Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1886-04-21

works, and, In the ordinance giving them
the privilege, we retained the proyiao
that the city might have the onion of
purchasing these works within 1--WE venrs
from the date Of the grant. |. myself.
upon that condition, conveyed to the wa.
ter-wOrks company the water privilege
where the pumping-station of the works
IS now erected for $1,000: and to. iav
gentlemen and ladies, there is not civ
in Texas, with the exception alone
Of San Antonio and Austin. that
could obtain an equal supply Of water
for three hundred thousand dollars. When
II became apparent 10 the city authorities
that these works could be purchased, nv.
self and majority OF the council under
took TO contract, aud did contract, for the
purchase OF a half interest in them for
! S32, 200. At later period we bought the
remaining half interest for $4,000 Ac-
cording 10 the statements OF the gentle.
men who had built The works, they had
cost $4,000 In money and $780, 0OIn
per cent. bonds. We paid for these
works S56 0C0 and assumed this indebt-
edness Of 100000 in bonds against the
works, so that to-day the water-works
stand as n charge against the city of
Fort Worth, amounting TO S256, GOO 90,
bearing per cent. interest, payable semi
annually; and undertake to say that no
city in this state, with the exception Of
San Antonio and Austin, could obtain the
same supply of water, exclusive OF the
cost OF the pumping station and the lay.
ing Of the pipes, for $3.50, 10000. You
have at your command a supply Of water
that will hountifully meet the require
ments Of 1901 900 people.
Previous to the purchase OF the works,
the city was paying for 100 hydrants Sl0,-
600 year. To afford ample fire protec-
tion for our present scattered buildings,
we ought to have 800 additional n.y.
drants, and with the future lat Is be-
fore us, we viii need six or eight hundred
bydrants. Under our contract with the
company we would have been obliged to
pay $50 per anuum for every additional
!, hydrant. Three hundred additional hy-
. drants would entail an additional tax OF
SIT, 900 per annum, while 500 additional
J would cost us S25,000 every year. In the
extension Of the water-works, the cost to
the city for putting in these additional
: hydrants will be about $40 each. Three
! hundred additional hydrants, then, will
J cost about $4,000 original outlay, which
: will afford fire protection for every
= house in the city, aud the tota
outlay required will be $4,000
} whereas, If the works were still in the
hands Of the company, an annual outl0l
of $4,000 would be necessary to secur,
; this protection. Thus, gentlemen ant
= ladies', you see that when this city shall
( have attained, as she will within tn
e coming five years, population Of 5000
( to 10000 people, the saving 10 thi
: city by our timely purchase Of thes
b works will amount to fifty OF seyenty-hye
j. yea one hundred thousand dollars pc
= annum. This great sum, instead Of bC
e ing paid into the treasury OF o priyat
corporation owning the works. can b
i expended by the people in beautliyin
u and adjoining their homes.
n one thing more l desire 10 SO
4 to the incoming mayor and cour
j. ell and 10 the people before me
n What shall be our course for the Il
turef Are we to stop the improvemer
d of this city2 or are we 70 90 torWar
ii with tine work SO successfully begun
el And upon what line shall we proceed
h During the past year, with the large SD
N plus OF funds we hNVa had ON hand, u
3. city government has been able TO civ
At employment on the improvements whic
50 have been made on our streets to lara
e. amount of Idle labor. At the presel
,e time there is Just before us larl
al amount Of railroad building, which wi
give employment TO all the idle labor
Of this country, and IL is probable that
ne viii not be possible to construct so cheap
v our public works when this labor shall
is able to obtain employment elsewhere.
d, has been suggested that the improvement
X. to be inaugurated by the incoming ADM
s. istration shall take the form OF an
Iul travagant public-school building.
re need school building for highscho
lie purposes. In the construction OF oil
OF school buildings in the past it has be-
pn our policy to construct buildings OF mo
nd crate dimensions and character, so sit
M ated as TO be convenient for the childr
he who attend them, rather than u limit
nv number Of buildings of extravagant chs
- acter. such structures can be easi
nd reared when we have Increased
ar population and wealth sufficient
rs iustify it. / would not adyi
on our friends in the new coun
We to attempt an extravagant outlay, eth
to upon public hall or public schC
IS building. There are other matters VIM
Is. ought to demand their attention. Whe
as. Is the wisdom in the construction OF
M trayagant school buildings while we lea
without attention cess-pools that ore
re- disease and cut down TIE flower Of
fty youth. the children who attend
raj schools? We must first give attention
nj The sanitary condition of the city,
to must extend our sewerage system and
mn street improvements so that within
me wears there will not be an unimproN
his street in all this city nor an open
the luted branch to exhale its pois
he and destroy the health Of our childr
inc For instance, there is Robipson's hraI
re-. on the west. The council has recen
HE inaugurated the building OF two stS
OILS culVerts at the Weaiheriord street
~. Texas street crossings. The very D
duty Of the incoming city council
on. soon as It can control the money me-
|, 10 sary. should be TO make sewer OF 7
,er- branch from the head 10 the mouth OF
ne and SO with the branch that runs y
/ in the Union depot in above Mr.. Chamo'
Mace. and those that run into the TIL
net east of 1t. These branches should
am made sewers and covered over SO
of the foul waters that flow into them J
me mass under cover into the river beyond
ity. CITY limits aud there be purified IN Natul
Az Jabaratory by the frost and the sunul