The Washington times., 1902-07-19
Patron Cr.ticises Superin-
tendent and Says "Ihe
Place IS on the Bum.
FINDS NO WATER TO DRINK
Scores Superintendent for Not Being at
the Place-Mr Stevens Enumerates
His Cares and Explains His Troubles
to the Commissioners

A recent complaint from Mr.. John f.
Smith has occasioned a little tempest
on the erstwhile quiet waters at the
bathing beach, and a report which was
called for from Superintendent W. y.
Stevens is now before Commissioner
Macfarland awaiting his action.
In his communication Mr.. Smith calls
attention to the condition of suits at
the bathing beach and to the fact that
the superintendent is not there at the
time when he should be. Complaint is
also made as to the lack of drinking
water and the danger of losing things
because of the fact that the keys fit
any door.
Mr.. Smiths letter is addressed to Com
missioner Ross, and reads:
Il represent bunch of Washington
bathers at the bathing beach. We pat
ronize the beach right along, but we
are sick and tired of a lot of old bath
ing suits full of holes and rotten.
When you ask anyone down a the
beach for better suit they tell you %
eo " lHc NJ SNN'NAi''
but have been going there for week
at time and have not met the super
intendent yet. / heard he came between
6 and O'Clock in the evening.
LAS have to work at night and there
will be no chance for me to see him Il
stayed there tonight until $50 and he
had not shown UP at that time, and all
OF the life guards said the help had lefO,
/ wish you would call his attention to
this.
You should have some one there to
run the bathing beach. AS it is it runs
itself. If Mr.. Stevens cannot run the
place, put some one there that can. His
hours are from to in the evening.
Place Is on the Bum.
"You have over one hundred rooms,
and any one of the keys will open the
doors, as they are all alike and people
ges robbed every day. l have lost
money myself. You should make that
old superintendent come down and do
something, as the place is on the bum.
II want further to call your attention
to the fact that there is no water for
the bathers to drink, as the spigot mas
been broke for two weeks. and If you
ask anyone. they tell you to go to Mr..
Stevens, and he is never to be found at
the beach.
Trusting that you will look into this
for the benefit of the public. I remain"
This complaint was forwarded through
-.
who. in reply, submitted the following
report:
There are four items of complaint
first. the bad condition of the bathing
suits; second. that the locks of all of
the houses are alike; third, that the
water spigot was out of order for two
weeks.
Each of these is extravagant in
statement, but the actual facts are
known to me without the aid of any
complaint. and was reported by me to
the chairman of your committee on the
beach. and that official and l have had
many consultations to devise ways to
best accommodate the public with the
extremely limited means remaining from
last years appropriation.
II was requested not to eXpend over
SIS for the opening repairs. This had
to cover 135 new locks. putting them on.
repairing, and hanging number of
broken down doors; buying lumber and
repairing the wharves and 800 feet of
broken flooring. patching and calking the
floats and getting them into the water
from the hillside where a freshet left
them, clearing the beach OF the wreck
age and drift OF winter and moving sand
to repair worn spots, digging up three
water pipes and removing five connec-
tions that were spit by freezing, and
putting in new ones, etc.
$50 short is our allowance that DR..
Tindall advanced money to pay the en-
ployes for two weeks. | paid for the
water barrel. l mended the faucet once
in my amateur shop, then somebody
stole the top out of it, and after con-
sulting with the property clerk, l paid
FOR a new one.
These advances will be paid to DR..
Tindall and myself. and my salary for
last month will be paid when the money
is available.
His Cares Enumerated.
Il have enumerated few of the
cares of the superintendent OF the beach
TO bring you TO fourtiily: Make that old
superintendent do his duty or get some
body that WILL
1T is now fourteen years since l be-
gan working this bathing beach project