The daily Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1878-1???, 1882-04-09

figures is paid, or at the rate of 5000 tax
per mile; and that Amsterdam has 2G
miles of track in this county upon which
about g., 600 tax is paid, or at the rate of
300 per mile; A very narrow guage Tux in
comparison, indeed Then again, the old
lady ought to have given her readers the
amount of tax the Wabash pays on depot
grounds and lots and land in this city
in addition to above tax. and at the same
time told the public how the Amsterdam
concern crawlel out of paying taxes last
year on depot grounds in the city, upon a
very narrow gauge legal technicality; and
now we are Informed, proposes to try the
same again this year. We will say, howev-
er, IN reply, to the Argus that, in our opin-
ion, not any of the railroads running in this
county bear their just share of t1xes--lcast
of all the narrow gauge one, owned in
Amsterdam. There are concerns in this
city, which pay more taxes than the az
gregate amount paid by all the railroads
within the county; but the Argus has no
mention for them, when calling attention
to large tax payers-only has praise for it's
pet, which is narrow gauge, not alone in
construction, but seems to be in manage.
ment and decidedly 50 in respect to amount
of taxes paid" The old girl is certainly
badly "mashed on her Amsterdam darling.
ANY one who will make trip around
the upper portion Of the city, along the
Mississippi levee, with view to obtaining
some idea of the extent and location of the
present sipe water in the lower portions Of
the city, can not fail to observe that the
two largest bodies in the city, namely what
| is known as Lake Edwards" and the
pond above this which reaches around st.
Mary's park and covers all the low ground
above twentieth street, are separated only
by a narrow strip or ridge of ground near
the Mississippi levee and could be connected
there by sewer by very little work and alta
small cost Captain w. p. Halliday, who
has made the prevention Of sipe
water in the city subject for much
study within the last few years, suggests
that these two ponds be thus connected
by large sewer, running along the inside
of the city's new levee. Then that four
or five foot sewer be constructed through
under the Mississippi levee, at point
near where the new joins the old, and he
is confident that the spe water can thus be
drained out Of the city almost entirely and
very rapidly. The captain is sustained in this
theory, as in all others that he has ADVANCED
in connection with this subject by incon.
testable facts. The Mississippi river is very
much below the bottom inside the levee;
the sipe water, about fifty yards from the
old levee, as proven by soundiDgs made
yesterday afternoon, is about feet deep,
every particle of which would, of course,
run out through the sewer. The result
would be that, even though the sewer were
laid only for distance Of fifty yards from
the levee, Lake Edwards" and the uptown
pond, being connected, would ibe reduced
in depth FIVE feet, which would render
both entirely too low to cause any incOn-
ycnience to residents 10 the portions OF the
city covered by them. A single five foot
sewer through the Mississippi levee, ex.
tending but fifty yards into the city, would
lower the two ponds named
by five feet in very short space
Of time and would leave large area en-.
tirely free from water several weeks before
this could be accomplished by the present
system of sewers. But if this sewer were
laid several feet below the surface Of the
ground and then extended TO where the
sipe water is several feet deeper, it would
lower the ponds named TO the extent Of
several feet more, of course, and they
might be drained out entirely il desired
by simply lowering and extending this
sewer; but to lower them five feet at least
would cost but little money and labor. If
Captain Hsllday's plan to prevent sipe
water from coming into the city at all
proves faacious, which now seems impos-
sibe, then this plan of Kidding the city of
the water after it has gathered is certainly
worry of serious consideration; but pre-.
vention is better than cure, therefore give
the trenching and pudding process the
first and thorough test
|
The following is copy Of card re-
ceved at THE BULLETIN office yesterday: