Daily press and Dakotaian. [volume] (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1875-1880, 1879-10-06
the SAND LAKE NUISANCE.
The Flew Of the jim River Stopped
BY the Spectators Dam
Yob $3.50 = Lake.
The River Dried Up for a Distance Of
One Hundred and Fifty Miles,
ali tho Mills Prac.
ttcally stopped.

NJ. 7. Woolley, proprietor of the -four
ing mill ct Milltown, returned on Saturday
evening from a visit to that place, and con-
firms Previous reports of the damages to
the mills and the interests generally Of the
lower Jim river valley occasioned by the
B. NJ. Smith & Co. Sand lake dam. This
dam has recently been vieited by the
Messrr. Maxwell, owners Of the Touring
mill at Maxwell City in Hutchinson coun.
ty, whose mill has shared the common fate
of all the other mills on the Jim river be-
low the Sand lake nuisance. In township
l24, range 62. they found a dam fourteen
feet high in the Jim river. which had en-
tirely stopped the flow of the river and
raised the water in Sand lake, a long stray
Cling pond about 60 miles in length, some
twelve feet. Work was still progressing on
the dam, the intention being to make it
seventeen feet high, and extending across
the first bench and connecting with
the second bench or bluff line
of the stream. The rise produced by this
dam extends nor.hward some fifty or sixty
miles.andg has slreadyhaoeded ID the neigh
borhood Of forty thousand acres Of land.
For what purpose this dam is being built
could not be ascertained by. the Messre.
Maxwell. No improvement or. sign Of Inn
provement in the shape Of q mill or MACH.
merry is to, be seen and the men engaged in
constructing the dam knew nothing more
about 1t than that they were employed to
do the work by parties in st. Paul.
The effect Of this dam is to entirely stop
the flow of the water Of the river. For a
distance Of one hundred and fifty miles BY
the winding Of the river, there is not q drop
of running water, and the bed of the river
Is overgrown with weeds aud grass. This
condition extends to Fires,eel where there
was 80 running water uatil the late rains
and only u little water here and there in
holes. For q few DAYS after the late rains
there Was at that point a flow of abou,
three inches of water. AT Rock
lport. twelve miles on y direc,
line below Firesteel, Notwithstanding the
accession Of the waters of Fires.eel creek
and a number Of springs, the Aowaof water
is Insignificant, and the mill at that place
has not turned a wheel for over two months.
At Milltown, II miles below Rockport, on
account Of the waters from Twelve Mile
creek and contributions from, numerous
large springs, the condition is somewhat
better, aud the mill is able to run an aver.
age of about two days in a week. The Wolf
creek mill can run one day in a week and
1.-THE Maxwell mill about two days. The re-
tsult is that these mills have hundreds Of
bushels of wheat piled up which they are
unable to grind and the farmers of the sur
rounding country are unable to &c, enough
wheat ground to supply their families with
-four. At one time last week there was not
a pound Of -four to be had al Rockport or
Firesteel, and the farmers and settlers were
compelled to send to Yankton, q distance Of
sixty and s%eventy-6ve miles,to procure flour.
This Of course was done At q great incon-
venience and heavy expense. This, howev.
er, is not the only inconvenience Of this
Sand lake affair. As before stated, the river
is practically dried up for a distance of over
one hundred miles, and for q much greater
distance what water remains is in stagnan,
pools, which, when cold weather sets in,
will freeze to the bottom, and thus shut of
all water supply for the large herds Of cat
tie scattered along the valley. If the Sand
lake dam is allowed to remain not one O
the mills on the Jim river can turn q vince
during the entire winter.
But q greater danger menaces the valley
This Sand lake dam is constructed of vii
low brush, bay and earth. No timbers o.
rock whatever are used in its fabrication
1t is = cheap and undoubtedly a weak one
1t has evidently been placed there by non
residents to further . dishonest scheme, ant
not as . permanent and useful improvement
If this ,aimsy obstruction. is allowed to Re
main, it is very evident that it will not with
stand the high water aud pressure of tn
ice in the spring. It will give way at ono
and be torn out to its foundation. The
what will be the result Of the sudden q
cape of this vast volume of imprisone
water? 1t will rush down in q
irresistible avalanche vsweepin
everything before 1t in the entire VALLEY
Not . building or other improvement
would Withstand the force of the food, an
every living thing caught 10 its path woul
be swept out Of existence.
Uader these circumstances the people {
the valley are naturally and rightfully il
dignant. Their industries, their homes 40
their improvements-even their lives-al
), jeopardized by the speculative and illee,
acts of . company Of nonresident Ian,
grabbers, and we are not surprised to lear
, that they are determinedi TO adopt sue
!. measures as will relieve them from the Or,
sent inconvenience and protect them frol