Los Angeles herald., 1892-09-22
BOYLE HEIGHTS WATER.
A FLUID FULL OF DEAD BUGS AND
UNBEARABLE ODOR.
The Panorama suburb Indulges in q
Hitch and = Kick-A Herald Re-
porter Calls at Some Ag-
grieved Homes.

The question of good water, during a
year when Asiatic cholera threatens the
entire continent, is one OF too much i'm
portance to be overlooked at this time.
For several days the members of the
HERALD reportorial staff have been hear
ing rumors of foul water on Boyle
Heights. Yesterday renewed protesta-
tions came in, and reporter visited
residences on Soto street, which lies two
blocks south of the power house; and he
was requested to Enquire at residences eass
of the line of First street, on Soto. At
the very first house visited, the lady be-
came extremely guarded in her utter
ances as soon as che learned he was an
employe of the HERALD. Don't mem
tion my name, as you value your peace
OF mind here, or your salvation here
after" said she, "but the water we are
using is breach of the peace in itself.
1t is horrible that human beings should
be asked to use such stuff"
'.And how long has it been going on
in this way" asked the reporter.
"About six weeks, as near as | can
reckon" she said, after q moments re-
Election; cit was all right when we went
TO bu6 DedCu III uuc, puJ WuCA VIC Cohc
home in August it was frightful-but
please don't say told you."
A ehadow overcrept the reporters
thoughtful brow as the words OF de-
parted Kate Castleton rang in his ears.
He promised eternal secrecy, and told
her that his christian name was Thomas
Bayard, and swore by the lance of bis
distinguished namesake that her name
should not be wrung from him with an
Usage orange club from Fresno.
The next house was that of Mrs. Chap
man, very pretty place, by the way.
The lady herself was absent, but pleas
anS-faced domestic opened the door
and, in reply to the reporters queries,
said:
swell, sir, the water we get FROM this
| East Side Water company is unfit fol
swine to drink, let alone human beings,
We boil all our water frat before using
it, but even that does not remove the
fsul smell. Occasionally we get nasty
little grubs in it--sorryI cannot find
some OF them now, just to let you see
W hat they are."
The penciler thanked her and took his
leave.
Mrs. Hendricks, two doors above, was
not at home, but the door was opened
by a sunny faced servant, whose faxen
hair and blue eyes told of the blood ol
the Vikings. She said:
here was nothing wrong with the
water when we went down to the sea-
side, but it has been frightful ever since
our return. 1t not only tastes bad, bu
smells bad. We filter it and boil it also
but there is little use of doing 80. 1t il
not nice"
Mrs. Finlayson opened the door of hel
residence, two doors east Of Mrs. Hen
bricks. In reply to the reporters que
ries she said:
at is better to let you judge for your
self"
So saying she led him into a nea
kitchen and showed him brass fauce
around which was wrapped a whit
rags Unwrapping this, she handed i
to the reporter. 1t contained about 81
yellow grubs about as large as grains o
hulled rice; and the reporter, who hat
recently finished a hearty lunch of porh
and parsnips, felt his gorge rising at th'
idea of drinking such stuff. show d.
you contive to use this?" he asked.
"We always boil it and sometimes
filter it previously" was the lady's re
ply. "Yet it seems impossible to de
odorize it." Thanking the lady for he
patience with him, the reporter with
drew and went to Mrs. Yocum's. mex
door. Three rings at the bell failed t.
elicit response. The reporter wa
starting away when be met Mrs. Bah
cock, who lives about two blocks ava.
from the houses mentioned.
"You can hardly say too much on thi
subject" said the lady as the reporte
broached his errand. 1.-THE water
simply menace to health, and BIZ
for any kind of disease. 1t has been g
for nearly two months, and all efforts t
abate the nuisance have failed. So Ion
as the East Side Water company can ge
your money they do not care what the
give you to drink"
This condition of affairs on Soto street
and, presumably on other streets COY
cred by the same system, is reprehens
BILE in the extreme. The houses visite
by the reporter are all nearly new and G
modern architecture. The grounds abou
them are, generally, in state of goo
cultivation, and everything about tn
locality would betoken the presence of
refined and desirable element OF populs
tion. Certainly such people deserv
something better than to be compelle
to drink such vile slop as is now bein
conveyed into their households. Inqui
ries at several houses on the same street
west of First street, failed to elicit an
complaint whatever, from the fact tina
those people get their water from dii
ferent system.