The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1895-07-26

On the first page OF the CoURIEI
this week will be found the repor
in full Of Messrs. Wilson. Piau anc
kunkel, the committee appointed
by the town trustees 10 look at diff
ferent systems Of water works il
operation in Indiana and recon,
mend to the Board the system besl
adapted for Jasper. With all respec,
TO this committee the COURIER sub
mits that they did not discharg,
their duty 10 the people under their
commission from the trustees Il
view different systems-unless, in.
deed, il was determined from the
start 10 adopt the reservoir system,
without regard to the superiority
and lower COST Of other systems
and then the cost Of their trips wa.
useless expense. They visited three
places, Corydon, Paoli and Salem,
all operating with reservoirs, and
then come home and repor, in favor
Of a reservoir, and disease-breeding
Patoka river water.
1t is said the personal interests Of
a few individuals was the principal
cause OF the report, and that il was
practically determined these indi-
viduals should be favored before
the committee vas appointed. As
TO the truth Of this the COURIER il
not posted, and therefore refrains
from mentioning names, or endors-
ing the report. But ordinarily it
would seem to the d~isinterested who
will be called upon to pay taxes to
keep the works running, that the
inye. tigation should have been more
thorough.
There is me thing they say in
their report that was Unauthorized
by their appointment, and that does
not tell the whole truth. That is
In regard to what water works are
wanted by our citizens for. The
voters who voted for water works.
nor the Board, did not delegate the
committee to say why, or for what
purposes water works were desirable,
and in their voluntary enumeration
OF the reasons, the committee
left out the most important rea-
son, and the one use which would
bring the town more steady rev.
enue than all reasons by them
enumerated from l to 4 combined.
and thereby reduce the heavy rate
OF taxation Necessary without it to
keep the works in operation. viz
5. Pure WATER for all domestic
uses. Atleast five connections will be
made with the mains if PURE WATER
is furnished for drinking purposes,
to n for the purposes enumerated
by the committee. and q system fur
nishing PUKE WATER will not pre-
vent any of the Others from taking it.
As to their conclusion that a reser-
voir is cheaper than a stand-pipe, it
would depend very much on the
size Of the stand-pipe and reservoir.
The reservoir recommended bv the
committee, IS by 100 feet and II
feet deep, will require the removal
Of 2,jOU square yards of dirt, which
at ~ cents = yard will be $500. Ii
will require 10000 brick to line it.
at 81 per thousand, $1,75O; a mile
and one-fifthof lU-inch pipe will cost
$1,000, making the total cost OF a
reservoir ut least 81 $50, besides the
ground necessary to locate il and
the pump upon, probably $1,000
more, making the total -, $50. 1t
Is no wonder they only propose to
furnish water to q part of two streets.
and leave the rest Of the taxpayers
out in the dry, for the total amount
Of bonds cannot exceed $l0.O 900.
MI. kennedy's estimate for a stand
pipe 100 feet high, and 20 feet in
diameter, wa $500, 50 if his esti.
mate was correct a stand-pipe would
be cheapest. But Jasper needs
neither. The Holly system Of works.
and the Devereaux system use
neither, but force the water direct
intothe mains, from whatever source
the water is taken, and save the
expense Of either stand pipe, or
reservoir. For towns and cities Of
25,0OO and under it has been in
variably proven to he the most eco
nomical in operation, and satisfac-
tory, the interest on the extra sums
required for either stand-pipe or
reservoir being sufficient to paw for
the extra engineer at night. II
would prove so in Jasper, and IL
adopted will save the citizens heavy
unnecessary taxation.
Reider's hill is as good a location
as can be found if a reservoir system
Is determined upon, but one reason
given by the committee is certainly
silly. and that il that the hill faces ,
south. and therefore the mains /,
wouldn't freeze. No competent en-
gineer would permit mains to be ,
laid near enough the surface of the (,
ground to be in danger II f., eziny T,
In any kind IT weather, and, Of
course, An .ngineer nus superin- ,
tend every stem IN tho ..rgr,. 80