Daily Yellowstone journal., 1886-12-29
THE MILES CITY IRRIGATING AMI
DITCH COMPANY.


DITCH COMPANY.
What IL Has Done I'm the asst and What IL
Will DO In the Future.
There is no enterprise projected or
established that augurs one tenth part
of the prosperity to Miles City that is
now assured by the early completion
of the ditch of the Miles City Irrigat-
ing and Ditch company. 1t is an en-
terprise that has boen carried forward
under most discouraging circum-
stances. AS early as 1881, when
Miles City began to assume an air Of
permanency, this work was projected
by Jos. Leighton and w. b. Jordan,
and with some assistance from officers
at Fort Keogh and q few of our citi-
zens, a company was formed and the
work now approaching completion
outlined. In the following year the
line of the ditch was run by Capt. r.
l.. Edwards, q civil engineer; con-
tracts for excavating the ditch proper
were let and the work Of digging the
ditch finished. During the next year
everything was gotten in readiness for
the putting In Of the dam at the head
of the ditch, and which could only he
put in.in the winter when the river was
frozen. This work was entrusted to
w. B. Cav, another engineer. who at
cost of S9, 900 constructed q dam OF
cottonwood timber and piles on Sc
faulty basis that il was carried out
when the ice broke IN Tongue river in
the spring of 1884. This calamity TO.
gether with the discovery that the
ditch had been dug too deep and mar.
row to be of service, well nigh dis
couraged the company. and although
up to this time some $40, 900 had been
invested in the enterprise, it was i'm
possible to get the old company as a
company to take any further steps to
perfect the original scheme or CON-
plete the work. In consequence OF
this feeling of apathy and discourage
ment among the stock holders, the
affairs of the company languished, and
to enable those of the stock holder,
who were willing to put more money
into the scheme, an opportunity o
doing 30, the old company was allow
ed to pass into the hands of the sheriff
who i'm the summer of 1885 sold al
their rights and interest TO Walter b
Jordan for the benefit Of the creditors
Mr.. Jordan quickly organized q new
company under the name II nov
bears, associated in which were Leigh
ton & &Jordan, Miles City; Maj. simeor
Snyder, Fort, Keogb; DR.. Ira L. San
derson. u. S. A.; Gen. w. A. Rucker
u. S. A. T. J Bryan, Miles City; VIM
N. Macqueen, Miles City; Lieut.. C. b
Thompson, Fort Keogh; Lieut.. w. H
Sage. Fort Keogh; Mrs. Capt. Masor
Carter, Fort Keogb; Capt. T. F.
Forbes, Fort Keogb; VIM. Courtenay
Miles City; c. b. Dunn, Philadelphia
DIR. G. w. Ellis, Philadelphia; DIR. p
F. Harvey. U. S. A.; Maurice Auer
bach, st. Paul; II. f. Slower. st. Paul
Konrad Schmid, Miles City; Louis
Payette. Miles City; J. McGurk
Miles City.
The purchase, though made at I
nominal figure, covered scarcely any
thing of value save the right Of way
ss the ditch itself was in such condi
tion that 1t would cost as much TO pu
II in proper shape as to dig II anew
and the dam was non est. Owing &
the III luck that had attended the oil,
company, the gentlemen associated Il
the new found some difficulty II
placing any considerable amount O
their stock, but nothing daunted b.
the past, snd with q firm reliance Il
the future, they went manfully 3
work TO push the ditch to completion
involving an outlay Of over 900, ,00O
The summer of 1885 saw them busil.
at work with this end In view. Unde
special permission from the interio
department, q mill wss put In th'
pineries Of upper Tongue river, AND