Daily Yellowstone journal., 1888-05-04
DITCH DOINGS.
Progress that Six Months has
Seen in the Work of
Construction.
Under Pumpkin Creek and the
Almost Endless Fluming
Around Kings Bluff.
THE DITCH.

THE DITCH.
What is being Done and What May be Ex-
pected This Season.
When we say the ditchn every,
body knows that we refer to the enter.
prise of the Miles City irrlgating and
Ditch company, which was begun a
matter of five years ago with every
promise Of immediate completion aud
of proving a permanent and profitable
investment. Its projectors were men
who saw with half an eye the i'm
menss possibilities that could arise in
the development Of the Tongue river
and Yellowstone bottoms when rem
dered susceptible OF irrigation by an
unfaillng supply Of water for irrigat-
ing purposes. The future WAS rich in
promise and IL STILL but thus far an
ticipalon has failed of realization.
That this is so, no one here need be
told, IL owing TO the series OF unfor-
tunste events that have followed the
enterprise since its inception. More
money has been spent than would
twice over complete the ditch its en-
tire length OF twenty-eight miles. It,
history thus far can chronicle nothing
but failures, but from the year OF our
Lord 1883 it has taken q new depart
ure and IL looks now as IL month or
two would witness practical demon
stration OF its worth as an adjunct to
agriculture and another year it's final
and triumphant success.
Tlfe winter OF 1856 was devoted te
the construction Of Il dam across
Tongue river at the point where water
is taken into the ditcn a short distance
above the mouth OF Pumpkin creek;
the spring breakup of 1857 proved til,
solidity of the dam proper, but Al
earthwork extension OF several hun,
dred feet was found to be insufficient,
for its share Of the work and the water
finding way through 1t soon washed
it away and rendered impossible the
completion OF the ditch last year.
Early last winter the services OF Mr..
q. Nj. Estabrook were retained and be
was instructed to rebuild the earth
work and gel it in order for test this
spring, Mr.. Estabrook is q practlcel
man with life long experience in the
class Of work he was engaged to super
intend and his success here fully dem
onstrates the wisdom OF his employ
ment TO do what Others had failed in.
No more satisfactory results could be
asked than are now to be witnessed al
the initial point Of the Tongue river
ditch. Here the entire flow Of Tongue
river is neld in basin about 200 feet
wide and between eight and nin,
deep. The overflow is over the dan
proper, which is about 400 feet wide
and over which the entire waste flow
abouts four inches deep, sliding dowi
the spron in a silvery sheet and break
ing into pretty cascade At the bot
tom. where II again takes II. nstura
course in the river bed. The hea,
gate, four in number. at the openip
Of the ditch are Of course closed. I'm
pressing against them ia a bod Y @
water ten feet wide and six or eigh
feet deem ready TO rush through an
take up its Journey throughout th
length of the ditch. bearing its burde
OF nourishment and fertility whereye
IL NAV 20. About quarter of mil
from where the ditch first takes 1,
water, Il has 20 make the crossing ,
Pumpkin creek, at most seasons of ia
year an insign 6cant rivulet, but 1
the spring, and during seasons /,
heavy rains, u raging torrent. Tbi
latter feature Of Pumpkin creek ha
made II inexpedient II not impractics
BILE to cross the ditch over It on grad,
and consequently il is crossed by O,
Ing under it As the ditch approachs