Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1889-03-13
WELL MATER.
Reply to P. a. Humbert's Report by !

Reply to p. A. Humbert's Report by Il.
r. Aiken.
EDS RECORD UNION In your issue to-
day l read with much interest and
I must say with considerable amusement,
the report of Engineer Humbert on the
water belt east of the city. I was of the
opinion, until read his verbose and
prejudiced report, that he was either
a hydraulic or a civil engineer. Since
reading his article. evidently written
in the interest of some filtering establish
lishment who desired to saddle debt upon
the city. have concluded that he must be
a steam" engineer. and that when he tried
! to answer the communication of DIR. SIM
mons the valve was wide open. He Ger
| tainly has not done justice to the people in
the eastern suburbs, and has filed with
the city Trustees a prejudiced report
| founded neither on fact nor investigation.
| have on my place twenty-five wells in
| different localities, only one of which was
it found necessary in boring to pipe OF
tube. Attached TO the pumps in these
wells are windmills. During the season
when irrigation is needed there is con-
slant flow of pure, sparkling water both
| night and day. During the fruit season
this clear water had been the wonder and
| delight of all Sacramento people who visit
the grounds. 1t has been on several occa-
sions tested by the medical faculty from
| different wells and pronounced pure The
water Mr.. Humbert used as a test was
| taken from one well only. That we'll is
situated near the house, with small hand
pump II inch pipe. l informed him at the
| time that the water in that well was not a
| fair test. 1t was little used, bad not been
pumped out for months and sipage water
was standing all around it. That the re-
| suit should be as he stated l expected.
This well, with its surroundings, was evil
IDENTIFY the well of all others that he was
| looking for. 1t seems to have suited his
purpose, for he took no water from any
other. This well of all others, at this sea-
| son of the year, would become contain
| mated, and most any steam" engineer
I would be aware of that fact
! Mr.. Humbert speaks of the contamination
as due to its proximity to Burns slough.
The water from the flowing wells in Burns
| slough has been repeatedly analyzed and
pronounced absolutely pure-and l will
! say here that the flow of water in Burns
slough increased naturally at the COM
mencement of the fall months, when the
water in the American river is growing
less in volume, showing plainly that the
veins or water below the bed OF Burns
slough are fed from mountain sources.
Mr.. Humbert puts considerable stress upon
water in our wells being higher in winter
than summer. "It rises and falls with the
American river" Are not all rivers,
streams and wells, the world over, higher
| in winter than summer?
| A stranger reading Humbert's report
would be led to believe people
| living outside Sacramento City. and
using water from wells, would be
| subject to malarial diseases and
| typhoid feyers. My experience of twenty
| eight years in this locality with a large
| family and general knowledge and OBJ
servation of this section of country, justi-
| 6es me in the assertion that there is no
more healthy location in the whole Sacra-
mento valley. l have never had case of
typhoid fever in my family, and never
| knew Of a death from that cause in this
section.
In conclusion I wish to state that am
not paid for writing up well water or dis
couraging costly appliances for filtering
Sacramento water. l have no water for
sale, but if the city authorities or syndi-
cate desire to establish plant for the bur-
pose of supplying the city with water from
my grounds, they can have sufficient land
for the purpose with a clear title of the
same for 81. Very respectfully,
Z. 4. AIKEN