The Price of a Dry Well
After the city sunk $15,000 into a failed water development project at Thomas Springs, the local paper recounts its long-running battle against municipal mismanagement.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
The finding of a number of 'Y's connecting the city's pipes at Thomas springs with irrigating ditches is only a confirmation of what was before almost a settled fact as to the source of the greater part of the supply of water developed by Contractor Worley. While the work was in progress, the Statesman said repeatedly that much of the water flowing in the city's pipes came from irrigating ditches, and Councilman Smith made the same assertion over and over again in the meetings of the council. The Statesman from start to finish opposed the plan of development followed by Worley as a reckless waste of public funds. Because of its opposition to the employment of Worley in the first place, to the work that he did, and to his grafting from the wages of his men, the Statesman was accused in some quarters of being captious and cranky. Events have fully vindicated the position taken by the Statesman. If its advice had been followed, the $15,000 expended in fake development work at Thomas springs would not have been wasted.
“The Statesman has always been loyal to the public interests, but, as cities like republics are notoriously ungrateful, its efforts in behalf of the people have not always been appreciated.”
Public infrastructure projects and the oversight of contractors remain contentious issues in Walla Walla today. This century-old report on a botched water scheme highlights the recurring civic struggle between fiscal conservatism and the need for reliable public services.
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