The Butler weekly times. (Butler, Mo.) 1881-1918, 1906-02-15
DRAINAGE REPORT.
Principal Items Reviewed by the
Commissioners.

been completed, We thought 1t prop.
er under the circumstances to give
the principal items OF our report as
wide publicity as possible among
our citizens, for this project for the
reclamation OF the overflow lands
along the Mariss Des Cygnes River
has b en- the sul,j4ct OF much discus.
sion, and We doubs II there lie a man
who keeps in touch with the affairs
OF our county. but what has express
ed himself either for or against this
proposition
We have located the main ditch as
asked tor In the petition as we decid-
ed on looking over the ground that
no other route was nearly so prsc-
teal.
From the initial point (Marvel
Bridge) to the crossing OF the river
az a point about three-iourths OF O
mile south of Papinville Bridge, the
new channel will be 40 feet wide at
the bottom with q slope Of one foot
out to one foot up, average depth
about eleven feet, making the width
at the top little more than go feet.
From the crossing OF the river at
this point to the outlet into the
Usage river the width Of bottom will
be 60 feet and the width OF the top
from SO to ITO fees. The total
length Of the main ditch will be 23K
miles and will have a uniform fell OF
2 II feet per mile
This uniformity OF grade line is al
most unknown In drainage engineer
Ing for such q long distance.
The water will have a velocity sui.
flcient to travel the entire length OF
ditch in eight hours, or empty itself
three times every twenty-iour hours.
The time required for water to COW
or the same distance through the old
channel, by careful calculations, made
from timing drifts is not less than
3k days. Il will thus bs seen that
the new ditch would discharge ten
times as much water a. a channel OF
same size we're IL as tortuous as the
river itself.
The survey developed such q fall
that in our opinion 1t was not nsces-
sary to cut any Of the bonds In the
old channel to accomplish the result
desired.
1t was found that the amount Of
money necessary to complete this
work and provide for all expense and
contingencies would be $407, 1864.
$751; 900 Of which was assessed
against the railroads and $4,000
against the county roads that are 80
expensive to keep up on account OF
overfows. The county has, ever
since we have had the roads and
bridges across the bottom, been at a
regular yearly expense to keep up the
bridges washed out and In helping to
re- build grades aside from the ex-
pense OF watching the bridges during
floods. This improvement will. be-
yond question, relieve the county OF
this expense and worry, and the
roads once put in shape after this
improvement ia completed will be,
and stay, the best roads in our coun.
try.
This left 1886, 500 Ga to be assess
ed against the land. The district
contains Al, $50 acres OF land which
we classified for benefits from 10 per
cent to 100 per cent. This makes
the expense against the land receiv.
ing full benefits $40 90 per acre, or
$437 20 for each 40 acre tracts. The
tax for paying this assessment, for
the first five years will be very little
In excess Of the actual interest which
will give the land owner ample op-
portunity to derive some revenue
from their lands before anything ex.
cept this small amount will have to
be paid.
We included In our estimates an
item OF $27, 500 for bridges, eleven Of
which will be built across the main
ditch and Ave over the laterals.
We very much expect that our con-
struction will be sold enough below
the estimates, and with the money
saved In other ways, to reduce the
cost OF the work almost $1.00 per
acre on fully benefited lands. This
money the court could nee in buying
our bonds or in additional work on
main ditch as would seem best to
themselves.
Any person who IA assessed has the
privileges, II he desires, Of paying bis
taxes In cash a. provided in section
1915 Revised Statutes instead Of al.
lowing bonds to be issued ON his
lands.
Some people having no immediate
interest In this matter harbor q fear
that BY some hook or crook, this. ex.
pense win be taxed against the coun-
~. II might not b ont Of place to
say here tor the benefit Of these peo-
pls, that the decision Of the county
court ct IT, August term, 1905, Ia
their fading In lAyos Of tho petition
Of J.. +. Kern and others, organised
this drainage district. end Il b now,
and has been ever since, g distinct
an organization for the purposo d |