Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1897-09-09
CHAPTER III.

rs sweet 70 win no matter how. ones
By blood or ink: tis. sweet to put an end
To strife. lis sometimes sweet 10 have our
Particularly with atresome friend
The task of solving the water sup
ply problem given to the council bv
the action of the citizens meeting was
difficult one and much complicated
by the great and increasing differences
of opinion among people OF the city as
to the best method to proceed. The
fact OF the factory springs water be-
ing unfit for use was great disap-
polntment but it emphasized the ne
cessity for action OF some kind. For
if the sewerage and refuse Of the CITY
had so contaminated that spring and
also what were supposed to 6e the
best wells in town it was evident that
public health was imperiled by their
continued general use.
Realizing the Importance OF the
work before them and that a mistake
in the beginning would be fatal to the
best results the council proceeded
with extreme carefuluess. They
wisely concluded to advise with prac-
teal waterworks men rather than de-
pend entirely on their own Judgment.
One of the first men with whom
they consulted was H. G. Parrish.
Mr. Parrish was experimenting the
construction of waterworks at Gutten-
berg. Iowa, and on the invitation Of
Frank Calls, who was in Gutenberg
at the time. visited Lancaster. He
met with the council and discussed
with them the problem they had to
solve. The advantages and disadvant-
ages Of deep wells, flowing streams
and springs were considered. Mr..
Parrish together with Mr.. Calls and
some of the councilmen visited the
Griswold spring, the Decker spring
and the Day spring and made simple
tests Of their volumes. From that
day forward "Griswold spring" was
in every discussion of water supply.
The following quotations show the
progress of investigation and work
Herald, May 9. 1896, The city
council are investigating the question
OF waterworks. An expert is here
making estimates. The spring at the
factory has practically dried up SO
that a supply from that source cannot
be had. The other plans being con
sidered ere deep wells and piping
from Grant"
Herald, June 10, 1895. THE city
fathers are slowly but surely making
progress in the waterworks investiga-
ton. The analysis of the water from
the spring on Grant near the old Girls
void mill shows it to be remarkably
pure. 1t is soft water and probably
as nearly absolutely pure as any sup
ply in the state Experiments will be
made this week to test the volume of
the flow. The spring will be cleaned
out and pump put on that will be
powerful enough TO make the test
On June rs, 1895. the citizens OF
the city were called together by the
city council to hear the report Of their
Investigations. Mayor Decker was
chosen to preside and Aug Michaelis
to act as clerk. Judge Clementson
read the analysis Of the Griswold
spring water as made by Prot Nit
chell Of the state Food and Dairy com
mission after which Mr. Parrish. at
the request Of Mayor Decker, gave the
outline Of a proposed system with the
Griswold spring as supply and the
estimated cost of the same His tig-
ures were as follows:
$40 tons of iron $40, 500
Z tons Of specials $50
Hydrants GOO
Cost Of spring etc .U0G