four] water supply 



the surface. The cost of my own well was one hun- 

 dred and twelve dollars, to which must be added 

 ten dollars for pump and plumbing work. In some 

 localities the drill need not go down more than forty 

 or fifty feet, to secure a permanent flow of absolutely 

 safe water; yet, within a mile of me there are points 

 where a good supply has not been reached at even 

 two hundred feet. This depth would make the cost 

 of a well not less than between three and four hun- 

 dred dollars ; yet even at that figure it is a valuable 

 investment — far better than if the same amount 

 were put into costly furniture, or even an expensive 

 house. 



As a rule, hilly land is not dry land, but frequently 

 is just the contrary. The locality should be studied 

 with care, and where you find that you easily strike 

 springs near the surface, you can calculate that veins 

 in the rocks can be found at a reasonable depth. In 

 all cases you should watch the man who operates 

 the drill ; for, at one dollar and fifty cents a foot, he 

 is tempted to drill by an excellent flow of water, 

 without reporting it to you — indeed, I think this is 

 not uncommon in such work; and houses are fre- 

 quently supplied with inferior water from a greater 

 depth, while excellent water has been piped against. 



[63] 



