The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-10-17
TROUBLE AHEAD,
North Brookield's
Water Continues
to BE Impure.
TOWN PONDS IN POOR CONDITION
The Separatists Beginning
to Feel Strong Their
Position.
TOWN PONDS IN POOR CONDITION

North Brookfeld, Oct. 16.-There is no
Improvement in the town water In
fact, it IS getting worse in taste, smell
and color, and the townspeople have al
most entirely abandoned it for drinking
purposes Every day large quantities
Of water are being taken from tine qua
boag mineral springs owned by Hon.
Theodore G. Bates, for persons Who
have heretofore drunk the water from
the town supply ponds. Families which
had good wells before the water works
were introduced, and who filled them
up as Things that had outliveG their
usefulness, are now sorry that they
were so hasty, and wherever there is a
well that supplies good drinking water
1t receives heavy patronage. Naturally
the water commissioners are being cen
sured in harsh terms, but it is only jus
tlce to say that they have worked nard
TO remedy the evil since it was first
made known by an item in The Spy,
which said that the water was found to
be impure, and that the theory was ad-
Vanced that it had become polluted by
the kerosene which was used in burn
ing the floating islands in North pond.
The filter is being refilled with gravel,
and 1t Is hoped that this will bring the
quality Of the water back to it's nor
mai state. However, there are 81 ave
doubts dis to whether the change Of
sand in the filter will bring about the
expected results. Most of the critic
isms that have been made on the COM
missioners call for the starting Of the
team pump at the station. It requires
Of 1,ao1 H.
water to force one gallon to the Bell
hill reservoir, whence it comes directly
to the town. This waste would be
practically done away with il the pump
was used, but Commissioner w y.
Fifield has told The Spy reporter that
the proceeding would not tend to i'm
prove the water, and this is the result
desired.
a visit to the supply ponds about a
mile from the village will make the
average citizen cease to wonder that
the water IS bad. Their condition is
certainly not pleasing one to look
upon, for, N the main, they show moth
ing but a group OF mud holes. Thera
is scarcely any Water in what is known
as Doane pond, and North pond is bet
ter only by COMPARISON. At present
there is plentiful supply of water in
the Bell hill @oPeCvoir. Chances are
strong that the town will be plunged
into a big expense to put the water i'll
a condition fit for drinking. The water
commissioners are doing all in their
power to avoid such an occurrence, but
II the water dos not soon improve,
public sentiment will be so strong that
vigorous investigation will follow. as 1t
is already consI lernd a menace to the
public health. 1t may even prove nee
essary to draw eff the ponds entirely,
and thoroughly sand the bottoms, TO
prevent vegetable groWths which would
tend to decrease the quality Of tire
water, and It IS thought that such work
would cost in the Leighborhood of $780,
00G
The fact that Rt. Rev. Thomas D.
Reaven, bishop OF the Springfield do
cese, does not faVcr the immediate eX-
communication OF Rev. Jean Berger
has acted like "A tonic on the feelings
of the Fren 3n-Ereaking dissenters.
Their enthusiasm has been redoubled,
and they claim that they drew large
numbers to their services yesterday
of the people who have until now adj
hered to St. Tosaphs church. Certain
ly the number &C French people who
have been attending ST. Joseph's during
the past months IS decreasing, and now
the separatists say that Bishop Beaver
has come to the conclusion that Rev
Jean Berger is in the right and cannot
be removed, neither can he be eXcOm-
municated.
These statements are absurd in the
opinion of the people familiar with the
rules Of the church of Rome, but the
separatists are satisfied Work on the
foundations FOR the new church on For
est street are rapidly progressing, and
the stone masons are kept busy. Mean
while, Rev. Jean Berger is the idol of
his people. At the ST. Andre meat
market on Forest street, an enlarged
picture of the clergyman has been
placed on exhibition in a window and
attracts much attention.
DIR. A. 0. Boyd reports that the cattle
of this district are freer from tubercu-
losis than they have been for years.
He believes this happy state Of affairs
was brought about by the rigid in
spections that have been made in past
years, and the subsequent wedding out
Of the affected animals. He is busy
on the inspection ordered by the state
board Of cattle commissioners, which
is to be completed by Nov. Is.
H. Arthur Knight, son of Mr.. and
Mrs. Hiram Knight, of this town, died
in Springfield yesterday morning. His
age was as years, months and q days.
The funeral services will be held We'd
nesday afternoon at o'clock.
One Of the pheasants liberated few
weeks ago by Worcester sportsmen fell
a victim to Owen Gilboy's dog in Oak
ham, Saturday. In order to prove that
he did not shoot the beautiful bird,
young Gilboy brought it to the drug
store of Eugene w. Reed in this town,
whence it was sent to Worcester to be
stuffed.
Local hunters are wondering today
where the arms Of the law were in
East Brookfleld, yesterday. A flock of
wild ducks alighted on Lake Lasha-
way, as fine place to enjoy the Sun
dav. but We're openly shot and killed,
one by one, during the day, the hunt
ers evidently not fearing interruption.
T. is believed that Is out of flock of
II were killed.
After eight years of service as fore
man in the Fl. Fl. Brown factory, Jo-
siah Freeman has left the employ of
the firm.
Manager M. =. Howard has arranged
TO take his basket ball team to Ware
for game Friday night. The prob
a HE members of the local team are
M q. Howard Dexter Twiss John M
Noonan, William Hatch, William Ray
more and Henry Granger.
The concert to be given in the town
hall Thursday night for the benefit of
the Union league gymnasium, is expect
ed to be the musical treat of the sea-
son Herbert Johnson, the leading