The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-10-19
KANSAS NEWS.
Neosho County Land Owners TO
Keep Out Overflow.
To Build Fourteen Miles of
Levee Along the River.
OVER $4,000 IN COST.
Fifteen to Twenty Cents Per
Square Yard Is Paid.
The Crops Were Washed Out
the Past Two Seasons.

Erie. Kas., Oct. 19.-At the August
monthly meeting of the board OF coun-
ty commissioners bids were received
and decided upon for the building OF
a part of the DeGarmo levee. rms
meeting was the second session at
which bids for the building of the long
levee on the island were considered.
County Sheriff 1. F. Yockey had in
several bids on different parts OF the
Ievee and received altogether contracts
for building $500 worth of earth
work. Sheriff Yockey quits the othc1al
duties of sheriff Jan. list, 1905, and ne
expects soon after to be actively en-
gagged in experimenting the work un-
der these contracts.
The DeGarmo levee when completed
will be one of the longest continuous
structures of like kind on the Neosho
river being IA miles in length. 1t is
also noticeably different from other
levees in being one of the most ex-
pensive ones to the landowners with
property in the district in Neosho
county. The reason of the unusual
expense per acre for the real estate
owners around whose property it ex-
tends, is that the levee nearly sur
rounds the land, instead of running
along one side as in most cases, as an
embankment has to be built for pro-
lection from the overflow of the cut
off as well as the main channel of the
river; and to further the expense the
position of the land necessitates the
generally required. The DeGarmo-
levee will have a crown six feet in
width, making the levee at least two
feet thicker than ernbankments in
ers have suggested that the cost of
protecting the land on the island from
floods was greater than the worth of
the land. This is not true in this case
as the zoos acres Of land lying with
the DeGarrno district is reputed to be
the richest farming land in the Neosho
river bottoms. The land is a little
higher than most of the river bottom
land, and only twice since the country
was settled up has the mater entirely
covered the island. Last years June
flood covered the surface from four
to six inches deeper than the 1885 high
only ones in which floods entirely pre-
vented the raising of wonderful wheat,
timothy and alfalfa crops. The north
end of the island which is to be in
this district will be some of the most
valuable land for agricultural purpos-
es in the county, when the 1evees are
constructed.
A little more than one-third of the
been constructed. Three residents of
the district have the principal con-
tracts to erect the entertainments.
Pierce and Carter have the biggest
contract. MI. hockey mas 1S1 acres
in the district, a few acres of which
has been condemned for 1evee pur-
poses at $50 an acre. J. r. Pierce is
associated with Mr.. Jockey in the
earth work contract, and together they
will build three or four miles of en-
bankment, which will keep a force of
men and teams employed for several
months. The contract for the sewers,
etc, is let to masonry contractor.
Embankment work is paid for by the
square yard, averaging from fifteen to
twenty cents. Mr.. Jockey has a small
force of men and teams doing repair
work on levees at present.
Over twenty thousand dollars worth
of contracts were let for the construc-
ton of this levee by the board of
county commissioners this year.