The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1882-01-24
Streets and Sewers Again

To the Editor of tho Herald.
This subject, which the recent rainy spell
has again brought prominently before the
public, reminds us of the old saying:
when the devil was sick, the devil saint
would be-
When the devil was well, the devil saint was
he"
So it is with us. In wet weather we meet
and discuss to hear ourselves talk. As
soon as it is dry all is forgotten.
While it is muddy we are deluged
with the schemes, plans and opinions
OF these self-constituted oracles, who are in
their own estimation superiors of Eads,
Warlng, Sr DeLesseps. 1t is true Dallas
should have sewers and paved streets, but
instead of giving ideas rs to how the work
should be done, let these would-be S0lons
meet and organize committee on ways and
means. Plans and estimates will be pro-
duced quickly enough, as soon rs the
money is on hand.
Here comes W, II. H., who says: "Let us
get competent engineers, who will build
sewer from the Union Depot to the river,
down Pacific avenue" What engineer ever
suggested such an idea? Any citizen of or
binary intelligence knows for himself
that the ground is ten or twelve feet
higher near the river than at College or
Murphy streets, so that it would require at
least forty feet OF excavation for such out
let, aside from the fact that such a sewer
would discharge its contents directly in
front of the city, to lodge ON the ford (or
course these wiseaCros would do away with
the ford, and build lis a new iron bridge and
PIKE roads,, converting our lovely summer
rivulct into cess.pool TO regalc our sense
of smell with every southern zephyr. We
nave good natural courses drainage; these
can be converted into sewers, aud laterals
made to connect with them. Plans would
he forthcoming rs soon rs the money is i'm
sight Again, ut the peoples meeting
Saturday, we heard "let us send OF Tor
practical and competent engineers to cSti.
mate the cost of paving, etc, This is an
insult TO the intelligence of Dallas. Why
send oil for men who know nothing of our
soil, climate, seasons, amount of rain or
cold, of the quantity or quality of rock, nor
OF the cost of labor, when any of our
mechanics can tell what the amount
OF rock or wood you see fit to
put down, whether IL is eight, ten or
twelve inches in thickness, would cost.
Any contractor will tell you the COS, of re.
moving the earth, grading, etc., and our
fmlroad agents will answer for the freight.
but, no, because these wise men don't
Know how themselves they must libel all
thc engineers, contractors and mechanics OF
thc clty, We might rs well say, IN Scri-
Gus case Of Illness that we have no com.
patent physicians among us; they are all
qnacks, as to say VIC have no men capable
Ut mai king such estimates. They have
never been called on for an opinion; how
can anyone judge whether We have compo.
tent men until they have been tried and
found wanting This idea that nothing il
good unless II be imported, unfortunately
nGry9des this whole country from the
whisky and wine We drink, the clothes we
wear, the food we eat, to the engineers To
MAKE estimates on the cost of paving streets
Everything must he imported. We would
suggest that these wise men had better i'm.
port the. money also--vcrily 20
prophet is not without honor
save IN his nO,n ,or,,,s,, :,
we Will venture to say that there are fifty
men, engineers, contractors and mechanics
IN this city who are fully as capable of
making an accurate estimate of the cost of
paving the streets or of sewerage, as our
physicians are OF diagnosing case, or ms
w. d. n is OF conducting his own bnsi.
MSS one on rng ftrrY,