Perth Amboy evening news., 1911-04-13
LETTER ABOUT
THE FOUNTAIN
T0ttenviIIs Citizens Article
on Public Drinking.

The following letter has been re.
ceived by the EVENING NEWS In
regard to the drinking fountain tt
be placed in Tottenville:
Tottenville, April 18th, 1911.
To the Editor of the Perth Amboy
EVENING NEWS,
sir
A movement Is under way looking
to the erection of a public drinking
fountain at T~ottenville. Although ]
believe the popular feeling is repug-
nant to this movement, as yet, nc
one has taken the time and trouble
to express in the columns of any
newspaper his objections to the pro-
ject. / suppose, however, that they
will declare themselves in strong
language after it becomes a fact.
This foolish movement should be
opposed for the following reasons,
If for no other:
1t is not necessary. There are
very few horses in the town and
those that do belong here are cared
for In another way, and the number
that pass through the town at diff
ferent times of the season are so
few that the fountain will not be
worth the money expended. 1t will
prove a great nuisance. Water will
continually flow and this means wet
ting the grounds and especially so If
there should be a slight stoppage of
the outlet. 1t will be the gathering
place for all the mischievous and bad
boys of the neighborhood in which it
is placed, who will use coarse and
rough language to the detriment of
the peace and repose Of the commun-
ity. The owners of horses are al
most unanimous in their stand, Of
not permitting their horses to drink
public fountains, because they
know the danger that might be en-
c1untered by such act. Again, l
question very much If the Water De-
partment would permit it. Surpris-
ing as 1t may seem, yet 1t Is true,
there is an insufficient supply of wa
ter, especially during the summer
months, and the supply would be
very much diminished by the waste
of thousands Of gallons through a
public fountain. There is no public
park or public square. These are
the proper places for fountains.
Is, of course, private property.
Perhaps, some Of those who are it's
warm zealots may permit the use of
property for this benevolent CD
object; and, perhaps, they may not,
which Is more likely. Again, our
public streets cannot and ought not
to be used; they are too arrow and
the fountain would certainly take up
quite some space, which would Hove
an encumbranec on the highway.
Furthermore, property rights would
be affected. If it is located on a
public street, it certainly must be
placed In front Of somebody's prop
erty; but If, in the course of human
affairs, such a thing is to be estab-
lished, I would suggest, as it's perma-
nent resting place, one of the fol
lowing places, which would be an
ideal spot:
About the middle of the block on
Johnson avenue.
About the middle of the block on
Hoping venue
On the corner of Elliott avenue
and Amboy road.
IL the persons back of this move
ment and those who are encourag-
ing 1t In any way are sincere in the
matter, they certainly must not OBJ
ject If the fountain should finally be
placed in front of any one of their
houses.
The whole movement should be
discouraged and condemned and the
best way to accomplish this end is
for the sensible people to decline to
have anything to do with 1t in any
way, shape or anne
Very respectfully,
"ANTI FOUNT."