Emmons County record. [volume] (Williamsport, D.T. [i.e. N.D.]) 1884-current, 1891-04-03
tling neighborhood quarrels come to pre-
vail and no settlers property will he safe.
Irrigation at Last.

A gentleman named Mil!sbeech. liv-
ing in the western part of this county,
has discovered method of turning one
of the most destructive forces of the state
into an important factor for tue public
veal. Being of a thoughtful and original
makeup, he had long considered the va
rious plans by Which art might remedy
the shortcomings of nature In the state of
his az tion and thus fill the land with
the ',ao os.J homes of contented people.
He had long noted the wonderful exca-
waiting powers of the genus badger
(known to science as "henroostlum robbie
rium"). While most people saw in the
existence of this unpopular qundruped
nothing but mysterious dlspensation of
Providence for the prevention of over
production in hens and hen fruit, Mr..
Mlllsbeech looked above and beyond.
He argued that If this destructive force
could be conserved and directed accord
ing to the principles of applied science.
the discoverer and director thereof would
60 down to history more orld-renowned
than Jack-the-G Giant Killer, Sitting Bull
or Billy Patterson, and future generations
in the regions short Of rainfall would
get up in the middle of the night to call
him blessed. With this object in view,
in the early part OF last summer he set to
work and soon captured an even dozen of
young badgers. At the same time he
procured some fve.score of infant pocket
gophers.
Time rolled on, which it has habit of
doing over in Horsehead Valley just the
same as elsewhere, and the merry spring
time came, and the grlp-laden zephyrs
blew. Then from the house of Farmer
Millsbcech a strange procession went
forth. First was the farmer with pick
and shovel, then came the dozen badgers,
and bringing up the rear the hundred
pocket gophers--all the animals having
been tanned and trained during the winter
IN tho farmers cellar. Their master dug
a few inches, until below the frost
line, and then he threw aside his
shovel, called out mo. L." and point.
ed toward the hole. In an instant badger
No. was digging. He made the dirt fly
IN clouds for ten minutes then No 2.
was called and relieved him. Thus the
work went on, each animal taking its
turn, and six inches being dug every ten
minutes. The boss stood by, file in
hand, to sharpen any toc-nails that might
become blunted by striking pebbles OF
gravel At a depth of six feet two
badgers worked, one above the other, an i
at twelve feet third animal took position
in the rear. When the slanting hole
had reached twenty-four feet six badgers
we're employed, the first throwing the dirt
to the second, the second to the third,
and so on. At twenty-five feet all the
badgers came out but one, and the pocket
gophers went in. Mr. Millsbecch says il
was very amusing to see the line of little
fellows all on the run, with their cheeks
puffed out, come up to the pile, eject
their cargo, and with squeak dar,
down the hole for another load.
Work progressed steadily night and
day--a nelghbor, Mr.. Clareast, standing
watch about with the boss. Hollow cot
tonwood logs were used for tubing, ane
nothing unusual occurred until at tht
end of the sixth day, at a depth of 43;
feet. the badger came up and out of the
hole, followed by the gophers. He looked
detected and his toes were bleeding H,
had struck rock
| But the irrigation;st had provided TO
this contingency. He had procured {
dozen pairs of boots, made to fit the badg
ers' front feet, TO which were affixed
diamond-tipped steel claws. These boots
were adjusted, the work resumed, ant
the twelve-foot stratum of rock slowly bu
surely penetrated.
On the evening Of the eighteenth day
at depth of 99s feet. a powerful flov
of water was struck. 1t came with sucl
force that the badger at work and on
that was descending to relieve him, be
sides forty seven gophers in the hole
were drowned. The wcll-dgger was, nat
urally enough, highly elated as he 81,
the fine stream burst forth, but was mucl
chagrined to find that, owing to the slop
ing character of the well and the immens
force of the flow, all the water cam
down on his neighbors land, which !
about one hundred yards distant an
slants in an opposite direction. How
ever, MIR: NJ. thinks this defect can b
, remedied by twisting the hole around
and thus causing the stream to curry
toward his own acres. He feels kccnl
the loss of the faithful workers, but wi
this season procure one thousand badger
and five thousand pocket gophers an
next year take contracts from the public
,, He may also experiment with a fe,
foxes.
The facts above given were obtainc
from Mr.. Millsbeech himself, who is
! thoroughly reliable settcr--almost q
much so as the writer of this article.
There is great excitement in Emmor
county over the success of the only chea
and feasible plan of artesian-well irriga
tion yet proposed for this part of Mort
Dakota, and State Irrigationist Barre
has been notified of the joy full results
NOT1CE-COUNTK COURT.
;! will hold a special term of the Count
+, Court in WlllIamsport on the first MOI
day in April, being April 8. 1891.
! c. ROwRRDIEK