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CITY OF DUBOIS Page 173
this paper an ordinance known as No. 42, appeared, granting the
right of way to lay pipe lines on the highways of the Borough.
It did not seem to occur to the legal department of the
Borough at that time that water could not be supplied by a foreign
corporation, but somebody did find out that such was the case and
the new corporation was organized known as the "DuBois City Water
Works Company," of which George B. Smith and Henry Smith were the
principal stockholders, and the stockholders required under the laws
of the State of Pennsylvania were George B. Campbell, A. L. Cole and
H. S. Knarr. Mr. Cole's name appears as Secretary of Council. The
date attached to the ordinance is that of the Toth of August, 1889.
Outside of the ordinance a special contract was entered
into as follows:
1.
Source of supply shall be from springs on the lands now owned by
John E. DuBois, located about six miles northeast of the Borough, to
be piped direct to the reservoir and in no case will water be taken
from open streams or contaminated surface waters.
2. The water from these hydrants was to be used for
extinguishing fires, flushing sewers when necessary and flushing
streets. In addition, one public watering trough could be erected in
each ward, provided the Borough furnished the watering trough with
such control of water as not to waste it.
3. For this purpose the Borough was to pay this water
works $15.00 per annum for each fire hydrant for a period of twenty
years in semi-annual installments.
The most remarkable feature of this whole proposition
was the "spring" supply. How Mr. Shuttleworth found such wonderful
springs on the lands of Mr. DuBois flowing with pure mountain water
sufficient to fill a reservoir of a million and a half gallon, is
more than anyone can now comprehend; and although several of the
councilmen were in the employ of Mr. DuBois at the time, they did
not seem to make any investigation to see if this fairy tale were
true.
In addition to that was the size of this great
reservoir, for a town of more than 10,000 people and a provision for
a future supply. This contract was signed on behalf of the United
States Water Works Company by Edward A. Crown, President and George
P. Smith, Secretary, and by A. L. Tozier, Burgess and A. L. Cole,
Clerk of Council, on behalf of the Borough.
The only place where a pressure was fixed was at the
corner of High Street and Long Street. No specifications for size of
pipe to supply the fire hydrants was made. One point was designated
as a pressure point and the balance of the contract was left up in
the air.
However, one thing was definitely fixed and that is the
Borough had to pay a rental on one fire hydrant for every 400 feet
of pipe on the three miles of water main laid in the Borough limits.
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