Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1909-06-22
There should be new hydrants put on

new streets that are being built on, and
j will soon be built on. The available
lots should all have fire protection II
they are to pay tax for protection.
This would be very hard to do under
Ipresent conditions, but II we own our
own water system there will be no extra
hydrant rentals to pay, and the more we
have the better the protection.
South Paris Is destined to become q
much larger place than it is now, and We
1shall be very unwise II We do not plan
to make 1t so. We must build for the
future, and what Is barely sufficient
now Is not enough, but We must plan for
the next generation and the one after
that, so that our grandchildren may
have reason to be thankful for the wis
dom of their grandfathers. The present
system was never satisfactory. 1t has
too small mains, and while it was fairly
satisfactory when the village was half
its present size, 1t is far short of our
needs now and for the future. The boy
has outgrown his pants and must have a
new pair.
is THERE WATER ENOUGH?
It has been reported to me that there
are some people that are afraid there is
not water enough, in our proposed sup
ply. These people evidently think that
they are right, aud while they would be
wholly in favor of the plan, If they
positively knew that we had water
enough, they are withholding their
sanction of the plan,- for fear that we
have made mistake in our supply.
| When these people are asked why they
are so positive, they almost always say
Water Co. have to pump so much water
into their reservoirs. l say that this is
no proof whatever. / will not dispute
any statement that is made about the
amount of water that is pumped into
the Norway Water Company's reservoirs,
for do not know, but do know II they
should put meter on the pump and
know just what they pump, and other
meters on to every possible outlet, they
would find shortage that would sur
prise them. A hole in the ground, with
no stone or cement bottom or sides, is a
pretty expensive thing to try and keep
full when the water has to be pumped
into it. I remember seeing lot Of
children on the sea shore, that had dug
la deep hole in the sand, and they we're
running back and forth with their pals,
trying to get water enough out of the
Atlantic ocean to fill up their we'll. 1t
is needless to say that they made
failure of it, not because there was not
water enough, but because the water
soaked through the bottom faster than
they could fill 1t up.
= Tnn nd
from measurements of the water as it
came over the dam, which / believe to
be as nearly accurate as it is possible to
measure, found that there was at that
time, a flow of / 1904, 400 gallons coming
over the dam in every twenty-four hours.
On two different occasions | measured
the flow of the water in both brooks last
summer, and l found that there was
from three to five times as much water
in the large brook as the small one, and
| if the same condition holds good to-day
we have from four to seven million gal
Ions daily, from the two brooks at the
present time. l do not claim that this
is fair test of the capacity of the brook,
for there are times in the summer when
| it is great deal less than now, but 1t is
fairer test than 1t was last September
when it was the dryest of any time that
the oldest persons can remember.
There are plenty of places to build
storage reservoirs on the brooks above
the reservoirs, and there is no reason
why there cannot be an abundant sup
ply of water for South Paris village, and
the people of this generation, and the
next, will never need to worry about our
supply. We have had three hydraulic
engineers investigate this water supply,
and it is the opinion of them all that we
shall have an abundant water supply.
Paris Hill gets all the water used in its
water system, from wells and springs,
with no running stream whatever, ex-
cepting what they have made by digging
water and connecting springs and
leading them into their wells. The sides
of the hills surrounding our reservoirs
are filled with springs, and l believe that
1t would be possible to get very large
amount of water the same way that the
Paris Hill Water Co. have done, If we
should ever be obliged to, but this seems
very improbable, and only mention it,
because there is that way to obtain
water, If the need should ever arise.
OUR LEGISLATIVE RIGHTS.
The last legislature has given us the
right to install our own water system in
this village. This can be done as soon
as the three months time for the
referendum has elapsed, which will be
the first of July, and our meeting should
be called on the first day possible, and
the vote of the people should be taken.
If it is voted to install the system,
prompt action should be taken to buy
the pipe, and get right to work, for the
time is passing by rapidly, and it will be
necessary to have prompt and energetic
work done in order to get the system
completed before the snow comes.
There has been no time for great many
years when everything was any more In
our favor than now, for cast iron pipe Is
very low in price, and there is plenty of
money that will make the sale of the
bonds very easy matter.
| is MUNICIPAL OWNERSHIP BEST?
To argue against municipal ownership
is to argue against theory that is long
past the experimental stage. Everyone
knows of one or more towns that have
taken over private water systems, be-
cause the service given by the private
company was not satisfactory, but did
you ever know of case where private
company ever took over municipal
water system? The majority of the
people 10 the world know what is best
and the majority of the people here, and
wherever else it may be-, know that we
can have better water system at a less
cost than We have been getting for sew
eral years. We can save the private
company's profit and the cost of pump
ing also, and can see no reason why 1t
is not much more economical, sensible
and satisfactory than the present ar
rangement.
The present income from the water
that is sold in South Paris by the Nor.
Il ~ La xxh Il sliald q mood