, 1902-04-21
MONDAY. APRIL 81, 1901.
IT is TIME TO ACT.

II Laramie expects to go forward
instead of backward. it is time for her
citizens to act. At present the women
are doing than the men in the
way of urging improvement n in the
actual performance of duty in this
line.
The thing of most vital importance
we need at the present time is an ad
equate water system. We have the
best supply of any city ill the state;
with few exceptions, we have the poor
est service. Casper, Douglas. Sheri-
dan and Cheyenne lead us in the mat
ter OF water works. and still they are
making vast improvements. This year
Cheyenne is spending almost one hun
dred thousand dollars in water reser-
voirs. Doec the memory of a Laramie
citizen extend back to the time when
this city used any money voted for
water works?
In Saturdays issue Of The Repub-
lican q correspondent stated the pro
position now before us in a comprehen-
sive way. The writer was n ia
miliar with all the difficulties which
confront us in the matter of title, etc,
but he did realize to the fullest extent
that more water Is needed. or, ore
properly speaking. better facilities for
the distribution of the water We have
already.
Like others who have discussed the
question in the past. he suggests the
river as q source of supply. To pump
water from the river would be folly
when there is suficient already lis
feet above the town. Again. should a
pumping station be put in at the river
we would have two systems instead of
one. an entirely unnecessary ex-
pense. The water from the river
would also cause the use of ice to make
1t At for drinking purposes, whereas
the water from the springs is always
the right temperature. Ice would cost
almost az much as the tax upon water
bonds.
On 1t least two occasions the Union
Pacific Railroad company has signi-
ned its willingness to turn the present
reservoir and aQueduct over to the city.
the consideration being a perpetual
supply for its uses The Republican
believes this Is an entirely fair propo-
sition. The company now has free va
ter and always will have 1t under the
present contract. 1t would certainly
not be a good business proposition for
1t to give up it's rights to the aqueduct
and reservoir without a perpetual
guarantee for the future. With COM
plete control Laramie could with safe
ty go ahead and improve the system
to such an extent that it would be a
credit to the city. We need a main
from the springs that will furnish
a suficient supply to at all times keep
the pressure up to between forty and
fifty pounds. We need a reservoir of
large capacity at the source. We need
street mains of greater capacity.
These are selfevident propositions.
Every taxpayer has recognized the ne
cessity for water works for a dozen
years past. Bonds were voted almost
unanimuosly more than a decade ago,
and yet we are sleeping.
Cheyenne's water tax is almost as
heavy as our city tax and her city tax
is twice as heavy as that of Laramie.
Rawlins is at present e~ndeavoring to
make a contract with the Union Pa
cifc by which residents Of that town
will be supplied with water at the rate
OF 10 cents per thousand gallons. Sup
pose Laramie paid the same rate for
her present supply of two million gal
Ions per day. 5000, or $4,000 per an
mum, would there be any complaint
around the Gem City? Rock Springs
is paying $3.50 per thousand gallons.
A public watering trough in that city
costs more than 800 per month.
The trouble with us lies in the fact
that nature has showered so many
blessings upon us that we can't appre-
ciate them.
Right now our greatest manufactur-
ing institution is actually suffering for
water and the city marshal is de-
handing that the citizens shall nave
. ARE how they waste the inadequate
supply that comes through the old
rotten main from the city springs.
The time for intelligent action is at
hand.