The Saint Paul globe., 1904-05-16
WHITE BEAR WELLS
MARKED BY POWERS
County Commissioners May Ask
Annoying Questions at
Meeting Today.

The county board will be called upon
at it's meeting this forenoon to take
some definite action in connection with
the proposition to- go ahead with the
work of sinking wells at White Bear
lake, from which to pump water for
the purpose of raising the level Of the
lake, the waiter in the lake having re-
ceded at such rate during the past
few years as to cause alarm as to what
the result might be unless something
is done to prevent the lake from be-
coming a fnaudhoIe''
On account of the vast expense at
taehed to the undertaking the PROPOSE
ton Will meet with objection, it
being stated that Commissioner Pow
ers is particularly opposed to the plans
as at present outlined by the commit
tee having the matter in charge. Other
members Of the board are also inclined
to believe the matter is one which
should be dealt with in careful man
ner, and when the matter is brought
up at today's meeting there may be
enough opposition to prevent any i'm
mediate action
The proposition is one which has
been before the public for some time.
the residents of White Bear village.
and others owning property at the
summer resort having begun a move
ment some three or four years ago to
have the county assist in restoring the
water in the lake to its former level.
The first movement by the board hav-
ing this end in view was the letting of
contract for we'll, near the shore Of
the lake, from which it was proposed
to pump water into the lake.
First Well a Mistake.
The contract was let for ten-inch
we'll, and after the we'll had been sunk
and was ready for test it was dis
covered that the well was on land be-
longing to the Rapid Transit COM
pany and also that it was in Washing
ton county. The cost of boring the
we'll was something in excess of $4,000,
and While warrants for this amount
had been made out by the auditor and
delivered to the contractor, County
Treasurer Metzdorf refused to cash the
warrant until the we'll had been ap-
proved by the county. County Sur
Veyor Irvine, sent out to investigate
the well, discovered that the contractor
had bored only an eight-inch well,
when his contract called for a ten inch
we'll, and upon this showing the coun-
ty board repudiated the debt and the
warrant has never been presented for
payment.
Following this unsuccessful attempt
the residents of White Bear went be-
fore the legislature at the last session
| ana secured the passage of law
authorizing the county board to make
an appropriation of money to be used
IN restoring the lake level An an
preparation Of $40, 900 was authorized.
$4,000 of which is available this year.
S9,0oO next year and the remaining $5,-
600 in 1906.
Carrying out the wishes of the White
Bear people, the board, after making
! TINS appropriation, entered into a con-
tract Tor the sinking of wells one. of
Whlch has been completed as far as
the boring is concerned and another
almost completed. Two more similar
wells are contemplated but will not be
sunk this year.
Big Slice of Appropriation.
The well which has been comnleted
Is something more than 500 feet deep:
ana the boring cost the county $3.50
10 turther equip the we'll, making it
ready for the power attachment. will
entail an additional expense of 50. $50
bid for the work at this figure hay-
ing been approved by the committee at
a meeting last week. This will make
the first well, complete and ready for
the power cost 1900. The second we'll
VIII cost the same amount making a
total of $S,4O0 expended out of the first
years appropriation, and leaving but
$1,6O0 of the amount available, with
half of the wells sunk
Should the other two wells be sunk
next year, as is contemplated, and the
cost is the same as for the first two,
the expense of the four wells, before a
gallon of water is pumped, would be
$16,SO0, leaving but $4,000 of the total
appropriation for the three years avail
able for operating expenses
The operating expenses, or the cost
of power for pumping the wells, is
what is objected to by members of the
board who do not favor the plan, and
Commissioners Powers points out that
the plan is impracticabIe for the reason
that 1T places the county in a position
where it Will have to either lose the
cost of the four wells or go into the
matter so much deeper that it will
cost the county thousands Of dollars
in addition to the $4,000 already pro-
vided for.
Powers Wants to Know.
proposition has been received by
the county board from the White Bear
Electric company, the company agree
ing to pump the first well at cost of
$500 per month. It is figured that the
cost of the four wells will be somewhat
cheaper in proportion, although the
Work IS expected TO cost at the least
figure 500 per well per month, or at
a total cost when all four wells are be-
ing operated of $400 per month, an ag-
gregate annual expenditure Of $4,000.
Commissioner Powers will demand
that the board explain to him where
this money is to come from, since the
figures show that there will not be
enough left from the total appropria-
ton after the four wells have been
sunk to operate the pumps for one year,
and it is admitted that they will have
to be pumped for at least five years, |
day and night, to- make the desired
showing ON the level of the lake.
Mr.. Powers will be at the meeting
today prepared to fire some very an
noying questions at his fellow COM
missioners, and the meeting is counted |
upon to be fully as stormy as any yet |
participated in by the present board