The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-01-21

The committee on drainage from the
senate and house held a joint session
yesterday afternoon, and discussed
matters pertaining to drainage in the
Red River valley. President j. j. Hill,
OF the Great Northern was present and
made a brief address ON the subject
under discussion. Mr.. Hill had been
called upon by members of the senate
financial aid to complete the system
of drainage in the valley, but he stated
that the Great Northern had done con-
siderable financially in this direction in
the past, and did not feel like making
another appropriation.
In the course of his remarks and the
discussion which followed, Mr.. Hill said
he was glad at any time to throw any
light on the subject of drainage in the
Red River valley. For twenty Eight
years he had watched affairs in the val
ley. In 1877, when he secured the right
of way from Crockston to st. Vincent,
the man in charge had said the land
was not worth cents per acre and
advised the abandoning of the road and
to let the land grant go. 1t was now
one of the finest producing sections of
the state. Twelve years ago he had
held meetings in that section and pro-
posed an easy and cheap drainage plan,
The most of the trouble was indirectly
owing TO the beaver dams on the
streams. He had then attempted to
provide a fund for survey but this
was not agreed to, and he had one
made for himself at an expense of $780,
COO.
The Red river valley had a uniform
fall Of from five to ten feet to the mile,
and the line of drainage was northwest.
There was strong element of justice
iii favor of the state helping that sec
ton to drainage for the reason that the
state had received benefits and had
used the land and other portions of the
state had received the benefits.
The opening up of Polk county by
farmers had caused him to make an
other effort in this direction. The coun-
try was flat and from the appearance
it looked as though there was a chance
for drainage, but this had been shown
to be incorrect. The frost in that sec
ton, which sometimes was six ard
! seven feet deep, allowed the water to
stand on the land and prevented the
farmers from seeding as early as they
thought proper. The result was that
instead of waiting for ten days or two
weeks the farmers put in seed when the
land was too wet.
The state had put in 100000 and the
Great Northern $25,000 on the condi-
ton that the chief engineer of the road
should be enc of the drainage com
missioners. The result had been an
agreeable disappointment The state
officers thought it a scheme to build
railroads, and for the first year would
have nothing to do with it. AS soon
as the bitches were dug; however, the
state officials from the governor down.
were up there. and all agreed it was
good thing and were glad to be iden-s
tilted with it.
What had been done was to open up
old channels of waterways and let the
water find its way to the old courses.
The result was the farmers were able
to put in seed earlier, and the price
OF lands had risen largely He had al
ways felt satisfaction with his work
in the valley, and the section now
needed no one to apologize for it.
The question of drainage had helped
it greatly, and to increase the system
would do more. and there was more
to show for the money spent than any
other work ever done in the state
When railroad company secured the
removal of earth at from II to Ii cents
1t was thought a wonderful thing, but
the earth had been removed in cutting
the bitches from s to 10 cents per cubic
yard.
DIR. Ezra Valentine had, in Mr.. Hills
opinion, as one Of the commissioners.
uoiie Aiole IoI Tie farmers or the Red
river valley than any other one man.
1t would be only wise and just for the
state to give further appropriation for
the work. The state owned a large
amount of land Or had sold them at a
higher figure on account of the drain
age, and by this the state had more
than received its money back The
state could afford to spend money, but
the Great Northern lands had been
nearly all sold. The taxes of the road
amounted to about $1,5OO per day, and,
notwithstanding the contract between
the road and the state provided that
the land was not to be taxed until sold.