The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1891-02-19


most numeroasly signed petitions
that ever left this city, The signers,
too, include the great bulk of the pro-
gressive business men of the city who
are now wide awake to the needs OF
tho city. Silverbrook has its source
mt springfield on one of the DUPONT
farms near Greenhill cemetery, runs
down through two or three other
farms, gathering volume and force as
itruns until 1t strikes the city line on
Greenhill avenue, and thence down
through the village OF Silverbrook, on
across the Lancaster avenue turnpike,
past the gridiron OF railroads at Els
mere and down to what are known as
Richardson's mills, where it loses
Itself In Mill Creek. The latter how
ever, pursues tortuous course on
down across the Newport turnpike,
under number of railroads at the
West Yard and loses itself in the
sChristiana at the Jessup IL Moores
pulp works. At the mouth OF that
creek stand the works that make the
greatest objection to the condemna-
lion of Silverbrook.
The proprietors want pure water for
their business. Their works, they say,
are worth $500, 600, and they claim that
the brook shall be kept clear and pure
10 facilitate their business. In the vii
iage OF Silverbrook stands the moroc-
60 mandatory of Peter ]. Ford. It
sewers frontage OF over nine hun
bred lineal feet in buildings, and en-
ploys a hundred and hslf of hands.
the factory is permitted to have its
natural flow, it runs into the brook,
and OF course pollutes IL to such an
extent that the water cannot be used
at the pulp works at the mouth OF
Mill Creek. Mr.. Ford has been put to
Immense expense by being brought
before the courts, heavily fined and
made to pay enormous costs for pol
iuting this stream with the refuse
from his factory it being against the
laws of the State to do so. He has
tried to be law abiding so far as TO
construct Il sewer running uphill and
aown-hill, and by means Of force
pumps, sends the refuse OF his factory
over the hill to the Monroe street
sewer. In the lively competition that
Is going on in the trade, Mr.. Ford is
put to a great disadvantage on ac
count OF the annual expense of keep.
ing up this sewer that this little
stream Of water may be kept clear for
the large factory at the mouth OF the
sreek.
We're there no other streams OF water
In the region round about Wilmington
were there no other water rights OF
pther streams that could be purchased
were aitesian wells unknown, there
would be the stronger argument why
the pulp works should sit onthroned
rs u king at the mouth of this creek
and levy as Il were tribute from tho
atty of Wilmington.
But the question is not whether thu
pulp works shall he protected on
whether Ford's morocco factory shal
be protected. The latter is but sin
gle mandatory it Is true, but il il
hot all that can be thrown into tn
scale against the more valuable pull
works.
1he morocco factory Is but tho re
Preventative of a number of othel
manufactures that would be Located
Along this stream were it not for TN
prohibition against polluting it, TIN
question Is, shall improvements in thi
Section of the city be checked for tin
bake of protecting tho pulp works
The latter is owned by enterprisini
hen, who have gone to great expens
In establishing their works where the
are, and ii seems like hard necessit
TO do anything that would trench upo
the rights of this business establish
ment but somehow 1t cannot lie helped
The demands Of the city is for NOR
territory and manufactures will mos
naturally seek tho water courses
Business enterprises have pushed thei
way westward, sabordinating ever
natural advantage to their uses. The
have reached the banks of Silyerbrool
shall they be compelled to leap it Wit
= bound or to locate on it II they wis
tor The time has come When Stlvej