Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1890-04-26
TOWN HAPPENINGS.
"Frostb burS's Watcr."-Undcrth this head
ing correspondent of the Cumberland Times

ing a correspondent of the Cumberland Times
writes as follows;
FRosrBuR., Mp, April %, 1880.
Under my instructions from the Times,
have looked somewhat closely into ''the at
tempt of the Frostburg Water Company
(William O. Sprigg and others to gobblc up
all the natural sources of water supply in or
near Frostburg' In order that the situation
may be the more clearly understood retro
spect0n is essential.
Away back in the forties there was charter
ed corporation known as "The Frostburg
Water Company | have not the Act be
fore me, hut its name implies its design-to
supply the people of Frostburg with water.
A. that time and for years aIterward Frost
burg was Il haulct, and the little supply was
adequate for the most part for all the pur-
poses contemplated But the hamlet grew
utu a town. Lots We're carved from lie
hcds, the marshes and forests, by the hand,
of culerprisiug real estate dealers and sold
like hot cakes. Under the stimulus of CO.
operative associations houses sprang up,
whlIr immigration multiplied the population
like the PROMISED Seed ut Abraham. Sores
aud even a few public works followed uutjl
the city upon the hil'' grew fair to look
upon
indeed everything grew, everything learned
the art of meeting the public demands and the
S!ejght of thritt-cXCept the frOStburg Water
Company. In its view Frostburg, the city,
was always Frostburg, the hamlet. The Water
Company eXcmplticd in the fullest sense the
1. =. 80, Il
ine ag.,-;n incorporate, soUlleSs leGIumlst of
the divine right of past provisions denying
the supply of current necessities.
As the population grew as underground
excavations progressed and the bottoms of
unhealthy wells dropped out, the people
wanted more aud more Water-watcr to
drink, water for culinary and laundry pur-
poses if not to supply the larger demands for
sprinkling gardening and steam power.
How were expressions Of these wants met e!
With uusmuatcd grief am Obliged to af-
firm a popular conviction that they were I'M
welcome, grudHngly conccdet II gratited
/ wish an econnmy Of expenditure which
verg,,d close enough upon stinginc,s to
amount TO an accommodation which it We're
base fatteIy to call concession to the popu
lar wish.
10 cap the climax the company went to
the House OF Delegate, in 1876, and there, in
answer 10 no popular desire, not even Of the
trnantry, il succeeded in dcviSing and passing
it, only measure (so far as knowl-a bill
making It's water rents lien upon the prop
crtv Scrycd-making the landlord liable for
his tenants indebtedness to the company.
And it came to pass that after rs before,
whether water was served urnot whether the
druuth lasted ii week or siN weeks the value
of the comInny'S mortgage upon the real
estate served or uu,rrycd never changed eN-
cclr tu accrue as time went on. 1t made NO
difference to the company that the people
had incurred toll, and peril to health. by re-
,uIt To low wells, or that the town was cN-
posed 10 destruction by lirc-hc ""tr, rents
,,,,~y #togp,d' 1t did not apparently concern
the Water Company that the insurance com
,amic, and the people of Frostburg lost III
the Great fr" Of lS15 the sum of 81 $4,000 tul
want Of the very water the people were pay
my for. Nor did il then, uor does IT now
upIuar 10 affect its consideration that the sum
innlcd has been from time Ia time RAISED
hv the same indifference to the welfare
comfort aud safety ofthe town until III" lo'Sr'
tinw amount to over @3np.Wo,
The Water Company was never lmrrca,r'
either 10y Fr"@thurg's eligibility a. summer
resort. y promotion t" which the town hl
a.IisQl tol yeats and one Who" chief dio