The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-11-05
STREAM POLLUTION.
Mr.. Sears Again Argues in Behalf of
the Factories.

To the Editor Of the Indianapolis Journal:
l wish TO correct Mr. Matthews in regard
to his article in the Journal of Nov. A. Mr..
Matthews says: They (the farmers) have
no fight to make and have made none on
the various glass works, steel and iron
works, nail manufactures and other con-
Germs alluded to- Mr. Matthews is not
we'll posted on his subject, for if he will ex-
anime the court docket of Madison county
he will find a great many suits filed for
injunction against the steel and wire and
nail mills, the American Tin-plate Com
pany, the American Strawboard Company
and not only TO stop the said industries
from using the streams as an outlet, but
asking damages. These industries cannot
operate without drainage. 1 will stick to
my former proposition, that $4,000 men will
lose their positions in the gas belt, beside
their homes, if the farmers persist in fight
ing the factories and in their use of the
rivers and streams of Indiana as their nat
ural sewerage. 1t is not desirable that the
spirit Of antagonism against manufacturing
institutions go out from the State. There
are now five different factories that are
hesitating about locating in Indiana, on
account of the stream agitation; they must
nave an outlet by stream or river. AS
stated before, the stream pollution comes
from city sewage, which DR.. j. n. Hurry
says is the cause of the water of the rivers
and creeks being unfit for use. Let IL be
understood, / have no interest or stock in
any factory in Indiana, but want justice
for the greatest number of citizens tthe
great laboring class, who are buying their
homes by monthly payments, and as the
fight is waged entirely against corporations
or trusts, the danger lies in the trusts re-
moving their plants from Indiana TO more
favorable locations and conditions. one
hundred thousand people in the gas belt
want them to stay, for if the present fac
tories being sued. viz: American Straw
board Company, American T1n-plate Com
pany and American Steel and Wire Com
pany-are refused the streams as their
natlIraI right for drainage and move their
plants away, il will lead TO other suits
against more factories, and the State VIII
lose more than can be gained In ten years
Another thing must not be forgotten at
this time; the factories in the gas belt are
now at great expense changing their plants
from the use of natural gas TO coal Tor 1uel,
and we cannot afford TO throw any further
obstacles in their way. Some are hgurlng
PENNSYLVANIA or West Virginia coal fields
and iron deposits and sand. All these ma
terials are used in the plants now operating
in Indiana; hence. we must not put add
tional barriers in their way
There is more rank, rotten poison dumped
into White river by the city of indianapolis
than by all the factories OF the gas belt
combined. Shall we ask the State Board OF
Health to forbid the use OF Whlte river 10
the following cities and towns which vomit
deadly poison into said river. day and
night: Muncie, Yorktown. DaleVllle Ander-
son, Noblesvlle and Indianapolis? me loca-
ton of these factories has doubled The
price of the land of the farmers now bring
ing suit against these industries.
JOHN p. SEARS.
Anderson, Ind, Nov. 4.