The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1892-06-25
That Water Question.


One day this week we had the pleas
IRE of meeting Mr.. John Mather, the
usually genial manager of the " I,
Light & Power Co. Although the day
was not very warm one. Mr.. Mather
was about as hot under the collar :
as WIS the dry box" which fred the
tug Danforth last Tuesday, I'VE do not
insinuate that Mr.. Mather's con
ditiOn was occasioned by dryneSsl, and
without waiting for the f0rmalitleS OF
an introduction to grow second-i,anded
he sailed into us with fall head OF
steam, something unusual III that
corporation-for having commented,
through the columns Of the TINES, on
his water business He frankly ad-
mitted that he had before heard OF Us
somewhere, in fact had read our paper
a good deal, although he had never
subscribed for it. We here threw out
hint that it would he good idea 10
subscribe, but gust OF wind came III
at an open window just then and he
did not seem to catch the idea or the
hint
Mr. Mather's idea of Journalism
seems to be that an editor should ncY-
or aCldnce thought or take a position
on any question or matter without first
giving it thorough personal investlga-
ton. This is no doubt a good rule,
and is followed when practical but it
is not always practical The editor of
paper must also deal with fats us H,ey
erit. as well as with the causes which
lead up to or produce those facts. Nj.
Mather is glib talker and lie evident
lv nnohf IN have been lasr,-nr inst and
of paddler of poor water. We think
he could make the average juryman
believe the black vs.. white story with
out much trouble.
Now on the water question the.
TIMES has dwelt upon the fact that the
Water Light and Power Company was
furnishing It's patrons with water
which was unf;t 10 dtiBE, and at times
unfit for household purposes. We claim
ed and still believe that most of the
time during the past two months, we
have been given bay water. We may
lie mistaken in this but thus far we
have not seen the evidence to prove
our error. If no bay water is allowed
to enter the pipes, for what purpose
was that plug put into the pipe just
outside the railroad track, and why is
it still maintained9 1t IS there for the
purpose of getting I; more ready sup
ply of water on short notice, than can
be got through the pipes from the Lake.
When this source of supply is used tie
mains are filed with bay water which
of course has to be used up before an
other supply of lake water takes its
pl. c.. We have never claimed that
all the water we get is bay water, but
we have satisfactory reasons fer be
lieving that we get 4 good deal of that
kind of water.
Mr. Mather says We have not had a
drop of bay water That it is all lake
water which has been disculorcd by
the winds agitating the lake to its
depths. We willingly give Mr. Math
er's statement. Mr. Mather saws the
pipe in the bay is not plugged and
never has been, we also give him the
benefit of this statement No doubt
the gentleman believes all he says, but
may he not be mistaken, He is out Of
the city good deal and these plugs
may have been put i'll Daring his alb
sence. The pipes may leak and the
bay water come III through broken OF
leaky joints while he thinks nothing
but the lake water can get into them.
Is his simple statement Of his views in
the matter to be taken as final. when
we can produce hundreds Of people
just as competent TO Judge of the mat
ter as he, who honestly th.nk he is mis-
taken2
The fact still exists that much OF the
time the water given lis is not fit for
domestic uses Ii this company can
not or viii not give lis good water,
then we say, that the city should pro
vide some other means for supply ing
the people with good and wholesome
water. \ mixture Of water, sand and
mud is not ealthy whether it comes
from the lake or The bay.