Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1905-08-03

Allows $35,OOO on Northwest
ern Damage Claim
Makes Careful Canvass Of All
Waivers Secured
May Be Able to Finish PrelIm-
lnary Work Tcday--.Next
Meeting tO Be Held In
Logan
Nonpareil, Aug. 2:
One more lion was removed yester-
day from the path of the Joint super
visors board of Pottawattamie and
Harrison counties, and an additional
step was taken by that body toward
building the combination waterway in
tended to reclaim $4,000 acres of Mis-
souri, river bottom land for profitable
cultivation. BY allowing S35 900 to
the Northwestern railroad on it's claim
of S3S,.275 for four steel bridges to be
built bv reason of the ditch channels,
the board received assurance from
representative of the corporation that
it would oppose no farther obstacles to
the project
At the eleventh hour, after it APP
peared that all was smooth sailing for
the ditch system, the Joint board was
warned by w. III. Fcnsler of Missouri
Valley, an ardent champion of the un-
dertaking, that there was doubt as to
the wisdom of acting on the North
Westerns claim for the reason that the
bondholders of the road had not been
served with notice. This declaration
led to some spectacular scenes i'm the
meeting, and fists We're almost shaken
at one another by men who were pres
cnt. The joint board finally disregard
ed Fenslers view of the matter and
voted to go ahead without farther de
lay.
cANvAss1NG WAIVERS.
Part of the day was given to cam
vassing the waivers which friends of
the ditch undertaking have been col
lecting since the last session of the
joint board. Not until the supervisors
were fully satisfied that the work had
been thoroughly done did they turn
their attention to the consideration Of
damage claims. The afternoon was
consumed almost entirely with the lat
ter proceeding, only comparatively
small number of items were reached.
The board will be in session again to-
day, when this work will be continued
and, il possible, finished
Before the Joint board adjourns, it
will order the auditors of the two coun-
tics to advertise for bids on the ditch
work to be done in each jurisdiction.
1t will also, according to the program
as outlined, select three commissioners
whose duty it will be to go over the
ground and assess benefits against the
land included within the drainage area
The issuance of bonds with which to
secure funds for the work of construc-
tion is another matter that will be dis
cussed The board will hold its next
meeting at Logan. probably in the
month of September, when contracts
may be awarded
EXPLAINED METHODS.
When the supervisors met in the
morning at the south court room in the
county building an hour or more was
given To explanations of the method
used by tho ditch advocates in sccur-
ing waivers from people who failed to
receive c notice when the undertaking
was started. County Attorney Hess,
who evinced anxiety to sec everything
accomplished in the manner required
by law, questioned Fenslcr and Audit
or G. w. Adkins of Missouri Valley
very innutcly as to what means had
been employed in getting the signatures
.tnI ,1,,t \,
had been reached.
Mr.. Hess had supposed that instead
OF getting acccptances the ditch work
ers had taken II upon themselves to-
serve belatcd notices, and that these
had been read off to the people as an
officer would do He announced that
no such process would cure any origin
al defect The ditch adhcrcnts, how
ever, promptly cleared up this point by
showing that they had not attempted
TO serve any notices, but had confined
their efforts solely TO securing the writ
ten consent OF those who otherwise
would have been enabled to fight the
ditch project on legal grounds were
they SO inclined.
The plan followed in securing the
waivers was stated IN this form First,
the list OF notices served by The sheriff
OF Harrison county was checked with
the official plat, and it was found that
every land owner had either been noti-
fed or had given his acceptance. In
the city OF Missouri Valley men went
from door to door and got signatures
from the head OF every family. They
did not stop at that, but even went so
tar as to have roomers sign up IN the
same Way FenSlcr offered an af1ida-