The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1897-09-03
Shelton's Water System.


its strong pressure and it's fine
water. No tow n in the country has sc
good a system, at several times the
cost Today at the driest season of
the year, the big reservoir on the hill
is running over, the dams are full, and
water is going to waste. This has not
been accomplished without making
some mistakes, and some ''I-told-you-
sc's' could have saved some money, if
they had been on the council, but we
believe most of the taxpayers are sat
isfied at the results.
The city owns its plant, paying $10,-
900 in 20-year bonds for its insta1la-
ton complete, with hose and carts.
We paid good price for the work, the
hose was not the best and the carts
were no good, SO the fire equipment
soon had to be replaced, but we will
let that pass. Then the springs seem
ed to go dry just when the water was
most needed last year, and two dams
had to be built. This year they were
not sufficient so a hume was built to
| the source of the springs, which settles
that question for all time, there seems
no doubt The work just completed
will cost between $500 and 700.
The patrons of the water system
now number seventy, and are increas-
ing rapidly, and it is se1f-supporting.
The marshal as water superintendent,
receives SIS a month, and the interest
on the water bonds is $50, making the
standing monthly expense $65, and the
average receipts are about $3.50 a
month. Now that there is ample water
many more services will be taken,
especially during the summer months,
and many househo1ders are taking out
their pumps for good. twill be borne
in mind that the fire protection, the
most important feature of the service,
is practically costing the city nothing.
The rates to the patrons are very rea-
sonab1e, and the profits will not be
| c.
which will in time pay back the money
taken from the general fund to make
the needed improvements. Of course,
in 1901 a sinking fund must be started
TO pay up the bonds, but Shelton owes
nothing else and its warrants call for
the cash; and then, times will be all
| irr1f hot a.
cross that bridge till we reach it. We
doubt if any other town on the Sound
is in better shape, or is making any
more public improvements than Shell
| ton.
Few, if any of the towns in Western
Washington are SO fortunate as Shell
ton in having water system ample
for all purposes, yet at such a reason
able cost, and we are to be congratu-
lated that we went at it the right way
and the city owns its plant, paying
tribute to no company. 1t always
seems so much easier to give away a
franchise and have somebody else put
up the money and do the work, but the
day of reckoning always comes. This
has been an unusually dry season and
several towns have had trouble in a
failing water supply, and still other
| places are facing another side of the
| proposition. Montesano, which is pay
ing $1665 year for it's fire protection
alone, and then being only half pro-
tected, is considering proposition for
the purchase of the plant. S. G..
Simpson, the owner of the plant, offers
to sell to the city for $4,000, payable
in 20-year bonds at 6 per cent. Like
most towns Montesano is in debt, but
they should own the plant by all
means, and possibly it could be made
self-supporting like Sheiton's.
James B. Nesbit and w. M. Metca1f
are back from a two weeks hunting
trip in the Olympcs. They went in
by Lake Cushman, which Mr.. Metcalt
describes as one of the finest mountain
resorts in this section. The lake is
one and one half miles wide by four
and one-half miles long. 1t has been
sounded in places to depth of 900 #.
There is a good hotel reached by stage
nine and one-ha1f miles from Hoods
port The hunters went back thirty
three miles on the old O'Neil trail,
made by a government party in 1891.
There is magnificent trout fishing in
the Stokomish, and they caught all
they wanted of mountain trout, rain
bow trout and brook trout. They saw
no bear or deer, which they accounted
for by the fast that New Yort party
of sportsmen had preceded them Ia
coma Ledger.
DR.. KENNICoTT, DENTIST, is per
nanent1y located at Shelton, and pre-
pared to do all dental work up to date;
Sets of Teeth on Gold plate, Platinum
or Continuous Gum. Porcelain, Rub
Der; Gold and Porcelain Crowns and
Facings, Bridge work, Teeth without
plates, Fine Gold filings. Call and
get prices, one third less than city, for
first class work. Painless extractions
made, Teeth regulated made straight.
Next Monday, September 9th, is
Labor. Day and Olympia will celebrate,
by addresses, bicycle and horse races,
and other sports. Everybody invited
| Il, NJ. CT