The Holt County sentinel., 1899-03-10
The Ditch Movement.

Since We have had - much high
water during the last FEN years, and
since the present winter mas been an
inuriiRately severe and rlgId one pIllng
up the snow from forty To sixty feet
deep IN the mountains Of Colorado aud
Wyoming. the people of the Missouri
rIvers5Ottums are quiteianXIous Gsto the
future of that region, and are fearful Of
extremely high water again tins year.
The older and best informed citizens of
the bottom have long ago come To the
conclusion that some sort OF systematic
plan must sopuer or later he adopted for
draining these bottom lands, and all
uoN agree that the sooner the work Is
begun the better. or course II Is "A
gigantic task, but when men rrsCiye
down deep IN their hearts that they Will
do Il piece Of work. whatever the ob
-taclss, II Il generally done. IL Is not
the running oi the overflow water across
these lands. 81 much as u Is the stand
ing of the waters on the lands for weeKs
and months at "a tune. tina: ruins the
crops aud drives the people Uu,: and II
Is conceded that vast ditch ur drain
cut and maintained through aud along
the proper and natural draws and low
lands Of the huttoms would reclaim
thousands upon thousands of acres Vt
these lands ani render them lit for cu!
tIvalIAu. All realize that II IL II stub
born cundltinn that cOnfrOnts them, but
they also rsalIIa that whatever the con
ditIOus. something must be done. Several
meetings have been held IN different
parts Of the bottom. tn-wt: 1t Craig. al
Forest City and at Forbes tO consider
I 4 n
iasm manifested IN many Of these meet
lugs show that the people are getting
desperately IN earnest abnut the matter.
and unless va mistake the outlook
greatly, there will Re something of an
enormous nature aud proportions done
before the wears lSsi aud lbn have
rolled iutn the great eternity. IL Is no
use tu longer say that I'VE have tired II
get dutch Several times and always
failed and had a iu. ~ costs 10 pay. :"
what il the use To try HLaIT: The time
for that sort of talk has now happily nhnIt
yassed by, and men nf nerve. men Il
energy. men uf large means and men Cf
determInatIOu, uTs coming In the front
and taking hold. and. like the lark SAID
tn her llttlr ones iS mt th" farmer who
resolves L. do hIs work himself. some
thing uhw - going tp hr duur lhr
plan most liable IL be adopted - t1
divide the bottom Lands uf the entire
county into three 81 several dt"hius
districts: One ~ the vicinity Ut tTaIg.
one for the bottom southwest uf Mound
CITY, and one below F.,rrS, CAV. reach
ins dow tn Forbes. The territory "F
earh wall bc specifically outlined abi
described. aud application IN each ease
Will b.. made. tu the cIrcuIt court - the
county for me. rpnFgtIur. Several meet
Ings in the various .nStrirtS have siT"ady
been held, and mary more vii hr held
III the near future. The private cor
poIatIun organized al Mound CJ;y la,t
fall tu Gn some d.tct;u near there -
different sort uf ,'rrr,rdJsuu from thCs"
RON IN t. rn.rmplR;tuu. hut II ~ d'IU:
some good Wrr!i upon IL own private
property. and IS wIllIHS IN 20 operate IN
any reasonably WAY with the movement
rnw Caiug placed IN frut. THs SESrT
MI. rel lIt'",' - see this iItrhIuS w'rk
taken up IN earnest a. - nuN benz
done, and wishes that, as we'll as every
other movement Tor the b"ttermru' II
our prnpi-S condition ami the huIldtug
up aud lnprlv'n. x H'i' r"uuty. Il
hearty Gnd-psei