The Washington times., 1894-06-28
FOUNTAINS FOR TIE POOR
Citizens Want Them Established In
Place Of the Pumps.
WELL WATER HAS DEFENDERS
Many Have Used the Clear. Sparkling Fluid
for Years and Observed No Ill Enects
Ice II Luxury Which Not AL Can A.
ford-Artesian Wells Are Popular.

Tho opinions Of q number Of citizens, prin-
cipally merchants, who are located m the
immediate vicinity OF several Of the con-
demned wells in this city, are expressed below
| upon the important subject discussed In TEE
TIMES yesterday under the caption OF Free
| Water for the Poor"
The views SO far as obtained are emphatic
as to the necessity for an immediate supply
of good water for the poor, and the authori-
ties are called upon to meet the demand.
Water is as necessary as bread, and the suffer-
ing poor, who are unable to purchase ice dur
ing the sweltering summer heat, arc as much
entitled to consideration as those to whom
the abandonment of the public wells is no
deprivation. d
The suggestion OF THE TINES that fountains
be established throughout the city meets the
approval OF the people, though there is de-
| mand upon the part OF many Tor the restora-
tion of the condemned wells to proper con-
| dition for the water 10 be used with safety.
| THE TINES takes pleasure in aifording an
opportunity for the people to be heard upon
this and all other topics of interest.
W. S. CARTER, corner of Fourth and Ridge
| streets northwest: Il am in favor OF good
water. and il the pumps are taken out
| fountains might answer as substitutes.
have read the comments upon the question.
| L think the suggestion of artesian wells is
| good one. If it would not be too expensive,
artesian wells ought to be sunk, from which
to supply the fountains, but, at any rate,
there ought to be plenty of good water, and
the artesan wells, if furnished. should be in
| every other square"
| P. A. HAGAN, corner of Fifth and @ streets
northwest: Il think hydrants or fountains
| would be really better than the wells. l pre-.
| fer Potomac water to that from the wells,
but the people ought to have water somehow.
| Where they depended upon the wells for
drinking water it is serious deprivation to
be denied their use. Those who cannot buy
ice are in bad fix in hot weather. 1t would
be good idea to have artesian wells sunk II
the cost would not be too great"
GOOD WATER Is NECESSARY.
THEODORE Pitt, corner OF Sixth and Q
streets northwest: IF the sewerage has spoiled
the wells. do not see why the authorities do
not restore them to proper condition. Good
water is necessary. and should be supplied.
II the wells must be abandoned. then should
think fountains should be substituted
G. l.. Woop. No. 1889 Sixth street north
west: There is a well right in front Of my
store that has been there for fifty years. /
have used water from it for seventeen years.
and it has never caused sickness in my family.
What do we want as substitute for 1t? We
want the well, and nothing else. 1t has.been
closed. l don't know what the people will do
without ii. 1t is one of the best wells In the
city. II the sewer leaks and spoils the water
the city should fix the sewer. We want the
pump all the same. People have come from
long distances to the well for water. There
w
scarcely buy bread, let alone ice. The well is
an absolute necessity"
GEORGE A. FISHER, No. 6i0 o street north
west: Il want the wells to stay. do not al
ways want to drink ice water. If the water
in the wells is not ilt to use, then 1t should be
made good. 1t is the place of the Commis-
sioners to see that we have water that is fit
to use. Some time ago, when the hydrant
water got SO muddy, l do not know what we
should have done if ii had not been for that
Sixth street well. Other cities have good,
clear water, and we have to put up with that
dirty stuff that comes through the hy-
drants.'
G. W. SHELLEY. No. 713 o street northwest
swell, il the water in the wells is impure they
should be closed up. l use ice, but much of
the time in the Spring we preferred the well
water. l do not see why the Commissioners
should not see to it that the wells are puri-
fled. ! sympathize with the people who de-
d. B. WEEDES, No. 100 Tenth street north
west: 1T is very great Inconvenience for
good many people to do without the wells.
We keep ice here, bur We preferred the water
from the well at the corner OF Tenth and S
streets. We kept it in the cooler and pre-
ferred it to the Potomac water. The people
believed it TO be fine drinking water In my
opinion. il an officer had been kept at the
pump to prevent the crowds from making 1t
nuisance by all the time hanging about-as
some would-it would not have been aban-
doned. 1t was a nuisance, there's no doubt
about it. If the wells are impure, they can
be purified. do not know what substitute
for the pumps would be preferable
WELLS ARE ALL RIGHT.
R. E. REDDING, of Matthews & Redding,
corner of Tenth and streets northwest: 81
do not believe there is anything wrong with
the wells. They say the water is impure, and
a great many long words are used TO prove il:
but the water is good. and people have used
il for years. | do not know what should be
provided as a substitute for the pumps unless
you 90 out to the country and bring in a lot |
of mountain springs. There is one thing |
about it: The water in the well near here. the |
one abandoned. is clear as crystal and cool. |
II there is any bacteria in 1t have never been |
able 10 find it out"
EDWARD GARDINER, corner of and Eight |
eenth streets northwest: Il have never had |
but idea about the matter. and that is to H. |
ter the water supply and purify it. If arte- |
sian wells can be sunk without too much ex- |
pense. that would be a good substitute for the |
pumps, but l am afraid it would cost too |
much"
G. W. HURLEY, No. 1901 street northwest:
I'm the first place, do not know why they |
want to abandon the wells. lived In front !
of a pump on 7 street. between Seventeenth |
and Eighteenth streets, Tor three years. and |
the water was used by my family constantly. |
1t was never a source of sickness. Now what |
are the poor people to do? They cannot get |
work. and have no money to buy ice. They |
cannot pay rent some of them. do not see |
why the authorities condemned the wells. |
Will they now give US hydrant water? That |
is not TT to drink. People want cool water. |
They come to me for cents worth of ice; |