The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1899-08-04
THE STANDPIPE.
THE GREAT "BUGABOO"-THOsE BUz-
YARDS AND BIRDS
We Have Heard so Much of Being in tho
StRndpipe Wasn't There on Investiga.
tion-The Standpipe and Rcscr.
volr Much Cleaner than Ono
Would expect to
Find Them

Find Them.
In the early Spring some parties
started the rumOr that there were
"buZzards in tho standplpe," and tha,
the water was full of trash and dirt
and that the standpipe should be Gov.
cred.
Several times have We had talks with
superintendent V0ss on these matters,
who assured us that he had his eyes
open and was guarding and Watching
these things as was his boundcn duty,
that he regarded the health Of the cit.
zens Of Newberry too dearly to permit
of such things, and that he knew that
there were no impurities in the water,
either from the standpipe or the reser-
voir, and the examination of both has
borne him out in these assertions.
On Tuesday morning we were invited
down to the powerhousc by Mr.. Voss
to examine the condition of the rcscr-
voir us to its cleanliness, and We can
truthfully say that we were surprised
W SSS 1io" SlCdt anu Cleul luC "uLSr
poured out from the pump into the res
ervoir. One could easily see dime or
twenty-five cent piece lying on the bot
tom Of the reservoir with the water
several feet deep. The water was per-
fectly clear and the bottom of the res
ervOir plainly to be seen at any part of
it, and we are free to assert that no one
on examining the reservoir could see
or find anything that could cause them
to have any scruples about drinking
the water that passed through it. Sew
cral others, among them Chief Hunter,
Alderman Cabaniss and Editor Houscal
examined the reservoir and expressed
themselves as we have.
At night we were one of committee
to be present when the standpipc was
to be entered and examined We were
there when the water was let out, when
thc'manhole was opened, and was the
first person to look into it, and we wish
every man, woman and child in New
berry could have been there to see for
themselves. There was absolutely no.
thing found that bordercd onto impur-
ties or foul matter. There was Il sed-
ment in the bottom, Of course, that nat.
urally collects in all water basins or
cisterns, but it wasn't half inch deep
and nothing in the least foul about it.
1t had the smell of tar or pitch, with
which the standpipe had been lined TO
stop the leaks. There was present, be-
sides the. newspaper reporters, Chief
Hunter, DR.. w. G. Houseal and sew
eral other citizens, who examined it
thoroughly and found nothing that
could in the least be considered obicc-
tionable in the water. There was not
a sign of IL buzzard to be found, not
even a sparrow or Il swallow-not even
u bone, to go to show that there had
ever been living insect, foul or animal
in the water. This certainly gives u
fiat contradiction to all such rumors in
the past, and should be warming to
those who make them, that unless they
mean to injure their own home city,
that they should be careful and know
that at least such reports are we'll
founded before tbHy are circulated.
There is no doubt in our mind-we
feel it and know it, for we drink it every
day-that Newberry has as pure and
wholesome water as any city in the
South, and the very best water for man
in good health is the purcst water he
can get, and the purest water one can
get in Newberry is artesian water.
This is our opinion, and will be until
some expert makes a thorough analysis
Of the water and tells us that Us not
pure-and we would want to know the
reputation Of the person who made the
analysis if he said it wasn't pure. There
is nothing wrong as TO the condition of
the reservoir or the standpipc, and we
are satisfied that the water is pure and
healthful.
Take the health of our city today, and
1t is better than it has been for fifteen
years, at this time in the summer.
When this writer came here something
like fifteen or eighteen years ago, with
the population not much over half what
it is now, there was twice as much fever
as there is at present. Why one year,
about that time, five young persons died
within few weeks of each other on
two adjoining streets, in the most
healthful part Of the city. Now we
have an occasional case of fever-and
they have an occasional case of fever
in the mountains of North Carolina
the land of the skies. Such assertions
that there is an epidemic of fever in
this city are not true and should not be
made unless they could be borne out by
the facts.
But in all seriousness, if you want to
take what we would consider IL pre-
ventivc from fever, take artcsian water
and we would never advise but for
what we thought was best.
Mother Tells How SIe Saved Her IittIs
Daughters Life
| am the mother of eight children
and have had a great deal of experience
q 1. i =