Greenbrier independent. [volume] (Lewisburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1980, 1897-11-04
The Water Works Again.

"'S''iohSu' wy Ouly tclcIcuSc u
him was in just nine words, five OF
which were used in compliment OF
him as "the accomplished gentle,
man from Charleston :" and yet nc
devotes a column and a.quarter OF
the INDEPENDENT to a defonse of
what has been assumed to be an as
sault upon him, and Mr.. Telford
rushes to his aid in an impassioned
paragraph which declares that "his
reputation is strong enough to bear
oil the strain that has been put upon
it,"
We have been accustomed in the
past to hear from "the gentlemen
from Charleston" They have been
in the habit of appearing amongst
us, at intervals OF four years, to tell
us how little we know, of the dam
gers which threaten us, and how, I'M
der Divine Providence, they were
the humble instruments by which
the country could be saved. But
the country did not have to be saved
this year, and will not need saving,
in fact, until the next general cleo
ton. So when Mr.. Venable ap-
pcared, this being an off year,
didn't exactly understand it. con-
tess that l was suspicious, though
said nothing. Now, however, l see
that l was wrong. He has turned
out to be blessing in disguise. The
water works are not now to be rail
roaded through without investiga-
ton. The town council has acted
upon my suggestion. 1t has en-
ployed a thoroughly competent n.y.
draulic engineer-Mr. Nenable him
self-does Mr.. Telford think that he
can bear this sort of strain"
also ?-and he has gone to work.
Various plans have been discussed
and partially investigated by the
Council, and the enquiry still goes
on, though not yet, 1 respectfully
submit, in the most practical way
And SO it would seem that the Coun.
Gil was not, after all, so "cock sure"
of everything as some other people
were, and that it wants more light.
The matter of Mr.. Venable's salary
is a mere matter of moonshine. l
have no doubt he will earn it. Ionly
hope he will keep at his work for
month or more, for in that time it
may be reasonably hoped that our
people will learn that cucumbers
can't be made out of sunbeams, and
that we can't lift ourselves over the
Greenbrier hills by simply taking
hold of the seats Of our breeches.
No one but Mr.. Telford has thought
that questioned his veracity. No
one who has ever heard me speak Of
him will doubt my sincerity when
express the conviction that he is a
man whose integrity and truthful
ness cannot be questionable chris.
tian gentleman whose earnestness
and devotion 1 never contemplate
but with the feeling that the world
is better that he has lived. But he
got out of his element. He and
have lived amid different surround
ings-I, in an atmosphere of daily
controversy, where nothing is taken
for granted; he, in a school of dog
matte theology where everything
must be taken for granted. 1t is
not to he wondered, therefore, that
he is impatient of contradiction
that he should be surprised to find
that statement, however honestly
made. is not accepted in the business
world as proof; that he should have
so unreasonably charged me with
having denounced him, and that he
should be guilty of the absurdity Of
repeating "that the conclusions of
the committee are based not upon
fancies but upon facts" in a manner
to Indicate that the case was thus as
effectually closed as If Q. f. d. had
been stamped at the foot of a dem
onstration.
Mr.. TelfOrd wisely refrains from
again resorting to figures. They are
very inconvenient little things. But
he arraigns me for eliminating the
water rents from my calculation
will give some of my reasons for
doing so. A short time since 1 was
told that the people of this town
were anxious to have an electric
light plant, and set about talking
1T up. / found most of them enthu-
siastic over it, and another gentle
man and myself concluded to put up
the plant if the circumstances would
Justify it. But X occurred to us
that dollars were more necessary
than enthusiasm; and so we had a
thorough and systematic canvass
made of the whole town to see how
many lights would be taken, putting
down the corporation subscription
at pretty good figure. The result
was just about the same as in the
water-works canvass l had made a
few years before, and the work was
abandoned. Now, who has made a
house-to-house canvass of the water
rents-either verbally or with a pa