Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1897-11-04
NE ENGLISHMAN'S TUB.
John Bull Looks Askance at the
Modern Bath.

1t is remarkable how many incon-
that are obsolete in America the people
of England will put up with Take the
item OF bathrooms, for instance In
the modern hotels, which draw most
of their patronage from American tour
lists and the upper classes of English
society, suites of rooms are now to be
found, and even single apartments,
With bathrooms attached. But the
average Englishman and his family,
and he constitutes 95 per cent of the
local patronage, still insists upon pat
Tonizing the old-faShioned inns that
are not supplied with running water
and have tubs of tin brought to their
rooms every morning with buckets of
hot and cold water, so that they may
take bath. They prefer this method.
1t is what they are accustomed to, and
it is as difficult to persuade an Eng
lishman to change his habits as a
leopard to change his spots. At the
leading hotel in Manchester, a modern
building erected within the last few
years, there is modern bathroom on
every floor, but the majority of guests
prefer to have tin tubs brought to their
rooms. The charge for all the trouble
they thus entail upon the chambermaid
is only sixpence, while you have to pay
1 shilling and pence for bath in a
stationary tuD. T
In very few of the modern residences
and in none Of the old ones is running
water to be found. There is prejudice
against it. There is hydrant in the
yard and the stable, faucets in the
laundry, and perhaps in the kitchen
and buffers pantry also, if the house
has been built by a young and pro-
gressive architect within the last few
years; but in 80 per cent of the dwell
ings of England there isn't even so
much as a faucet. People who will
tolerate these Inconvenience in their
own dwellings may therefore be ex-
cused for enduring corresponding ar
rangements in their municipal public
works, although it should be said that
the water supply of the cities and
towns of Great Britain g not only ada-
quate but generally as extensive and
pure as can be found in the world.
This is matter of national pride
Pure water and plenty of it is con-
sidered essential to the health and
criterion Of the civilization of the ccm-
munity, and it is the effort of every
town to obtain pure water from high
sources SO that it may be introduced
and distributed by gravity. Not only
is the expense of pumping thus saved,
but the gravity system enables the
authorities to sell hydraulic power,
which is customary in nearly all of
the cities. 1t also furnishes pressure
that is usually sufficient for the fire de-
partment without the use Of steam en-
gines. At the same time there is a
theory, which is undoubtedly we'll
founded, that the higher the source the
purer the water =
Nearly all the water supplies of
Great Britain are ownel by the munic-
qualities, and represent a lDn1ed in
vestment of over $200,000,000, which
is nearly one-fifth of the entire munic-
ipal Indebtedness of Great Britain
1t is the usual plan to fix the water
rates sufficiently high to meet not only
the expense of maintenance and the
interest on the Indebtedness, but to
provide a sinking fund which will pay
off the bonds at maturity and leave
the city the free owner of the estab-
is the usual term for municipal bonds.
In some of the cities this Indebtedness
has already been paid, and their water
works are now source of revenue to
cover other municipal expenses.