The daily gazette., 1878-12-19
For the Gazette.
Poisoning of the Brandywine
Wafer.

MIR. EDIToR:-I think you fell into a
great mistake from reading the Press, of
Philadelphia, ou the water question:
FOR don't believe if al the farms of
ochuylkill and Montgomery counties
were TO wash down into the Schuylkill it
would make the water as bad as it was in
the Brandywine few years ago, when it
Killed the fish, and, they came drifting
down by the cart loads. And wha secur-
lty have we as long as these prisoners re-
Iuse that were named IN your article a
few days since, that it should not happen
again and be far worse.
But Mr.. Editor, l see you are looking
at 1t in the right way when you say " to
poison the wells of water in any country
was always considered an ofiense, and to
poison The streams from which drinking
water is drawn can not be less an offensa
against all law, human and divine" 1t
Is time this thing was stopped, and hope
you VIII continue to battle at this mon
strous oflense against the people of Will
mington.
1t is surprising to me and many others
that l have conversed with, that the
Council don't take some measure to have
it stopped. 1t is said that they allow this
refuse dye stuff TO be let into the creek
at certain times, say once a week.
Is not this compromising the crime with
these people on the Brandywine. In my
opinion, the people in the city will take
TINS matter i'll their own hands. Our
Legislature will soon meet, and if the
law on impurities in the Brandywine and
other n tl,iS Stata 10 10;
enough, let it be so altered that these of
tenders may be punished. How would a
law do like The one that Furnishes Offend
ers who put obstructions on our rail
road; some might think this severe, and
may be it is, but when you look at it in
the right way can't see much difference.
Which is the worst crime for person
to do, to poison the water that people
drink, or TO put cross-ties or other OBJ
structiens on the rail roads, either by in
tent or otherwise ?
That man, Harley Brown, had no idea
that he would kill anybody he had
another purpose in view and the peo-
pie on the Brandywine let this refuse of
their dye houses into the creek to merely
get shed OF the poison, but it is like the
other-there is too much risk in it; and
why should not the punishment be simi-
lar at least There is no purer water
runs than the Brandywine when it comes
from its fountain head, without being
adulterated with this poison.
Running down the stream will still
make it purer ifit changes it at all, if
we keep these impurities out of it. And
there is another point which | wish TO
call your attention to, and that is when
this stuff is let out in the winter time to
go away, it freezes fast and remains in
the creek until thaw and then the
pump is running all the time, and by this
we may get some of the very worst of
this STUN in the basin for the people to
drink.
There are many more reasons why
this thing of making the creek com
mon carrier to take all the filth of these
factories away shonld be suppressed
without delay but may lbe my letter Is
long enough. Yet let me say there is
not one good reason why we should let
them do it any longer. Before l close
up ! will ask this question, Mr.. Editor:
Why is it the EUery EUening says nothing
about this water question? He is the
man about town VINO prote sses to regu-
late all things, even from the Governor
of the State, down toIa Bailiff of Council.
wcnder if there is not something in
the "wood pile?"
would not wonder if some of these
factory gentlemen Iup the creek own
something in that paper. Is that so?
IL must make the Editor of the paper feel
so bad. pity him for he knows 1t Is
all wrong, and to be held in duress that
way is too bad. Before | finish will
az you one more question: What has
become of the meat question? Do the
butchers own that end of City Council
like the factory men do the other?
There are lots of porklin market and at a
fair price, and there is no reason why
the farmers shall not sell beef thero, too.
Please say something about it in your
paper. BhANpfWINE.