The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1895-12-02
ANALYZE THE WATER.
THAT DERIVED FROM PARLEY'S
CANYON NEEDS ATTENTION.
Health Commissioner Daily Says it
is Unfit to Drink, Because of the
AIkaIi it COntains-Big Cotton
Wood Source of Pure, HeaIthfuI
Water.

AIkaIi it Contains-Big Cotton
Wood Source of Pure, HeaIthfuI
Water.
If all the movements on foot in the
board of health, sanitary, water and
sewer departments reach one-haf the
distance to where the goal is set, Salt
Lake City will have taken such strides
! to the front as will in truth advance
the place into a metropolitan sphere.
By slow degrees a certain element OF
municipal officials have had their Eyes
opened until they can see many serious
faults, defaults and shortcomings in
all these departments.
At the same time there is another
element constantly seeking to impede
by any and every process known, any
step of advancement or move of i'm
provement suggested for the public
veal and general good.
The City's Water Supply.
By the utmost care and vigilant po-
Icing of City Creek canyon the water
from that source used by the city is
quite fit for use. The water from Par
j, ley'S canyon is known to be the con-
trary. 1t has been a long time since
the last analysis of the city water sup
ply was made, November 1894, which,
by law, is demanded to be done four
times year, so that the year 1895 will
pass with no chemical analysis having
been made.
This dereliction has been no fault of
the health department for an effort was
made to carry out the letter of the
law, but it was frowned down as Ian
expensive trifie,' when in truth the real
reason was that an honest analysis
would have started a boom in filters.
THE people in this city drink
enough alkali to turn them into pill
lars of salt,''' said Health Commits
sioner Daily in speaking on the sub
ject. ''Parley's canyon water should
never be used at all. 1t is not only not
fit to drink, but it is useless for domes-
tic purposes. The fact is that II a
barber draws a cupful of Parleys cam
yon fluid and succeeds in rinsing out
his shaving mug, that is all he can
do-he can't make any lather with it.
If anyone doubts the alkaline proper
ties of this water let him or her, he or
she, ask the housewife who draws
water from that main, to see the in
side of her teakettle. The truth is that
coating one-half inch in thickness
forms every month, and it is only by
digging out this shell of solid alkali
that water can be heated at all. 1t is
next to impossible to battle in it, it is
so hard, and yet people drink it and
wonder why they have gravel in the
bladder, indigestion, purged liver, kid
ney troubles and liver compliant. It's
all easy enough to explain if the peo-
pie would only listen to what is told
them.
A Rift in the Cloud.
IF [ am correctly informed the city
has been mulcted into owning 80 per
cent of the territory of Parley'S can
yon. If this be true, it is, If possible, a
greater blight and misfortune than its
possession of the catstair sewer. About
one more white elephant like these
two and the taxpayers will no doubt
be moved to commit some overt act in
order to put an end to the outrages.
Still, there is but one rift in the cloud
that was seen long ago, but was not
needed.
THE time is not far distant when the
city will be compelled to get its water
supply mainly from Big Cottonwood
canyon. This creek should have been
the source of supply long ago. The
water is excellent and bountiful in
supply. By the way, 1 don't own a
penny's interest in that canyon, so my
motives are perfectly clear and open
on the subject. The city should lose
no time now in dispoSing of, at the
best price obtainable, all its right, til
tie and interest in Parley's and get
such necessary right and control of
Big Cottonwood as will insure for all
time a suitable and sufficient supply of
water for Salt Lake City. There's no
argument in the matter, and cost what
it may, it will have to be done, for the
water in Parleys and Emigration can
yons is not fit to drink, and the people
of this city will get up some morning
thoroughly satisfied and convinced on
that point Then they'll want a new
water supply, and Big Cottonwood is
their only hope, cost what it may, and
the sooner obtained the better for all
concerned.
To Make Analyses.
"The health department is now pre-
pairing to make several very necessary
analySiSeS that are vitality important
to the welfare of the public in gen.
eral, and to the children and babies in
particular In doing this we are fully
aware that we court the criticism of
an element in this city that weigh
lightly the value of human life in all
except themselves; they actually be-
lieve that funerals are cheaper than
enforced sanitary rules, and act out
this theory to the letter.
In the past it has cost the city
about 500 for each thorough analysis
made of the water. While it is worth
every cent of this amount to do this
work, it is barely possible that the de-
partment can make an arrangement
by which this work can be done, and
thoroughly done, for possibly one
fourth the price. Preparations are be-
ing made to that end, and when the
public are again given full report of
what they are daily consuming out of
Parley's canyon. I will miss my guess
wide and full if there does not SO up
from every home no uncertain protest
against what / call an, unnecessary
outrage. It's enough to make a sane
taxpayer shudder to know the actual
truth about the wanton condition of
vital affairs affecting this city. At
all events a new era is dawning upon
Salt Lake, all for its good, if it can
only be realized and appreciated by
the major portion of our people"