Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1911-12-16

4 Address the Courier. Printing Sol 'I'
Dany, Ottumwa, lows. %.
Entered 90 second elass ss ~.
October II. 1908. at the pos - ~ con.
lUnWa, Iowa. under tns A nv - a q
Ursss OF March ;. 1879. issg Us
THANKS DUE MEN WHO SOLVED
WATER PROBLEM.
rhe nmblic reception at the water W Us
worka nlant today, marking the com y
nlation of the improvements Dy means
- which Ottumwa has been given =
quality IT altered water not surpas5sseu
n anv CITY of the state, has given tn ,e
neople an opportunity to express sile =
appreciation of the pubnc.splIliteu y
fnrts of the waterworks trustees any
tha citv oficials who have had par
II solving Ottumwa's city water prop
lar, The three waterworks trustees
= 81, Waterman, D. F. Morey ana n
n Williams. are entitled to the hlsn.
est praise for the hard work they nave
dane in this public cause. Ihree ~,
\ = az mayors. r. n. Picker, -. J. fhl M.
linz and s. r. Hartman, also merry
,,,,h,ic anprobation for their persistent
eMorta toward finding solution 1oi
this yexed question. -, victor
For twelve years the cit5 ouo
problem has been up oeioiH 49, nsnhee N
Ever since January, l9oO, ~ nan A.
the one leading pubic queslii 9i NJ
that time the city council asclu9 1.,. ni =
- renew the franchise 5ol tne e.
water Co, and contracted VIII s1no M. :
I,ouis Arm for the erection OF . Sf - :
900 plant. After long litlgatlon III. ~ NC s ]
federal and state courts the Gi.y 80 ~
nravented from carrying out. lthle ~ ),
tract on the ground that u W M,,e,t
n,ace its debt beyond the legal shnl ~.
Smhaeuuently the city attempted !. ~ =
huild 4 small plant. known as ~
ahahv swaterworks," to protect .ne
dovn town district, but this was IN.
iatred Nv the courts. Two otnes
yrnmns Of capitalists then attemp.su
e secure a franchise for a WaterMol ms
ni.nt from the council, but Wltno ~
pa The council made anotner 81,
/ so - secure a municipality owheu
nIan+ when it empowered u. n. fi set..
iar then mayor, to make cash onel
- eo7o 1,0o for the waterworks prop
~ %, when II was, found the clty
oa,,,a NOT hoat the bonds necessary ~
Soa.n1ata the purchase, owing 70 kne
,,o.np4,nn Il had been through Al new
~ ssctf.e with q purchase claussak Was
nnartad the public Water Co. ana rat g
tnsd * the voters on Dec enn t per
1908. S.x.. ,,,,,1a settle
- ,.tsrwnrks question, for the iran
MI terms were favorable to the &c Guy,
~ that they compelled the company p
4 y y .n a%. cnctlv improvements, ana
s.ua the city the right to purchase
5ituras made by the company, now
s,ndar certain conditions. The expen-
sver II efforts to improve the water
s,,nn1v did not bring the desired I'M
.rarsment Then Mr.. Underwood, the
apct,va head Of the company, ana the
.,aar With whom the city had had all
a.. aaalinrs. died, and the property
~ 1aft with a resident manager and
"s 40 from whom he could secure
~. srnds necessary for the upkeep OF
the plant The water was Dad Anu sno
financial condition OF the company
was on q par with the water. heallzins
fhe absolute necessity to 9 growing
CITY OF an eficient water supply VI
high quality, S. P. Hartman, at tnat
time alderman at large, advocated the
city's buying the waterWorKs ana I'M.
nrnving It. Mr.. Hartman WORKED nara
and effectively to bring this about. II
naliy he became mayor OF the CITY,
TINS gaining more authority and Of
Acia1 mower with which to push TINS
matter mat, to conclusion, which he did
IN November ~, 1910, the date on
which the city voted by big major
ity to purchase the plant for $780,
900. .,,.,.
;udgment In appointing II. L. Water
man .. f. Morey and H. c.. Williams,
three men ably fitted for the duty, as
water trustees, all three men of tech
r,cal as we'll as business ability.
Dnrinr the twelve months they have
been in charge Of the plant they have
ernended SS7,637.15 in extensions OF
mains and improvements, among the
1atter the filtration plant which is
Giving the city pure, filtered water
Frat Il fully appreciated after the
nnality Of service the city has been
EVEN in times past In statement
e. the first years work the trustees
renort receipts of $39,928.O9, and ex-
nenaea of operation and maintenance
e s22.741.0S, leaving net earnings OF
$17,0s7.o1.
ment to purchase the plant was on
have been kept. The city has been
given good water supply. The prop
erty has been ably managed by the
trustees. The citizens owe q debt OF
snnreciation to the men who have
even the benefit of their brains and
labor to this cause. and they owe II
to themselves to cooperate IN every
wav within their means to the end
+hat the future may witness con.
tin,1ed success in the management
and upbuilding Of this public prop.
erty. q.
orTuMWA's WATERWoRks.
The trustees and superintendent of
the citys water plant have invited the
people to visit and examine the opera