Durango semi-weekly herald., 1902-11-27
LET us HAVE PURE UkApuL-
rEHATeD DRINKING WATER


There is nothing equal to good wa
Ter suppIy. 1t is worth more than
any other one thing The people of
Durango now have an opportunity OF
securing this coveted prize. We DO
not believe there are ten people IN the
CITY but would like 10 have the Florida
water, but there are some who ar"
against the proposition submitted by
C. NJ. Williams and accepted by the
council. Some are against 1t because
they think Mr.. Williams and his asso
ciates are going to make n good thins
out OF H. The city is 10 pay &So,VVn
for the reservoir sites and the work
already done upon them. Wen admit
the parties are going 70 make some
money out OF a. but are the people oi
Durango going to continue the Animas
river supply Just because il may cost
each taxpayer a few extra dollars FOR
mre water when In turn II viii benc
IL them tenfoid7 But VIC question the
extra expense. II the Florida prnposi
iion is not accepted the city Is loft IN
position which viii compel an cN-
penditurc of si least t2p. 600 for immc-
diate improvements, and then these
improvements viii be only temporary.
The pumping capacity Is deficient and
when the capacity is Increased new
pipes must be laid to tho rescrNoir.
The smallncss OF the pipes with even
the present capacity ~ injurious TO
the pumps This win rost good
many thousand dollars. Then comes
the reservoir II Is altogether zoo
Iii 4, 4. sell Lun1p thar On rqgl
crsl occasions last summer our city
was at the mercy Of flames IN case
OF big frc and should the pumps
or machinery break at any time In
the future the same conditions VIII
prevail Therefore no matter II Aal
mas river water Is continued, II stands
the city In hand TO construct now
reservoir Under the proposed system
the new reservoir will hold 100 days
.upply. One reason for this IL that
the body Of water will be sufficiently
large not to become stnEnHnt and VIII
purity Itself through splaShing Of the
waves Even with continuance OF
the Animas river water similar res-
crvoir IN growing necessity There
ar. hundreds OF citizens who would
have paid nvo dollars and upwards
last summer To have had the privilege
OF using plenty Of water for irrigation
purposes Lawns shade trees and
KArdons were made 10 sufTer through
shortage and this shortage hss been
Increasing carh year and viii no
doubt grow worse unless new rcser.
yolr with Sufficient capacity IL built II
ia plain TO be seen. therefore, that at
best we mus, face an expenditure of
upwards OF $50 0D0 In the course oi
few years and ~ the same time he
compelled to use the same old river
water which slll not improve True
We may compel the shutting down OF
some mills and the building of slime
Repositories tor others. but this will
aot change tbo water 30 far nA pois
onous matter is concerned The
poison IN the water will remain Jus,
the same when Altered
Again n every mill IN San Juan
county stopped running. the Animas
water is r bad proposition. We viii
continue To have the benefit of SILVER
ton sewage. either Ia direct or con
dcnsed form, II siINcrtnn did not
thhE hs ~ AAf wv W
would s,iil receive the waNhinEs and
nth,
Again. the AnlmaA river Is always
bound to be polluted by the drainage
OF the Animss valley This drainage
Is only natural and viii continue
through ali time The valley 10 set
Ting up more and more each year and
thu s,ockEraNing Interests ara becum
ms greater Through ralnE the nHtut.
81 NTH from stoeh aud irrigation
drainage 10 bound 80 ind IT. Wa, to
the river and II stands to rrasou that
the water ~ili not purity itself In the
Durango
The Herald therefore is for
change ot water n there was not
mill In San Juan county
Again, concerning the price Tor the
reservoirs aud water rights 10 which
some nbj-ct it H unly natural that
the men owning same drsirc to make
soms money. Such was th. uhb.gt
when nrpt ioraiod A few years aro
the city had the same right but our
people were blind TO the necessities In
thls direction while others improved
the opportunity To vote down The
proposition at this time means thst at
no distant time Durango viii pay
double OF three times for the same
privileges A. time goes On and our
city increases Ia population the water
privileges Of this section win Increase
In value only In far greater ratio
II the water bonds are defeated the
sud day of December the owners OF
the Florida reservoirs will sell the
water rights To others. and II is oul,
history that every town that has M.
lowed water privileges 10 escape them
pay dearly for the neglect Colorado
Springs ofhciSls few years ago Ia.
bored und~r the holief that th, place
had sufficient water but now il is
found necessary TO pay three quarters
OF million dollars for additional
risht-rights that could have been
purchased for onetenth OF the sum
ten years ago. Only few weeks aEo
We read whore Philadelphia is goinr
to pay $50 o0o ooo for Improvement OF
its water supply II is the history OF
every large city that has not taken