The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1905-09-08
Paw Paw River Drain.
II. a. smith Answers T.. A. Chase's Article
which Appeared In Our Last Issue

Having uOuCSU III , w.
Seotember ! an article written by our
esteemable townsmau, r. A. Chase
in which some criticism and consider
able personal mention is INDUCED in
I would ask the privilege of making
few comments on the same.
We will not comment on the sanity
or lunacy Of the opposition nor on our
own ex-aualifications, gold medals or
diplomas, but we note the alacrity
and grace with which Mr.. Chase steps
out OH the majority side and begins
by attempting to qualify as a disin-
terested party competent to render
impartial. lust and final Judgment
when in fact the most valuable por-
ton Of the farm he now owns has
been reclaimed by two public drains,
one. at least, of which he was the
promoter of, ana in which the same
chestnuts he speaks of in the matter
of assessments were employed, and
both drains pour their waters toward
the Paw Paw river. Mr. Chase also
owns 10 acres Of land i'm the Paw Paw
river basin which he bought with the
avowed intention of holding it as {
timber lot which i surrounded by
hundreds of acres of land which mus
lie undeveloped if denied the privilege
of drainage and which the owners arr
DESTROYS of clearing. So we have Mr.
Chase with two public drains TO III
credit and a prime mover in tn
Braudywine drain another deluS
headed our way and still posing a
an impartial Judge. We claim tina
Mr.. Chase is disqualified to Judge o.
account of his prejudice, and ais
acknowledge ourselves 70 be in tn
same position, but we have called /
five disinterested men who came /
their official capacity and decided tn
drain a necessity.
In criticizing our statement regard
ing the amount Of land to be drained
Mr.. Chase says that it would take
strip 200 rods wide the entire lengt
of the drain. Now. the valley doe
not present itself exactly in that form
but in the form of a strip Of tioode
land of varying width the entii
length Of the drain with some yer
extensive areas at certain points, COZ
shutting very irregular strip
land to estimate as to acreage, al
also not ali located in Waverly, b
taking the valley with the extension
+ it embraces. we consider the estima
a fair one.
In regard to the two mile widt
which was spoken Of "a IN time
extreme flood at time when {
river valley and all Of its inlets a
standing on level with the water.
i easy to find a flood in places
that width
In regard to nine months flood,
i not coutended that the valley is
continuous flood for that length
time. but i'm a worse condition for
health of the people, that of bel
alternately flooded and relieved
every rainfall for that length of tin
As 20 Mr.. Chase's offer TO bet IS
= it is we'll understood by all concern
that che promoters of the enterpr
would not voluntarily agree TO de
of one year TO meet the conditions
Mr.. Chase's offer, and as TO mys'
it has been so long since | patrons
, the race track that have gotten
of the habit of betting and would /
he fer to leave the question in dispute
disinterested parties without the
Is, 1t has been said that 40 men all
the line of survey signed a rem
nd STRANGE. That faction Is compc
almost entirely of people whose i
or, lies upon a little higher level, =
have ditched their lands without /
all ing anything for the further disp
ton of the water and who never
all tend to.
Mr.. Chase does not believe that
nth ditch would drain the land. l bel
it will, "a enterprises of the kind
IAN the past have verified the figures
civil engineers who have had then
u,o charge. as in the case of the DC
giac river and others, and / bel
,ow they will in this case, and Mr.. Cl
believes they will on the Brandyw
WV The entire argument of the Cpl
ton is anything to defeat the en-
nv prise.
Seeing no further material di
,o, ence between Mr.. Chase's argur
and our own, and as he has $