The daily gazette., 1880-04-22
The NesO Reservoir.

MR.. EDITOR when great men
make mistakes they are usually costly
ones /; and many Of our most intelli-
gent citizens think the location of our
new basin is one of them. Eaid great
men, for our civil engineers Of this
date are among them, and the springy
ground where our basin now is select
cd as one of the places for the Council
to chose, by one of those scientific men.
But practicable knowledge has to
prove every step before it becomes q
fixed fact. Bought wit they say is the
best, If we don't pay too high price
for it and this break In our new res
ervoir, though not as bad as was first
anticipated, starts grave fears among
thinking men. Whether these brick
walls are not liable to break and settle
at any time for the reason that there
is no foundation under them, and that
the whole basin will have to be gone
round in like manner that they are fix
ing the east wall of the south basin at
this time ! say practicable knowledge
ana this extra expense teaches us that
there ought to have been foundation
under the brick work along the sides
OF the basin when it was first built. /
mention this thing not that Ihave any
fears that the water will escape out Of
the basin. or that there will be any
danger that the supply will not be
adequate to our wants but the un-
certainty that hangs over us about how
much money We will have to spend
yearly before the basin gets done set
Ting and firmly fixed on solid foun-
dation. Let US square up our Water
Department and finish what we have
on hand before we think of anything
else for I hear that there are parties
trying to get the city to buy the water
rights belonging to the mills which
were destroyed by fire some time ago.
Practical knowledge teaches that what
you don't want is dear at any price.
We don't want these water rights at
this time and my knowledge of our
own wants and facilities to teach me
that We will not want them for 90
years to come. / am told that to these
rights belong nearly all the expense Of
keeping up the race banks and dams
up the Brandywine. If this be SO,
they would be dear as a gift at this
time; wish to remind the City Coun-
ell that when they were elected re-
trenchment and economy was the
watch word and when the new basin
was done, and the new water wheel
completed, we were to have rest in that
department for long time. But it
seems to me that every now and then
somebody gets scared or there is a
moneyed object in view or in other
words an az to grind, at the public ex-
pense. spoke of parties who were
trying to get the city to buy these
water rights that are in the market and
if my information be true they ask
about So, 600 more for said rights than
the mills with all the machinery and
land attached sold for a few months
ago. don't wish it to be understood
that ! am interfering with the private
rights of any one. Let the owners of
these mills do the best they can with
what they have left. But / do ask the
City Council not to be gulled by any
middle man who may want to ''pull
wool over their eyes" that he may get
good fee from the sale of these water
rights which zoe don't aoGnt. For one
| would like to see these mills built up
again for it looks so much like as if
things were coming to an end on the
Brandywine. The place in olden times
was not excelled anywhere. Why
there has been enough bread stuff
ground there to supply the whole world
for short length of time and there is
no such good luck that water rights
ara going up. Ihave known two other
mills there to burn and their ruins are
still in existence. Now water rights
we're never sold. There are others in
the market, and have been for long
time. / wish they would go up to
double the value they are nov, and if
the city should happen to want them,
say in twenty years to come we would
be more able to pay $50, 900 for them
them then than to pay what they ask
for them now. Twill say in conclusion
the only thing we want now is that the
city shall be run in an economical way
that our taxes may be kept down and
that will induce manufacturers to come
here, which will increase the wealth of
our city, and there will be no danger
but what our water supply can be kept
up with the pumping facility we have
at the present time. OBSERVER.