San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1897-06-03
CITY TOPICS.
A STREET SPRINKLER sPEcULA-
TON.

turned out to be very expensive and
altogether useless affair. in June 1896,
it seems that Mr.. Weiss, president of
the street railway company got into
correspondence with two concerns that
manufacture street car sprinklers-J.
G.. Brill & Co., Philadelphia, and the
American Car Sprinkling Co., of Wor-
cester, Mass. Mr.. Weiss at that time
had the pious idea of sprinkling his
tracks through the city, but afterwards
concluded that the cheapest way to do
the work was to let the city do. it.
An examination of the correspondence
with the city shows that Mr..
Weiss abandoned the idea of purchas-
ing a sprinkler on the ground that he
would have to pay for the water while
the city could use the water free OF
charge. The American Sprinkling
Car Co., informed Mr.. Weiss that they
were in the business of sprinkling
streets, that they would take the con-
tracts or rent their machines. Then
the Brill people offered to sell their
machine straight out, the price being
$3.50 for complete outfit, truck and
everything. An examination of the
two devices will convince anyone that
the Brill machine is the most practi-
cable for use in our narrow streets,
while the other machine is impracti-
cable except upon wide avenues where
the arms can be used. Now it seems
that the city and Mr. Weiss went into
partnership to partonize the Worcester
company. Instead of buying a ma
chine for $3.50 entered into contract
>
per annum. The whole expense of
this transaction for this years work
amounts to s4,243.O5. The items being
rent of sprinkler, $1,500; two men $3.50;
IA hydrants $326.40; freight 1926; IA
manholes 1884; water connections $70S;
freight on car 1920; wages for expert
1912. OF this amount $2,6O000 has been
appropriated and the sprinkler has
never been put into operation. AS the
car only runs on the guage of the San
Antonio Street railway it cannot be
used on other roads. One man can
work the Brill machine, 1t takes two
to work the one on hand. This ex-
pensive experiment is likely to prove
of no service whatever to the city. In
fact it is dead loss. This street rail-
way has been asked to operate the
machine to the termination of the con-
tract. Four thousand dollars would
equip the city with three effective
street sprinkiers. And the city could
do it's own sprinkiing. If the city
wishes to use the street railway, it
should own it's apparatus. The idea of
paying $500 a year rent for a ma
chine is not compatible with good bus
mess principles. 1t is true, that the
next years expense, Mr.. Weiss giving
the use of his power and tracks would
be the rent of the sprinkler, and the
wages of the men, $2,250 per annum.
But if the city had purchased Brill
machine it would have cost only 1926
per annum to work it. But the Brill
is mostly intended to wet down the
street car tracks and not to cover a
wide street In many cities the cost
of sprinkling is borne by abutting
property owners, but in every city
where street work is carried to COM
pleteness, sprinkling is as much city
task as sweeping and the removal of
garbage. The present administration
will confer boon on the public by in
stituting some complete plan for
sprinkling our streets.
COL. GEO. w. BRECKENRIDGE
A communication in the mornings
Express, suggesting the purchase of the
waterworks has set the citizens to talk
ing over the probability of the retire.
ment of Col. Breckenridge from bust
ness, in our city, in short we are about
to lose Col. Breckenridge. For over
thirty years he has been the foremost
capitalist of our city, and the most inn
portant enterprises undertaken by our
people have depended upon his help
for accomplishment. His bank mas
been the financial bulwark of San An
tonic. No banker in this country has
been as venturesome as the president
of the First National, in engaging his
capital in public enterprises. Natur-
ally Col. B. has been made the object
of vicious or envious attacks just for
the reason that he has had to deal with
the public in other ways than as
banker. The waterworks was an en-
terprise that enlisted his most enthu-
siastic, personal labor and thought.
He desired to build up so complete a
system that it would reach every in
habitant in the city and be blessing
to other generations. So fully did the
waterworks enlist his personal atten-
ton in the earlier days, that it was
not uncommon for him to be found up
to his waist in water working about
the old pump house, to set something
right. The water works was made
success through the lavish investment
of money. Col. B. no doubt feels that
his work is done and the very enter
prise that was his pet brought down
upon his head much envious comment.
If the waterworks company concludes
to sell their plant it is the city's oppor-
tunity. The fact that we will soon
have a sewer system in nneratfnn and