Telegram-herald. ([Grand Rapids, Mich.) 18??-1892, 1891-10-10
GAYB II A BLACK EYR
The Cook Well System stormily
Hsndled.
10 CHANCE CONTRACTS WILL co
The Aldermen and Mayer engage N
Vigorous Protests AgAiuss the Coos
Conuaet-The W ster Qaestion
bsiiI Unsettled.

The aldermen drove the Allerton-
Nelson contest all over again last night.
taking sides with the ooatestlng horses
and telling just why, where and when
the race Was lost and won. Then they
went into . prolonged discussion OF the
water question. Aldermen Doyle.
o'Donneli, sproul and saunders were
not present, and Alderman Mills at
triputed their absence to the fact that
the subject was repngnant 10 their
tastes.
Alderman Turner, under the head OF
unfinished business, moved that the
council take up for consideration the
the report OF the Board of Public
Works regarding the Cook Well COM
pany's contract. Ii took some time 10
find the contract IN the archives OF the
city. but il was finally produced and
read by the clerk. The terms Of the
contract have been published and re-
published dd nouseam.
After two minutes of chilly silence
Alderman Conger moved that IN be-
half OF the city, the mayor be author
ized to execute the contract with the
Cook Well Company. Another silence
was broken at last by Alderman stein
who asked question. Alderman Tur-
ner said that he did not believe the
contract was good one for the city to
enter into. He said he knew OF 80
many cases where artesian wells have
been sunk and gave good supply OF
tor for nr Inv fa.sfl II
terly failed, that he had but little faith
experience of Mr.. Taylor. who has
bored hundreds of wells in this vicinity,
in support of his objection. He fur
ther objected to the city paying so
much for the guaranty of a corporation
that is not responsible beyond small
amount.
Opposed . Chance Contract.
He said that the city must invest in
pumping machinery to prove whether
or not the Cook system could furnish
the necessary supply. He said that the
only way, in his opinion, the city should
hire its wells sunk Is prescribed in the
provisions of the charter. He declared
that the city had no tight TO enter into
a chance contract covered by a guar
anty, and SAID that 1t was no better
than a gambling scheme. The accept
ance of such q contract 10 against pub
llc policy. Said he: "The water is not
Mr.. Cooks; it is in the ground, and the
city can develop it just as well as he
can. The contract lays the city liable
for $50, 900 or even more and We should
not enter into It,"
a -F
that further experimenting 10y the city
was but little better than gambling.
The plan of the city doing any further
experimenting involved still longer
delays and IN the meantime the citizens
are drinking river water. lie preferred
to take the chances of q failure of the
supply to delaying the matter any fur
ther.
Alderman Tateum agreed with Alder
man Turner. He also opposed the
location selected for experimenting by
the Cook Well Company, and believed
that If the water found was not surface
water contaminated by sewerage, il was
but the seepage from the saddlebag
swamp. He said that Mr.. Taylor. the
well digger, was of the opinion that the
supply of ground water in the vicinity
of the city was entrely too
small fer the necessities of the cit.
zens. He thought the most favoratle
site was on the West Side, near Byers'
Pond, and recommended the sinking OF
a number of small wells scattered over
a considerable area of land. He did
not believe the city would get 1t,
moneys worth out of the proposed
contract.
Experiments Should Cease
Alderman Stein thought the time
had come when experimenting should
cease. The only way to find out
whether or not the supply of ground
water WAS sufficient was to take the
bull by the horns, sink the wells and
make the test.
Alderman Conger said that At first he
was preiudiced against the contract be-.
cause of the price, $4,000. He be
lieved the wells could be put down by
the company as cheaply as by the city,
and the CITY under the contract took no
risk if q supply of 100000 gallons
per day could not be made TO las.
year. He did not believe the supp'y of
water existed, and therefore pref rTed
that the proof be produced at the ex-
pense of the company rather thnn by
the city. He was not opro'ed 10
advertising for bids providing
the bids included guaranty similar 10
that offered by the Cook Company. He
favored the contract only pecause the
company agreed to take the risk OF
failure. He believed the experiment
would be a fat failure and cited the
report msde by three hydraulic
engineers IN 1889. The three expert.
were of the opinion that a sufficient
supply of ground water did not exist
and he did not care TO dispute their
opinions.
The Mayor Against tt
The mayor npposed the con-
tract and read the reports of the
engineers cited by Alderman Conger
He said that he believed tbstthe ground
water supply was insufficient and n
was OF the opinion that but two plan
were available: 10 60 20 Lake Michigan
or adopt the double svstem. He was
confident that the double svsfem was
the one 10 be adopted and that the
forces were now at work that will solve
the question. "My advice is. wait.
Grand River is in tie meantime fHrn.
lshing water which u not dangerous to
health The fact that there q no epi.
demic erlstine in the eity proves if. !
I'm opposed 20 the contract becsuse Il
involved an expenditure OF $50 .eN 20
$4,000 and with the probability ot
failure.