San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1886-02-27
OR STAGNATION.
The Question Considered from Several
StandpoInts.
Editor San Antonio Light.

w udl NOulu bC lhOhRut vi q "hO
would erect u fine house, and then go TO
the owner to negotiate its purchase.
That would about be the position OF the
city were it to put down sewers before
Ii owned the Water works. But ii Is not
going to do any such thing"
From this paragraph | infer that the
LIGHT is opposed to the adoption of
sewerage proposition upon the ground
that the city must first own the water
works. Upon this plea it may be easy
to defeat the sewerage proposition. but
with all due Difference toyour expressed
opinion l beg the privilege to discuss
the question to see If 1t would not be
the best thing our citizens could do for
their own welfare to vote in favor OF
sewers without reference to the owrer-
ship of the present system of water
works. the ownership ,,Of the Brack-
enridge Water-works must precede the
building of sewers by the city. it is more
than probable that you, Mr.. Editor, and
all your contemporaries, will be dead and
gone, and our beautiful old town,
stricken with plague, Stunned aud for
saken, will be stranded village even
that fourishing corporation. the San An
tonic Water-works Company may not
exist. and even the envied Breckenridge
will rest beneath granite slab, at peace
with this world at least. In con-
sidering questions which must have
bearing upon the future as
well as the present prosperity OF the
community, we must take into
account the life of the present genera
tion who bear the heat and burden OF
the day. For us, is there no relief; ia
there to be nothing beyond what Is in
sight; a prospect not at all cheerful
Until we have sewers laid under our
streets it is folly to make permanent
street improvements; until we have
sewers the growth ana improvement of
our city must stand still; until we have
sewers we will never be a city; the cree
ton Of fine residences has already come
to stand still; and the builder is
brought face to face with the disagree
able problem. what shall be done with
the waste water and sewage; the deadly
sink hole is the only substitute for the
sewers, where the river or the bitches
cannot be reached
When our population did not exceed
10000 and macadamiZed streets were I'M
known, the sell, being deep and reach
ing to a gravel bed, the Sc wage was de-
oderiZed and rendered harmless. But
now our population is claimed to be
over 10000; the living space has been
condensed; the streets. many OF them,
have been macadamiZed and the surface
made impenetrable. The shape of our
valley ia like saucer, every particle OF
drainage for miles must come into our
al NJ
drainage is already a necessity in order
to make us reasonably secure from cpl
denies and deadly ailments, that are al
ways filling the grave yards. When we
boasted 10000 people, two or three old
doctors attended 10 the SICK now we
have doctors by the score and drug
stores everywhere. Our greatest in
crease Of population has been within the
past five years; add five years more of no
sewers and we will be compelled to
move out and start in new place.
Sewers we must have or stagnation
will take place, and it is just as sensible
to say 30 the people to stop using water
until they own the water-works as TO
suggest that they defeat sewers until
they own the water-wOrks. Unlike gas
works, street railroads and water-wOrks,
sewers must be built by the city, other
nee nS ""i' u'I sUno on anset
uIoppeI; Wv ,,a, WV. to S Sth . .y anu
ehtelpii h sulAoieh, W puIiu mem ils
alMays ueen sSme pne iIotu aDIoau VINO
oane W vIL m s, ~. .nie en'ei pIIee,
upon mnioh nm az uePehus, we mus uo IL
ouIseisesi tno value vi our properly,
WIG neauh vi oui ciy, .he prosperity Vi
for good health. Already the old repu-
"a. I y. Jul o a. ~ sone' 10 no Longer
w, ,n nean Iso' ~ onee was, anu as a
min.et iesoiI, pisasan. Plaoe ior tue
.SurstI !. 10 enunIu, anu 'ne ieast ruuor
vi euaIp oA VI uensuo almost acts as
quaIane UPON 'he tiaFeung puollc'
,t sipSle IAN Eve " 9ul streets nor
ii ,D appealanoe, as We" Wi. as hahes 'neul
;s :,, neie anu
ap,o'"u e S ;o,,;'S oesIn our
oaiSei 40 HV .u '''i'@eu ooinihuhi'y'
any Sa nv, n u aoiors ,.r.
, Saa an.ohio ehJoys one ol Tue ioVeIest
VI aoa % on anu h, q, oo niaue 'ne rlor-
enoe vi hoa, out IL nnus' oe ,iaue
W' 5y ony Vi WIN SINK
moie uePsnu' upon luis thah W
vi ..I y. "o.oiIes, vi enter
ps. my anuunt VI invest,
liz sn o. vi ga mn,,td sinse msi!atloh Of
VIC tnU a "ousu "oep away tne pros,
Panss III Iii. se iu lot ~
&c. - o,~.naoh 49, hot pre-
~ 10Y o p,,;t;n.a ~; ~. S uestIoyer,
~, n',in, o ,,s anu pre-
o;,r NJ ipva.tn ,osS ~ oo nm IN our
TIL W Iii essil nv on .ae part Oh our
Uiots sS.tam ~ sew .nu pi"n. ,nat COM
p,eu sysa ,.a W eemoso anu puollc I'M
"ouiu pihs, !. 10 the stran-