The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1885-01-01
water works, No.

water works, Ne.
Mr.. EDITOR: As the discussion
the Water Works question is now in
order, / wish to present some ideas
through your columns for the thought
full consideration of your many read
ers, who are interested. At the outset
I ask fair and candid perusal Of this
article. When any man, or set OF
men, of ordinary prudence and sagac
ity, enter upon an undertaking of any
magnitude, they do it because it is
necessity, or that the project is so
feasible that the end to be attained
gives good promise of being something
near commensurate with the cost and
[ see no reason why a community
should not use at least equal foresight
and prudence.
Is the object sought to be attained
by this scheme necessity, or even SO
desirable as to give any promise of
being worth, when completed. any
thing like its enormous cost? 1t is u
notorious fact that there is no location
far or near where a community can
supply themselves with better and
purer water for household uses, with
out extraordinary cost aud trouble,
than here. Our town is situated on
very elevated land. and, therefore, we
have to take the drainage from no
other section. 1t is true in some
places in sown, of limited area, it is
necessary to go deeper than is desira-
BILE, but to compensate for that, the
supply is purer aud sxhaustless. But
we are told by the advocates of this
scheme, that it is necessary for manu-
featuring purposes. Now, is this q
fact? Is II not true that ia the valley
about the railroads. where most of the
manufacturing would naturally be
done, there il all exhausllesa supply OF
fairly good water, near the surface
Aud its quality is as good. at least, as
that used in the majority of other
manufacturing towns, and perhaps rs
good or better than we would get by
Water pipes. 1t Is but few yeaIs
since the G. d r X. II. moved
heir water tank from Pipin Like and
located 1t right in this basin of which
{ speak, and it has since been one OF
their chief watering places, and ifgoCd d
enough for locomotives it will certain
ly do for ordiuary engines. And in
the south part of town, on the p. e. 4
T.R r., where any plant would be-
located. what is to prevent taking
water from the adjacent ponds? No,
there ia nothing in this plea. If it is
true. as has been asserted. that nu-
merous enterprises have been driven
away from here by lack of water, their
projectors must have been very faint
hearted and easily dissuaded. In re-
gard to the manufacturing business
wish to say little more, and call the
attention of the reader to a fact that
has been trying to assert itself by the
logic of events for some length of time,
and that is, that the booming days for
most manufacturing towns are draw
Ing to close, MS witness the oft recur-
ring lockouts and temporary suspen-
sions. The manifest reason for this
we sack and. readily find in the won
derful state of perfection to which all
the appliances and machinery for the
construction of nearly every article
has been brought, thereby rendering
it possible for few operatives to &C.
complish so much in so little time
Every town cannot be a manufacture
ing center.
We are told by the boomers of this
project that our town is dead, and will
never amount to anything until we
get in debt. Now. many of us, guided
by old precepts, have be en- laboring all
our lives under the halucination that
the road to permanent prosperity. for
men as we'll as communities, lay along
the line of prudence and economy. II
this is all delusiOn, and the short cut
to eminence among cities, is by plung.
ing headlong in debt, let us launch out
| AA gal ACoC. LIEU u5 nave u CaUlc EOau
from the Black Horse Tavern" to
Dauber's. No one is idiotic enough to
suppose it will ever pay, but it will
get US in debt, and that is the high
way to success.
A very bad feature about this prop
ositiOn is the entire absence of any
definite plan or limit. We are asked
to give the authorities "Carte blanehe''
to proceed as they choose. 1t is true
there is the amount suggested in the
notice, of about S75, 200, which, from
Our experience with the school house,
may mean $5O,0OO or Sl5O, 900, more
likely the latter Than the former.
Let US make few figures. 500, 900
at 6per cent, is ST. 900 per year; add
"a 600 or IS 900 year running expenses
and repairs aud you have not far from
81 900 per month, and none of the prin.
cipal paid. This added to our s.. 26
present rate. Now, add to this your
water rent and modest plumbers bills
+ r. bursted pipes, and fear some of US
will fpd We have a very large quadru-
ped on our hands. Especially when
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