The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1886-11-14
THE NEW WATER SUPPLY.

The new water pipes have crept owe
the hill from City Greek, and hav
covered half the distance 10 the Gene
terry. The Dry Benchers ought, there
fore, 10 be in high glee. But from
conversation with one of them yester
day, II seems they are not. They ar,
still unhappy. The cause of their grie
at this writing is that, although the
city has provided main pipe along
Sixth Street, 'and those residing thereon
have not q complaint to offer, vet res
idents on streets removed from Sixth
Street are in no better condition as re
CARDS a water supply than they were
last winter. It is cheering ref -ction,
doubtless, that the water is nearer than
it was, but the trouble is, they
say, that being underground, it
is not available. Hence the same
patent yokes which haYe grsced the
neeks of their children as they mourn
fully toiled up and down the dry dis
tric: in the past are likely to be con-
tinued in use the coming winter, all OF
which is discomfting and irritating
and facilitating TO the Dry Bencher
The whole case is briefly stated. The
city has spent lot Of money in pro-
Yiding a six-inch main from City
Greek to the Dry Bench. Naturally
the city expects that residents up and
down the street from that main shall
advance according TO the usual rule
three-iourths the cost of making an
extension. But even If the Benchers
were ali well enough off TO do this, the
time is so limited that it will be impos-
sible to make the supply available the
coming winter. Consequently what is
to be done? As q matter of Justice
TIE HERALD would say certainly the
Dry Bencher should not have
the pipe water upon any easier condi-
tion than were in vogue in the older
system. Bat We never advocated giving
the people on the bench water as mat
ter OF right anyway, because some of
them demanded it, neither do We be-
Ieve the City Council entertained any
such idea. 1t was because it was repre-.
scented that there was a hardship up
there which might be relieved without
distressing anyone, and the plan was to |
allow them the surplus water of City |
Creek in pipes for culinary use alone.
Now it appears to rs if that is the case, /
and It is distress the Council desires to
alleviate, nothing could be more cruel
than to bring the water where the /
feve-ish eye may feast upon its
sparkling beauty, yet deprive the
parched throat of its shaking benefits.
Then as the winter is hard upon us,
and as City Creek, apparently, has suf
6cient for all, what is the objection to
placing several spills at certain inter-
walls along Sixth Street. from which the
people living away from that street
might get their supply the coming
winter2 1t is in the winter time they
are troubled most. There is but one
ditch across the bench in winter which
carries anything like a reliable water
supply. The Council, it seems to US,
might do this, with the understanding
that all the spills will be closed as soon
as spring comes, and then the work
of laying the smaller pipes up and
down the various streets could be
commenced. We are aware there is q
sentiment on the bench that the city
should not exact the three-fourths cost
for extensions up there at all, because
the people are too poor, but when it is
taken in con Moderation that property is
d 0ubled In value there by the introduc-
ton of water, this refrain does not
sound well. The plan provided by the
Council is good one; the three-fourths
cost helps the city at a time when it
needs the money and the water taker
loses nothing in the long run, as the
amount advanced is refunded in water
rates. AN the Dry Benchers require to
avail themselves of the benefits of the
water supply and hsveitin their houses
is lot of energy and pluck which the
past has shown they possess; but will
they not feel better prepared to exercise
these functions when the gentle spring
comes?