The record-union., 1895-05-04
GRAND ISLAND AFFAIRS.
Trustee Smith Makes Report of Wha
Has Been Doua There.


Has Been Done There.
Will J. Smith, one of the trustees and
q large landowner on Grand Island,
seems to think that his neighbors and CO.
landowners would like to know how
their money is spent in reclamation. He
is the first trustee in that district who has
taken the trouble to do this. and the
thanks of the people in the district will
be showered upon his head. "Will' Is
somewhat of a wit also, and the RECORD
UNION hopes to hear from him fre-
quently. He sends the following report
10 this Office of the work done from De-
cember l, 1894, to May l, 1895, knowing
that everyone down the river reads the
oRD-UNIoN:
"EDs. RECORD UNION: Grand Island,
known as Reclamation District No. 3, has
now in operation one steam dredger, one
steam shoveler on scow used as a ditch
ing machine, two steam pumps-one at
Ryde and one at the lower end OF the
island-and one pile-driver. Nineteen
miles of main canal are now finished and
about twenty miles of smaller canal.
The main canal is twenty-four feet wide.
The smaller is eight feet wide on top and
OF sufficient depth to take off the sipage
water. Some idea of what it costs to run
the different machines owned by Grand
Island and the work they do may be OBJ
tanned from the following data Records
OF all work done are kept for each run Of
twelve hours.
First. as to the ditching machine.
Since December l, 1894, the ditching ma
chine has moved 78.405 cubic yards of
earth in the actual time OF 10o days of
twenty-fOur hours each. There is more
or less lost time ia moving around from
Tlio m md rfnQ r "
small breakages occur. All this time, as
well as cost for extras, coal, labor, etc, is
included in the cost OF running for i've
months, which is 81. 574 80. The distance
OF canal dug is about five miles.
"The amount of water that has been
pumped from these canals, which lead to
both pumps, is as follows: Ryde pump,
actually worked 1926 hours, and is esti-
mated to have pumped out $500 900, 900
gallons of water, at a cost, including lost
time, repairs, coal, labor, etc., of S, 396 81.
The lower pump, at gross cost of S4,-
195 70. pumped 1,9l0,0O0.000 gallons of
water in fifty-three days Of work. Here
are 8, Ito. 100000 gallons OF surplus water
in five months, and people wonder why
in the Pierson District. or rather lake.
''The dredger, which is without doubt
one OF the best, if not the best, at present
in the State, has helped to burn up the
Grand Island stockholders money to
the tune of S5,S5S 81. In return for
this she worked 115l days, throwing out
the slippery slickens that gets through
the Government dams and is trying to
get to San Francisco by water and beat
the railroad out of "all the tariff will
bear"; 274,93 cubic yards of these erst-
while mountain tops were piled out and
made into a miniature mountain IN the
shape of a levee Is 1874 feet long.
"The finished levee now being built is
over five feet above the highest water
known TO the 'oldest inha bitant," with a
crown of twenty feet and four to one
slopes on the sides, made from pure sand
and slickens that got away from-where
I'm addition, there have been expenses
to the amount of Sl,554 Is for experts
report, election expenses, Commission
ers' fees, and the thousand and one
| thinge incidental to the successful rum
ming of the best reclamation district in
| the great Sacramento Valley. Practically
every acre of land in the district will
| help to swell its owners pockets-may
| be not always with coin OF the realm, but
surely with bills.
"ForsooLh, it will be but q short time
| before the sigh Of the catfish will be
heard no more in the lakes and sloughs,
whence has already departed the tooth
some duck. Instead, the Italian will be
seen thrashing beans and horses, too-or
some alfalfa king make May mornings
merry moving and gathering his crop.
| Yours, WILL j. SMITH"