The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1903-11-15
WHAT DRAINAGE HAS
DONE FOR The STATE
Drainage
Is
eBenBenef

other $4,000 was contributed by J. ).
Hill.
After the project had been launched
Grant, Kittson and Traverse counties
joined with those already named IN
pushing the work forward. This first
survey, which was made by j. T. Fan
ming and C. C. Elliott, showed the need
of 275 miles of main bitches, which 1t
was estimated would cost about $780,
00O
Finally Secures Appropriation.
Having thus ascertained definitely
what was needed the advocates of
drainage then turned to the legislature
in the hope of securing an appropria-
ton to begin the work. All early eff
forts in this direction proved unava1l-
ing, but perSeVeringly these men con-
tinued in their purpose, and after hay-
ing failed with the legislatures of 1887,
1889 and 1911, they secured from the
session of 1893 the passage of bill
creating the Red river drainage COM
mission, or board of audit as it was
variously termed, and granting an ap-
preparation of 100000 with which to
begin drainage work.
This first appropriation is credited
to earnest effort on the part OF
E. G. Valentine, Springer Harbaugh, j.
T. flaming, George r. Roberts, E. D.
Childs, w. B. Douglas, G. W. Culbert-
son, w. H. Matthews and number of
others. The fund of 100000 appro-
priated by the state was supplemented
by donation of $4,000 from j. J. Hill.
Ezra G. Valentine, of Breckenridge,
was chairman of the first commission.
In all of the early drainage work the
Great Northern company furnished
valuable assistance, both in the COM
pilation of right-of-way maps and
other maps and drawings and in free
transportation of members Of the
commission on their trips about the
state.
In all of the drainage legislation It
has been made obligatory upon the
counties to preserve the bitches after
they have been built by the state and
not only has this been cheerfully done,
but the local governments, in all of
the counties where state bitches have
been built, have greatly augmented
the state work.
Drainage Work Extended.
Although in the early drainage op-
erations the Red river valley was the
only locality contemplated and for
some years the work was confined al
most exclusively to that section, it has
gradually expanded until it has taken
in all of Northwestern Minnesota and
has extended well across the north
ern part of the state.
1t was found that there was other
land worthy of reclamation beside that
of the Red river valley and the state
system of bitches covers a broad eX-
panse as may be seen from the ac-
companying map.
When the first appropriation had
been obtained and the work had been
begun, the advantages and deSirability
of drainage became plainly manifest,
and additional appropriations to ex-
tend the operations We're not so hard
to secure. The legislature of 1895 ap-
propriated $4,000 and the legislature
of 1897, $500, and altogether there
was expended under the supervision
of the various commissions prior to
the year 1901, the sum of $1S2,5O0. At
that time there were twenty-five
bitches and extensions which had been
built by the state aggregating 117.47
miles,
In the final report of the Red river
valley commission Ezra G. Valentine,
its president, estimates that more than
100000 acres of land had been bene-
flied by the bitches built up to that
time, and that hundreds of thousands
of acres, including 10000 acres owned
by the state, had been improved in
value from SIS to $40 an acre.
State Drainage Board Created.
The state drainage board as it is now
constituted was created by an act of
the legislature of 1901, which provided
that the board should consist of the
governor, auditor and secretary of
state. This law appropriated for
drainage purposes the sum of $4,000,
one half of which was to be expended
in 1901 and the other half in 1902.
The legislature of last winter pro-
vided in similar manner and a similar
amount for work to be done this year
and next year, thus making an appor-
tionment of $4,000 for each year from
1901 to 1904 inclusive
This board was not restricted to the
Red river valley or any particular To-
cation and it was merely required that
drainage work should be done in To-
calities where it would be of most
benefit to state lands. Even this re-
striction, it may be said, has been in
terpreted in its broad sense and the
ditching and canal work done by the
present board has been done where it
would be of greatest public benefit as
well as greatest benefit to state lands.
The state drainage commission, as
! creaed under the law of 1901, organ
lied in July of that year, with Gov
Van SAINT, Robert G. Dunn, then state
auditor, and Secretary of State P. E.
Hansen as It's members. Since then
Mr.. Dunn has been succeeded in the
Office of auditor and as a member of
| the board by Samuel G. Iverson.
AT one of it's early meetings the
board appointed George A. Ralph. as
| it's chief engineer, and all of the work
| of this board has been done under his
| supervision and according to his plans.
Map of the bitches Prepared.
Herewith is published a map special
| ly prepared for T h e Globe by Mr.
| Ralph, showing all of the drainage
| bitches in the state, including those
| constructed by the Red River valley