The record-union., 1898-03-16
dairles and low lands along the Sac.

dairies and low lands along the Sac
ramento
The lands adjacent to the banks Of
the American River contribute very
little to the American River. compared
to the vast area draining into the
stream along the Sacramento 1t would
be desirable to be rid of the sugges-
ton of pollution from the State Prison
at Represa, but that would affect
nothing beneficial, unless the scheme
included extension of the greater con-
tributions from the Sacramentos $
banks. We receive now the drainage
of. a population fifty times greater
than that along the American. Marys-
vile, knights Landing, Yuba City, all
lesser towns on the Sacramento and its
tributaries, all the bank land farms
dairies, slaughter houses, stock yards
households, fish camps and the like
along the Sacramento, its sloughs and
tributaries. drain into the river, while
the dispositions from all boats, barges,
steamers. launches and the floating
commerce of. the river for nearly two
hundred miles, contribute to the broth
pumped into the city pipes.
To ,expend some six or seven thous-
and dollars to lay pipes up stream,
even conceding that they can be Sc
curely anchored in the shifting sands
of the bottom Of the river, or if car
ried overland then at the crossings of
the streams. would be folly. and give
US no better results SO far as pure
water is concerned, than now received.
With an exhaustless supply of subteT-
ranean water right at our doors, and
at the right end of our pipe system,
water clear pure potable and free
from all possible contamination, it is
little short of insulting to intelligence
to even suggest extension of the river
supply system.
If it is true, as the opponents of the
subterranean system so heatedly urg-
ed. that there was big money in
the clear water plans from driven
cased wells, as advanced a few years
ago, and as adopted by vote Of the
people, then there is big money in
it for the municipality also, and it is
ready to its hand Half the cost OF
a pipe line to the waters above the
American will sink wells that will give
US a thorough test as to quantity OF
the S11htprranean sunDly
Three or four cities of the State al
ready receive their supply from sub
terranean sources and have for many
years. Marysville, for instance, and
Stockton, and other cities. In the East
there are hundreds of cities supplied
in like manner There is no reason
why Sacramento cannot do likewise,
and every reason to believe that she
can do better, since she has at her
eastern gate an inexhaustible source of
pure, clear water that is largely used
already, citizens paying an extra
charge to have it brought into the city
rather than drink the polluted waters
from the rivers.
Let the people be on the alert against
this new scheme to continue the river
supply system, and fasten it more Sc
curely upon the city by sinking more
money in the present works. Let them,
also, be not deceived concerning any
beterment by extension of pipe lines
up stream. Let them inquire and sat
isfy their judgments concerning the
supply delivered to many other cities
from subterranean sources, every one
of them inferior to the supply waiting
at Sacramento's east boundary line to
be utilized.