Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1878-11-20
THE DITCH.


e
eascc ~ Arye sseilsosnt Il this com .
~ and especially IL s~ssslsnent
In The vicinity Of this city. the
lasd lying sorth Of Elk Point and b..
tween The city aad the bluffs. he's bssn
very muddy during the fall and spring
Of Zach year. The roads At times have
been totally i~mpsasble, and much Of the
land VA ~ badly inundated that thous-
ands Of scses In the immediate vicinity
Of the city bee bsen worthless for tilling
purposes. The question Of using the
land and making passsbls rosds has bssn
ono Of great moment 70 the people OF
this city. In tho year 1871. the late J.
". Hodhaaa came 70 Elk Point, and In.
vested In the c,ty. Il coon became sp.
parent 10 him that thsss impossible sad
muddy roads were fatally ,pjaring the
growth and business Of Elk Point. and
for The purpose Of ovsrconisg this do.
cided draw back 70 business and every
other material interest Of the plscs. be
esigiasssd ths plsa of cutting . ditch
from what 10 known . the Nurwegian
lake 10 the Big Sioux River. The object
wss lot 70 drain tAs swals into the river.
aad 1nd 70 lower The vatss il ~ lake.
thersby leaving . resorvoir 70 bold the
surplus water. In 1874 NJ. HOFFMAN and
other citizens Of this plaos cut ditch ~
dssignssed; but It was Of - inferior
character, and time demonstrated that the
enterprise could b made . suocsss.
In the winter Of 1877. the cieixeas Of
ths commissioner district petitioasd J.
A. Wsllsoe, who va then . nsmbsr
Of the legislature TO procure the
passage Of . special cot TO authorize
the county commissioner Of Uni ON coan.
10 70 sntsr spon aud construct . ditch to
The point named, 70 coudsmn the iasd
through which the ditch was 70 b sut,
end also 70 appropriate $1,000 for the
construction Of The same. The bill VA
most bitsssly fought in the Legislature,
svsa b. ssyssal 0smbsss fs~m tAis ceuu.
y. bat BY plsok and dsssamisasios Of the
member in charge II he bill, Il finally
passed and reosivsd the signature Of she
governor. But . fsw wisacsss Whispered
70 the commissioner that the law va
uucaAsGitutiAaal. 4 majority Of the
board bsiug opposed 10 the ditch it 10
sol 10 b wosdsrsd that they ssvs -. to
the advies Of shoss opposed 70 Elk Point,
although one y two Of the parties reside
h tie city. Bang In dosbs on The sub
jest The board took hga. sdvics Of A.
tsrnsy Bsackstt who decided the law 10
b. coEssitssisnal, and The decision was
published in thess columns u the time.
When ~ board fosnA shst Il wss obliG.
aassy upoa them TO co~ply with The
provisions Of the iaw. they advertised
fer bids, asd let the contraca - ]. H.
Bryaa and VIM. Blair in the spring Of
1877. Thess parties constructed - much
Of The ditch ~ the money would pay for
which wss about two.6fths Of the dis
tancs, the whole distsncs from the river
to the lake being I've nilss. The citizens
Of Elk Point then raised money enough
out u thsir private fusds - esinpisss
the ditch TO the range lius-or about I've
thirds Of the distance from the river "a
the lake.
During the summer Of 1873. upon Pc
tition the board agreed to make an sp.
preparation Of $500. providing the D. 8.
railroad would give el0o. Tie railroad
eompsny did ". and the citizens Ut Elk
Point raised enough to complete it u the
lake. Hsace Murphy was given the O
trsct cad be c"mplstsd the ditch and let
the water in Nov. II, 1878.
Thus On important enterprise has been
SUCCESSFULLY conpletsd At . cost of over
$4,000. The ditch has thus for proven .
grand success. and will lower the water
In the lake sb.ut twenty inches. On
each side Of the ditch It dnins about
two and one half miles, which will be
about thirty square miiss. or $4,000 acres
Of land that hss heretofore been nearly
worthless. Much Of this land will now
b brought under cultiv stlon. and where
nothing but wssds and slough grasses
have heretofore grewa will hereafter
grow corn aud wheat. People can now
improve that land with safety aud profit.
TIE thrss roads across the low lands will
b good in the future ct Ill seasons Of the
yesr. ssd . new era dswns upon the city
Of Blk Point.
Our citixsns deserve marked credit for
their public spirit and zeal manifested 10
the c~0unptetion AZ the ditch. II . few
years q tho farthsst it will be . wide
thorougfare for the water 70 pass Of from
the lake and far above Il, and ill Glasses
will reap The benefits IT WhAt money
sserRy aud work hes won during the last
tWo yeasa Z &88 r
~. JAnss G.:CLAsx, the popular post,
composer asd ballad singer. b sdvsrsissd
- rvo enc u bic exsellsss snAsstain
nse>s q ~ U. u Csssea d sAis city a
aext esDssday svsaisg. Nov. sd. 1878.
II. O. ~ ~ rspseaeias Of esswdias
ncss os1nias music. postsy. emotion md
W inlDens hoss's time than any other
aan b ~ profession. Crowded houses
gseaA hin Whsrevss be goes. Our citi.
- ~ ~ ~ plsasass u liseesiag
= him bsfsss. ana they - new - Tie
Ssi siss far his ooniBg.
n. II. RIcH. IN old resident a Thu
csanty. asd The fossdes Of ths town Of
RichtnA, disd shb mosaiag u "a o'clock
With inAamstioa u The bowels. 4 mors
sxtsadsd nusics will b given hereafter