The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1879-03-20
The Ditch of bitches.
A SCHEME TO PUT SEVENTY THOUSAND ACRE
OF LAND UNDER WATER.

over for their richness. anu people flock
from all quarters by The thousand, q very
important branch Of the industry OF the
State, and one which is constantly increa-
sing, seems to be overlooked by most peo-
pie. and that is the agricultural interest. 1t
has been demonstrated that no better land
can be found for raising the small grains
than the apparently barren land OF our
plains. the only difficulty being the water
ing OF the crops. This, OF course, is done
by irrigation, and thousands Of dollars have
been spent and many more thousar ds made
in building and running the large bitches
necessary 10 water the immense underlying
territory.
There are several very large ditcEes in
the State, but the new one now build
ing in Larimer and Weld counties puts all
competitors in the shade. For several years
the matter OF watering the vast tracts OF
second and third bottom land around the
banks Of the Poudre and Platte rivers has
been under consideration, and now the
problem seems solved. The immense un-
dertakiug is now in the hands OF men who
have on one hand plenty OF capital, and on
the other L large experience in ditch build
ing. so that there IS no doubt OF its final
successful working.
The parties building it arc the Colorado
Investment and Mortgage Company and
Hon. Ben. Eaton. OF Weld county. Besides
owning a half interest in the concern. Mr.
Eaton has the contract for constructing the
ditch. The ditch, when complete, will be
seventy miles long, heading for the Poudrc
river between Fort Collins and La Porte,
and running northeast across the Denver
Pacific railroad to Crow creek. The con-
trac; provides that the portion OF the ditch
from the head to the Denyer-Pacitic railroad,
,hiriv-seyen miles, shall be completed with
in the present year, and the remaining
thirty-three miles by June. 1880. 1t
is to be at the head thirty feet wide
on the bottom, with about five feet OF water,
which will make the stream or water about
forty feet wide in the ditch proper. The
width will be gradually contracted, so that
at the end OF the fourteenth mile it will be
twenty-ei.ht feet OH the bottom, at the end
of the thirtieth mile twenty-five feet, and so
OIL to the end. The exact size Of the lower
end has not yet been fully determined upon,
as the owners have to figure on the immense
acreage OF land 10 be watcred ut the lower
end.
One OF tie best features OF this new ditch
is the system Of reservoirs extending along
the whole line, and adding Immediately TO
the amount OF water which can be distri-
strucring these rcScrvoirs-many of them OF
very large acreage-advantagc has been
taken OF the natural basins lying in the
course Of the ditch or just under If. On
many of them there need be no work ut all
done, as they have the natural inletS and
outlets: on others it has been found that
dixie OF a few feet on one side will largely
increase the body OF water, and this work
will be done.
In crossing low places in the prairie it has
been the custom heretofore 10 build dixie
on each side, forcing the water to run be-
tween them. TIE plan followed by Mr..
Ncttle'on, the engineer, IS much better, as
il has the double advantage OF saving money
and adding 10 the capacity OF the ditch. lie
buliCs Il strong dixie on the lower side only,
and on the other side allows the water to
r1n back as far It will into the bluffs, there
by io,miug in several places artificial rcser-
yHjr, hair-mile or more in width.
II is 4 fact well known that every alternate
eighty acres OF land in this part Of the coun-
try was the property OF the Denver-Pactic
railroad, in consequence OF the grant given
the road BY Congress. One OF the first steps
tol;on hy the owners of this new ditch WAS
10 secure this land. They first had price
by the railroad company and contracted. to
buy it from them, or at least all OF 1t kBto
which water could be run. They then pur-
chased the bonds OF the railroad in Europe,
most OF them at about thirty-hye cents on
the dollar. The law distinctly requires rail-
roads to accept their own bonds at par in
Daymeuts for: its lands, and by this stroke
OF business all the available land under the
ditch was secured at 4 very low figure.
These lands, together With the public lands
adjoining, make q grand total OF over TO-
600 acres OF fine farming lapd, exclusive OF
those already occupied by the farmers OF
Fort Collins aud the Greeley colony. 1t has
already been demonstrated that there IS not
better wheat land in any country than Col
orado, and long since the title The Great
American Desert" given to our plains Dy
General Fremont, has become name only.
The work OF excavation on TINS dllch was
contracted for at twelve cents per cubic
yard. The services OF Mr.. NettIe'on' OF
Pueblo, as engineer, have been secured,
and under his experienced hand this de-
partment bas gone on very successfully.
Mr.. Eaton has about one hundred head
of horses and mules ut work ploughing and
scrapng. The plouges used were made
cspeciaiiy for the work by parties at Kala-
mnZoo. Mich. They are built very strong,
- much or the soil broken is the very
to,iobest OF sod. In some OF the deeper
cuts they were used to break through hall.
formed rock. Six to eight horses are used
TO each plough. and the lands laid oil SO That
single round occupies half day. The
first ploughing has been: completed TO the
Denver Pacific, thirty-seven miles from the
mead OF the ditch, and ten miles from Gree
ley. .s,..-.,....,,, o,roooa
10 excaYating and building banks, ana u tne
number wilt soon be increased TO trty. Mr'
Solon Martin, of Greeley, is foreman oiLne
-crew .of workmen, who number about lity.
Altogether, he has a most rinteligent ana ae'
The camp which Mr., Eaton keeps for
these men islin itself acuriosity. venture
10 saw that there is no better camp IN COLO
Iado. and I hat the men are preytded for 10
q style unequaIled anywhere. gon-loaosS
of fresh beef, fresh pork; and g other .e. sup
stantials are freely supplied. and all seem
cheerful and hearty. IT Is a!together. Tue Z
ueatest and best-proyided camp IN ING Siate.
II us necessary to haul the water usea LOT
The camp ard for. the hundred horses @ an Q
mules "a distance lpf I've miles. One SIX
mule team Is kept constantly employ ed ln J
providing this, the only, be beverage q .ne
camp. Cards and Wbsskey nrs nnder ihs