The record-union., 1894-03-05
The Clear and sparkling Water.

The Clear and eparkllnG wafer.
| EDS. RECoRD-UNIoN: I took stroll
! to-day out to the wells on the Strong "
! Williamson ranch to take another look at
the beautiful, clear and sparkling water
which the contractors propose to furnish
| to the city in place of the foul, miserable
stuff we are now using, and 1 am more
than ever convinced Of the vast import
ance to us OF this water question.
| / doubt very much if many Of our peo-
pie fully realize what a golden oppor-
! tunity we now have or how much our
city would be benefited by the adoption
of this clear water system. But men who
have travelled over the country and been
twitted and black guarded, as | have,
about the filthy water we are using, can
well understand The magnitude OF this
subject.
Our bad water has always been a stand
ing menace to our prosperity as city. l
/ think L have been told by hundreds of
people very many Of them men Of large
means and clear heads that no moneyed
consideration could induce them to live
in Sacramento while we use the river
water. Thus large amount of capital
| that would otherwise have located mere
has been driven away by bad water. AS
has been we'll said, it has done more 70 re-
tard prosperity in our city than any other
ten causes.
The pumps were kept running nearly
all day to-day, and constant string OF
people were coming and going all the
time. Hundreds OF persons sampled the
water and carried some away with them.
/ remained some time and heard great
many express themselves. and every one
pronounced the water very superior.
Many tests were made of its washing
qualities, and ali say it is as soft and good
to wash with as raln-water.
A gentleman who had been on the
ground all day said be took special pains
10 hear the expressions from the people
present, and not in a single instance did
he hear any fault found.
| l have lately been investigating TO some
| extent the cost of water TO large num-
| Der Of cities in this State and Oregon, and
so far as l have seen there is not single
city that has anything near as favorable
| terms as this contract would give us.
The prices range from 4 cents to 80
cents per 1000 gallons. A great majority
of them will run above 5 cents per 1000
gallons, while ours is to cost us but 3
cents per 1000 gallons, and as / under
stand. it will not be one dollars expense
to this city until the company begins to
deliver water, while if the city attempts
| to furnish the supply itself there must
necessarily be very large outlay, and
that before very long. l understand the
old Water Works cannot last much
longer, and [ certainly do not think that
our city is in a financial condition to as
sumo this heavy burden.
l do hope our people will wake up to
this subject and insist on clear water
and that our honorable Board of Trustees
will give the matter the thought and the
careful consideration that its great i'm
portance demands.
1t would be better to take time and
fully consider this matter in all its bear
ings than TO jump at conclusions and per-
haps adopt means that they would ever
afterward regret.
Hoping that we may not always be
compelled to use water that is too dirty
TO sprinkle with, and that ere long we
can say to the world that we no longer
drink mud, but pure, sparkling water.
CITIZEN.