The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1905-08-11

and sunken logs than il would to dig
III miles of good clean ditch. But do
not infer from this that the river is at
all Stunned by the survey, as the old
channel is utilized wherever possible
consistent with the Accomplishment
of the object of the drain.
RIVER AS A BOUNDARY LINZ.
True the river from the forks down
is the dividing line on the map, but
practically the dividing line is the en-
tire strip of river bottom land, as it is
valueless in its present condition ex-
cept for what timber it supports, and
is not extremely valuable for that, as
a great percentage of it is inaccessi-
BILE. But with drainage and straight
line established loops on either side
could be easily exchanged, making
more satisfactory lines than before.
DRAINAGE.
During the past Is years the entire
township of Waverly, a portion of
Paw Paw and a portion of Almena
have been drained into the river basin
within the limits of the Paw Paw
river drain, thus increasing the capa-
city and quickening the current of
their drains in the invaria BILE effort TO
rush the water more rapidly TO the
river, and III case of the failure of the
river to carry it, on to our lands with
out paying the owners of said lands
one cent. Those conditions have been
willingly accepted by the owners of
the lands that were being submerged
IN the expectation that the same laws
which sent the surplus water there
would take it away when the time
came. But when that time came they
sought to defeat the enterprise by
every means at hand even to the ex-
tent of so complicating the very laws
under which their drains were built
as TO destroy their usefulness.
The question is asked by the oppo-
sition, Can it be possible that eight
or ten men, most of them non-resi-
dents, can in opposition to public
sentiment etc.
In answer will say that there were
p names on the petition, every man
living on his land with the exception
of two at the time and all liable to
assessment, and more could have been
secured and can yet. Our method of
procedure was of the regular order
and the same as that under which the
entire township has been developed
There has never been a disinterested
man over the line who has decided
against the enterprise. We have not
until now discussed with the public
for the reason that it has never been
customary on other drains to do so,
as the public has its representatives
on the ground in the persons of the
county drain commissioner and spe-
cial commissioners, with the addi-
tional safeguard of the privilege of
appeal as accorded by the existing
drain laws.
The cost of said drain is not exor-
bitant, having been estimated by a
disinterested man who has been ell
gagged in enterprises of a similar
character at less than $50, 600 for con-
struction work, making it, consider
ing its vast acreage, the cheapest
drained land in the township.
Every assertion made in this article
we stand ready to prove to the public
or to its representative at any time
that they will come onto the ground
and see for themselves.
We would ask of fair minded pub
lie, can it be possible that few indi-
viduals who own small timber lots
and live back upon the hills away
from the dangers of a pest breeding
swamp, with the assistance of others
who have drained their lands TO our
detriment, can screen themselves be-
hind the fact of their ma iority and
enlist public sentiment and enact
laws in our legislature to defeat fair
and just enterprise?
And is it possible that our babies in
our homes must unconsciously inhale
the poison laden fumes of the decayed
otfal of their farms as it is borne down
by their refuse waters and stands
stagnant upon our lands?
In the nature of an appeal and in
the name of equity what shall the
answer be?
HIRAM a. SMITH.