Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1873-11-26

Water Supply for Montpelier.

Ma. EDlToR:-I see by our papers that on
Monday next at our Village Meeting, com
mittec are TO report on the subject of water
supply, and ask the village to authorize
the issue OF bonds not to exceed $50 600, for
the purpose Of supplying this place with
water from Berlin Pond. How this project
may strike our people at the present time
cannot say; but all, think, will admit
that its movers under existing circumstances
to say the least, are plucky. The proposed
Job is BIZ one, and it seems to US that no
man of good sense can now honestly recon-
m { cu~ eople to burden themselves with
it, when under no point of view is 1t neces-
sary, and as proposed even of doubtful bene
fit and efficiency. For, in the first place, the
quality o. the water which 1t is proposed to
introduce must be much inferior to that with
which our inhabitants are now supplied, and
the amount Issuing from Berlin Pond during
a drouth would be insufficient for the use of
this village; and in the next place, $50, 600
would net complete any sufficient and proper
work for the introduction of the supply pro-
posed. The city of New York, 10 1912, COM
pletei the Croton Aqueduct at an expense of
over Sl2 ,000, 600, or at about forty dollars
per head for each of it's $40 900 inhabitants.
and Of a capacity to furnish one million of
people daily with thirty-fve gallons of water
each. Boston, in 1913, celebrated the intro
duc.ion OF Cochituate water, after having the
subject in hand thirteen years. The expense
of furnishing this water was about So ,000,-
600, or iorty-three dollars per head for it's
l40.0 600 inhabitants and the amount was esti-
mated to be sufficient Tor $50 900 inhabitants
at about thirty gallons apiece per day. Who
believes at n odern prices that work Of the
kind can be properly constructed here for
$50 600, which would be at rate of nearly
two-thrds less prOportionally than the cost
OF the CocLituate works. At the same rate
the cost would amount to $3.50, 600 Com
pairing the Croton with the Cocbituate works
the smaller and later built cost proportion
ally more. The Croton aqueduct, forty
miles long and delivering $4,000, 900 gallons
daily, cost Sl2 600 900; while the Cochit-
uate aqueduct, only twenty miles long, and
delivering about o2e fifth as much as the
Croton, cost half the amount And surely
with prices double what they were in those
days proper work of the kind could not be
built here for fifty thousand dollars, or three
times that amount.
Judging from the comments of our press.
one would suppose our village ready to sad
die upon its already tax-ridden inhabitants
this additional and unnecessary burden. I'm
necessary, because we are already well sup
piled with pure. sparkling spring water from
our surrounding hills for drinking and all
necessary domestic uses, compared with
which the brown, Doggy waters of Berlin
Pond, saturated with vegetable and animal
remains, is fit only to quench fire or sprinkle
the streets. Not one village in thousand
is so well supplied with river and spring
water as Montpelier. Why, then, at such
expense ape the necessities or the display OF
towns less lavorably situated or more popu-
lous and wealthy? And the expense will
not end here-every man that is a man
will be expected to take this water to the TOP
of his house and return it through water clos
etc, bathing apparatus and sewerage pipes,
tainting the streams, air and earth about us.
Better use tie sponge bath and earth closet
awhile until business improves and we arc
able to live and keep our debts paid.
Let US all attend this meeting and see who