Butte semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1886-1890, 1888-02-11

Dr.. Hough Lays Out Work For the City
Council-The Helplessness of Chem
istry Expounded Mere Suspicious
Cast Upon tho Waters-To BE Revived
Before Many Days.
Last night the regular meeting OF the City
y Council was due, ard Aldermen Bateman,
Il Forbis, Jahreiss, Lavell, Loeber, and
Lloyd assembled. with the understanding
that they should Immediately adjourn,
subject to call after Mayor Kenyon's re-
turn. DR.. Hough, however, turned up with
His report on the water question, which he
wag very anxious to have adopted, and it
was accordingly read and adopted. Messrs.
\ Geo. Haldorn and W. Bennett were present
/ with Il communication in reference to the
/ street railroad, and it was handed to the
i clerk, who did not presentit to the Council,
as they were voting to adjourn. The fol-
lowing is DR.. Houyh's communication:
To the Honorable City Councii-GENTLE-
MEM: On Saturday last | received a formal
request from the Silver Bow Water Com
pany 20 take from the pump tank in TIE
valley sufficient water for the purpose
OF analysis. / declined to do SO, stating
that | did rot think it fair to the commu-
njty to have AZ naIysis made just at this
time, the water being at is lowest. 1t is
necessary to run the pump very slow to
keep the end cf The pine under water. The
ground is ALTO DEEPLY and firmly frozen.
To-day ! believe it WAS necessary to dig a
ditch ont TO the creek and turn the creek
into the tank to keep up the supply. l
consider an analysis OF but little conse.
quence, for should the water ever show the
presence of animal matter long before that |
event, the people will have subjected them
selves to infection, as it is not in the
power OF chemistry to demonstrate the
presence or absence of the typhoid
poison" and we cannot afford the costly
experiment OF losing q score Or more Of our
good citizens to establish this fact. Your
health officer has directed your attention
to the great possibility Of this on account
OF the surroundings OF the present plant,
which are both dangerous and damnablc.
He has gone over the ground with O in
the full possession Of all information to be
gained from personal il o~ection. He will
not now dwell on the dangers our leading
mining men cay are to be apprehended
from Silver Bow Creek, but leave you to
draw your own conclusions as to the pos
sible effect OF such surroundings upon our
water supply, which, considering the mat
ter he would advise that you take advan.
tage Of the first thaw to inspect the supply |
from he springs north OF the city, |
remembering that the water is
conveyed from them to the city
through wooded boxes place in the ground
about seven years ago. The reservoirs
should also be thoroughly inspected when
empty. This whole watvr system should
have a most careful, impartial and bust
ness,like overhauling al ,,your hands, and a
conclusion should be reached by you not
later than the LIST OF March. Since writing
the above | have visited the Scoville corral
and find pretty much the same conditions
exist as reported upon Grove Gulch, but
on a somewhat smaller scale, and emptying
directly into Blacktail Creek some two
miles above the pump tank.
Very respectfully,
CAAs. p. HoUGH,
Health Officer.