The daily gazette., 1882-05-30
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BEwARE on arHE n1No.n p
A History Of Its Past Career as Told by
an Old Citizen. IL

To THE EDITOR OF THE GAZETTE 81
would like to call the attention of the tax
payers of this city to few facts that concern
them.
1t is very plain to be seen that the old
"City Ring" is beginning TO show its hydra
head In the shape of certain supennten-
dent of the Water Department, and 1t is high
time to try and keep such men out OF office
In our city. i will state little of my own
observation for the last 20 years, for before
that time we only had what was called lone
power on the long race" and that power was
used on an overshot wheel made to accom-
modate IL.
But about or before this time another
power equal to the first was bought, and
both powers were put on the wheel, which
was only suitable for one. The one power
and wheel with the two pumps had worked
satisfactorily from 1928 until the two united
powers were put OH. But the heavy weight
of water soon began to tell on the wheel and
washed IL to pieces without gaining much
power. 1t so happened that certain iron
founder and member of Council had a pat
tern of waterwheel near the same size, and
a certain millwright owed the foundryman
and the only way the foundryman could get
his money was TO get the City Council to
favor putting in his partly iron wheel SO he
could get his money out of the millwright at
the disadvantage Of the city, and that was
about the start of the City Ring that has
been piling up the city debt so nobly carried
by the nephew of the iron founder and
founder of the city debt Another small
item shall mention is when the Rodney
street basin was being built no other clay
would do TO line 1t with but that brought
from the iron founders farm, some four or
five miles by water and then hauled over
mile in carts, while better clay could have
gh of MI M a half mi
there was no money in this clay for the
"City Ring" boys. Time rolled on, the city
increased in population and more basins
were needed.
About this time, or before perhaps, Joshua
r. Heald had offered 10 donate to the city
two squares of ground, suitable for basin
ora city park, but the Ring could see no
chance to handle much money, SO Mr.
Heald's liberal offer was declined. Some
parties had nearly foNr squares Of swampy
and low land that they wished to sell, and
the " Ring" could hear this rattle of money
in the swamp land. twas bought for S50,000
or 100000, and ] venture to say the owners
would have been glad to have sold 1t for
half the price to any land speculator. The
p" Ring " and the cunning captain saw a fine
job ahead and began 20 prepare to gather in
the harvest of the swamp lot by first trying
to induce the people to think that the in
crease of the population of the city necessi-
tated basin to cover the whole swamp Of
over four squares Of ground, bounded by
Twelfth, Tenth, jackson and Franklin, and
hundreds Of men were employed clearing
away the trees and rocks and conveying the
springs around and under the basins.
Thousands of tons of dirt were hauled
Some months afterwards the "Ring" and
captain found out that half of the ground
was sufficient for basins, with what the city
had, to supply population of 10000, so
they abandoned e-half the lot and started
to make the basin as il stands at present.
Their talent on building basins did not quite
come up to the standard so they employed an
engineer TO direct them, and he recon-
mended the basin to be lined with marsh
mud Hundreds of tons were hauled and
put into the basin and the captain and his
subalterns both black and white battered
away all summer and fall until winter set
in. Then the frosts and rains battered down
the mud basin, the money run out and
things looked very blue. Rut the opinion
of the people was that it would not do to
stop here, and by an act of the Legislature
money was raised and three commissioners
appointed, and the captain was set out of
| his fat job and the work was put out by con-
| tract. Another man was appointed as engl-
neer over the construction of the basin and
| he condemned the marsh mud and it all had
| to be taken out. Pipes were laid under the
bottom of the basin To carry out the spring
water, which will always be source OF
trouble and expense, while, If the lot Mr..
Heald had offered had been used we would
have had satisfactory and firm base for the
| basin.
When the basin was put out by contract,
clay was found not over half-mile distant,
which might have been used for Rodney
street basin, but then it would not have been
profitable TO Evans, who, with the captain,
always was looking ahead, and l have nc
doubt the captain is looking ahead now in
hopes that the old "Ring" element may gel
into power in Council and he be made
Superintendent of the Water Works, when he
can work up his unfinished business by buy.
ing out all the manufactures along tht
Brandywine from Roekland down, at any
rate from Rockford race, TO lead his pipes
into the basin. As straws show the way thu
wind blows, so the action of the past CITY
Ring" with the assistance of the captain al
Superintendent OF the Water Works show
what may be expected in the increase of citl
debt. The intelligent voters had better b.
can eful who they vote for and never, unde
any pretence, put in a set of Couneilmel
who would recommend Charles II. Gallaghe
as Superintendent Of the Water Department
word to the thoughtful taxpayers ough
to be sufficient. The above are facts tina
are known by many and can be proved /
necessary. ALPHA.