The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1906-10-11
Government Dams at Belle,
Fourch Will Be Done
Within Year.
LARGEST IN THE NATION
Immense Dam Being Built of Con-
crete and Steel, and Reservoir
Will Cover 5000
Acres. Il

another year has passed, the hrst re-
suits of the immense irrigation proJect
now in process of completion Will be-
seen. BY that time he inlet canal
carrying the water six and one-half
miles to the reservoir dam will have
been completed, and the lands which
will draw their supply from the dltcheS
taking their rise from this canal VIII
be supplied. The main portion of the
lane included in this project will not.
however, be supplied with water before
1909, as the great reservoir dam will
not be completed until that year.
Driving down the valley of the Belle
Fourche river, one travels for two
miles before coming upon the hrst
step in this work, the diversion damN
which is almost completed. This damn
like all the work, is constructed with
a view to permanency. 1t is all built
of concrete and steel, with the excep-
ton Of the false work in putting in
the concrete. From this dam the wa
ter passes through the inlet canal, also
practically completed, for a distance
of six and one-half miles to the i'm
mense reservoir dam, the largest earth-i
en dam in the United States. 1t will
cover 5000 acres of land and will hold
200, 0O0-acre feet of water. The emA
bankment itself will be over one mile
long. 115 feet high, 500 feet wide at
the bottom and 20 feet wide at the top.
1t will be built entirely Of earth, with
the exception of a concrete facing next
to the water. The contract for this
work was let a year ago, the contract
ors being allowed four years in which
to complete the task. The contract
also includes work or both the north
side and the south side feeders and is
valued at over 81, 100000.
This contractors are now pushing
work with a large force of men, nearly
a thousand men and a u11aTter nS mar ny
teams, to say nothing of the three
steam shovels which are never idleA
forming the working force of this firm.
The work of building the dam is Sc
immense an undertaking that although
men have been busy since early in
the summer there does not appear, to-
the casual observer, to lave been much
accomplished. AT present, however, tho
sum total of each days grading is the
moving of not less han 1000 yards Of
earth. Fairly rapid progress is made,
as the country is not a difficult one in
which to work, owing to the absence Of
rock and the character of the earth.
The gravel for the concrete work, of
which a large amount is done, is OBJ
tained from the gravel pits near Sno-
ma and hauled a distance of six miles
by the traction engine. Each of thesa
engines draws five wagons holding
seven cubi yards, Or ten tons, each,
thus giving to each train a capacity Of
about t~hirty-fve cubic yards, or fifty
tons. The cost daily for each train
two trips. The building of a narrow
gauge railroad from the gravel pits
TO the, dam is now being considered
n it is estimated that with his
method of transportation the cost
would be considerably reduced.
The contractors on the south side
feeder canal, which runs from the
dam through the south stretch OF coun-
try, secured an xtensio Of time on
their contract, and now expect 10 have
the first eight miles completed by the
middle of this month. Some Of tina
most difficult construction work on the
entire project is encountered in this di-
vision, as many draws and creeks are
to be crossed, where concrete culverts
must be built to care for the storm
waters. There will also be a concrete,
reinforced steel inverted syphon six
feet in diameter and 500 feet in length
to carry the water under the Belle
Fourche river. 1t will be placed from
stream, and will be less expensive than
steel spans.
SCHOOL POPULATION GROWS.
Pierre, S. D., Oct. 5.-The school
census reports for the present year
have been filed in the state land de-
partment for the apportionment of the
SCHOOL Iulid, ana snow an increase or
H,IO4 in school population in the past
year, with a total of 141,598 children.
The reports show an increase in pop-
Walton in the northern and western.
counties of the state, and a decrease
IN the southern counties. The group
Of counties in the southeastern part
Of the state-Yankton, Clay, Union,
Lincoln, Minnehaha and Bon Homme
show a loss of 526 in school popula-
zion in the year, the heaviest loss be-
ing in Union with ITS, and Bon Homme
next with III.
On the other hand, the counties Of
Butte, Lyman, Stanley, Gregory, Pen
nington and Meade show an increase.
Of 1853, of which Lyman and Gregory
snow the greatest increase, Lyman
showing $50 and Gregory 423.
Another feature which the business
Of the state land department reveals is
that this year the payments of inter-
est and full payments for lands are
NH coming in from the northern part
of the state, and the southern portion
is tagging behind. Several years ago
the opposite was the case, but the wet
seasons or the past two years nave
not affected the people in the northern
and western portions, except ffavorably,
and they are reaping immense har-
vests, while the southern part of the
state has been too wet and the con-
ditions discouraging.
INDIANS ELECT JUDGES.
Pierre, S.. D., Oct. 5.-The Indians Of
Cheyenne River indian reservation
nave been selecting new judges for
their supreme court, the new selections
being Clarence Ward, Tor the Cherry
Greek district; Abraham Whirlinghand,
for the White Horse district, and No
Heart, for the Agency district, the lat
ter being one of the old members who
has been retained.
TIE "LlD" FOR MtLBANk.
Milpank, s. D., Oct. 5.-The counci
has ordered the saloonkeepers to ap-
pear at a special meeting tonight, when
they will be instructed to obey the law
to the letter. and that they must close
Sundays or lose their licenses. Poker
joints are to be wiped out.
CALL IOWA PASTOR.
Sioux Falls, s. D., Oct. 5.-The Of
sIcers and members of the First Pres
byterian church have extended to Rev.