Morris tribune., 1903-02-21
LIGHT OR A SEWER.
THE PEOPLE OF 1ORRIS MUST
CHOOSE BETWEEN THESE.

CHOOSE BETWEEN THESE.
L. &. Spooner Writes to the Tlib'
bune that a Village Sewer is More
Imperatively Needed than a Light
Plant.
Editor of the Tribune:
I have been away from Morris the
greater part of the time since early
in December. I therefore know al
most nothing of what has o Gu d III
Morris during the time indicated
excepting what have read in the
Morris newspapers; but on returning
home, 1 read in all of the newspapers
ofSMorris, news items and editorials
which strongly indicate that the viii
lage of Morris is we'll on the way,
so to say, towards purchasing the
Fowler Electric Lighting property
Including the grist mill, I suppose,
although I do not really know at
$l6,5OO. or therabouts, expecting to
arrange tor the payment of the larger
part of the purchase price theieof by
futher bonding the village for that
purpose.
From the same sources of informa-
ton learn that the village is already
bonded for $4,000, and that it has
an additional overdue Indebtedness,
called a floating indebtedness, of
nearly $1,000; and that the taxable
valuation of all the property in the
village is substantially one-hslf mil
lion dollars; and il these figures are
essentially correct, we cannot lawful
ly bond the village for any, or for all
purposes for more than $4,000.
The available margin therefore, for
bonding purposes, is not large.
AS yet we have no sewerage system
in the village, and everyone knows
that the need of sewerage is we'll nigh
imperative.
Every business house in town is
without a useful cellar and without
sewerage cannot have one; and but
few of the houses in the village are
equipped with cellars of any value or
usefulness. I think the majority Of
cellars in Morris are as we'll, if not
better adapted to frog, culture, than
the ordinary purposes for which eel
lars are usually constructed.
[ frequently notice one of my
neighbcrs that lives in one of the
newest and finest residences in the
village, pumping from the basement
or cellar beneath his house almost
unlimited quantities of i'll smelling,
repulsive looking water, so pregnant
with disease-breeding poisons that
even frogs cannot live in it; and [
often think that if it were not for the
blessed fact that this climate is
about the most healthful on earth,
what large cemetery we would need
and what gold mine Morris would
be for Drs. Hulburd and Caine.
Electric lights are desirable in a
house of.course, but when it comes
to choice between electric lights in
the house and a filthy. poisonous
pond or mud-hole under the house
on the one hand and kerosene lamps
in the house and a good, commodi-
GUS, wholesome cellar under the
house, the latter will ordinarily be
chosen.
For want of good cellars the an
nual cost OF living to householders of
Morris, is increased more than
the present cost of all electric light
ing used in Morris.
1t Is quite impossible, at any rate
absolutely impracticable. to build
any first class structure upon the
main street in this village until a
sewer is first constructed therein.
1t is common knowledge in the
village that underwent almost linn
l.less labor and expense to construct
a good cellar under what is com.
monty called the Spooner Glass
Block in this village, hoping and ex-
pectlng to be successful in the con-
struction of cellar useful for gen
eral merchandising purposes, but for
want of sewerage, the effort proved
to be so nearly a failure, that I viii
never feel warranted in undertaking
the construction of another building
for business purposes on the main
street in theevillage except perhaps a
nh 81 = -, IL Il