Show THE MOUNTAIN STREAMS 41 what a portland chemist has to aap of their purity the following appeared in saturday morn mornings lugs tribu tribune and is self esplan 9 tory atory in your issue of the dinst in the locals under the head of improve ments meats being made eto it speak aLof of the organic matter per gal IOB contained in the different waters in and about salt lake clity city of present and probably for f future use my attention was called to the ne very erroneous statements which do not throw a very pleasant aspect upon the water supply of the queen city of the rocky mountains for intending visitors and investors t to 0 contemplate upon it the different waters contained the amounts stated of organic matter viz emigration 87 grains of organic matter per gallon big and little cottonwood 17 and 9 respectively city creek 24 and Jear harleys leys 29 the city would be a graveyard greve gre yard instead of the comparatively healthy city that it Is I 1 am acquainted with the water supply of your city and especially of the above mentioned ones the above figures represent the grains per gallon ot of solid mineral matter and ald not organic matter the reason why emigration creek water is unfit for culinary purposes is on account of the co ma aguesian agnesian salts and sulphuric acid in the form of sulphates that it contains and not on account of organic matter it has its source in magu esian limestone and flows over the same thus ac accounting countin tor for its character dry cadion water is unfit for the ga same me reason red lied water has its source mainly in sandstone it is a tolerably chod drinking water city creek water is good it contains but little magnesia and cannon be complained about parleys creek is similar while bip big and little cottonwood creeks are as 1 good waters as are to be found anywhere re and are superior to all the others their source is malno mainly in granite which is difficult of solution accounting for the small amount of mineral matter per gallon the mineral matter contained in these waters is really more adapted to the requirements of the human economy thin than the others the mineral mat ter of the others city creek and parleys consists mainly of carbonate ol of lir lime ae and a little carbonate of magnesia making a hard water this portion of the mineral matter is in excess of the requirements require meats ol of the body in the average amount drank while the cot conwood waters are arc soft and contain contafi n a much smaller amount of carbonate oi 01 lime and a comparative trace of ina magnesia g salts together with silica and the carbonates and of potash and soda the big and little cottonwood waters contain con tain no mineral matter whatever deleterious to health I 1 do not think that any of the above mentioned waters aters contain much over five hundredths 0 o of a grain pei gallon of grzanic oraan lr matter 7 if the watery were taken takee at toe caf ions mouth tbt 3 might contain a tenth 1 10 of a grai I 1 or a little over that quantity just alter after a heavy rain but deiy bobiy temporarily it is customary to condemn gatei water for drinking purposes when it t contains a tenth 1 10 or over of a grain per gallon 01 01 matter the year round as such waters have been proven to be unhealthy both in Engl england antl and in this coti country the city of portland is now BOW preparing to bring in a water sup supply pl y 41 miles distant by means of lar large ma mains i this water is known as belllw bull run un water it is never known to get muddy it has its source in and flows over basalt and contains only two grains of solid mineral matter per gallon galion and only eight hund ruths reths 8 of a grain of organic matter per gallon in the worst season in the year viz just after the first heavy rains after a ion long dry season this water can only be excelled by two other localities in the world for purity when there is nothing no thine deleterious in the mineral constituents of a water the amount of organic matter contained is the criterion of its purity and wholesomeness sO as a potable water this organic matter exists in natural waters as vegetable albumen while or aj a atter from other sources as sew eap I 1 a 11 by largi am a anfolisi anio m liSi I 1 frei Q pod IRM com 1 m mon on Is q dying m ofa rge f ay reia rs und u ersts abe nger tim I 1 f the use 0 of con bated wate choin yon yoa unintentionally startled start ledi respects uly yours 1 WM HUNTLEY HAMPTO |