The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1898-08-19
EXPLAINS HIS POSITION.
Alderman Bracy Talks About the Prob
able Artesian well Contract.

EDITOR CAPITAL:-In your issue of
18th inst, in referring TO the spec
isl meeting Of the city council, your
brief summary hardly does justice to
my position upon the question ofletting
the contract for the sinking Of another
we'll at the reservoir, and upon the site
of the two wells now supplying it. Had
you made no reference to my remarks
in the council should not have come
before the public with my objections.
Yet, think it due to the taxpayers OF
tbs city that they should be made to
understand the situation, which I will
try to present as briefly as possible.
First. I objected to the large outlay
in sinking third we'll in the immedi-
ate vicinity of the two existing ones,
with the strong probability of getting
no more water than they are at present
supplying; as, in the history of artesian
wells, second we'll often exhausts the
flow of the first which happens to be in
close proximity. This is risk that We
| must run in sinking them.<
IN the second place, we are sure of
encountering the same ledge ofquarzite,
or jasper rock, which has foiled all our
former efforts to get pressure we'll. l
said the previous council had been
unanimous in the opinion thatwe should
sink no more wells in that locality, that
If another we'll were undertaken we
should go with it as far west, at least, as
the limits of the city would allow, with
the hope of escaping this ledge which
seems to be pitching in that direction
at an acute angle. In this we might in
dulge reasonable hope of getting
something more to our advantage than
the small flow which we are sure to get
at the contemplated site, possibly, with
some persistency, pressure we'll, which
would afford to the whole city plenty ol
water. and avoid this big expense Of
steam power; at all events, we could
place it on an elevation where, with 6
short stand pipe, or tank, which WE
could fill with gasoline engine, al
comparatively small expense, it would
afford Us needed pressure. The vel
upon Main street, it is claimed, would
give us all the water needed, If We hat
it where it could be used. Had we no
; better even expend this money in
stand pipe and gasoline engine at thi
we'll than to throw it away by temporiz
ing with the present system, which ha
proven costly failure.
Far from wishing to deprive any citi
zen of the luxury of water, am an ad
vocate of going to any reasonable lengt
to procure water for the whole city
The present plan only promises, at bes'
, to continue the supply to q favored fe'
who are SO fortunate ss to have th
. conduits adjusted to their use. We ar
constantly receiving petitions from cit
!. zens in different localities for watel
which we are not able to supply, an
the proposed scheme gives no hope
= that direction. 1t strikes me as legi
lating for the benefit o. the few. M
e motto is equal rights to all and excl
sive privileges to none."
While l would not use the areumel
Of economy in supplying this necessal
element to the entire population,
think it but just to consider it when
r. applies to the few. The two reserve
wells now afford more than an abun
ance of water for fire purposes, whit
could be kept in the reservoir at lit
or no expense, but, to supply the fe
consumers who only pay in rents, sor
s4o0 per year, to say nothing of the
terest on cost of the mains, we must
cur an outlay in coal of twice this su
and now, this proposed expenditure
from $1,000 to $1,000 for q duplics
we'll.
In thus opposing the entire body
the council, most, If not all Of whom
consumers, but follow my convictit
Of the city's true policy, which is
make the next move for water with
view OF supplying the city and not
V lew, and Of Tightening the enorms
nf Aha psoannt m ,vhi