The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1892-10-25

"TsET19l41=f the existing water
works of this town, and |
the present famine from which the company |
is suffering is pointed to as strong reason |
why the report should be received with some
degree of faith
The parties who are responsible for the |
report recall attention to the offer OF Sl25, 600
made to the water company several weeks
ago for the plant, through PottsvilIe
lawyer, and say that the offer came from
the P. & R. company.
When this reported desire to purchase was
made public before, the HERALD investigated
the matter and could CLEAN nothing salts
factory, Certain gentlemen in sympathy
with the movement for public water works
then claimed that the offer was made by the
p. & R. company, and some members Of the
water company said the offer was made by a
lawyer who declined to give the names of
the parties he represented and that their was
a suspicion that the offer was feeler from
quite different source.
But whether or not the P. & R. company
is casting lines for the works the necessity of
some movement by the company for a water
supply for its 'eollieries is becoming more and
more apparent every day. The company is
really ia a critical condition, 50 far as water
is concerned. True, it has devised means by
which the sulphur water pumped from the
mines is run through tanks and purified suf-
iciently for use in the breakers and boiler
houses, but the purifying process has its
shortcomings and is only helping the COM
pany out in a hand -to-mouth manner. One
of its shortcomings is the inability to keep
up the supply of purified water to meet the
demand. The tanks now used were only
erected to fill a void that might be created by
drought of short duration, not a famine such
as we are now experiencing. and it is safe to
say that should a booming demand for coal
be made this week the company would find
itself like Mother Hubbard's cubbard-b re,
or almost so, and unable to prepare the coal
Then, agar, it is said that the purifying
system has not reached state Of perfection
that makes the water desirable for general
Gallery use, It fills the bill for washing coal
and like uses, but it is not profitable for use
in the boilers and other departments. In
fact it is said its use is causing thousands of
dollars damage to such property of tho
company,
Some people are of the belief that the
company will soon resort to sinking artesan
wells. Others say this will take much time
and expense and in many instances the
borings may result in useless experiment
Then, again, comes in the cry that the
cheapest plan will be for the company TO bid
for the purchase Of all dams they can lay hands
on and make use of them. Then the exist
ing Shenandoah water works come to the
foreground as probably the first purchase
and right here the people of Shenandoah
become seriously interested.
Mark the words The people of shenan-
doah may yet feel called upon to take some
action to prevent the water company from
selling its plant
Should the p & R. company purchase the
plant it will use the water to run its collieries,
and should it also decide to supply the town
it may be necessary to restrict that supply to
such an extent that the people viii feel that
water is surely luxury.
True it is as some say, tho borough will
then have to have water works Of its own,
but what will the people do while the law |
suits are going on and while the works are
being constructed Conservative thinkers
say that in their opinion it viii take at least
one year after the construction Of the new
works begin before it can furnish the people.
And to this time must be added the time
that will be required to make connections
with the mains and branches.
There is more in the water question than
-he mere issuance of bonds and construction
Of the works There is a great question OF
welfare. And there are many
,ther questions that should be seriously con-
iidored. The present drought comes upon
he scene as a remarkable coincidence and