New-York tribune., 1909-07-04
Many Free Drinking Foun-
tains Dry in This Thirsty
Summer Weather.

: As enc franps thirstily along tts svelt-rfns
s4-etch OF streets which front the citys downtown
hxaarves beneath the hroling rays CT July sun
he is forciby and intentionally reminded OF the
familiar water, water everywhere but not q drop
SO drink" The river IS easy Of sccess but its
Eslint renders Il unpaIaable; horse troughs guar
Entee the horse from suffering but man hesi-
fstes 70 Etoop TO conquer his thirst in these
Hne iron hydrsnts stand every corner but the
Ia Is each and screwed down tight Along
This cahbied reach OF dirt and heat and noise and
hustle fnd free baths. free seats free
lunches and ether free things, but 10 find a foun-
fer TO drink water from free OF cost he
sa1st travel long with microscopic searching.
= IN zte equatorial expaRse of South street where
she streets get hot il May and stay till Sep
tsInber, modern Dante might find inspiration for
a new inferno There all nature conspires against
ffe individual. save for the scrawuy trees in a
pocket edition park here and there there is no
Ehade unless Il be that supplied by the awnings in
front OF saloons There. under a scorching sun.
red 1acec men work and sweat and swear ali the
day through. There, TOO. Il is natural thirst
10 persp-e. and while all kinds Of traffic 90 to
make this section as busy waIi street at it's
busiest there IS traflc great the traffic
Venders of ceTise colored. acetic acid Lemonade;
every corner and in between the licensed deal
ers in alcohoisc beverages. Here and there on q
corner Is & drinking trough for horses and infre-
quentiy cOtting the arid stretch iron shells.
= formerly drinking fountains for Now, how
ever tie latter serve merely convenient match
ecrstchers as leaning posts for the weary-monu-
zents to departed tElirsts elsewhere slaked.
Is z remarkable fact-concidence. IL you please
that all OF the man fountains In front OF or near
saloons have been smashed Within two years
aonne Of these vandsiized fountains have been re-
moved. aud On fzle IN the oice OF the Water Board
sse to-day several. petitions from saloonkeeper.
siong this OF thirsts asking that broken
fountains ir front o< their places Of business be
removed Says one petition which bears on It's
BEADING the Of South street liquor firm
I'VE request the Water Department 70 remove the
fountain 1T Nc Isl South It Is a nuisance
IeoEbtless and uncomfortable competitor a
well when Il is n running order.
OVERSIGHT OF THE FOUNTAINS.
'~Tvm Il be removedZ' vas asked OF Water
Beard official.
Certainly" replied he: "ve have 20 pay atten-
tioE al complaints
-.EsIt why not repair itr'
when anybody asks for repairs Ee make thsra:
g asked to remove the fountain on the grounds Of
sts being nuisance, investigate and Il condi-
fleas warrant DO So
'sBut what about these eismanslst Fountains TO be
found an along South stree:F'
''ghere7"-this aercely.
AT ths foot OF Wall street; near Old Sip; on
Pike Slip above South: Just ebovs Rooserslt
street
A search Of the books proved that these foun-
tatEs. which hays bsea cut OF use FOR years. had
DeSsr been reported"
ARD who Is supposed 20 'reporrf"
-Dh. ths policeman On whose beat the fountains
sre. any pedestrian who wants report thsn
DSeciEx 70 - fxs1."
TA1s eossitiozs stand regarding these much need
% s1S ss1sy SsK1scsed fountains. InveEiigatiOn
gFeyel ftsf ss5H yesF vas provided By the
Ezxk< e kzcsgmsl for tis maintenance repair and
Es1tszz - - cFtaksng fountains a ths sntirs
-ssfV - Nez HeTx AAf yet requests ere coutin-
sssF bszEg f-sz soT ssN erlEsaus Fountains IA the
sssee ~ "a Hssss DsSsrtzsBt-ssls1. bst ssiaeEa
F5-s<. ss>@Nss D< sDaHsSfssssss is fsFeiesiiy
ezx4,
1zs sz~s<. ~e1N s-sssf ssls<s 5ssf - NtAe<sy is
s~ksS e<e svss1zs< ~ AZ csist1D ssssS ssssss