Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1895-12-07
MD. DECEMBER I, 1895.
Water.


remarkable notion that flowing water,
polluted, is self cleansing. Its latest
bolster of this fancy follows:
We know the impression prevails that
mountain spring water is always pure and
wholesome, but it is not so. There is always
more diphthera and typhoid fever in the
mountains than in the plains, and it is owing
to the fact that the water is never as pure.
The Ne0s is certainly mistaken i'll
both cases-Just as much as it is in the
relationship which ii assumes to exist
between diphtheria and typhoid fever.
In the same population there has
been one hundred times more typhoid
fever in the Monongahela river valley
this year than IN Frostburg. In the
valley the water used is mostly from
springs, wells or river; in Frostburg
from mountain springs. Moreover, if
in Frostburg there has been single
case traceable to the spring water the
JOURNAL cannot hear Of it.
Both diseases are more or less infec-
tious. but it is well determined that
here their parallelsm ends. Fever is
mostly taken by swallowing the
typhoid germ in food or drink diph-
iberia by inhalation of some atmos-
phelic poison.
In the former case it is easy to con
ceive that typhoid fever may be con
tracted from the use of bad water,
and the very latest discovery in the
genesis Of diphtheria develops the fact
that cats have been known to carry
this fearful malady into the house.
The JOURNAL is grounded in its
premises and settled IN its conclusions
by the fact that our new water supply
is an answer to its appeal for eXemp
ton from typhoid fever.
And the soundness of that appea
has been fully verified by happy results
For Il similar reason it urges the
abolition of the hog pen. an uLdoubted
hot-b,d and nursery of diphtheritic
poison.
When this and kindred sanitary re
forms are accomplished, Frostburg
will be the healthiest town in the State
if not the United States.
Saved by Il Little Stipulation.
The JOURNAL would not like to see
the Westminster Ado0cate come to
harm, but under the terms of our
declaration of war, printed last week,
it would incur some peril.
Here is the Adoocate's complaint:
The canal Is not contributing one whit to
building up the material interests of the
State, and is not subject to taxation. Sell the
canal to railroad company, and railroad
will be built Oh its bank, which VIII be sub
iect to taxation, and the road will also build
up little villages and develop the country all
along the route. Let the canal be sold to
any railroad company that will pay
reasonable price for it.
The canal is not contributing one
whit to building up the material in.
terests" of a political ring either.
Nor is 1t lifting a Sic, 900 a year presi-
dent into senatorial toga.
Nor was it in these halcyon DAYS
any more taxable than it is now for
State purposes.
AS to the advantages of selling it TO
railroad-all that depends upon the
sort of railroad. If it be primarily
West Virginia boomer, it will not pay
any more tribute to Maryland's little
villages than it can help. 1t is the
natu,e of the pirate to despise the
people who permit him to rob them,
and as it is piracy that animates
and energises the scheme of the buyer
to sell the canal to himself, there is
little even of his respect that Mary
land may hope to retain.
But the Adgocate'S last sentence con
tains a saving clause. While selling
the canal to himself the buyer should
pay himself "a reasonable price"
This is fortunate, for this reason-as
a railroad bed the canal is worth
millions. Yet the price offered to the
ring, through Mr.. Kerens, by the ring,
wouldn't pay for half of the single
tunnel on its line.