
BUCKET Of 20 tier against the consent of, and
certainly not without paving full damages to
the proprietors ofevery waterfall on Presump-
scot river 6etoec the point of 7diverting such
water"
That is, proprietors Of water power at Con-
gin and Presumpscot lower falls own, or have
claim upon, every bucket of water in the riv-
er above them, and not only So but upon ev-
cry bucket Of water in Sebago Lake, No per
son has right or can acquire right, to use a
single bucket full of water above the falls,
from river or lake, without the consent of the
owners of these falls, and paying full dam
ages! M
If this doctrine be true then every washer
woman at Saccarappa, who presumes to use a
bucket of water in her avocations, is tres
passer, and liable to be mucted in damages
more or less severe! Every canal boat, sports
man or pleasure-seeker, who takes a gallon Of
water from Sebago Lake, does SO at his peril!--
Nay every person who drinks drop Of water
from that natural basin, is liable to be prose
cuted for damages, because he consumes or di-
yerts the course of water that otherwise might
aid in turning somebody's mill wheelsl And
If Sebago Lake is sacred to the uses of the wa
ter-power owners on Presumpscot river be-
cause it is the feeder of that river, then all the
little streams and springs that flow into the
lake are also sacred to the same uses, because
they contribute to the same grand result
And, to carry the principle little further,-
with perfect legitimacy every bird that flies
over Sebago Lake in shower, and thus alb
serbs drop of water that would otherwise
fall into that lake, is trespasser, and liable to
damages for holding back water that belongs
to proprietors Of water-power at Saccarappa,
Congin and lower Presumpscot fallsl
Such is the nonsense with which attempts
are made to create an impression that one
man only has power to water this city Of
course no one is deceived by the names used
In the communications upon this subject. All
understand that the president of P. L. & w.
p. Coz is but another name for Of o. J. S. ,"
morris any one misled by the apparent conflict
between these apparently different personal-
ties. The feigned opposition of F. o. j. S.,
he is shrewd enough to know, may help the
proposition which he appears to oppose, but
which is really his own. In his own name he
could secure no hearing from the city upon
any proposition; in he name of another he
may secure such hearing particularly if he
himself is supposedto oppose it, and thus is
believed to have no connection with it,
Now we say distinctly, if J. J. Speed, or f.
o. ). Smith, or any body else, will make a feas-
Idle proposition to the city to supply it with
pure water, we insist such proposition should
be looked into, weighed, considered and treat
cd according to its merits, entirely irrespective
OF its author, or of who proposes to profit by
it. The city needs the water. This fact can
not be winked out of sight, and we care but
little who will meet this want and satisfy this
vital necessity, provided the thing itself can be
done, and done in way to give assurance that
the needs of the city will be met, and the sup
ply not be under the control of those who can.
In a fit of caprice, cut it of.
But it is high time this nonsense about ex-
elusive rights to all of Heavens favors and
blessings were stopped. The legislature can.
beyond question, authorize the city to take
water from Presumpscot river or from Sebaeo
1aAc' ana under such authority the city may
tAAs the water, and it can do so aoainst.the
world, asking consent of nobody. II is very
true, it by taking or diverting sucb wafer mr.
t@1l damage is done to any person bov;no
rights on the river below, the city must nav
such damages, but neither Mr. Speed. nor Mr.
Smith, nor Mr.. anybody else, is to estimate
those damages, for this would be question:
If not adjusted by compromise-to be deter
mined by jury; and the reader can Judge
as well as we can, how much damage to the
proprietors of any falls on the river an intelli
gent jury of twelve men would consider it.
ior the city of Portland to take from Sebago
Lake Stream of water that could pass through
wo-loot tube, especially in view of the fact
'nA'' ouring the entire year, the surplus or
-; "a'er running ooer every dam on the
w. - vastly more, probably, than all the
""'er so diverted. We doubt if a Jury could
DC enlpanneled that, under sucbl o;yc,y,eton-
ceS, would award single cent oe ii,N--s,
any rate if this be the onlv a. u'''o' ~
way u securing supply of pure wafer we
tnlnk the city would willingly assume ' ~ We
sponsibility and take the risk, 'iie re-
IL is fortunate, perhaps, that some ,0en =
not own the water of the ponds and st,oa., ~
or even the atmosphere in which human lie,
is supported. If they did own either vvo h, ~
those who would not or could not nav ~ |
price. The air is free; so is the water to q
large extent, and no legislature, no iurv
will ever willingly stint city of its water
supply in order to crafty the avarice or to
show the power of any man or corporation.