, 1881-01-16

Htu4A DG UF~AA A1ANAlA keA%SA
month passed. however, and no action was
| taken. The Mayor of Chicago was opposed
| to the work; it had not been proposed or
| planned by him. He therefore left 1t to be
defeated BY inactfon. In June there were,
loud complaints and remonstrances, OF which
the Mayor took not the slightest notice.
| A committee of the Joliet Board OF Trade
was appointed to consider this subject, and
the result Of their lnbors is thus stated by
Mr. Thomas:
These gentlemen visited Mayor Harrison In
Chicago tor the purpose Of urging him to take
saueamish neIghbors Of fbe intolerable nuisance
thrown into their midst bs the City OF Chicago.
Harrison shift ted the responsibility from the city
to the Canal Commissioners It was then pro-
posed aud agreed that Harrison and others
should meet this Committee and the Canal Com
mtssioners at Lockport On tho 6th Of july, 1850
presence OF all that the City Of Chicago did not
need the canal for sewage purposes; TINT its
we're a clean the %ater @ IN sae ss vas ao s 70
enough to bathe in; and further that the deep
cut was made by the State to receive water for
navigation, and not to accommodate the city:
and II the canal wus q nuisance it Was the fault
OF the Canal Commissioners, and not his nor tho
city's; and as proof Of this position he exhibited
about dozen bottles Of clear water.
The purpose of the Mayor to do nothing,
and the defiant and insolent mannerin which
he communicated his purpose and Intention,
was followed by an appeal by the citizens Of
Joliet to the Canal Commissioners to do what
they could in the matter. In the memorial
they state the character Of their meeting with
the Mayor of Chicago and its result, and use
this language:
But having recently sent committee Of our
business men to confer with the Mayor Of Chi
Sr2s at ana
Honor na. that the wafer IL the Chicago River was
pure and clean enough for bathing and toilet
purposes, and, what WIS still stranger, that the
nuisance was not caused By the City of Chicago,
but By your honorable Board. that Committee
wns instructed By his Honor to stir ,tp to as
sist him In compelling your honorable Board to
nbate tho nuisance. and through bis Honor our
Committee further informed that, on ac-
count Of the Fullerton avenue conduit and its
pumping properties, the City Of Chicago did not
need tho pumpins-WorKs> nor the l. 8 u. e:
itself; that the wMter that passed into the canal
from the Chicago River was for the benefit Of
the canal, and not for tho benefit OF the city, IN
view Of all these facts tand facts they must PC.
us) we come to you and most earnestly prar your
honorable body to not only allow US u make the
openings mentioned above m put IT, that m your Board
The memorial, therefore, in view Of the
Mayors nonsensical blowing. asks the Com
missioners to obtain the water for the canal
from other sources than the Chicago River.
On that memorial the Commissioners have
taken no action, and now the matter Is be-
fore the Legislature. The mistake has been
that the people along the river consider that |
the indifference of the Mayor and his per-
sistent inaction have had the sympathy or ap- |!
proval of the people Of this city. On the |
contrary, the people Of Chicago have been |
directly and doubly outraged, first by the |
continuance of the nuisance for months after
it might have been abated, and next by the |
mulish refusal OF the official organ OF the
city-its Nayor-to carry into execution the
express orders of the city.
THE Mayor now pleads that the appropria-
lion of last year was too small, and that he
cannot do anything until he has sufficient
money. OF course this is understood for
just what it is worth, and every one knows
that, had the Mayor had the sli ghtest intention
Of having the work done, it would have been
done and the pumps in operation long before
the close Of navigation last fall. The remedy
for the past is prompt action now. If the
S100,0 voted last year be insufficient, then
4 sum needed III addition can be voted this
year, and it is immaterial what that sum
may be- The city has expended 100000 for
the cleansing works at Fullerton avenue,
and the North Branch is now in condition
to be kept clean and pure. Not q drop Of
The water Of that part Of the river hnds its
way to the canal. The South Branch
is the only part of the river which con-
meets with the canal. There is not a doubt
hat the pumps and the lock and dam at