The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-12-12
CONTRACT FOR BIG DITCH
e. c. BURLINGAME WILL DIG Sc
LAH-MoxEE IRRIGATION CANAL.
Cost of Important Yakima Sahey
Improvement VIII BE About
S5O.OOO-Cut and Flume Will Be
Twenty-six Miles in Length.

Special Dispatch to the Post-Intelligencer
NORTH YAKIMA. Dec. 1.-Bids for the
construction of the Selah and Mckee ca
nal, a part of the new irrigation enter
prise in the Mckee valley, were opened
Saturday, and the contract awarded u
r. c. Burlingame,' a weil-known con-
tractor of this place. Mr. Burlingame WI
perform construction work for the conf
pany to the amount of nearly $4,000 he
has already begun work, and parties VIII
be stationed at various places along the
line of the canal and kept busy all WIN
ter. About 200 men and 100 teams VIII
be employed. and the ditch is to be ready
for use after 100 working days. Should
the weather be favorable so that work
could be carried on every day. Mr.. Bur-
lingame's task would be completed about
the middle of March The companys con-
tracts for water service date from May.
so that Mr. Burlingame has been allowed
about six weeks for possible bad wealth
err.
II have about twenty-six miles of ditch
to construct" Mr. Burlngame said Mon
day. 1T will be twelve feet wide at the
bottom, four feet deep and the sides Will
have a one and a half to one slope.
There will be three miles of Hume to
build. There will be some rock work.
but most of the canal will be easy dig
ging and we will get over 1t In a hurry.
i Snall nlre men IOr the JOp WHeTtNcI L
can get them and will use many as
possible. expect to pay s1.75 and So for
men, and 1915 for men and teams The
fiuming will be let in sections to local
carpenters. About 100000 feet of lum-
Der will be required for the fumes. /
think there will be not the slightest diff
ficulty about finishing the work within
the time specified
Mr.. Burlngame has handled number
of In ntS for ha l.
road & Navigation during the last few
years, and the construction of twenty-six
miles of irrigating canal, while 1t Is
matter of $4,000, he does not consider
very great undertaking all confidently
expects to have 1t off his hands even
earlier than specified in the contract
The new canal will furnish an album
dance of water for 5000 acres of what
is now sagebrush land situated within
ten miles of North Yakima. The water
will be taken out of the Yakima river al
the mouth of Selah creek, eight or nine
miles above town. The line of the. old
Bounds & Taylor ditch will be used for q
short distance. The water will be carried
through the gap. This will be the most
expensive part of the construction work.
The land to be reclaimed lies below the
gap on the east side of the river. The
ditch will empty into the river near the
old Nick Mccoy place.
The Selah & Mckee irrigation enterprise
Will be the means OF AIDING largely
to the population tributary TO North
Yakima. 1t win provide homes for from
100 to 200 families, and the indications now
are that every foot of the land Will be
sold to settlers before the water Is turn
ed into the ditch. immigration to the
Yakima valley is now so heavy that it Is
almost impossible TO find places for the
newcomers to live. One hundred persons
came on the excursion trains last week.
and all but few are still here. Many OF
them have made contracts for land un-
der the new ditch. and are preparing TO
put up houses, and expect to be ready to
commence improving their farms in the
spring.
The company which is handling the
project was organized by George S Ran
kin and w. T Clark. of this city. Mr..
Rankin is a merchant and Mr.. Clark has
had great deal of experience with arte-
sian wells and irrigating canals. Clark
J. w. elise, president of the Seattle Cham
Der of Commerce, and number of East
ern capitalists
II Is said that should this enterpr
prove as successful as those who have
promoted IL believe II will the compile
ton of the Burlingame ditch VIII proba-
bly, follow. This ditch takes water from
the Natchez and would open up over
10000 acres OF excellent land near town.
1t is intimated that the Eastern men
back OF the Selah and Mckee may be
willing to come to the assistance of Mr..
Burlingame hy the time he finishes his
work for them. He s-ts. however. THAT
he has nothing definite to say about his
be able to complete t. but cannot say