The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1895-04-17
CITYS WATER SUPPLY
Things Night Be Much Worse Than
They Are.
THE OLD AND NEW SYSTEMS
Ancient Homemade Piping Is Not
Up to the Standard-An Exten-
sIve Area to Cover Under
Difficulties. st So

that il might not be worse" is proverb
that has afforded consolation to many
sufferer and affords the optimist an argu-
ment that never fails. While the pessi-
mist, looking through the other end OF the
glass, will say: Nothing is SO good that
it might not be better" the former argu-
ment is q long way tho more satisfactory
and comfortable. This is true OF tho Mis-
soula water works, which have been the
cause of so much critiscism this spring.
They may not be the best in the state, but
they might be a whole lot worse and, looks
ing at the question in that light, the peo-
pie ought to DO thankful that they are
served as well as they are under the cir-
cumstances. There is probably no other
water company in the state that is obliged
to maint ain 80 many miles OF pipe for the
same number OF consumers as is the local
company. The wide extent OF the city
makes IL necessary for the company to
keep in order miles Of mains that yield
no revenue, simply to accommodate iso-
lated parts of tho town. When all this Is
considered, it Is remarkable that the SER
vice is as good as it is.
An old resident of the city in speaking
of tho water works to-day, said to a
STANDARD reporter: "You ought to have
seen the first water system that was put
down in this city. IL you had seen that.
you would consider the present one a mar
vel of completeness. had long and Bit
ter experience with the old pipe system
and assure you that / make no CON-
plant IL the water is shut of for day.
We used to be without it for several days
at q time and then, when we got 1t again.
we would not know how long we would
have it."
The first water distributing system OF
Missoula is familiar to all old-timers and
more recent arrivals have seen 1t Illus
trated often enough to know what 1t was.
The old two-wheeled cart, with ITS Indian
driver and it's barrel of river water, was
welcomed in its time as great con-
venience. Then. as the town fiourished,
this crude system became inadequate TO
the needs of the growing community and
il was decided that a pipe system would
be the proper thing. The source of sup
ply which was decided upon was, as was
natural, the same that furnishes the city
with pure water at present-the Rattle
snake, fed by the eternal SHOWS ond run
ming over a clean gravelly bed, through a
region where there are no sources of
contamination, is a model supply and the
only natural one for this city.
The dam was built in nearly the same
place that the present fiume takes its
supply from the stream, but the dis
tributing reservoir was some 30 feet lower
than the one now used. This much of the
plant was all that could be desired. There
was an abundance of clear, pure water
and ii was brought within easy distance
of the town. But il was in the matter of
pipes that the system fell down. The
quality of the water was oil that could be
desired and the quantity was practically
unlimited. Pipes, however, were hard to
get atthat time aud il was decided to use
homemade ones and a man was set to
boring logs TO make wooden pipes that
should bring the water to the doors of the
consumers. The district to be supplied
was east of Higgins avenue. The Worden
place on Pine street was the northern
limit and the area covered extended from
there to East Front street along the river
bank.
Now the man who bored the pipes,
didn't always bore straight. Sometimes
when he had turned his augur through a
third of the length of n log, he would find
that he was getting dangerously near the
outside and then he would take fresh
start on the other end of the log and bore
to strike the hole he had originally started.
He had expended too much energy and
had consumed too much muscular force
on the crooked hole to throw the log away.
Thus 1t came about that some of the
wooden pipes contained storage cham.
bers in addition to the main hole-side
issues, as 1t were-and these chambers
were too frequently so near the surface OF
the log that the pipes were seriously
weakened and, after being used n short
time, burst and the side issues became
vents through which poure the supply Of
water intended for kitchen and bath.
1t will be readily seen that with such
piping the occupation of the driver OF the
old cart was not entirely gone and fol
days Of q time be did q land Office bust
ness. The pipes were fastened together
by means of iron rings set into the ends
of the logs, which were cleated togethel
after tho rings had been driven home
The system was not by any means q per
feet one, but it was a lot better than tn,
two-wheelcd cart and was thoroughly ap
preciated by consumers of water at tn,
time of its introduction. These old los
pipes are now frequently discovered b.
diggers in excavating for repairs or con
nections in the present system. and the,
are antiquities indeed. The uncoverin,
of one is always an occasion for the recita
of unlimited reminiscent yarns, but ever
the most enthusiastic old-timer never al
tempted to convince his listeners that tn
old times were better in this respect thar
the present. 1t wouldn't do.
Readers of the STANDARD who are in
clined to feel provoked when their waite
supply is temporarily shut of, are recon
mended TO cut OH; this article and past
IL in their hat for reference on such coca
sions. 1t will serve TO remind them tina
they are not so badly off as they might b
and so tend to make them more content
Things might be n great deal worsefhal
they are.