e described, campers can, without
grave danger, throw dish water, etc., on the ground somewhat remote
from the camp; this may not injure their drinking water because the
liquids will slowly seep through the ground, and as they filter
downward will lose their dangerous matter. All the water which reaches
the well pipes will have filtered through the soil bed and therefore
will probably be safe.

But while the careless disposal of wastes may not spoil the drinking
water (in the well to be described), other laws of health demand a
thoughtful disposal of wastes. The malarial mosquito and the typhoid
fly flourish in unhygienic quarters, and the only way to guard against
their dangers is to allow them neither food nor breeding place.

The burning of garbage, the discharge of waters into cesspools, or, in
temporary camps, the discharge of wastes to distant points through the
agency of a cheap sewage pipe will insure safety to campers, will
lessen the trials of flies and mosquitoes, and will add but little to
the expense.

187. A Cheap Well for Campers. A two-inch galvanized iron pipe with
a strong, pointed end containing small perforations is driven into the
ground with a sledge hammer. After it has penetrated for a few feet,
another length is added and the whole is driven down, and this is
repeated until water is reached. A cheap pump is then attached to the
upper end of the drill pipe and serves to raise the water. During the
drilling, some soil particles get into the pipe through the
perforations, and these cloud the water at first; but after the pipe
has once been cleaned by the upward-moving water, the supply remains
clear. The flow from such a well is naturally small; first, because
water is not abundant near the surface of the earth, and second,
because cheap pumps are poorly constructed and cannot raise a large
amount. But the supply will usually be sufficient for the needs of
simple camp life, and many a small farm uses this form of well, not
only for household purposes, but for watering the cattle in winter.

If the cheapness of such pumps were known, their use would be more
general for temporary purposes. The cost of material need not exceed
$5 for a 10-foot well, and the driving of the pipe could be made as
much a part of the camping as the pitching of the tent itself. If the
camping site is abandoned at the close of the vacation, the pump can
be removed and kept over winter for use the following summer in
ano