Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1906-02-10
DITCH CONTRACTS SIGNED
Joint Boards Of Pottawattamie and Har-
rison Counties Act Promptly.
HEARING ON ASSESSMENTS CONES NEAT
Contractors Say t Will Require
About Two months TO Complete
Arrangements for Commencins
Active Work on bitches.

The Boards OF supervisors OF PotIaWat-
tamie and Harrison counties in Joint session
yesterday afternoon signed UP the con-
tracts with the Western Dredging conf
pany of Omaha and Pollard Con Co.
OF Champaign. ILL.,, for the construction of
the joint drainage bitches. The bonds of
the contracting firms were also approved
and, as far as the contractors are con-
cerped. everything is now in shape for
them to commence work soon as they
see fit This action on the part of the
two boards yesterday was made possible
by the dissolution by the supreme court
Of the restraining order obtained last Sep
TENDER by Brown & Co. of Huntington.
Ind, the former contractors.
The contract with the Western Dredging
company is for the construction of three
bitches, known as the Willow creek. Boyer
river cut-off No. 1 and Boyer river cutoff
No. 2. The total amount Of the contract
is estimated at $S5,2A The firm gave a
bond in the sum of 81, 800.
7 Pollard Goff e. Co. has the contract for
the construction of the Allen creek ditch,
which it IL estimated will cost $42,l25. The
bond furnished by the company was in the
sum of s10.532.
According to the original contracts as
awarded last September. the construction
of the Willow creek ditch was TO be COM
pleted by November l. 1906 and the same
date was set for the completion of the
Allen creek ditch. The Boyer river cutoff
ditch No. 1 was to be completed by Sep
TENDER /, 1906. In view of the delay caused
by the injunction secured by r. A. Brown
e. Co.. the contractors. It was stated at
yesterdays meeting, will be entitled to an
extension of time in which to complete
their contract. and this it is understood
will be determined before the boards ad-
journ today.
: Notice to Property Owners.
The next step TO be taken by the two
boards is to set date at which a hearing
will be given TO all property owners af
fected by the construction of the bitches
who may object 10 the asso ssmcnt to be
levied on them. Notices of the assessment
must be served on every property owner
at least twenty days before the date set
for such meeting. This matter will be de-
termined today.
The question of issuing the bonds neccs-
sary to defray the cost of the work was
discussed informally yesterday afternoon,
but it was decided that there was no great
hurry as far as this was concerned, as
nothing could be done in this direction
until it was definitely ascertained what the
total assessment against benefited prop
erty owners would be. 1t is estimated that
/ the cost of the construction of the bitches
together with other expenses, will amount
to about $235. 900. All the expenses incurred
two years ago will be paid out of this issue
of bonds and taxed up against the property
benefited. Two years ago $500 of the
bond issue was sold before the drainage
law was declared defective and the pur-
chasers will be repaid out of the new bond
issue.
II was decided to keep up the joint or
ganization OF the two boards with H. c.
Brandes of the Pottawattamie county
board as chairman and the auditors of the
two counties secretaries.
Seth Dean, engineer In charge of con-
| struction OF the work, was allowed a first
estimate of $3.50, of which s6e5 is to be paid
by Harrison county and S225 by Pottawat-
tamie county, out OF the first funds avail
able. Attorney w. II. Kiilpack who was
retained to assist County Attorney Hess
in the litigation caused by Brown & Co.
was allowed SOS 40 for his services in the
case before the supreme court
The boards adjourned until . o'clock this
morning.
j. S. Pollard of the Firm Of Pollard, Gon
& Co.. stated that It would take from
nifty to seventy days 10 get machinery on
the ground and before they would be able
to begin work The dredging machines
have to be brought from the east and
the boats on which to operate them must
be built The Western Dredging COM
pany, being nearer at home. will probably
be able to commence it's part of the work
sooner. II is figured that the construction
of the four bitches will take from ten
months to a year TO complete.