Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1879-07-24
District Government Affairs.

Al O'CLOCK To-Day Mr. k0Ome, Clork In Clargo
OF revisions Of spe CT assessments, had issued
los certificates Of drawback, representing
Sc, 9O3 80.
For the first twenty-one days since the dog
tax has been due eighteen hundred and fifty
tags have been issued by the collector Of taxes,
making seven hundred and forty two less than
for the same time last year. The impression
that the old tag Of last year will do. In this
they Will find themselves mistaken when the
police comes around.
BIDS WE'RE OPENED
in the Office Of the District Commissi )ners TO-
day for dredging the outlets Of the Tiber sewers
embracing the street outlet and James Creek
outlet, the former, from the foot Of 18th street,
requiring channel to be eXcavated a distance
OF 8 900 lineal feet in a southwesterly direction
across the river flats to the Georgetown chan
mel. said channel to have rectangular cross
low tide, or the equivalent having the required
depth in the middle Of the channel, and the
natural side slopes; all material excavated to
distance from it as to form two parallel en-
bankments. The distance of the foot of the
inner slope OF each embankment at mean low
water from ron the the. axis * OF the cut to be not less
channel following the axis Of the canal and
extending to deep water In the river near the
foot of the arsenal wharf Only two bids were
made, that OF Mr.. T. P Morgan, jr.: street
branch Of I1ber sewer, 40 cents per cubic yard;
James Creek outlet, 2S cents per cubic yard. F.
B. Cotton, 1910 cents for B street outlet and 22
Bids were also opened to-day for making a
small addition to the Seaton school building, In
the second district, The work was awarded to
Mr. 7. Il. Barron, he being the lowest bidder, at
"swoRN MEAsuRER.'
Mr.. VIM 81. Harding, Jr., In a communication
to.the District Commissioners, states that hav-
ing received permit from the Inspector OF
on New York avenue and having occasion to
use an adjoining partition wall, he had received
bill for the use OF such wall from the owner.
This bill was sighed solomon j. Eague sworn
measurer.'' He asks whether said Fague is an
officer OF the District OF Columbia, and II so,
when and by what law appointed; Ii he is not,
whether there Is any such officer kown to the
law as ''swOrn meaSurer."
The commissioners, in reply, state that Mr.
solomon j: Fague is not an officer OF the Dis
trict government, and that there is no such
officer as ''sworn measurer.'
ANALYZING PUMP WATRR.
The analysis OF samples OF water from all the
public pumps OF the city, in use, commenced to-
day by Prof. E. G. De Smedt, chemist for tue
Distrtct-the samples being furnished by the
health officer. There are some two hundred OF
these pumps, and the undertaking is one OF
citizens. The impression has become quite gen
erai that most Of our wells have become con-
taminated by the contiguity Of the sewer pipes
VIII with them. Nearly all the wells are sunk on a
line OF the sidewalks, and under the system Of
sewerage now in vogue the terra Gotta pipes
used for this purpose are generally laid under
the SIDEWALKS, running near 10 the wells 1t tS
also fact that there Is much leakage from
these sewer pipes, as In many cases little or no
pains has been taken by the street contractors
to make close joints In the laying The analysis
wtliextend no further than to ascertain whether
or not the presence OF animal or vegetable
matter exists, and in such quantities as to
endanger health, as thorough analytical
examination OF each sample, embracing both
chemical and mfcroscOplca would require much
time and involve considerable unnecessary ey-
pense. The examination O-day was of samples
from the pump corner 5th and streets north
east, and the one on Massachusetts avenue and
sd street northwest. other samples will follow
from day to day, and when all are completed
the chemist will make report to Health Of
f1cer Townshend. The analyses already made
are OF the new mineral spring at the corner Of
Delaware avenue and street southwest, and
the water OF pump on New York avenue, be-
tween 9Th and 7th streets northwest, both Of
which have been found to be pure and good. 1t
is rot improbable that from the causes stated
it will be found that water from many OF these
pumps will be found unfit for domestic use, as
has been found to be the case in Baltimore
where the pumps are now being subject to sim
liar tests. Health Officer Townshend has pro.
cured number OF glass jars OF the capacity OF
one gallon each, with ground glass shoppers, in
which to procure and hold the samples until
tested The time required for each test is four
days.