The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-08-20
WHAT THE OLD PUMP SAID.
IN WHAT HfRLEM ECLIPsES EVEn
OPULENT MURRAY MIL.

The Occasion Of the Large Gathering on
Sundnv Afternoon near the One Hundred
aud Twenty-siath street Police station.
At the old pump at Sixth avenue ana
127th street yesterday stood a bare-armed work.
man drinking. "Good, Is it2 Begorrah, the
Dist in the wurrud. Cowld as Ice, as swats
as milk None Of yer dhirty nasbtY Croton.
shmeinR like the dv Here, sur, take SUP"
II was good, cold, sweet, sparkling, worth q
ride from the CITY Hall to taste.
At 10th street, between Fifth aud Sixth ave.
nues, Is another pump. clean and bright, In
braDd-ne coat OF paint, disnlned. soIf-oon-
scious pump, evidently feeling Its Importance
pump not to be trined with. An old man hob
blod across the street with pail which he
nlled. Have drink. young manT he
asked, Offering tumbier. You wont
get auother such drink on the Island.
unless you live hereabouts, No Croton about
that. No noctos, as the doctors call II. In that.
No headache, either" he added, as there Is In
your beer and whiskey aud wine. It's a pity
there ain't n pump In every street In the city.
That's rights drink another glass. II wont
hurt YOU" The water that sparkled from the
painted spout Of the pump was good. very good.
There seemed TO be o little settlement OF
pumps In that neigh borhood, for at Madison
avenue and 10th street stood the third. A
group Of boys, hot-faced and thirsty from q
game OF ball, were struggling at the spout for
the Icy water. You Rit outer here" young
man shouted, approaching the fence from
neiehoorng house " You can't have no more
water here you waste more than you're WORTH"
e amt had drink yet" pleaded bright eyed
| youngster Jest femme have drink" They
Jest hang around here ali the time" the young
H. an said, and waste the water, and carry on.
and break the pump. Ye-es, the pumps public
property. but fathers n,d to pay for fixing Il
convenience, 20 be sure, for we couldn't get
/ the mel TlbOrnOOu. PeOpe come from all
around hero In drOves and carry " home. One
hot doy we counted LIZ in one hour. and 1Oi In
the xt. The old thing Is going from morning
TIL night" An iron cup WINS chained to tho
spout Even FROM this uncouth vessel the water
from the pump was good-Very good -
The last OF the pump quartette stood sttn and
prim. decidedly Harlem like, opposite the police
bevy OF little girls. each with little pail, quiet
IL took turns In nliing these pals, the LARGEST
| pump was weather stained with age, Its solitary
arm trembled with much exercise, its prominent
nose dropped eighty, and seemed 70 say TO the
brght-eved rosy girls, Drink, my little dears.
Drink all you want. 1t Will make your bright
round limbs rounder. Drink, my little dears."
As the little ones trippcd away the reporter
". Il evidently pleased the old fellow. for he
Immediately offered, In the tin cup he wore ID
laines, adrnugnt Of water. 1t was good Worthy
| OF the giver. As the arm SLOWLY sank to the old
pumps side there came SOUND that seemed 70
be an answer to the unexpressed thoughts OF
the reporter; ,,o..
It's good Do you suppose 1 would ruin my
repu alton 10y furnishing the community With
| an inferior ticle at my time OF life just when
they are beginning to appreciate me, too. No.
sir. Down below, IN my. cellar eighteen feet
below where you stand, i keen an inexhauss-
able supply of the beet beverage God ever gave
you thankless mortals. You've tasted II; you
know. And the people around here know. Why,
sir, yesterday-Sunday, you know-l wouldn't
have had time to talk dozen words 10 you.
The people came IN THRONES ana STOOD around
tired 10y dark and even then the people ca,nes
aud far into the night was busy supplying
wink " sleep IN last night. Just when I'd get
to doing on along would come sone ooozT
cling Of lager beer, and how he would drinki
Beer = and the old pump seemed To gasp ~ dis.
gust. "Beerl How any one can drink that
nasty. froihy stun, and pay for It. TOO, when
stand here on the street from morning untu
money aud without price, Is past my compre.
hension. But you ought TO have seen The crowd
ysserdy she people thSt came 9, afi y, n1
In their lives. Many OF them hadn't, ! verify
believe, poor souls Think OF their living down
town. IN tenemepts, having nothing U drink
but Croton, and Ice Of 81 "A hundred. Cpon ny
word, | don't wonder they take To beer and
The old fellow suddenly ceased as woman
hurried NJ with irge pitcher
" Pardon me-, the pump continued, am
often interrupted thus. The people come here
from all around. Even - far "a from ll2tt
street and second avenue. Iruchs come here
loaded with barrels, ana take them away fun
men bring washtubs and boilers on wheelbar'
rows anu get a supply. Nov, | can remcInbel
when they didn't think half as much II mo nj
thev do now Why. when the Croton water VA
fully. fell into a sad state Il decay hut II
didn't last long, | assure you. And now am
well cared for. Mr.. thomson mere, bless her
good old soul. don't let any one abuse me. and
she keeps my old frame In good working order
But 1 have lost my voice." whispered the pump
~ remember when could run whole octave
from below, and always sang when I served
my customers but now my voice Is gone, Will
much using. and can only gursle and Creak
little at the best. But can furnish just as goot
water DIS | dld years ago, when was young, aud
wien there was hardly house Ia lIarlem."