Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1906-12-26

of the land being IL feet above low
tide. The slight undulationS furnish
water breeding places for every varie-
ty of mosquito, and the ground tends
to be lowest in the middle. When the
town was originally built no attempt
was made to fill the low ground, either
in the streets or on the building sites,
so that the entire surface was prac-
miro .t1me impa ssable certain of the
StreN.s We're crudelv improved by fill
ing especially bad mud holes with soft
rock or other material. In September
1905. ac systematic effort was begun to
formulate Il general plan for the prop
er sanitation of the city; in February
last temporary relief measures were
talfen. while in July the prosecution of
The work was begun in good earnest.
The results are already visible in the
seweriu%- draining, guttering and paw
ing of the Streets Some four months
will be required before the work of
sewerage and street Improvement will
Se completed. but the progress already
made is very marked. bitches have
been dug through the town, connecting
the salt water on both sides, and into
these the ponds, which have served as
breeding places for the mosquitoes. are
drained. These bitches have answered
their purpose. for they are probably
the chief cause of the astonishing
1iminution of mosquitoes. More bitches
of the kind are being constructed.
Colon Water Supply.
1t was not practicable with the
force at the commissions disposal, and
in view OF the need that the force
should be used in the larger town of
Panama, to begin this work before
then laid in the town and water was
furnished to the people early in March
from temporary reservoir. This
reservoir proved to be of insufficient
capacity before the end of the dry
season and the shortage was made up
by hauling water over the Panama
an ample sunnly of the very best
water. Since that time the new reser-
voir back of Mount Hope has been
practically completed. I visited this
long and half a mile broad. 1t now
carries some 100000; 600 gallons of
a photograph of this lake. together
with certain other photographs of
what 1 saw while I was on the 18TH
mus. Nothing but a cataclysm will
dry season to haul water for the use
of Colon and Cristoba1.
Colon Pavements.
I rode through the streets of Colon.
seeing them at the height of the rainy
season. after two days of almost un-
at their very worst Taken as a
whole they were undoubtedly very
in Washington before Grants admin
istration. Front street is already in
thoroughly satisfactory shape. how
ever. Some of the side streets are
also in good condition. In others the
change in the streets is rapidly going
on. Through three-fourthS of the
town il is now possible to walk, even
| during the period of tremendous rain.
| in low shoes without wetting ones
| feet, owing to the rapidity with which
| the surface water is carried away in
| the bitches. In the remaining one
fourth of the streets the mud is very
| deep-about as deep as in the ordinary
street of a low-lying prairie river town
| of the same size in the United States
during early spring. All men to whom
| spoke were unit in saying that the
| conditions of the Colon streets were
| 100 per cent better than a year ago
The most superficial examination OF
the town shows the progress that has
been made and is being. made in ma
| cad2mizings the streets. Complaint was
\ made to me by an entirely reputable
+ man as to, the character of some oil
1 the material used for repairing GER
tain streets. On investigation the com
plant proved well founded. but 1t also
i appeared that the use of the material
in question had been abandoned, the
commission after having tried it in ons
or. two streets finding 1t not appro-
pirate.
| The result OF the investigation o,