Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1899-03-04
To the People of Cumberland.

streams whose water is in use for
drinking, culinary and similar pur-
poses. Indeed, it may be stated that,
from a purely legal standpoint, the
po,cer of the Commonwealth in this re-
gard cannot be questioned.
But the policy of legislation in this
direction, when its effect is to discour-
age and limit industrial enterprise is
a very different matter.
1t is the one, therefore, to which the
JOURNAL will now address itself, lay
ing down, strongly as it can, the
propositions which the situation most
prominently suggests:
SO long as a town, situate on a run
nIng stream realizes that the purity of
such stream is Of greater consequence,
compared with the encouragement Of
business enterprise, such town will re-
main one of insignificant importance.
Manufactures and business enter
prlses necessarily require the use Of
vast quantities of water, which, when
used, must be retumed to the stream in
a polluted condition.
Hence, it is utterly impossible in the
average instance for any town to eX-
pand into metropolitan proportions
and at the same time preserve its
waters in virginia. purity.
Any town, in fact, which holds the
purity of its running streams as Of
paramount importance must remain
monument to the faulty of rural wis
dom and pastoral bourbonism.
A city cannot, therefore, be both
elem and great. 1t cannot keep its
water pure without shutting out the
elements that pollute it-elements,
however, which bring in their train
progress, growth, prosperity and
wealth.
Let us see whether these proposals
can be verified by example, and IN
citing one the JOURNAL will select the
greatest on this or any other CONT
nent-Chicago.
The enterprises planted upon the
city's original water supply, the
Chicago river, have polluted that
stream until its waters have become
black as ink and thick as mud.
The people of the city did not, how
ever, legally take the county's money
and legally use it to legally drive away
the industrial causes.
They turned to Lake Michigan, but
the dirty river water followed them
into the lake.
Still the people did not legally de
mand cessation Of enterprise still they
did not acaH Themselves Of tile lar, but at
an expense Of several millions of dol
lars, they Jored a tunnel ont under the lake
.t0ur miles and drew water that distance
from shore.
But even this did not enable the
still growing city to get good water,
as the pollution is so great and intense
that 1t extends beyond the four-mile
lakeward mark.
Still there no legal war on growth,
no legal hostility shown to manufac-
turing advancement.
Still, on the other hand, all indus
tries are Hospitality told that the latch
string hangs on the outside.
But what is the city doing to over
come the last obstacle to its determina-
ton to have good water
Is it appealing to Il grand jury to in
diet the evolution of metropolitan
growth
Not is constructing canal at IA
cost of about % millions of dollars to
drain the Chicago river atcay from in
stead of permitting it to continue flow
ing into the lake!
Meanwhile, nearly all the water
used in the city for drinking and much
for culinary purposes is brought at
considerable expense from points 100
or more miles away.
Were the question asked in that city
are you willing to drive away legally
all these industries and regain pure
water in the Chicago river and lake
Michigan Pit is to be doubted whether
a single citizen would respond afiirma-
lively.
But if, at the instance of one or a
million underHe MU-such as the JOUR
NAL comedies in The outset. existing,
perhaps, in Illinois as it does in Mary
land-the courts should, in effect, de-
cree exile to all pollution, what would
come to Chicago with pure water?
Industrial idleness, business stag
nation and dwindliug population until
the metropolis Of the lakes. would
shrink to municipality great no
longer except i'll the extent and magni-
tude of its ruins.
1t has come to pass, therefore, peo-
pie of Cumberland, that, no matter
how current issues go, nor how an in
sane newspaper misrepresents your
true interests, you have got to decide
for yourselves sooner or later whether
the future of your town is to be one Of
stationary Suburban SIMPLICITY with