Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1899-12-21
PROPOSITION l) IANA.
ICity's Representatives Satisfied With
Their Consultation With Tama
Officials.
Marshalltown Offers to Spend $780,.
600 or $4,000 on Sewage if
Suits Are Dropped.
1T is Under Amusement Suggestion
From California by Ex-Council-
man Frank Woodbury..

Sei4A"lA1o Wy GA'OOuuCll-
man Frank Woodbury..
Mayor Pierce and Councilmen Finkle,
Henry and Kreutzer returned Wednes-
day plight from their visit to Taina
where they spent the day in conference
With the supervisors, the county attor-
ney. the moyar and others OF Tama
county. The Marshalltown officials
We're very We'll satisfied with the out
come of their trip and with the senti-
ment expressed by the Tama people.
The Narshalltown gentlemen made a
proposition to the effect that if all the
suits now pending against the glucose
company are dismissed this city will. in
the course of six TO nine months. spend
from $4,000 10 $4,000 in the establish
inent of a system To care for the sew
age. They are considerably worked up
down there, said Mayor Pierce. AL
though the officials and the citizens
talked reasonably and expressed them
selves TO the effect that they would
much rather have the matter settled
than to have 70 keep on prosecuting.
While we received no definite answer to
our proposition. we will some time in
January. before the injunction suit
comes on for hearing We do not find
the antagonism there that we supposed
existed, and believe that the matter
viii be settled satisfactorily and that
rama will be reasonable W.. gave
them Ia understand, however. that If
the matter could not be compromised
we would be compelled To stand by our
industries and would fight for them
SUGGESTION FROM THU. WEST.
Knowing that Pasadena, Cal. has a
system of sewage disposal that yields
a profit TO the municipality, that that
city is the present home of en- Council
man Frank Woodbury. and that he is
still interested in the welfare of Mar
sfalltown. the T.-R. Wrot. In Mr.
Woodbury. requesting facts in regard to
the plan. In his reply the opinion is en-
pressed that the Pasadena system is
not adequate for Marshalltown. be-
cause the climatic conditions are diff
'ferSnt. There the sewage is used TO ir-
rigate variety of crops. while here ir-
rigation is not necessary. Mr.. Mood
bury makes a suggestion, however.
that might be followed cut here and at
the same time be the least expensive
method of disposing of the sewage.
Among other things Mr. Moogibury
says:
The Pasadena sewer farm is about
five miles from town. and the water is
very clear when it reaches Its dastina-
ton, all the solids being dissolved by
that time. OF course in this country
they use the sewer water for irrigation
and their money is made from the
products of the land. The first year the
farm ran the city in debt about $500,
but every Year since then the city has
made something out ofsit. But | hardly
think Marshalltown could make sewer
farm pay, for there would be no par
ticular use for the water. Even If rri-
cation could be carried on in the sum
mer, something else would have to be
done in the winter The city might
buy about forty acres of land and build
two settling basins and a garbage Gre
matory. The sewage could be turned
into one basin until the settling of solid
matter sealed up the soil in the bottom
SO that the water could not escape
through the ground. Then the other
basin could be used while the first was
being cleaned and the accommodations
crenated That system would entail a
continual expense, with no income un-
less the solid matter could be disposed
of to neighborlng farmers for fertiliza-
ton purposes.
I'm Pasadena the sewage Is turned
Into open bitches after 1t reaches the
farm, and after being allowed 10 run
for. some time the bitches are filled in
and new ones dug. BY this method is
avoided the Objectionable smell Mar
shalitown gets from the catch basin
Another plan that might be followed
in Marshalltown would be to purchase
4 farm, run the sewage into shallow
basin, then cover it With earth when
filed, and keep on digging basins The
soil would thus become rich and inn
mense crops of corn, barley. oats,
wheat or hay could be raised on the
land. thus bringing in returns for the
outlay. But this is question for Mar
ehalltown to solve, and am confident
that Marshalitown Will solve 1t right :"