The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1921-07-29
HEALTH BULLETIN
CITY OF ELY
by OWEN w. PARKER. NJ D..
Health Commissioner

One of the most important func-
tions and duties of every city is to
furnish its people with a pure water
supply. If the water supply is not
pure at all times the health of the
community is in jeopardy. 1t has
been the constant endeavor of the
City of Ely to furnish a pure water
supply to its people. The city has
been assisted in this by the State
Board of Health for many years.
The wtaers of our lake are contamin-
ated and not fit for drinking purposes,
therefore we have had to build a
large settling tank, run filters, treat
the water with chemicals, and finally
with chlorine to render it fit and
safe for drinking purposes. Lastly
we have established a city laboratory
to constantly watch and check up our
water supply. Very shortly Mr.
Childs, engineer of the State Board
of Health of the Sanitary Division,
will visit us and go over the water
supply, check up the laboratory,
investigate our sewage disposal, and
garbage disposal
There has been just recently ap-
parently an epidemic amongst a GER
tain species of fish in Shagawa Lake,
the so called white fish. The city
health department have put men to
work cleaning these fish out of the
lake. Very large numbers of them
are being taken out and either buried
or burned. The shore lines are being
kept clean and every effort will be
made to get rid of the dead fish.
The following is taken from the
California Health Bulletin, entitled
"A toast to Water" 1t illustrates
rather strikingly the point that water
for beverage must be pure.
A Southern colonel at banquet in
Arkansas offered the following toast
to water"
"Water-the purest and best of
all things that God created. I want
to say to you that I have seen it
glisten in tiny teardrops on the sleep
ing lids of infants. / have seen it
trickle down the blushing cheeks of
youth, and go in rushing torrents
down the wrinkled cheeks of age.
l have seen it in tiny dewdrops like
polished diamonds when the morning
sun burst in respondent glory Ger
the eastern hills. I have seen it in
the rushing stream ripping over peb-
ply bottoms; in the river rushing over
precipitous falls to join the mighty
Father of Waters, and I have seen
it in the mighty ocean on whose
broad bosom float the battle fleets of
all nations and the commerce of the
world-but, ladies and gentlemen,
| want to say to you now, that as a
beverage it's damned failure"
I'VE, too, have seen it on the
mighty ocean shores choked with
garbage, rubbish and decayed fruits,
menace to the health of bathers
and the men who man the ships of
commerce and of war. We have seen
it in the mighty Father of Waters
supporting bodies of dead animals,
raw sewage and other filth. We
have seen it in the placid river, and
in the roaring falls, carrying camp
refuse, decayedvegetation, tin cans,
papers and spoiled food. We have
seen it in the trickling springs where
iowly cattle cool their feet and in still
pools where mosquitoes come to life.
We, too, have seen it on the weary
lids of sick children, fevered youths
and old folks, on their noses and
their mouths, and we want to say
now and here that-you are right,
colonel; as beverage it is a damned
failure unless you know it's pure"