Barbour County index., 1885-05-15

Articles OF Incorporation of the Med
icine Lodge Waterworks company were
fled with the secretary Of state last
Monday. The incorpOrators are c. III.
Eldred, ID. Stith, Eli Smith. NJ. w.
Brand and I. L. O'Bryan. The capital
stock Of the company is fixed at S25,-
600, and it is to exist for 81 years. The
object Of the incorpo ration is to furnish
water to the inhabitants of Medicine
Lodge and vicinity for domestic, man.
ufacturing, mechanical and other pur-
poses; to supply the city with water in
case of conhagrations and for street
sprinkling purposes.
This organization Is the result of an
article published in the INDEX last
week calling attention to the grand op-
pOrtunity offered for bringing water
from Elm north of town, over the hills
directly through the streets, and at a
comparatively small expense. When
that article was read by the gentlemen
engaged in the enterprise, they imme-
diately set to work getting up their ar
ticles of incorporation. We are glad
that some one is agitating the question.
In addition to furnishing water 10
the city, we understand that the COM
pany will make a large lake on Eli
Smiths place adjoining town, and keep
it supplied with fresh, pure water,
stock it with fish and turn it into a
grand pleasure resort. They will also
establish driving park and fair
grounds, on the same property, and
make it generally the most inviting
place in the state. The ground is ad-
mirably situated for the purpose men
toned, and it is to be hoped the enter
prise of the gentlemen in charge of the
proposed improvements, will not abate
in the least.
We do not anticipate that the water
works company will experience any
difficulty in securing from the city the
right-Of-way for their pipes; but we do
now want to warn the city council
against taking any hasty action and
hope that under no circumstances will
the council submit to jug-handle con-
tract giving the company everything
and reserving for the city nothing. The
company can well afford to give to the
city all the water it may need for street
sprinkling purposes and all that
will be used in cases of conAagations;
the company can afford to put in fire.
plugs at convenient distance in every
block, free of charge TO the city, in the
present as well as any additions to the
corporation limits. We have no doubt
the waterwOrks company are willing to
grant these privileges to the city, and
even others, if they are in turn given
the right to lay their pipes in the city.
Our object in calling attention to the
Importance of the city demanding some
thing for the privileges it can confer,
is that If the matter is not attended to
at the very outset it never will be, and
if the history of other towns is to be be-
lieved, too many restrictions cannot be
placed around a waterworks company
or gaslight company or street rail-
road company. They all start off with
the fairest promises, offering everything
for the privilege of establishing their
enterprises, but winding up by bringing
the cities out in debt to them; by bank
rupting the people with extortionate
charges, and retarding rather than aid
ing the. growth to the municipalities in
which they exist.
Messrs. Eldred, Stith, Brand, Smith
and OBryan are all good citizens, and
interested in the prosperity of Medicine
Lodge, and we believe they will be rea-
sOnable in their demands and honest in
carrying out any agreement they may
make. But they may have successors,
not so conscientious, and so our city leg
islators should guard well the interests
of generations to come. Rather err on
the side of the populace, than on the
side of the company. Reserve every
privilege for the city, and even then,
with the most careful watching, the
company will probably get more than
its share.