Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1873-07-23
WATER | WATER II WATER l--Tbis

w AIEN WATER ~ w AiGh F. - 4 MS
to be the cry of distress in our borough.
Next to bread 1t Is tho life prescryor besides being
the cxtingushcr of FIRE, while pure fresh water Is
foe 10 disease OF every type and water works
reduce the rates Of insurance. and add largely TO
the value Of every house and lot in tho borough.
We propose to re-pubish next week the Act Of
Assembly and the several supplements thereto, re-
lating to the erection of water works in our bor-
ough, so that oil who are seeking information on
this point may post themselves. Below will be
found two Communications upon tho case, for
which we bespcak m attentive perusal. The au-
thors have evidently given the subject some at
tcntion, from the practical manner in which they
treat the subject
Mr.. EDIToR i--As the question of bringing wa
ter into the borough is just now agitating tho
minds of our citizens, it may be well to lay before
your readers a few Of the many consideration
which can bo urged in favor OF the scheme Of
erecting water works. win the outlay of money
necessary to bring water from any given point,
within two or even three miles Of the borough, be
greater than the public utility and benefit directly
flowing from such an oxponsog Our borough has
but very small debt, aud our last tri cnnial as
scssment shows a taxable valuation of between
$40 900 and 100000. Thirty thousand dollars,
Il will be conceded, is a large estimate for bring
ing water from Moose creek, two miles up the
stream, and carrying ii through all the streets OF
The town. Now, If this debt Of thirty thousand
dollars be placed in the shape of bonds drawing
interest ut seven per cent, and extended over O
period of ten years, and three thousand dollars
thereof, with the accrued interest upon the whole
debt, redeemablo each year, beginning with the
lst OF January, 1873, it will require for the re-
demption Of the FIRST years bonds and accrued
interest tax Of about ten mills upon tho present
valuation. And this amount, without taking into
consideration the constantly increasing valuation
Of property, would each year decrease as the
bonds were taken up.
But Il is objected to on the part OF those op-
posed to the erection of water works that you
compel them to pay for that from which they re-
ceive no benefit, and that the scheme Is simply fol
putting water into the houses of rich people, This
is not true. Not only do they have 10 pay their
proportion Of tax upon the assessed value Of their
property, just as others do but If they want water
put into their houses or yards, they must put II
there, not only at their own expense, but they
must pay extra for the privilege Of using tho hy-
drants they put there, and thus afford source OF
revenue to the borough that will enable the au-
thOritiea to reduce very much the rate Of taxation
But is the expense too heavy to be oycrbalaneed
by the direct benefits to every inhabitant of our
DVToupu tuNt come from mourning LN-
cry day almost We hear Of whole towns being de-
stroycd by fire, and, although citizen remarked
the other day that he had "lived here for twenty
Eve years and we had had no fire." we cannot
hope to escape much longer, aud in a few short
hours fire may destroy enough property to pay
ten times over what it will cost TO bring water in
to the borough. This is not ALL | further aver
that q chemical analysis will show that there Is
not drop of pure water taken from our wells
from Milehells corner to the Leonard House
How can there be A loose, open soil without
sufficient sand to flter the water it passes down
through It to the rock, with from two to three
hundred water closets, sinks and ccsspools, the
dung refuse matter Of over one hundred stables
and barns, the drorpings Of horses, COWS and
swine upon our streets, and the ohar Of all oui
kitchens aud wash houses, with countless othe'
! impurities, all thrown into or upon this loose
porous soil, makes tho quantity Of human and
animal exoreuon passing through it from ten "a
twenty feet to the bed rock far overbear all th,
purifying qualities Of the soil Your pumps may
bring up clear water, but it is impure, and con
tains the seeds Of disease and sooner or later 4
win come In epidemic form and scourge town
Our water is At for neither man or beast to drink
! Why, just think How far Is our farthcst well
from sinking, filthy sink or cesspool, or Tia,
refuse Of some stable, as 1t Is heaped up, mpreg
mating the ground for rods around with It's impu
rites And should not these two consideration
cause those Of US who may not possibly receive a
much apparent benefit as those who live in tn,
centre Of town, to make If ii be necessary, SOM
little sacrifice for the good o { the public salet,
and the public health We are all alike inter
ested in preventing these two terrible scourges o
Gre aud disease from crippllng the energies Of ou
town. Nothing will do this more efectually than
good water and plenty of it. FnEsn WATER.