The morning call., 1893-01-24
1T is GOOD WATER.
But Greedy Says 1t Will
Bear Watching.
JUST A CHOLERA CAUTION.
A Very Good Law That VIII Tend to
Keep Our Drinking Water
Pure.

1t will be pleasant reading for those who
are thinking ahead" about cholera to
see that at least one city official is max
ing il his business to make sure that our
water supply Is not polluted.
That official is DR.. f. J. Greedy, the Dairy
Inspector. He went ont with O party on
Sunday and poked around in San Mateo
County, finding that we had good and
what may be called q pure water supply,
but that it would need looking alter in
these times of cholera caution.
The Investigating party went down the
old Mission road and about noon arrived at
the Oakland dairy, in San Mateo County,
about seven miles west of Milbrae.
In was in this locality that one OF the
streams leading into reservoir was found
in a condition that the doctor thinks might
we'll cause apprehension. The surrounding
land is owned by w. j. Fiheld and contains
about 100 acres of rich pastnrage in the
hills immediately above the San AndTeas
reservoir.
Small tributary streams in the vicinity
empty into the Crystal Spring reservoir OF
the company short distance further down,
after winding about the foot Of the hills.
One OF these streams passes through the
milk ranch and the adjoining property,
which is owned by a. Nj. Snadd0ck.
L
natelY dumped into the stream.
Fifeld has about 80 cows, besides horses
and other stock, On his ranch. Three large
stables built beside the creek are occupied
by the animals when they are not out in the
pasturage.
II Was found that under each of the ranch
buildings was e wooden gutter into which
sour milk and other refuse was dumped, to
| be thus conducted into the creek below.
The current in the stream carries the stuff
into the Crystal Springs reservoir. about
mile below, whence it is distributed.
e DR.. Greedy was much exercised over the
discovery, and while he does not think that
enough of the refuse has been washed down
TO seriously affect the water in the reser-
voir, he considers il menace to the health
OF the city.
Ffield asserts that he has the right to
utilize any stream on his property, that he
is Obliged 20 keep his animals in healthy
condition and has no other way Of disp0Sing
of the refuse.
rigid examination of the stock was next
made, but DO diseased cows could be dis
covered
From one Of Fifeld's employees it was
learned that if the Inspector would follow
mp the stream a short distance more start
ling developments might be expected.
This took the exploring party through the
property owned by ShaddOek, adjoining the
dairy through wi ich the same creek wound
its way.
Here a worse state of things was found
Shaddock and bis family have occupied
the place for some years. He passes most
of his time hunting coyotes. which he skins
to get the bounty paid by the State for their
scalps. and leaves the carcasses to rot where
they fall
In the corner of the place. not far from
the creek, lay the decOmposed remains of
horse which had died some weeks ago and
had neen skinned by its owner, who was
evidently of an economical turn of mind.
Bieached bones and other refuse were plen-
tifnl along the bed of the stream.
DR.. Greedy further found that Shad-
deck s family had converted the creek into
a sewer and that the current carried pHtrid
meat. swill and other refuse down the
stream.
Another class of people who are in a
great measure responsible for the tainted
water are the hunters, who shoot mudhens,
divers and other unedible game in the res
aFv0ir and make no attempt TO properly dis
pose OF the dead birds and allow them to
deeompose in the water.
Although DR.. Greedy does not think that
the larger bodies of water in the reservoirs
are seriously affected as yet, he tears that
unless the nuisance is at once abated
| serious consequences will result to those
! drinking the water. He thinks that the
water company should carry the matter
| into the courts and enjoin anybody from
| pnfluting the stream.
President Howard Of the Spring Valley
Water Company was seen By a CALL re-
porter at his office Yesterday afternoon.
On being asked if he was aware of the
fact that city inspector had been examin-
ing the condition of the creeks empty ing
into the Crystal Springs reservoir, be said
Gan inspector from the Board of Health
came TO me the other day and told me that
complaints had been made that dairymen
were p0llutiBg the creeks in San MateO
County and hal bppD ipStruptu1 n rn
port upon the matter.
II told him | was delighted to know it.
as il would draw the attention of our
legislators to such nulsances and show them
the necessity of passing the bill now before
the Legislature.
This pollution of the creek by Fi6eld and
SAaddock has formed a periodical scare for
the. past thirty years.
''The scare is started by these men or
ut their nstlgati0n to serve their own ends.
The motive is to get US to purchase their
property at considerable percentage over
It's actual value.
Il have told Fifeld repeatedly that We
would be willing to buy the property at
value fixed by some disinterested party, but
lie apparently does not want that
'lhere is absolutely nothing in the scare.
just come into this room ana | will show
you man of the reservoir ana surrounding
country.
On the wall Of the room referred to is an
immense map showing the reservoir and
creeks flowing into il. Pointing with
stick President Harvard said: Here is the
reservoir and here is the creek said to be
polluted. Fiield's ranch stands up here.
about three or four miles from the head of
the reservoir, and Shaddock's is beyond.
Suppose they used the creek for deposit
ing their offal it would be rendered COM
reach the reservoir. And even if it did
reach the reservoir it would only be mil
lionth part OF the whole.
but we take every preeauton to guard
against the pollution of the creek. We have
three men constantly doing nothing else
but watch the creek closely for polluted
matter and 10 remove it at once"
just then Mr.. Lawrence. the inspector OF
streams, entered the presidents room and
he was asked when he had last seen the
creek near Fifield's ranch.
Il was there last week." said Mr.. Law
renee, 'and saw nothing unusual. There
was dead horse lying about 200 feet from
the creek, but there WAS no dead animal in
the creek. Ii there were our men would
have it removed at once.
mo mudhens or other fowl are allowed
to decompose in the reservoir" he con-
tinued.
"a man goes round the reservoir every
day and removes anything of the kind that
he sees"
''Now," said Mr.. Howard, "you can see
how utterly absurd 1t Is for these men TO get
no these scares. But this time it will do
good as an argument in faver of passing the
bill before the Legislature
Everything Is being done by our Govern
ment to prevent the introduction of cholera
into the country. Suppose it came here is it
not In the public interest to get any bill
passed that will prevent even the possibility
of pollution of the sources OF supply of our
drinking water? When the bill is passed
we will be able to deal in an effective
manner with any one polluting The creeks"
This is the act TO which Mr.. Howard
referred:
Section 1. Section 374 OF the act entitled "An
act 10 establish a Penal Code" approved Feb
ruary IA, 1872, is hereby amended so as to read
as follows:
See. 374. Every person who puts the carcass of
any dead aniinal, OF the oflal from any slaughter