The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-02-16
TO SPEND 100000
People Of North Topeka viii
Fix Soldier Greek.
Plan Immense Drainage District
to Build Leyees.
WOULD DIVERT IT.
Send Part Of Water Into River
Near MenOken.
Petition Containing Over 500
Names Filed Today.
WOULD DIVERT IT.

North Topeka and its contiguous ter
ritory VIII spend $780, 600 or more to pro-
tect itself from future floods. Apropos
to this movement q petition signed by
more than 500 resident tax payers was
presented this n1orning to the board of
county commissioners for the creation
of a drainage district 50 square miles in
area
The plans carry a provision for the
digging of ditch or new bed for Soldier
creek, leaving this stream near the
Lands farm, and running due south into
the Kaw river, about six miles west of
North Topeka. The ditch will be about
four miles long. It is to be 40 feet wide
and 20 feet deep, and is expected to be
large enough to more than divide the
water in Soldier creek at any time and
carry it off into the river without Civ
ing it a chance to get further east into
the arm of the creek which bends about
North Topeka, and from which such
disastrous over1oyvs have been expert
enced in past years.
The other big feature of the improve
ment is to be series of levees built
along Soldier creek. These structures
are to be big and strong and able to
resist even larger bodies of water than
have ever swept down the stream They
viii be carefully made and the best en-
gineering skill obtainable used in their
construction.
The drainage district proper exten ca
from a point east of North Topeka %
the boundaries Of Silver Lake city.
North ii will extend as far as inunda-
t1ons have been experienced. The dis
trict comprises q total of 90 square
miles
The petition presented this morning
win be turned over to the county clerk
who will see whether It contains the re-
ouisite number Of signatures. The law
SAYS that there shall be the names Of
two-ffths of the resident taKpay yers at
tached. The petition contains more tnan
500 sisners.
When It is found that the petition
is all right. then the commissioners
set a date for a hearing, at which
time those desiring the district ap-
pear. The commissioners then grant
the signerse OF the petition the right OF
creating the district. It becomes a
separate, continuous corporation, with
a life of 100 years or more. 1t organ
ICES itself and makes assessments on
the taxpayers of the district to de-
fray the expense of the improve
ments. For the maintenance expenses
a levy of 5 mills on the dollar can. be
assessed.
''With the improvements we have
nothing to do" said Commissioners
! Sterne this morning. "An that the
board has done relative to the mat
ter is the creating of the district upon
the presentation of a petition by the
requisite number Of taxpayers This
petition has 500 names attached to It.
do not know whether these are
enough or not. The county clerk will
i determine that upon investigation. II
4 he finds that two-f1fths or more of the
! taxpayers have signed, then we viii
/ create the district. I understand that
/ 800, 900 or more is to be spent. The
/ building of new outlet for Soldier
/ creek, the cleaning and widening OF
/ its channel and the construction OF
some exceptionally big and strong
/ levees is in main the work contem-
plated. I understand that it will be
! commenced as soon as the district is
I created"
j. B. Billiard, one of the most inter
ested North Topekans IN the project
said today: I'VE think we have ample
signatures. Just as soon as we are
! granted authority to make a district
| then we will elect commissioners who
viii have charge of the matter The
! great majority of the taxpayers favor
| the matter. A little objection is Of
| course found here and there. but not
| enough to make much mention of.
! think the whole matter VIII &c
/ through all right