Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1902-08-28

were still far too soft and wet for
tilling: but most of them were too dry
and their moisture supply too uncer-
tain for the successful growing of
cranberrieS.
In that condition this vast body of
marsh has lain for several years, an6
is today.
With their cranberry business gone,
and nothing of any commercial value
growing upon these lands the owners
Of large tracts of this swamp have
been Casting about for some years for
some way of putting them to profit
able use. Tue soil has laid up in them
vast stores of plant food, but it is not
available for farm crops because of
GOODNESS and excessive water. With
out better drainage no fcrop-otber
than marsh hay and moss can be
grown upon it. This fact many of
owners have realized for years. but it
has been almost imposS BILE to GET
those owners to act together. No one
owner could drain his own lands sue
ceSsfully for the reason that. no
matter how elaborate system of
drains be put in his land he had no
outlet. Instead of his bitches empty
ing his lands of water the bitches
themselves, having no sufficient out
let, would be full of water. Nothing
short of a system Of drains. covering
large solid tracts and having an outlet
into one or more of the streams flowing
from these vast flats can be effective.
10 get Such system, the owners
OF much of these lands have been. for
several years, agiUatiDg the organiza-
tion OF drainage DISTRICTS under
Cne wisconsin statutes. Two of these
drainage districts have been organized
III Juneau county, and. at the last
term OF the circuit court of Wood
county. Judgment was entered organ
lZing Sucn district in Wood county.
Inc wood county district consists
of about thirty-six sections of land in
the town OF Remington Over a wear
ago the owners of nearly four fifths
OF the land within the proposed dis
trlct, filed their petition in that court
asking that a district be organized.
AS is usual, when large public enter
prise is started, this movement had
It's opponents. A few owners of land
within the proposed district, fought
the scheme bitterly on every available
point of fact and law. Hon. John A
Gaynor and B. M. Vaughan, ESQ.
represented the petitioners on this
hearing, and Hon. Herman Winner
man and G. B. Bird, ESQ.,, represented
the contestants. The legal talent,
handling the case is sufficient omar
ante that no possible point was missed
ana every effort was made by each
side to win. The trial lasted several
days and many witnesses were exa-
mined on both sides. Hon. Chas. M
Webb, before whom the matter was
tried, after long and careful considera-
tlon, decided every contested pOint in
favor of the petitioners
In appointing the commissioners
the judge shOwedshis excellent iudo-
menu, Dy appointing one of the men
VINO opposed the drainage, IA man who
was thoroughly trusted by ali who
knew him) upon that board. The
board OF commissioners consisted and
still consists of James E. Ingraham.
VIM. d. Bowden and J. G.. Daniels,
all residents of the town of Rcmino-
ton. Ihe sequel shows that Judge
WEBB made no mistake in his app0int-
mentS. The commissioners at once
Degan their task Of personally examin-
Ing every piece of land in the entire
district, With the view of determining,
hrSt, whether, as whole, the drain
age would be beneficial. and second if
so, how much it would cost and what
land would be damaged and how that
cost and damage should be apportiOn-
ed upon the lands benefited.
After several months of work. thew
filed report favorable to drainage
and awarding the benefits and dam
ages. How well they did their work
is shown by the fact that only five of
the one hundred sixty nine interested
parties objected to it's confirmation.
Again the few remaining opponents
OF the drainage project raised obiec-
tlon at every available point;-thiS
time being represented by Hon.
Herman Wipperman and B. r. Cog
gins, ESQ. But the most that they
could do was to succeed in getting
increase OF damages above what the
commissioners had allowed them.
Again Judge Webb decided all vital
matters in favor Of the petitioners.
and directed that the commissioners
report be amended, to conform with
the jury's verdict, and that, when so
amended, the commissioners report
be confirmed
With the confirmation of that
report will be ended, one of the hard
est legal struggles ever carried on in
the circuit court of Wood county,
and struggle that probably involved
more, financially, than any other legal
battle ever waged in that court.
Probably no appeal will be taken, as
all of the interested parties have
expressed themselves as willing to
abide by the Judges decision here.
Now the actual work of draining
this vast area can begin. And the