The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1904-05-19
SAYS WELLS WILL
RAISE WHITE BEAR
L. P. Ordway Confident They
viii Accomplish the De.
sired End.

The recent publicity given the man
ner IN which the board of county COM
mlssioners is handling the proposition
TO restore White Bear lake to its orig
lnal level, by sinking wells along the
shore line, has attracted the attention
of the residents of White Bear village
ndlscores of others living in st. Paul
who are interested in the future of the
lake. Many of the prominent citizens
and business men of st. Paul have, for
a number of years, interested them
selves in the plan to restore the lake
to its former level, not alone for the
reason that they own cottages and
spend their summers on its pretty
shores, but because it is the city's most
important pleasure resort, a place Wis
tied each summer by thousands and
> thousands of. people who take advan-
tage of the opportunity to enjoy
days outing at d small cost.
Nearly all of these people are of the
opinion that the lake should be pro-
tected at almost any cost, but there is
a general opinion that every safe
guard should be placed about the ex-
penditure of the money appropriated
for this purpose
L do not believe the county could
eXpend money for a more worthy
cause" said L. P. Ordway, in discuss
ing the proposition yesterday, "since
White Bear is a resort that many
cities would be willing to expend
many thousands of dollars for were
they situated as st. Paul is. 1t is true
that it viii cost considerable money to
restore the water in the lake to it's
former level, but 1 believe it can be
done successfully, and l think the
present plan is the only practical one.
Lake Sinks Every Year.
For the past ten or twelve years
the lake has been going down steadily,
the water receding at the rate of from
three to four inches each year. If this
is permitted to continue, it would only
be a~question of time until the lake
was nothing more than a mudhole and
the cItys opportunity to perpetuate
one of the most magnificent lakes and
summer resorts in the entire country
would be gone forever.
1t is true that the heavy rains of
last fall raised the water level almost
foot, but this is only temporary, and
cannot be counted upon each year. I
believe, if the level of the lake is ever
restored, 1t viii have to be done by
means of wells such as are being
bored now, and statistics I have COM
piled from reports from all over the
United States lead me to believe that
1t can be done in this manner
The interest being taken in the
matter is not a selfish one, held alone
by few people who own cottages
there, but one that is shared by every
person who has the future welfare of
st. Paul at heart. So far as the cot
tagers are concerned, I believe it will
be question of only few years, per-
haps ten or fifteen, until we will all
be crowded from the shores of White
Bear, which viii have become such a
popular place for the masses from the
city that there will be no room for us.
We will have to move back to some lit
tie lake more remote, making room for
the peopIe who are sure to make White
Bear their breathing place. Last wear
more than 10000 visited White Bear
lake, and in years to come, when we
get scent fare, or even a 10-cent
fare, 1t viii become more popular: and
Tor this very reason something should
be done now to perpetuate it's beauty
and usefulness.
Private Funds Have Been Expended.
THE matter is one that has bother
ed US for long time, and much money
has already been spent towards this
END by the cottagers. l have put sew
eral hundred dollars into it myself and
so have others who have interested
themselves in the matter. With funds
secured from private individuals we
have connected Goose lake with White
Bear, and by means of a windmill are
now pumping about 10000 gallons of
water daily into White Bear from
Goose lake. But this amount is not
suihclent and an investigation has
convinced us that Goose lake cannot
furnish enough water to raise White
Bear to its former level. The wells