The Cheyenne daily leader. [volume] (Cheyenne, Wyo.) 1870-1884, 1877-05-22
THE CRY WATER. WORKS.

| Sucytuut lS SioWhS Siey, anu
everybody who takes the trouble of
passing through our streets, will see
that building is going on in every direc-
tion. Not structures of wood, but solid
substantial buildings of brick, and Or
namental as well as useful. The people
of Cheyenne, and especially the monied
men of the place, who own property in
buildings and goods of combustible
and perishable nature, should be the
parties to interest themselves in this
matter, and at once. There is no ex-
cuse for delay-this dilly.dallying with
the question, as they handle it with kid
gloves and count the cost, and then,
frightened at the figures they have con-
jured up, as regards the probable out
lay of this absolute necessity, dropping
it or throwing it aside in one of the
pigeon holes Of their memory, labelling
it with the very dubious legend, "to be
considered in the future Yes, gen.
tlemen, to be considered in the future,
when you shall be standing bare-footed
in the streets of the city, which you
have builded with your monies, your
houses burned about your ears, and
nothing but waste of smoking ruins,
that will point their ragged walls up
ward from the foundations of what
once was your city, "sermons in stones"
blackened memorials to your tardiness
and your apathy.
Cheyenne has been visited by fires
before, and it is not unlikely therefore,
but that the city may suffer again, upon
some future occasion. Heaven pre-
serve us, from the fiend however, OF at
least avert it until we are provided with
sufficiency of water. Trees will fol-
low the water-works, and grass and
flowers will adorn our gardens, and we
shall have an Arcade that will compare
favorably with our more fortunate sis
ters of the plains.
We do not desire to appear either in
the character of an alarmist or an en-
thusiast, in this matter. This is not
gnsh, but common sense, that we are
writing. 1t is an article we desire that
you may read and ponder over, and
act upon; this question of the water
works.
Cheyenne, just now, has too much at
stake. to afford to lose her grip, as un-
doubtedly she would in the event of a
fire. 1t is quite true that we have a
steam engine, and a very fine one at
that. This, to the average Cheyenne
mind, seems to be all that is required.
1t is to them what the Chinese joss is
to the Chinese household, so long as it
is in his house it will keep out the devil,
and as long as we have got the engine
there will be no fire, This. is all very
well in its way, but we cannot afford
to be facetious over the tmatter; for it
is no laughing matter. We have got
the steam engine, and good one, for
its record shows that forty-five pounds
of Steam can be made from cold water
in six minutes time, and a stream of
water has been thrown one hundred
feet i'll six minutes and seven seconds,
and one of two hundred feet was thrown
in eight minutes and eighteen seconds.
We have also two hose carriages and
fifteen hundred feet ..of hose, but-we
have not got the water, and we must
therefore insist on having it.
If we are afraid to- let our city fathers
take the work in hand, because we fear
there is job in it, why not let some
citizen or citizens under
take the contract at stated price, and
for certain remuneration, that shall
be nominated in the bond and be of a
So .tisfactory character to all interested.
] t the corporation won't take hold Of
it, let a monopoly control it under GER
tain restrictions. Anyway, let us have
a sufliciency of water. We have got
the engine, but we lack the water.
Tt reminds us of the poor Irishman,
of course it was an Irishman-who
was advised to buy trunk. "What
fur," said Pat. "Why, to put your
{ .lothes in.'' "What," cried the aston.
ished son of Erin, sam me go naked l''
We have bought our trunk and we
havn't got anything to put in it; that
is, anything to speak of. To be sure we
have got two tanks and a well, but we
are creditably informed that in case Of
an unusual fire these receptacles would
be pumped dry in a very short time,
and our city would be at the mercy Of
the flames.
Under these circumstances, in the
name of common sense, we call upon
the people of Cheyenne to take some
decisive action in this matter of water
works, without delay.