The sun., 1895-05-27
THINGS IN JERSEY WATER.
IMoyG OTHERS AN OUNCE OF
SEWAGE IN EVERY GALLON.

Eine Crops or Microbes nnd Disease Germs,
Too, bat In spite OF thnt the Mere Mem
tion or water In Jersey City starts the
Cranks and the Water Companies Howl
tag About Bribery and Corrartion.
A Now Yorker. having spent somo timo in
Jersey City, ventured to ask q Jerseyman why
twas that the city did not get new water sup
ply. why" said the New Yorker. "only this
morning went 10 take my bath and found my
tub full OF wriggling things"
"Sb-h." said the Jerseyman. putting his fin
gers TO his lips and seizng the New Workers
coat to drag him to corner. "Thev were ty-
phoid fever germs: but for tho love of Heaven
don't speak about II here or my reputation will
be ruinedr
What do you mean :" demanded the New
Yorker.
Typhoid fevor-that's right" said the Jersey
man. They grow big in that water. We all
have II once In while. but, for Heavens sake.
don't speak about 1t to me 80 anybody will hear
you"
Whats the matter with you, anyway" de-
manded the New Yorker. Have you gone
daftf"
.No. I'm not daft" said tho Jerseymnn. get
ting angry: but I've got fairly decent repu-
tation. and don't want to lose 1t, that's ALL"
We'll. what in thunder do you mean. then ?"
demanded the New Yorker.
"Come to my house." said the Jerseyman.
So the New Yorker went to the Jerseymans
house. The Jerseyman took him to the bath
room. that being the most secluded place in the
house. lie locked the door. and stuffed paper in
the keyhole ami in the cracks. Then he said:
We are safe here. You did very foolish
think In speaking OF water In n public place.
Don't you know that IL any of our cranks heard
you you'd DO branded as the agent OF a water
company sent here to buy the Board OF Street
and Water Commissioners. or to bribe the
Mayor? Don't you know that you'd be followed
BY detectives. and like as not. indicted and put
In State prison for long term for attempted
bribery"
wh-wh-wh-what2 demanded tho New
Yorker. WHY, don't know anything about
water companies. or bribery. or anything else"
Il know you don't" said the Jcrseyman; "and
know you just came here to visit a friend; but
that don't make any difference. II you were
the President OF the United States and said
water you'd be accused Just the same"
We'll" snid the New Yorker. "if | said any
thing about water It wouldn't be in favor OF
water companies. can tell you. l don't believe
water companies. I'd advise the city to buy
tpply of its own"
There" sad the Jerseyman, "I knew you
aid say tint. Now. il you had said that
re anybody might have heard you, 1t would
been worse than the others. You'd have
J De, called the agent OF a lot OF land owners
down here to bribe the same people and buy up
a few newspapers besides. You'd have had
twice rs mnny detectives after you and you'd
hnvo been lucky II you had escaped with your
life"
well. what in blazes could I have said,
then, and kept out Of jail 2" demanded the New
Yorker.
Nothing" said the Jerseyman. nothing at
ALL The mere mention OF water will blast
mans reputation. ruin his family. and send
him through life n miserable. despised creature.
OF course you're surprised at that so let me ex-
plain. Years and years and years ago-as many
as thirty, guess-the people Of this town real
lied that 1t would have to get a supply of
water The city wns getting its water from the
Passaic then. Just rs it is now. There were
some big towns along the PassafC and they
began to put in sewers. Then the factories In
creased in number and the, poured refuse into
q new supply was an absolute necessity, and
they began to agitate for one. Engineers figured
Ssood sat she eoes cost 1t was between ss0oooo0 and
surely that was a reasonable amount" said
Just then the paper, that had been stuffed into
the keyhole dropped out. Tho Jerseyman,
and. unlocking it. threw it open and peered
out There wa was no one in sight. 4 look OF relief
locked it. and stuffed the % paper @ back. . awe sWe
have 70 be SO careful over here" he said. Il
LnOuRnt somebody might be listening. We can't
even trust our own servants, you know Well,
to go on" he continued: still keeping an eye on
the door and b9e mesnThle , plugging up the waste
cursed then with cranks, just as it is to-day
people who entered their ehd6ood al early
IN life and who had little money and didn't
began to shout 'Job!' They said the water was
good enough and 1t was only dishonest politi-
CLANS who favored new acpply. and they only
because they saw n chance to steal"
Was that truet" asked the New Yorker.
"Of course. 1t wasn't true" said the Jersey
use the water. They had wells and pumps and
Than they did Of the 1efaro Of the e"et city thy
health OF the, people who couldn't afford wells
Sups sH TEs
only result of their agitation was the forma-
voice was lowered to. a whisper lie ttptoed
around the room; felt of all the wadding in tho
sn%sd sPa s seat c, the .n he .ss 81 ,6ss h
The capital OF water company" he went on
lis chiefly hsr1o wind and options You've been
necessary 10 tcll you anything. about
VIM Maybe yo%R5s less familiar
liar. In the first place, they didn't cost any
thing to speak q, and M III the second place they
tions on land that forms the watershed OF the
State. This land is all owned and used by the
families for generations. Now. the water com.
panies have been to some Of these owners and
land runs into Slueeneck creek, or Flapdoodle
pond. or some other dinkey stream that flows
into some other bigger stream. Now, Jersey
City has got to use that water some day, and
when they do we'll help you soak 'em. They're
rich, and they've got dollars where you've got
cents. We'll help you soak 'em II you'll
promise not to sell out to anybody else. Wen
get enough ont OF 'em to pay for your whole
farm, and you'll have the farm too. The own
ers have agreed TO that, and there's YOUR option
1dont say that's the case with all, but fits so
with nearly all. There's one company in Pater-
son that don't count in these. This company
got permanent right to the use OF the water
power OF the Passaic along in the early part OF
the century. don't know what It amounts to-
and 1t don't make any difference, anyway.
There's no use going into these details
The result OF II was that when the
options and wind the city's troubles
began. The next time the citizens agi,ated for
awater supply, u lot of companies offered to
supply it. Then the cranks who didn't trust
the city. officials yelled Bribery! bribery"
That killed 1t. The next time the citizens agi-
tated for a supply on their own hook and one
OF the water companies and the cranks yelled
inhv Thafk llaHt .yi