Correspondence

To the Hon, the Commoi Councll of the clly of Ann Arbor: Gentlemen- Several of your fellowcitizcns who are miich interested n the Imincdlate and iucreaMng prosperity of our city, are of the opinión tliat tlie time lias iiow alisen for Aim Arbor to supply herself with an ampie supply of water. They tuink that our commercial iuteresls demand t. Untll withiu the last few years our business enterprises have been liampered by excessive freight obarge. Iiow we have competing railroad lines. The two roads crossing here are in the hands of rival companies so strong that there can bo no fear of one absorblng the other and stopping competitlon. Now therates here to all points are the same as from Detroit to the same places. We are ia the midst of the linest farining country in the state, are capable of supplying any manufactory or population easily and certainly with all kinds of farming produce. Our rail roads traverse the city so that any amouut of room on their liues can be gotten and at prices which in a large place would barely pay a year's rental. The nearness to Detroit, Toledo and Chicago will always niake procurlng of additional lots easy and quick. With all these advantages Ana Arbor lacks tuis one, that she has no extensivo water supply eitlier for use in the manufactories or for lire protectlon. We cannot now expect to obtain any kind of business whicli requires the use of large quautities of pure water nor can we expect any company will establish any business where a lire was u;ichecked and mlght in a nigut wipe out the whole investment. If we woulcï have factories we must oller them no less adviiutages of meaos and protection than are glvcn clsewliere. As a residence city our iaterests demand this that we arrange for a full supply of water well distributed. As a place for a home our city has many advantages over any city in the west, if not in the country. Wc have the finest society in the wholc west; we have as line a soil as could beasked for; and the scenery most reinarkable for its beauty. At the crossing of east and west and north and soutli railioad hnes we are easily accessible f rom all points; and we lialt to take us into the business centers of Detroit and Toledo. But with all these advantages of railroads, society, soil, seenery, and accessability, anyone coming heru to reside must content himsclt' wltU seeing the grass upon his lawns wither and die out during tiie summer months, he must use pestilential water-closets, queuch bis thirst in the use of ever long kept and bad snielliiig water. lLe must se the street, the walk, the house collect the dust and dirt and heat of all summer without even feoling the luxu of ííiving them a good, thorough drenching in the summer eveiiing. If we would sell our houses, and sell onr vacant lots, we must add this necessary adjunct to an elegant modern house. People who have experienced the luxury of having au unlimitcd üupply of water will noi live where they cannot enjoy it. If onr beau tl ful city were in debt we miglit be (broed by our poverty to do ! without tliis ailvantae, but we are not loor, our financia] cooditlon could not be better. Duiing th'e coming season all kinds of business gives evidence of utter stagnation. It' tliis work can be done on reasonable terras, and is ever tö be done, it should be done now and beguu immediately, in order that workmen may find protitable employnicnt at home and business men may De aDle to have the sums paid out ia the course of building the works tdded to thelr business In a year which bids fair to be more severe than any since the great panic. It is therefore desired that your body shall fix upou the length of linea and the number of hydrants wiiich the city would ueed and pass the resolution made necessry by the statute, so that a company of our citizens, to whose property and prosperity, the growth and prosperity of the city is absolutely essential, may be forined for the purpose of making a proposal to the city to supply this great want. The city, t is believed, can afford to be more liberal towards a company formed by lts own citizens who are its heaviest property holders and tax-payers than to strangers. [ Aun Arbor is a city where the con. sumers of water are widely scattered, i and where it will require long stretches of costly pipe to reach tlie consumera, and the city has no large manufactories to be large consumera. It will very likely j be sometiine before people can be iuduced to put pipes in their houses and be got to taking water. There will be a large permanent saving to tlie ownera of property in the city in tlie ilecreased insuranc-e necessary for tliem to oarry and I a large permanent gain to the property I of all parties in an Incraaséd valué and j suleabüity of property in tlie city, and a large temporary advantage in having snch a large undertaking ander constrnction. If the propeity ownew should for the first five years pay something of this advantage towards tlie lightening of tlie great responsibility which tlie ncorporation personally taUe, ve do not tliink they would be doing anythiiig more than what is just to tlie incorporators. If the city caii afford to give sufficient encouragement, a company of our citizons will be formed into a Corporation, books for stock subsciiptions to the stock by such of our citizens as niay desire to tuke stock and put 111 a fully porfeet and complete set of works to supply this much needed improvement. Al] of whicli is respectfully submitted,