Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1901-10-07
GRADING ON HENNEPIN
Plan is to Have 1t Finished to End
of Excavations Before Win
ter Sets In
MANY OF THE FARMS ARE CUT UP
But People Want to See Canal
Completed--WiII Increase
Land Values.

The work on the Hennepin canal
near Geneseo has reached point just
north Of that place and will be finish
ed up to the end of the excavations
which were made last year before the
close of the year. The work now
being done is mainly the grading of
driveways which were left at the time
of the first excavations, and the put
ting in of abutments for the bridges
over the canal.
Colored workmen are numerous,
and it is said that they give to the job
of grading an air of leisure that
makes this work appear as different
as possible from the usual rush work
on a railway grade. But perhaps
there is some excuse for this in the
fact that government work must al
ways be done more carefully The
same kind of steel two-whe eled grad
ers are used, and attached to those
are the usual mules, who also con-
tribute to the leisurely air
Grading for Bridges.
The grading for abutments for the
steel bridges over the canal is being
done by teamsters from the vicinity
where the work is being done. The
abutments are mammoth pieces of
work, the two for each bridge requir-
lug 500 tons of crushed rock alone, TO
say nothing of cut stone, gravel and
cement for the concrete work The
tops of the banks of the canal are high
above the country roads and long
graded approaches will lead to the
new bridges.
Another feature of the work which
requires skillfuI engineering, and is
a so expensive, is the building of the
concrete tunnels under the bed of the
canal for the streams which cross it's
course. The principal one of these
near Geneseo will be at Spring creek,
a small stream ordinarily, but rag
ing flood in spring. The concrete
tunnel will be 20 feet wide and eight
feet high, arched and built strongly
to allow great deal of water to pass
through. Through much of the flat
land near Geneseo the farmers had
dug bitches to drain off the surface
water from their farms, and where
ever these bitches cross the engineers
have had to provide tunnel at great
cost.
Cuts Up Lands.
Already farmers along the course
of the canal realize that it meaus
something mo 70 than the mere cutting
up of the Ia I'd which was purcha sed.
In many cas- IS a farmers land will be
cut squarely in two, and insteai of
driving from one field TO another he
will have to go round by the road to
a bridge, maybe a half a mile and
some times a mile and a half before
he can get to the farm on the other
side. In those days he will fish for
flying machines to transport machin-
cry from one farm to another. How
ever, all farmers along the line are
anxious for the completion of the
work and believe that when boats be-
gin to run the value of their land will
be increased and they will enjoy other
benefits.
Men Are Quiet.
The negroes now at work on the
canal are more quiet in camp life than
the woTkmen who were along the line
year ago. Much of this is due to
the management of Contractor Burke,
who has charge of the work in Gen.
eseo. Sunday is wash day, aud is
spent quietly The negroes buy pro.
duce from the neighboring farmers
and many do their own cooking,
though board is furnished by the con-
tractor for all who want it. The men
are paid $3.50 per day and pay So sc
per week for board, so are not in dan
ger of becoming capitalists.
Contractor Burke expects to have
the work finished as far as possible in
a few weeks and wilt 60 from Geneseo
to Indian Territory to look after other
contracts.