The Big Stone post. (Big Stone Gap, Va.) 1890-1892, 1891-02-27
THE DAN QUESTION.
rhe owner Of the Dam Thinks l,e sh"nid
Keep his Da,n and That Nothing
Filthy should DO Thrown lit
the River.

To the Editor Of Nte Post:
In your edition Of February 18th, read
"How many-morc floods will the Councii
allow to come and go before the dams are
blown out and the filthy, disease breeding
mud washed away? Why nurse these
pestilental spots within the city limits!
Now never heard OF Il dam III noun
tain stream to produce pcstilential spot
The water in that stream is known as lhe
best and purcst of Gods gilt; ana II Is
only, as Tou mention in your same cditioh'
bv the carclcsSncss and recklcssnesS Oh
certain people who throw their refuse anu
carcasscs of animals into the stream that
the waters are liable to be polluted. ana
this Of course should not be tolerated. l
remember some four or five years ago Oh
one of nv visits to the Gap, met there
Prof. Proctor. State Geologist OF Ken
tuckv. Mr.. Bulitt. resident OF your city.
Mr.. W. d. Jones, of Philadelphia, and |
think Gen. Ayers, then your State Attor-
ncy. Looking along the stream, the Ken
lucky State Geoogist, who has done more
for the Cap than any other man Interested
thcrel said: Nv hat beautiful spot. ana
if once we have a city here, how much
more il could he improved by addinga tew
moro dam. in this stream and thus create
three or four additional artificial falls or
ln ~, d
the man who made known to the outside
world this beautiful site for the future
mountain city should be worth somcthin"
If the city fathers are afraid that me
mill pond fills up with mud, few car loads
Of rock or slack from the furnaces TO win
in two feet of the water surface would
prevent that, and in the future when once
thc stream is confined 10 Il narrower cham
mel y few barrels Of cement over those
rocks or slack would create most beanti-
full cascade or falls. But predict further,
not only would YOU regret the loss of the
prcsent dam. but in less than ten years
your city will build dams higher up the
stream and thus obtain sufficient tan 10
have regular flow OF water in all CUTTERS
on YOUR streets to irrigatc every garden
snot in YOUR town site. Refrain from de-
stroyinr work older in relationship than
those who ask lis destruction; but prevent
pcoplc from making the same the dumping
spot of everything that may he objection
able. Thus YOU will far more encourage
the prosperity of your city, than by de-
stroving property Of non-resldentS. "
have lost the Iuihoden residence. now the
destruction of the mill pond is advocated
which would euiaiia loss TO US, considered
at from four 10 FIVE thousand dollars. II
this is the way to encourage outside
capital to invest in your beautiful city,
am at loss to understand such policy
I can mention fifty prosperous cities III
the United States and one hundred IL
Eurorc. who build dams in the heart OF
their town sites nj enormous expense. tt
have water power and YOU advocate to de-
strov il; contrary to the law requiring
protection to private property and alst
what mav be the future welfare OF your
civ. 1t * certainly no benefit to me, nor
my desire to uphold ANYTHING which might
retard the prosperity Of your city and
do not wish the people at the Gap to think
so OF me, as | spend many pleasant days
among them and anything | could do to
assist in advancing ;he prosperity OF the
town would cheerlully volunteer m!
services at theiy command.
Yours truly. \. LoNcIHi.
(.,.;..,,o C.i,-r.-,- %