Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1895-09-28
A Present Duty.
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LOCAL CORREsPONDENCE.
FRosTBuRG, Mp, Sept. 25, 1895

FRosTBuRG, MD, Sept. %, 1895.
To the MINING JOURNAL.
A session of Town Council several
months ago the matter of water vast
age came up, it having appeared that
many people disposed of more water
than necessary. The discussion re-
suited in the adoption of IL motion
authorizing the Water superintendent
to turn off the supply from anyone
found wasting it.
When, therefore, he discovered that
the Beall High School authorities ere
permitting wastage to an unreasonable
extent-at a time, too, when every
body should specially economist its
use, Mr.. Jetfries Every maturally,n as
he informs me, carried out his instruc-
tons and turned off the supply. This,
after he had found that the school
people had been leaving the hydrant
lun all night.
But Messrs. George II. Wittig, en-
Trustee, and Frank C. Beall, School
Commissioner, without proper inquiry,
jumped to the conclusion that | had
turned off the water, thereby depriving
over 600 pupils. acih one dipper to drink
from, of the privilege of satisfying
their thirst.
| will not express here exactly my
opinion of this course. but as soon as
| heard of the indignation thus stirred
up, | went to investigate. On my
way to the school house | met Mr..
Beall and essayed to inquire wheth-
er the water was turned off ," But he
waved me off, saying, as he walked
sidewise hurriedly-"I wont talk to
you. I'll hold You responsible for
this act ~ | went on to the school
house and found the water turned off
Realizing that some at least of the COG
pupils might have to suffer from the
neglect of those who had been and
those who are now in charge of the
school, | turned the water on.
AS before said, found one dipper
for over GOO pupils to drink from
And the people who provided and
maintained that one dipper had the
nerve to talk of getting up an indigna-
ZION meeting to deLounce me for turn.
ing the water off from that one dipper
When | reached home | made this
calculatiOn-that if the whole schoo
were as thirsty as the indignants claim
ed and 1t was turned out in line tc
drink, at i IA minute it would be p hours
before the last little one in the line
would get to the dipper!
While at the schoolhouse | learned
that the water had been needlessl,
wasted indeed | am reliably inform
ed that the hydrant on many occasions
has been allowed to run all day anC
night. Of this informed Mr.. Beall
also OF the very poor accommodations
tor serving water to that great body
of pupils, but to this date my accom-
panying appeal to improve them ha.
been vain.
If Mr. Wittig had been as thought
full while he was Trustee as he
is as AN ex-Trustee, the water woulC
have long since been conveyed to the
interior of the building and ample
drinking facilities provided. If he
had been then as considerate of the
welfare of the poor children as now
they would not have to go outside and
incur the heat of the summer or the
cold of the winter for the water they
must have. | might 90 still farther
back to the time when he was mem
Der of the Water Board and, with the
same unfrlendly consideration he
shows for me, recall some of his
"judgmatic" exploits in finding springs
that had to be afterward' abandoned
| might infer also that had his dis
coveries of such springs continued, We
would have no water to turn off from
anywhere.
And now, what Mr.. Wittig failed tt
do when he was Trustee in the matter
of providing proper drinking facilities
Mr.. Beall should make haste to have
done, partly in consideration of the
high honor lately bestowed on hi.
family name in christening it Beal
High School.
In conclusion--I feel deeply the in
justice which the hasty action of thes,
gentlemen has imposed upon me. Ii
the eyes of not only the men ant
women of this town, but to the mind.
of tne innocent children | am made tt
appear as almost thurman. But rs
am not guilty of the crime charged tt
me, in self-defence hold the mirror
up to their own records and confident
ly leave the people to decide whethe
their sudden zeal for humanity's SAX,
is justified either by what they hav,
done, or left undone.
JOSEPH BEAR, Mayor.