New Ulm review., 1906-08-22
MUCH DIRT IS MOVED.
Big Ditching Machine Makes Good
Progress.
Cuddy & Cavanaugh Showing Nicol-
let Ditch Along.
Have Model Camping Outfit For
Men Who Work Machine.

There is something majestic in the
operation of the big ditching machine
that is in operation on the ditch north
of the city under the management of
Cuddy & Cayanaugh. It's a concern
with double crane-like device, carry
ing buckets which scoop up the
material from the ditch and empty it 4
many feet from the drain that is being
cut.
The action of the buckets naturally
make the ditch one with sloping sides
and in this it is different from most Of
the machines the ditch they make being
with straight sides, the advantage be-
ing that the action of the water on the
sides Of the ditch where they are beveled
is not so detrimental as in the case of
the straight lines.
Out where the Cnddy & Cavanaugh
machine is at work at present it is
located in meadow and there is a
good-sized stream running in the
course of the ditch, cutting its way
through a small swamp and coming
from a large shallow lake. The stream
is about two feet wide and from six to
eight inches deep and has a very swift
current The value of the sloping
sides to the ditch is shown here for the
action of the water seems to cut into
the sides consid derably and if they were
straight it is evident that they would
crumble and in time would threaten to-
obstruct the ditch where the current is
not strong enough to carry the refuse
through.
The machine is something that att
tracts the attention of AL who get
within sight Of it and operates almost
like a human thing. An immense
engine entirely covered and protected.
from the elements is operated by one
man. This engine with the arms that
operate the shovels is built in one
large frame which is set on wheels that
rest on iron tracks each sDtln Of which
weighs over 1000 pounds. When q sec
tion Of the ditch is scooped out a lever
is thrown and the machine moves it.
self along in position to take the dirt
from another section. At present the
operation OF the machine is faster than
the men are able to move the rails and
it is necessary to wait often several
hours to give the men time to get rails
in position to allow the machine to
proceed with the work.
Some people are OF the opinion that
the machine is owned by Cuddy &
Cav vanaugh, which is not the case, they
have q lease on it and the roy atty they
pay for it is something awful. The
machines are net for sale, and that is
one of the reasons why it has been so
difficult to get machine here in time
to do all the work that has been con-
tracted for.
When the present work is completed
it will open for cultivation vast tract
of land, some Of the richest land in
this neighborhood and the deepest part
Of the ditch will be not more than thir-
teen feet. AS the machine is only built
to take out twelve feet it will be neces-
sary to have one foot of the surface
taken off with scaper. A ditch OF
this size will be only six inches wide
at the bottom.
When the ditch is completed the
work Of the contractors is not finished
for it is then necessary for them to go
over the dirt that has been piled up on
the sides and level it of, leaving il
smooth and even SO that a moving