Red Lodge picket. [volume] (Red Lodge, Mont.) 1889-1907, 1902-06-27
Big Ditch From the Rosebud Means Place
Of Settlement for Thirty or
More Ranchers.
CARBON'S GARDEN SPOT
Ex-Oounty Surveyor Lay Believes That
Irrigation Contemplated Will Make
Rich Settlement.

connecting the East Rosebud with |
Butcher creek will open about thirty |
fine ranches to settlement, converting a
range that is now of little value into till
able fields and pasture land.
David Lay returned to Red Lodge
Wednesday night from making the sur
vey for the first two miles Of the ditch,
construction work upon which will be
commenced next week. He made a
temporary survey for the remainder Of
the ditch, a distance of twelve miles.
The improvement will start at what IS
known as the SAND ford Of the East
Rosebud and continue along pretty close
to the bank Of the stream for the first
three miles, in order to reach the top Of
the divide. The ditch then proceeds to
Red Lodge creek, crossing Butcher and
Volney creeks. There are several good
bitches now OH Butcher creek, but the
big ditch will reclaim much larger
stretch, and between Butcher and Vol.
ney creeks and along Volney creek,
water will be furnished for fully twenty
nVe lOO-acre ranches.
The ditch will have total length Of
sixteen miles and a volume of G,5OO
inches of water, and the total cost will
be in the neighborhood Of $4,000.
While the Weast brothers will start the
work and see it through it is hoped that
there will be enough stock taken in the
company that will be organized SO that
they will not have to bear the whole
financial burden. It is the intention to
issue stock to ranch holders along the
ditch and the amount of water they can
take will be measured by the amount of
stock subscribed by them IN the com
pany.
Mr.. Lay, whose experience with and
knowledge OF Carbon county lands
makes his observations of value, ex-
presses the opinion that the bestranches
in Carbon county will develop along
the course Of the ditch. He says that
the land, with water on it, is capable Of
raising wheat and that it will be only a
question of time before the ranches in
this part Of the county will be much
more valuable for crops than for graz
ing. The waters Of the ditch will have
such a fall that their power may be
utilized for manufacturing purposes,
and Mr.. Lay believes that at some time
a Touring mill will be located at the
place Of crossing Butcher creek and that
there will be wheat and grain enough
raised in the country surrounding to pay
for it's establishment.
The Weast brothers are ready with a
gang Of mon and thirty teams to prose
cute the work, which will be begun next
Monday at the East Rosebud end of the
ditch.
In this connection Mr.. Lay unfolds 81
plan which he thinks would prove of
great benefit to the ranchers upon Rock
creek below Joliet, where the lack of
water has been felt very sorely, the pres
ent season especially. Instead OF going
into the mountains and subverting a
tributary of the Clarke Fork to the
headwaters of Rock creek he would
build a ditch across from Clarke Fork
from point above Bridger and strike
Rock creek with it little above Joliet.
He submits the opinion that Rock
creek would not stand for much more
water at the upper end, but that the
ditch described would fill it where it is
most needed, in the northern part OF the
county. He believes that if the money
expended in the courts in water litiga-
tion by the parties who would be inter
ested in such project should be used
in forming stock company for the con-
s struction of such ditch, the water
difficulty would be solved for all time.
WAC EA1CE RI liE