Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1897-02-08
PIPE LINE OPPOSED.
Application for a Franchise Does
Not Meet with Favor at
WaukeSha,

Waukesha, Wis, Feb. 3.-[Special.]-
The pipe line ordinance came before the
common council last night and created
quite a furry for the time being, but the
excitement was soon over and the ordi-
nance was once more allowed to drop
for the time being. The proposed ordi-
nance was read and referred without
comment. Then before other business
could be taken up, long protest was
presented by the owners of springs other
than the Hygeia. The reading proceed
ed IN silence, and as none of the alder
men cared to discuss the new turn of
affairs, the communication was placed
on file.
A rumor that the pipe line ordinance
was to come up was sufficient to call
out a large attendance at the meeting
although the aldermen denied all knowl-
edge OF any attempt to bring the ques-
ton before them. The presence of the
attorneys who favor the proposed ordi-
nance, however, strengthened the belief
that something would happen. The read
ing of the protest was heard with care
full attention.
In the protest the spring owners lay
claim to having been largely instrument
tai in building up an industry which they
characterize as more important and vital
" w oUACoAu LAdn oily VI lIS OCAC1
terests. Nothing in the history of the
city ever caused so much concern to the
people, the protest continues, as the for
mer attempt to secure, four years ago,
substantially the same privilege, and the
petitioners express themselves as being
astounded at the thought of another at
tempt to carry the project through. HAY
ing joined in the former fight, the spring
owners protest on nine propositions
They do not object, they say, because it
is the Waukesha Water company that
asks for the franchise, but they are OPP
posed to the privilege being granted to
anyone, being firmly convinced that it
would result in ruin to Waukesha. The
spring owners also object because, they
state, in the event of a dispute as to the
terms of the ordinance, if it is passed,
there is sure to follow a contest in the
United States court and years might
elapse before it could be determined
whether or not the company had vio-
lated any of the provisions of the fran
chiSe, and in the meantime the indus
try would be ruined.
AS an evidence of what the water in
dustry means to Waukesha. the protest
cites statistics from the United States
census showing that the value of the
water product of Wisconsin is $409. 179
per annum; that there is 1851 500 invest
ed and that 1881, 451 is expended annual
ly for wages and supplies, far more than
in any other state. Wisconsin sold near
ly onefourth of all the water sales of
1889. all of which is claimed for Wau-
kesha In 1896 the spring owners state
they paid $4638.7S in taxes and en-
ployed 100 people outside of those en-
gagged by the Waukesha Water company.
Attention is directed to what Waukesha
was before the medicinal properties of
the water were discovered, showing the
effect of the reputation and notoriety re-
sulting from the spring water. The
claim that the pipe line privilege is asked
for in order to supply the Chicago
schools with water, the spring owners
denounce as preteXt. bearing
the stamp of the ''nigger in
the woodpile" In order to show the
inadequacy of the supply to furnish the
Chicago school population of 100000
with water, the spring owners quote from
the report of an examination made by
City Engineer Benzenberg of Milwaukee
as to the overflow supply, in which he
states that the overflow Of the Hygeia
and the Glenn springs would not supply
water for 10000 persons daily through
gallons daily from the waterworks to
supply Waukesha, according to the
protest and there are less than one-thlrd
of the 1000 inhabitants of the city that
have water service. 1t is also claimed
that diversion of the overflow of the
springs from the sewers, which are
flushed at present in this way, would
seriously affect the health Of the city.
Even if the piping were allowed, the
spring owners claim that it would not be
successful, asserting that the water would
not be fresh and sparkling when it
reached Chicago, which they say would
adversely affect the reputation of Wau-
kesha water In closing, the protest
treats of the change Of heart of some
of the residents who four years ago bit
terly opposed the scheme, and in this con-
in 1898 was presented. in which the plan
to pipe water to Chicago is strongly OPP
DoSpd