The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1901-09-13
MEDO'S BIG DITCH.
Contractor Tidland Has the Work One
Third Completed.

Contractor lidland has the Work One
Third Completed.
Mapleton Enterprise:
Monday an Enterprise reporter went
on tour of inspection to the Medo-
Danville big ditch. Operations were
found under full swing and every
thing progressing finely. This work is
known as county ditch No. and is
under the supervision Of Mr.. Henry
Tidland of North Mankato, the leading
ditch contractor of southern Mime
sofa. At the time of our visit, Mr..
Tidland's force had been at work just
one month and the, result was three
and one-half miles of excavation COM
pleted. Now, however, new recruits
have been added to the former force
and work will be doubled, the remain
der of the season. Thirty men, twenty
five teams, and one of Tidland's rotary
ditchers complete the force. This
ditcher is one of Mr.. Tidland's own
invention and is put out by the Man
kato Manufacturing company. 1t is
one of the best machines on the mar
ket, being light draught, requiring
but eight horses to propel it, it is
simple and condensed and is made
right to the point by professional
ditcher and grader. A heavy double
beamed plow, attached to the machine,
breaks the soil which is left by the
mole board on revolving platform,
provided with steel hinged elevator
cups. The soil is carried to the oppo-
site side of the machine and there dis
charged by dump wheel, into the
wagon loader and then conveyed to a
neat ridge nineteen feet from its for
mer resting place.
The capacity of this machine is 900
loads in ten hours. A ditch five feet
deep is readily excavated. The teams
with scrapers are then required to
clean out the bed, which is but few
minutes job. The ditch, when COM
pleted, will be the largest excavation
in either Nicollet or Blue Earth coun-
ties and will certainly be an excellent
piece of engineering. The main ditch
will be about six and one-half miles
in length, starting on the, southeast
corner of John Peck farm, in Dan
Vile, two and one-half miles from
Minnesota Lake, continuing in a zig
gag, northeasterly course and empty
ing into the Cobb river, on the farm
of Andrew Knudson. From the main
ditch, three spurs are extended, max
ing the total length ten miles.
The contract price is SO, 0S4, or a
trife over 81, 900 per mile. The con-
tract is divided into twelve sections
which enables Mr.. Tidland to draw on
the county as soon as a section has
been approved by the engineer. At
present two contracts have been COM
pleted and endorsed and work is being
done on three other sections
The average depth will be about fonr
feet while the extremes are two and
ten feet The width is in accordance
with the depth, which will mean from
twelve to forty feet on top.
A very important and interesting
item and one apparently often misun-
derstood, is the manner in which the
expense incurred in the work is met.
The county advances the contract
price, which sum is returned to the
treasury by the parties directly bene-
fitted, per ratio of benefit, at the end
of ten yearly payments for ten con-
secutive years. This extra levy is paid
in at the time of the regular land tax.
Thus a uniform and fair way is pro-
vided.
1t is figured that over 200 acres
will be drained by this ditch. The
average cost is about S.. per acre.
The five heaviest land owners areChas
Volklander, P. Hough, M. NJ. Mum
dunn, Wash. and Wesley LaTourelle.
In all about thirty farmers are bene-
fitted by the work.
Mr.. NJ. M. Mundum was the chief
agitator and promoter of the enter
prise, and for two years he never lost
sight of his object, though the opposi-
ton was strong and waged continu-
ously, in fact the tenacity with which
the man labored was indeed refreshing,
as was the final outcome when the
board of county commissioners crown
ed is efforts with success. The greater
share of the 1, 200 acres has in the past
been utterly worthless. even as pasture
and its future will be surprising.
Three years will see this now waste
land garden of fax, corn and other
cereals, and if on the market, COM
handing $40 per acre. Some of the
heaviest meadow in the country will
also be found right along the ditch in
two years from now. The work is
certainly a commendable enterprise
and one that will enhance the profits
If ba coil 81 cent