The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-03-07

mass OF evidence which you are piling up
here, unless we know some of the details.
You only want to shut it out"
sit is no such thing" retorted Mr.. Tay-
Tor, II am chairman here and l know how
to preside"
The tempest then subsidized and Mr..
Schussler went on with his details regard
ing the workings of the various depart
ments ofthe water company, and responded
to various questions a bout the Alameda
Creek pumping works the Crystal Springs
dam and other portions of the company's
plant.
After his breathing spell the Mayor
again came TO the front with the question
OF improving of the Spring Valley water,
which he had preached at the Board of
Health meeting on Tuesday.
"Mr. Schussler," said the Mayor, sit has
been stated that the water of your COM
pany is not pure. Professor Price has ana
lyzed it, and his analysis shows that it is
unhealthy, in fact poisonous. Now, did
you ever have your water analysed ?"
81 don't know" was the engineers non
committal reply.
"Well, :" went on the Mayor, "as Mayor
of this city, | thought it my duty to report
the condition of the water to the Board of
Health. 1t is criminal, sir, to allow this
water to be used. | speak only from what
l have been told. l also understand that
your water runs through cattle ranches"
Perhaps it would be a good plan for
you to ride out with me and see If this is
true" said the wary Mr.. Schussler.
At this point J. Fitzgerald arose and en-
phatically declared that he knew that
stream from Colma in which hogs wal
lowed run into Lake MERGED.
cit must be true" said the Mayor, econ
sidering Professor Prices analysis -
Under cross-examinatlon Mr.. Fitzgerald,
while disclaiming any hostility to Spring
Valley, modestly admitted that he had
written several poems directed against
Spring Valley for the benefit of the people.
The poet of Milbrae Cthat is the place
where Mr.. Fitzgerald resides) then wanted
to ask Mr.. Schussler some questions, but
the engineer very haughtily refused to
speak to him. Mr.. Fitzgerald then inter
viewed Mr.. Schussler through Chairman
Taylor as to the Searsville purchase and
other matters.
Schussler in regard to the quality of the
water. He asked Mr.. Schussler how long
1t had been since the Laguna Honda reser-
yolr had been emptied and cleaned
About eight or ten years." was the re-
II am told,f continued the Mayor,
aggressively, "that you dare not empty it. %
ut appears you have been told good
many things sarcastically remarked the
engineer. 1--WE dare do anything with our
works. ii we wanted to empty Laguna
Honda we could, but if it was emptied the
whole Western Addition would be without
water, and then in case of fire where would
the blame lie? We will have another re-
seryoir out there if we can get another
piece OF. land from you for it,
81 believe there is a foot of mud at the
bottom of that reservoir" said the Mayor.
''But you don't know it," remarked Mr..
Schussler.
why" cried the Mayor ''you say you
have not empt1ed it in ten years, and any
one with common-sense would know what
the wind blows in. Another thing, is not
that reservoir so cracked that it would col
lapse if you took the water out ?"
II don't think so''
"Why, it's full of cracks" said the Mayor.
and Mr.. Schussler admitted that there
were some in it. He denied, though, that
the brick sewer from the Almshouse which
ran along the cracked wall was broken and
that the seepage from it flowed into the
reservoir. Mayor Sutro then launched
into an energetic address. Don't think /
have anything against Spring Valley" he
said, 'nor you, Mr.. Schussler, nor Mr..
Kellogg, Mr.. Howard nor any of them, but
L consider it my duty to let the people of
this city know what kind of water they are
drinking. want to give the company a
square DEAL
But you DON'T interrupted schussler
1t is my duty also to cali the attention
OF Supervisors to the abuses which exist,
and the board should go and examine the
whole system, went on the Mayor.
That's talk to the gallery sneered Mr.
Schussler.