The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1885-05-01
THE WATER QUESTION.


Every observant resident in Deer Lodge In
the past three or four years has become more
and more impressed with the fact that the
well water is becoming impure and the lrr'-
eating water scarce Physicians tell US that
the we'll water is dangerous to use, especially
when the drainage is strong, and that tnero
should be sewerage to take of refuse matter.
A number Of years ago citizens OIL Deer
Lodge had, under old water rights, plenty Oh
irriQating water the year round. More
bitches have now been taken out OF Cotton-
wood above tswn, and the demand for WAFER
in town has been many times increased py
the lawns, gardens and trees, with which, 70
their credit be it spoken, our citizens nave
beautifed the town. The demand for irriga'
ting water has increased, while the supply
has diminished. The supply Of well water
is maintained, but has deteriorated. Ihese
conditions will continue and grew worse.
They are serious evils. Can they not be rem
edied or modified? We think so. We can
have plenty of pure water, summer and win
ter, under good pressure, and at a compare
lively small outlay. No other town in Mon
tana that we know of, Missoula only except
ed. has such favorable conditions. In the
frst place 1t does not require one-tenth OF
the water for lawn purposes, under pressure
and distri buted, that it does with ordinary
bitches 1t can be put just where it will do
the most good There need be no wastage,
and but little is required. All pressure re-
quired can be obtained by going TIVE miles
up Cottonwood creek, running drift to bed
rock, putting in a reservoir and piping 1t to
town. If laid below frost, we could have an
ample and pure water supply, summer and
winter, under pressure of, we believe, con-
siderably over 100 feet, which is ample for all
purposes. To put in the works with 5-inch
mains would not cost to exceed $4,000 or
$4,000. The side supply to buildings is NOM
inal, one-inch pipe only costing ten cents a
foot. Fire plugs could be placed in the
streets and at the Court House, which, with
local hydrauts, would be available many
times without using the fire engine, and
would be a very material assistance to 1t in
case of protracted fire. 1t should consid-
erably reduce the insurance rate. 1t would
also furnish water for street sprinkling, for
which our citizens now pay considerable
money, and for flushing sewers whore much
poisonous gas generates 1t locks to us that
the citizens sfDeer Lodge should for dsmes-
tic, sanitary and fire purposes, at once deter
mine to put in system of water works. The
occasion is more opportune, as Messrs. n. j.
Bielenberg and S. Z. Larabis are contempla.
ting a private venture of the kind fer their
swn exclusive use. They certainly would
prefer identity with a strong supply. IL
they invest in an Independent line it will be
much more difficult to organize a company
for general purposes. The project is practi-
cal III there is sufficient pressure), it is COM
paratively inexpensive, it is benefcent, and
we believe it would pay good interest on
the investment. Will net Messrs. Blelen
berg and Larabie offer a proposition that
will give the townspeople an opportunity to
show IL they see this matter a, We do?