Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1889-03-21
The Water Works Again.


drawn into the support of the city
water works. We are just as much
opposed to the impure" ''horrld
water which we have been compelled to
accept as any other persons, and If there
is any possible way by which the city
can be supplied with purer water the
originator of that way will have no
more ardent support than he Will get
from the REFLECTOR. We suggested
last week that the taxpayers await
lust such a suggestion with no incon-
siderable degree of interest" The
suggestion has not yet been made and
we, with the rest of the citizens OF the
city, are still waiting to hear it. In
stead of suggesting way out of the
difficulty, Mr.. A. S. Davidson prepared
an article full of personal abuse of the
manager of the REFLECTOR and had
the impudence to ask us to give it cir
culation through our columns. We in
formed Mr.. Davidson that if he would
eliminate from his article the personal
matter we would gladly publish any
thing he had to say of general inter
est to the public. He had not the
manliness to comply with this reason
able request and went away and caused
his villifcation to be published in a
Democratic newspaper. So far as Mr..
Davidson's complaint is concerned it
verifes our statement that ''mOst of
the complaint comes from those who
pay very little taxes, and who have
very little use for water" All the
taxes which Mr.. Davidson paid for the
year 1888 OH account of water is less
than twenty cents, and he pays for no
water at all, yet he enjoys all the pro-
lection which our system gives to any
other citizen.
But we shall not elaborate upon the
personal record of Mr.. Davidson; we
simply call attention to the public acts
of this gentleman who has assumed
the role Of city dictator. Mr.. Davidson
was the mayor when the contract was
made and the present water works
system was started in this city. He
appointed all committees and approved
all ordinances in relation to the matter.
He, as well, or better, than any other
person, knows how the city happened
to make such an unfortunate contract.
He, as well, or better than any other
person, knows how the hydrants hap
pened to be grouped together, instead
of being distributed over the city. He
probably knows better than any other
person why he signed contract in be-
half of the city to pay 500 for every
hydrant irrespective of the fact
whether it required an expense of 100
feet or one-half mile of piping to get to
it. The water works company wanted
the hydrants close together to save
piping. They seem to have got what
they wanted. The demand to lessen
the expense of the water is based
largely upon this egregious blunder of
Mr.. Davidson and his council in locat-
ing so many hydrants within few
feet of each other.
The complaint is the legitimate out
growth of Mr.. Davidson's mismanage-
ment in starting the machine to run
ming. Had the hydrants been judici-
Ously distributed throughout the city
nobody would now be demanding the
shutting off, of any of them, So far
as the quality of the water is concerned,
if Mr.. Davidson or anybody else, will
suggest a way whereby the city can
get purer water the REFLECTOR, with
every good citizen of the town, will re-
joice. The suggestion that the mayor
and council refuse to pay" for the
water Is utterly impractical and would
only result in the water works COM
pany shutting off, the water alto
gether and leave the city at the mercy
of the first fire that would occur. We
know from personal observation that
the present administration has made
diligent and persistent effort to have
the, chal acter of the water. improved.
The council has had committee after
committee appointed to Investigate
and act upon the matter" So far as
the water-works company are con-
cerned, we only know that they have
made, outwardly, at least, an effort to |
get pure water in sufficient quantities
to supply the city. They have only
partially succeeded. Whose fault it is |
we do not pretend to know. We be-
ieve that the people of this city will |
elect mayor and council who will do |
everything in their power to see that
the city is supplied with as pure water
as can be had, and that if the expenses
of procuring that water under the con-
tract which Mr.. Davidson fastened
upon the city can in any way be