The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-09-25
Municipal Ownership of Water
Works Will Be Dis
CuSSed.
FIGURES BEING PREPARED
The Union for Practical PROGRESS
Commends the "CaIl" in
Resolutions.

mittee of the Board OF Supervisors, which
consists of Messrs. Taylor, Hobbs and Ben
iamin, will hold its regular meeting at which
representatives of the Union for Practical
Progress will be present to urge the claims
of special election to give the people a
chance to vote on the question of munich
pal ownership of water, gas and electric
light plants.
1t has not been decided who will appear
in the interests OF the union, but the rep
resentatives will be primed with facts and
figures to meet all objections or questions
that may be asked, and determined effort
will be made to have the matter given a
full hearing.
Masses of statistics tending to show that
in Eastern cities, where municipal author
tiles have control of the plants, the rates
to consumers have been reduced from so
to 300 per cent have been compiled from
information received from many different
points. The delegation from the union
will also endeavor to show that no reason,
either financial or otherwise, exists why
San Francisco should not be equally ia
yored in the matter.
1t will be argued from the figures of en-
gineers and experts that in case present
existing plants cannot be bought they can
be duplicated for a comparatively moder-
ate sum, and that once in the possessio n
of the local government they would not
only be source of revenue to the City and
thus reduce the rates of taxation, but will
tighten the burdens of rate-payers to an
extent not realized by those most inter-
ested.
The case of Sacramento, which operates
its plant at profit of over 200 per cent on
the running expenses, after reducing the
rates from 80 to so per cent, WILDE cited,
and a comparison drawn with Stockton,
which buys its water and lights from pri-
vate CORPORATIONS at rates far above those
of the Capital City.
A meeting of the union Will be held at
the Builders Exchange, 16 Post street, this
evening, at which matters of Importance
in relation to the proposed election will be
discussed, and it is probable that those
who are to represent the union before the
Board of Supervisors will be chosen.
In its search for evidence that plenty of
water to supply the City can be found
within the corporate limits, the union has
found many encouraging indications that
its theory is correct, but none so conclu-
sive as one discovered yesterday by John
NJ. Reynolds.
"In his hunt he ran across ]. P. Lysett,
a capitalist, residing at GAL Valencia street,
and struck mine of information.
that was described in THE CALL was a big
thing" said Mr.. Reynolds, "but we have
found something bigger, and we think it
bears out our contention that all than San
Francisco will have to do when the propo-
sition of municipal ownership of water
works is carried will be to sink the re-
quired number of wells and get all the
water that could possibly be used.
Il should not be surprised if we found
at a "
enough wells sunk IN the Mission to sup
ply that whole district without going any
further.
''In 1882 Mr.. Lysett sank well at Eigh-
tenth and Valencia streets, and at COM
paratively short distance down struck
good, pure water that came up to within a
few feet of the surface. After testing it
and being convinced that it was good, Mr.
Lysett had huge pump of capacity OF
100000 gallons in twenty-four hours con-
structed by the Garrett Iron Works and
put it in place.
1.-THE well soon showed that it was
| capable of keeping the pump going at all
| times, and Mr.. Lysett assures me that he
pumped 10000 gallons per hour, or 100000
gallons in twenty-four hours, out OF it for
long time.
Seeing that the plant would prove
profitable if sufficient customers could be
obtained, mains were put in on Mission
and Valencia streets and preparations
made to supply large amount OF water.
THE water company was too strong for
him, however and he was compelled to
stop pumping and seal up his well. The
well was only five inches in diameter, but
it never showed signs of exhaustion, and
Mr.. Lysett says that to-day he could put
out three-quarters a million gallons per
day at a rate that would defy competition
from the water company if the contracts
could first be Obtained.
His tanks have been taken down since
1884, and it would cost considerable to re-
place them, but if the City was to take hold
of the water system this well would prove
powerful auxiliary. A number of other
fine wells now exist in the same locality,
and could be placed in commission at a
comparatively small expense.
81 have here a copy of the analysis of
Mr.. Lysett's water made by well-known
chemist, w. I. Wenzell. 1t was made in
1882, soon after the well wa opened"
The analysis was as follows:
Report of analysis of the water OF the artesian
well situated near the corner of Eighteenth
and Valencia streets:
Contents in one gallon In grains
Total amount OF solid. ...4865O
Free and Ureal ammonia. ................... OOO21
Albuminoid ammonia. NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.. 0.014
NltrateS traces
The above analysis shows the water healthy
and fit for drinking and family uses.
w. T. WENzELL.
'If this water is as good as Mr.. Wenzell
reports there can be no reason why plenty
more of the same kind of water does not