The Sunday telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1914-1927, 1915-05-02
POLLUTION Of STREAMS
A Menace to HeaIths. Depr1ves the people OF West
Virginia of the Finest of Fish and the
King of Sports
tbs. Deprives the people OF v
King Of Sports.

The head waters or the TySarts
Valley Cheat Greenbrier. Potomac.
Elk. B.ckhanon and Little kanawha
rivers Afforded some OF the best trout
fishing in the country = rev years
ago while lower down in these same
streams one found black bass nsni l5
thai could not be excelled. i equateu,
anywhere Lovers OF the sport went
there from New York. Boston, Pniia-
deiphia. Baltimore. Washington ana
Pittsburg every year. because II was
so much better than they found else
where
The lumber companies are now OBJ
serving the law pretty we'll The most
OF the trouble now from saw-dust
where the SAW dus; was dumped on
the. bank and every freshet picks up
some of IL
| The worst menace to the FISH indus
try is the sulphur water from the coal
mines. II has ruined some OF the
clearest and prettiest streams, killed
all or the fish and rendered the water
unfit for any purpose This can all
be avoided but Will cost the coal
companies something to do it. How
ever, the cost would be comparatively
small and they could we'll AFFORD TO DO
it. II we wait until the coal Is ex-
hausted and the mines abandoned the
burden will fall on the taxpayers who
derived no benefit from the msnes- 1t
is Doubtful If the cost of filtration
plant at the mines would add over
one cent a ton 10 the cost Of produc-
ing the coal.
Something should be done without
delay TO abate this nuisance. The
water is not fit for man nor beast TO
drink: unfit 10 wash clothing in. or
for bathing purposes and il Kills all
vegetation.
Many factories within the state use
acids that are deadly TO man, as well
as beasts and fish, which are freely
DISCHARGED into the streams, or into
the sewers that lead 10 the streams.
after being used. They are more
dangerous than the sulphur water. be-
cause they do not discolor the water
and cannot well be detected by their
odor after bei,s: diluted.
The European Way.
Some day the people will become so
well enlightened in this state that
they will not permit the sewage from
the towns and cities to fow into the
running streams 10 polfute the water
which the people living in the next
town down the river have to drink.
It will be taken care OF as il is IN
many European cities-fiItered and
the resfduum converted into CONNER
cial fertilizer.
Let every man who likes to see
clear. sparkling streams and who
wants his neishbors as well as HIM
self. to enjoy the blessing of good
health: let every man who is fond of
that king of sports" fishing, and
who wants his poor neiShbor TO have
his snare Of fish. urge his representa-
tive in the legislature, by letter or
personal appeal, to have bill passed
prohibiting the discharge of any
nox:ous or deleterious matter into
any running streams within the state.
Even require the cities and towns 10
filer the sewage. Then if every cit
izen would do his duty and report any
and all violations Of this law to the
prosecuting attorney. which may have
come under his observation. and the
prosecuting attorney, in turn does his
duty, we will have materially lowered
the death rate, saved thousands OF
dollars in doctor bills and loss of time
on account of sickness; restored the
streams TO their primative purity;
filed them with Ash and surrounded
ourselves with one of the greatest
and most wholesome sports known to