Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1881-06-16
IRONTON. MO-. THURSDAY. JUNE is. 1881

mud.
Thirty years ago Northwestern Ohio
labored to an equal extent under all the
difficulties which beset Southeastern
Missouri, with this additional draw
back, that the former district had no
railroad to utilize and carry away its
surfeit of heavy timber, and furnish a
speedy and adequate transportation to
market for the productions of its soil.
This advantage the district last named
possesses to-day.
The district which thirty years ago
was the Black Swamp of Ohio is to-
day the garden of the State.
The people who were in the country
applied to the Legislature of the State
and obtained a very judicious drainage
law, which empowered the authorities
of a county on the petition of three res
ident landowners, to enter at once on
any lands for the purpose of making
ditch. When the location and size Of
the ditch had been determined, if it
was on the land of resident he had q
chance to make it within a given time.
If he did not make it, or If it was locat-
ed on a nonresident owners land, the
job of making it was sold; and if. when
it was finished, 1t was not paid for, the
land was sold, and as the law regarded
the making of the ditch not as a tax
for county or State purposes, but as
pay for labor actually done on the
premises, and for their benefit, the sale
carried with it fire-proof title from its
date. Under the operation Of this law
they removed all the fallen timber
which had driven the Portage river to
the woods, and restored that stream to
it's channel, and thus obtained basis
for their general system of drainage.
This led to the cleaning out of the
Of the smaller streams, until
the system became complete in very
short time.
But there was another advantage.
There were already quite a number Of
and vigorous young men in
the country, and when the news Of
this arrangement went out more car.
who in a very short time chopped a.,
dug their way into what proved to be
pleasant homes.
It was part of the unwritten law
of the country, that when the land Of
a nonresident was sold to pay for
ditching that the man who had done
the work was considered q preferred
bidder.
The drainage law was vigorously en-
forced in Ohio; and considering the
start that the railroad has given, the
and vigorous enforcement
Df similar law will in twenty years
set out the Black Swamp of Southeast
Missouri on dry ground, and make it
the garden of the State.
Those who are now living there must
move in the matter.
Twenty years may seem to be long
time, but it will be short compared
with the grand results secured.
The operation of the law will lead to
large bitches, the making of which
will sell the land of non-residents very
fast, and as the country is gradually
developed its increased productions
will more than balance the cost of the
leaving out Of view the
sanitary benefit.
BY the removal of the timber and
the rainfall will be made less,
and the danger of floods diminished in
proportion.
1t may be objected that the railroad
company, being very heavy land
owner. would object to such a law.
There is very little danger of that be-
ing done. The company has its lands
for sale, and the cost of ditching the
whole thing will be made up by the
increased value of the one-half Of their
lands, so that they can pay for the
work and have their land clear. Be
sides all that, their own engineers, who
are employed by the month or year,
can locate the bitches, and, 1t needful,
the law can give the laborer lien on
the land, or the company can agree to
pay him in land, SO that the improve
ment of the country will still go on.
Or, at the worst, it is likely that
there would be no wrong dene If the
law would stand up and tell even
railroad company that it could not
be allowed, any more than an individu-
al landowner, to pursue q Tolicy Of OBJ
struction while pretending to develop
country.
The statistics have not yet been in
vented that can reveal adequately the
fertility and productiveness Of that dis
trict, when its disabilities Shall have
been removed. From below the sur
face will come metallic ores, Goals and
the best material for making bricks.
On its surface there Is to-day an almost
endless variety Of timber, and medical
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