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] 
