The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1909-11-11
VOTE ON WATfRWORkS
Special Election will be Held Tues
day, Dec. ID, 1909, to Again
Vote on the Waterworks.

At last we can answer the oft re-
peated question, when are we go
ing to vote for waterwOrks agaln?
At the regular meeting of the city
council held last Thursday evening,
petition was presented to the city
council with the names of more than
800 qualified voters, asking that
special election be again called to
vote on the question of issuing bonds
in the sum of $4,000 for a system
of waterworks for this city, and by
a unanimous vote the council grant
ed the petition and fixed Tuesday,
Dec. IA, as the date for the election.
The official notice of Mayor Gates
will be found elsewhere in this issue.
At the same meeting the prelim-
mary report and estimate for sys-
tenn of waterworks, made by the
Iowa Engineering Co., of Clinton,
Iowa, was read and accepted. The
report is very full and the estimate
made by them is $4,000, so that
the rough estimate by local parties
at the first election was a pretty
close one. OF course the estimate
and contract price are too different
things, SO it was thought best to
vote on the proposition of issuing
bonds in the sum of not to exceed
$4,000, as the council is only re-
quired to sell enough bonds to pay
for the work done, no matter how
many are issued. The council also
fixed the rate of interest on the
bonds to not exceed 1-2 per cent,
with one half of the bonds optional
payment after ten years. The rate
of interest can be fixed as low as 1t
is possible to find buyer for them.
The report of the engineers recon-
mends that big surface wells be used
for water supply, and this will
meet with the hearty approval of
all citizens who want to see Leon
have system of waterworks which
will supply good drinkable water.
There has been a big change in
public sentiment since the last spe-
cial election in June, when the pro-
position lacked about 40 votes OF
having the required two-thirds of
the total vote, and many who voted
against waterworks at that time have
stated that they would vote for the
proposition when it comes up again.
Leon has just secured fine new
modern depot and it is designed for
a system of waterworks and closets
in the building and the company will
want water for the depot and We;
should see that they get it. Leon
is enjoying splendid growth and
"a system of waterworks would add
much to the prosperity of the city.
Now that the election is called,
let's all get together and pull good
and strong for the proposition and
carry it by an overwhelming major
| ity
We submit herewith the report in
full made by the Iowa Engineering
leo.
To the Honorable Mayor and City
Council of Leon, Iowa:
Gentlemen:-In accordance with
your request and our agreement we
herewith submit our report on pre-
liminary examination of your city in
regard to establishing waterworks.
Water Supply.
The first and most important ques-
ton that arises in an examination
for water is that of the supply of
water and without good and ade-
quate supply of water, little can be
hoped of the plant as financial sue
cess.
In your city then are three
sources of supply which may be used.
1st, A ground reservoir End, Ar
tesian wells. 3rd, Wells in gravel
veins. In order to have a successful
reservoir supply several things are
requisite. First, a suitable site. Sec
ond, the city should own or control
by lease the whole watershed. Third
the condition of the watershed must
be constantly watched. Fourth, the
reservoir must be kept clean. No
cattle or other animals should be al
lowed access to the streams running
into it and no privy vaults or cess
pools be allowed. Grass should be
cut at least twice a year and it is
better not to have too many trees.
Ample size Ga capacity of several
million gallons) should be given the
pond with small auxiliary for use
during the cleaning of the ltrger one.
The advantages of a reservoir are
that the water is soft and the amount
on hand is large; disadvantages are
the expense of owning or controlling
the watershed and the expense OF
maintenance.
Artesian Well-Deep wells have
their source of supply in the rock and
are unaffected by local or surface con.
d1t1ons are designated as arteslan
whether flowing or not, and when a
flowing well can be obtained and the
water is palatable and not too highly
mineralized they are the finest, safest
and surest supply known, but un.
fortunately very few localities are
favored this way and the water in
your locality is generally very hard
strongly mineral, ana it's distance
from the surface necessitates the use
of deep well pump, which is liable
to get out of order or rods break
just at the time when it is needed
most.
Ground Water or Gravel Weir
Wells--When vein of gravel car
be located near the surface which i.
heavily charged with water, goot
potable water fairly soft can gener
ally be obtained and is a satisfactor!
source of supply. With these remark:
of general nature, we now turn tt
the more particular situation il
hand. In our examination of YOU
city, we find several places where
water can be had and we went ovel
Il tho tarritOrv on tho cido tbx