The record-union., 1894-06-29

DIIls Iof May were read and proVeu 10 DO
Sl60 20 for gas for those places.
Cook & Drew also offered to sell the
city, if it preferred TO make its own gas.
generator OF proper capacity for Sb3O.
Deviue thought the city could do
nothing but accept the bid. de moved
that the contract be made with Cook &
Drew upon the execution of a proper
bond for the ensuing six months.
The motion was carried unanimously.
THEATER BILL BOARDS.
J. II. Todd stated to the board that he
had been ordered to take his bill boards
off the sidewalk. He had Investigated
the matter and found that i'll San Fran
ciso the only ones exempted from the
operation of a similar ordinance were
theaters and newspapers. The bill boards
are convenience and source of informa-
ton to the public, as well as benefit to
him. He had been informed that an adj
ditional section could be added to the
ordinance, allowing that privilege.
MIR. Todd was informed tha. such an
amendment had been prepared and would
probably come up on Monday night.
CLEAR WATER.
Divine presented a resolution as fol-
lows:
ResotCed. That inasmuch as the sample
of water to the Board OF Trustees by the
representatives of a. L. Fish under his
contract of September IL, lS93 is not ac-
ceptable to the city of Sacramento. by
reason of its not being of the quality de-
sired and contemplated for the domestic
uses of the inhabitants of said city; and,
inasmuch. also, as it does not appear by
any reliable or satisfactory evidence fur
nished this board by or on behalf of said
contractor. or otherwise, that sufficient
quantity OF water has been or can be de-
UalNnQ6
said contract for the necessary uses of
said city as required by said contract
Therefore it is ordered that the check for
$4,000 deposited by or in behalf of said
Fish, in pursuance of said contract, be
returned to him or the parties entitled
thereto; and that further proceedings un-
der said contract be discontinued on the
part of the city.
Davis said he had hoped that the supply
at the wells would prove suitable, but it
had not done 80. The contractors had re-
fused TO let the people try it for washing
and other purposes. The city had tried
well water in 1852 and 1854, and it had
been productive of much disease and
fever.
Devine drew an alarming picture of the
ills that threatened the citizens from the
use of hard water. and spoke of his earn
est wish to save them from the miseries
of stone in the bladder and all the myriad
of diseases that would carry Oft all the
inhabitants.
Kent presented statement of the
deaths from typhoid and other fevers in
1851 TO 1884, when they were using wells.
Tozer asked how deep were the wells
in use at that time, and their locality.
DeVine said that be did not know, al
though he lived here at that time. The
City Board of Health acknowledges that
the clear water from the wells is much
harder than the river water.
Professor Ray, citizen whom Mr.. De-
vine described as young man of inordi-
nate talent and one OF the best chemists
III the country. said the same thing. The
board ought to reject this water at once,
and finally.
Kent and Davis both spoke in favor of
rejecting the water.
Lawton read an article on the subject,
as follows:
"On September Z, 1893, Edmund O'Neil
of the University of California furnished
an analysis at the request of DR.. Tyrrell Of
the water shown as a sample OF that pro-
posed to be furnished to the city by the
contractors.
ION January 26, 1894, w. B. Rising Of
the University Of California furnished an
analysis of the water that was taken from
the wells dug under the contract with the
city.
"A comparison of the two analyses
shows that the water from the wells from
which the water is TO be furnished to the
city is inferior to that furnished for sam
pie TO citizens and analyzed by Mr..
ONeil.
sit is admitted, believe, on all sides
that the water is much harder-in fact
four times harder than the Sacramento
River water-therefore, much inferior to
the water now furnished the city.
Professor Rising in his letter of April
so, 1894, says strict regulations should be
taken TO prevent any possible contamina-
ton from adjoining lands.
Il am informed that the contractors
propose to own or control strip of land
containing ten acres; said land to be in
the shape of the letter T.; the strip is to
be 200 feet wide and long enough to alb
sOrD the ten acres. Ii the wells are in the
center OF the strip, it would bring them
within 100 teet of land owned and occu-
pied by unknown persons for unknown
purposes. In fact, a slaughter house
might be established 100 feet from the
we'll.
Section l of the contract says if the
water is acceptable the same shall be
adopted as a standard. The contract does
not say who is to be the judges as to
whether the water is acceptable, but |
presume that it was intended that the
IL.
Yet it is claimed by some lawyers that
under the contract now held by Abbott
and Henry the contractors can go on
with the works and furnish the city
with water.
'Section of the contract says, If
more than one thousand million gallons
is needed it may be taken from any other
source il necessary.
"Section s says, if the water supply
tal-
from the present City Water Warks for
period of six months, and longer. unless
notice is served on them by the City
Trustees.
Under Section of the contract it
will be an easy matter for the contractors
TO get possession of the present City
Water Works and hold them for twenty
years, providing they can control a ma
jority of the Trustees.
''If the water furnished was of the
best quality l believe it TO be the duty of
the present Board OF Trustees to see that
the city was properly protected in the
contract OF AlessrS. Fish, Henry and
Abbott: as a matter of fact the contract is
a very one-sided affair, and almost en-
tirely in the interest of the contractors.
This Board of Trustees are working
under the charter.
"Section %, subdivision 26, says: No
contract for furnishing the city with
water shall be made unless approved by
vote of two-thirds of the electors voting
at any general or special election at
which the proposition may be submitted.
1T is an admitted fact that the election
was not carried by a two-thirds vote, and
| seriously doubt if we have any right to
ratify the acts of the old Board OF Trus-
tees so lar as this water contract is con-
cerned.
''The water furnished is not satisfac-
tory. We have no good reason to believe
that sufficient supply can be obtained
where the wells are now sunk.
~ do believe that had the wells been
sunk a short distance southeast OF their