The Saint Paul globe., 1904-05-10
WHITE BEAR WELLS
MAY NEVER FLOW
County Commissioners Appear
to Have Bungled Second AT.
tempt to Raise Lake.

1t now. appears that the second eff
fort of the board -of county commits
sioners to expend the county's money
on wells with a view Of securing a
supply of water to raise the level of
White Bear lake has been even more
unsuccessful than the first.
With more than $4,000 sunk in the
two wells now being bored at White
Bear, a halt has been called on the
work because the commissioners have
just awakened to the fact that 1t viii
cost more money to operate the wells
than the county can afford to pay, and
1t is more than probable that a gallon
OF water will never be turned into the
lake from these two wells, which have
already cost the taxpayers SO dearly.
The cost of operation was some
thing the commissioners never stop
ped to figure on when it was decided to
spend a large sum for boring the wells
and equipping them with pumping ma
chinery, and now that the commission
ers are informed that the pumping of
the water will cost more than 5000 per
month, none Of them Is willing to take
the responsibility for the expenditure,
which would soon exhaust the appro-
priation of $4,000 authorized by the
last legislature and made by the pres
ent county board.
The contract for the operation of the
wells was to have been discussed at
yesterdays meeting of the board, but
1t was tipped" before the meeting
that the service would cost the county
in excess of 5000 per month, and this
sum being considered out of reason,
the matter was not brought up in the
meeting at all. Instead of discussing
the matter in open session, the COM
missioners will first do little figuring
on how they may be able to get out of
the hole into which they have placed
themselves.
Well in Wrong County.
The question of having the county
pay the expense of boring wells and
pumping water with view Of bringing
White Bear lake back to its former
level was broached many months ago
by the property owners of White Bear
village. Last year a well was drilled
near the lake, but when it was ready
for the machinery to be installed, it
was discovered that the well was in
| Washington county, on land owned by
/ the street railway company. When the
| board luckily escaped paying for the
boring of the we'll because the con-
| tractor had bored an eight-inch hole
| instead of one twelve inches in dame
/
! ed its hands of the entire matter by
| turning the well over to the street rail-
| way company.
The warrant, amounting to $25O0,
for the payment of this first well was
drawn by the county auditor and the
county would have been out the money
had not County Treasurer Metzdorf
refused to cash the warrant until the
we'll had been examined and accepted
| by the county. An examination of the
we'll disclosed the fact that the county
| had been jobbed, and the warrant has
| never as yet been presented for pay
ment.
Following this venture, the legisla-
ture was prevailed upon to authorize
| the county board to appropriate $780,
| 600 to be used in sinking and equip
| ping wells at the lake, $4,000 of the
amount being available this year and
! $4,000 each year during the next two
years. Vested with this authority the
| commissioners ordered three new wells
| sunk, being careful this time to see
| that the wells were in Ramsey county,
and work has been completed on one
of the wells and another is almost
| ready for the pumping machinery.
| The third well has not yet been COM
| menced, and it may never be-
Cost Bothers Board.
The two wells already sunk cost in
the neighborhood of $2,500 each, and it
| will cost another $1,500 to equip them
| with pumping machinery. The pur-
| chase of this machinery was to have
| been authorized at yesterdays meet
| ing, but before the meeting was called
to order some member thoughtlessly
| inquired how much the cost of pump
| ing would be after the wells were COM
| pleted, and it vas learned that the
| White Bear Power company, the only
plant in a position to furnish the pow
| er wanted 5000 per month for the pow
| er necessary to keep the pumps of the
two wells running.
1t was here that the commissioners
baked. Should the third well be sunk
| this year it would exhaust the balance
| of the $4,000 available for this year,
and there would be no fund from which
| to pay for the pumping, and even
| should the remaining $4,000 be drawn
| upon, it is pointed out that it would
! last but a short time, and within a
| few years the county would be with
| out funds to keep the pumps going.
The matter is one which is causing
| the board considerable worry, mas
much as more than $4,000 has already
| beenN expended and which will be a
| total loss unless the work is carried
on. On the other hand, If the work is
carried out and the pumps started, the
| commissioners cannot see where the
| expense is going to end.
In the meantime the county board is
resting upon its oars, unwilling to go
/ 60 fo,. in 14it