The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1910-02-11
BLEACHED WATER BUT DID NOT
 REMOVE GERMS
Reporter Told Story and Water Department Sprung Lock Against Him.


 The City Hall reporter of The Times is in mourning-deep, black mourning. Heavy-eyed and sad of mien, he pur- sues his vocation, but not with the pristine vigor of other days, nay, not so. For he is bereft of a member of his family. Not his immediate, per- sonal family, it is not that. But member of his official family, one of those with whom he has been wont to visit in his daily rounds of pleasure and duty. In short it is the water de- partment. Time was, and not so many moons ago, when the relationship was alive and fair and flourishing; when the delight of each days communion on topics of live interest gave zest for the days drudgery (or there is drud- gery, even in the reporters life, and each knotty problem of new report brought him, eager, willing, earnest, to the task of solution. With all seeming modesty it may be said that many an interesting story has come from out that selfsame department. Sometimes they came kicking and struggling, like an unwilling but naughty boy to the waiting knee and ready slipper of his fsther Again, they came flowing as freely as nectar and ambrOsia on Olympus heights. But always they were interesting to consider.
 To be sure, all this was not without friction, for diplomacy oftimes failed the reporter as well as the head of the department and the warmth of dis cussion was equaled only by eagerness of desire, the one to get what he want ed, the other to escape having to give up. Seldom, however, did the fric- rion leave it's blisters. To be sure, once the head of the department threatened to throw the reporter off the premises, but that was only an amusing incident. The reporter weighs 1SO and has been an athlete in a small way. The head of the depart ment weighs-well, somewhat less, and has developed the athletic obsession only of late. It consists in lodging the reporter. Being, at least, approxi- mately truthful, the reporter told about that threat, which tale for some the department. Perhaps it was a breach of diplomacy, but it made lot of people laugh and after all, that's mission of itself in this sad world.
 Possibly all might have been well, had the reporter stopped with that single indiscretion; but not long af ter, when the department was ex- pending much energy and some money to find out how many Connecticut river bugs to the cubic yard could be killed by the bleaching system, the re- porter became curious again. Follow ing those experiments there went forth to the community Ooh yes, the reporter helped to spread the good news) the double-sealed dictum that bleached water was good to drink. It was 99.5 pure of live germs. That is to say, the germs were killed but were not removed from the water. But it was doubtless perfectly safe to drink, even as the department pronounced 1t, with the backing of two chemists of repute If it was good to drink, surely the de- partment which conceived the scheme promoted it to such a gloriously suc- cessful conclusion and recommended it so highly to the public, surely this de- partment had put it to a personal test. The reporter hied him summari- ly and forthwith to the head of the department and asked about it.
 Did the department drink of the cleansed waters?
 Oh, no.
 Did the head of the department not drink of the cleansed waters?
 Oh, no.
 Did not single member of the board drink of the cleansed waters?
 Oh no.
 Aid why, prithee, why?
 Because they were not offered any.
 That was the laconic tale. The re- porter wrote it. The paper printed it. The public read it. So did the head of the department.
 And the next day the doors of the department were locked with a spring lock- and the reporter was not fur nished with the combinat tion. The doors have been locked ever since. They will remain locked, doubtless. so far as the reporter, is concerned, until time immemorial Now when the re- porter asks to see the head of the de- partment word cones back that the head is very busy and can the re- porter please call another day? Then the reporter asks to see the reservoir chart showing how much water has fallen from the heavens above, and how many gallons have flowed into the reservoirs from the hills round about. A polite clerk Ghey have been there many years. and the head of the department only a very few) a polite clerk brings the chart and the reporter sees what he wishes to see.
 Ard he departs, heavy-eyed and sad of nnien, mourning the loss of one of his official family.
 Incidentally it is the only depart ment of the entire city government to which reporters are now forbidden ac- cess. and it is the only head of any city department who is so busy that the reporter is invited to call again another day.
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