Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1906-04-30
A Big Project Under Way il,
the Vicinity Of Blairsburg,
Hamilton County
WILL COST A LARGE SUM
Farmers, However, Believe They Will
More Than Regain the Amount Of
Tax Required to Pay for the Work
Good Tile Needed-Wilson's Let
ter.
Special to Times-Repubiican.

Special to Times-Republican.
Blairsburg, April SO-A few years
ago a Mr.. George Farley disposed of
his farm in Illinois and came to Iowa
in search of cheaper land. He bought
a tract near this town and at once
proceeded to improve and occupy the
new home. In his native state he had
seen land values doubled and then
doubled again as the result of a proper
system of drainage, and he believed
that the same thing could be done
here with like result. Associated with
him We're four or five other men who
saw the possibilities as he did, and the
result of their persevering efforts is
the establishment of what is known as
the Farley Drainage District No. Z, of
Hamilton county. The ditch will be
1914 miles in length, is to 80 feet wide,
6 to IL feet in depth and will drain
10000 acres of land. The cost of dig
ging will be about $4,000, and the eN-
pense of all the thing that will later
be done In consequence. will be very
much larger sum. The owners of land
all along the line of the survey are
already hauling out load after load of
tile now that they are to have an out
let for their bitches. The effect on the
productive capacity of the land, 1t is
expected, will justify the outlay and
when all the enormous expense of ma
teria1 and labor involved in these I'M
dertakings which are being carried on
all over this section has been met, it
is safe to predict that the man VINO
purchases a Hamilton county farm
will have to pay a good big price
for it.
The machine which is to be used in
digging the Farley ditch is a modern
steam dredge and is a good example
of the progress that has been made IN
twenty-five years in this kind OF work
A few weeks ago some workmen maze
an excavation about 20xS0 feet ana
8 feet deep near a large pond. III inc
pit thus formed crew of men mas
since been busy under the dlrectlon
of SUPERINTENDENT H. B. Whitney IN
the construction of building thae
looks like very large freight car. me
lower part of it is made like the Dol
tom of a boat for it is to float on the
water which fills the ditch as II is aus'
A complicated outfit OF dredging ma
chinery driven by two S2-horse- power
engines has been placed unaer .he
Guidance Of man employed m Una.
special capacity by the company niisn
manufactures such machinery.
AS the dredge moves along ahothei
hoat-like building, the living quarters
and dining room, will follow, aiso a.,
other small open boat containing tue
fuel supply. A huge steel puche. wiz
capacity Of one cubic yard WIN Due
ont more than ton of eafth OH al,
average of twice each minute, Gay anu
night. barring delays, until the "oih 10
finished. Two months is ABOUT tne
length of time which it is expected VIII
alanse before the undertaking is COM
Melted. The dredge is 80 constructed
that it can be readily taken apart anu
used again elsewhere. Its cost Is apoue
100000. There are said to pc tour u
these machines in operation III A"liiiie
sofa and two in Iowa.
AS the obliging superintendent was
explaining the workings OF the areose
he called attention to man VINO was
hauling a load of tile, saying lhere
poes farmer who has bought sioO
worth of tile which he has haa snlppeo
in from Illinois. He has PAID sz.OO per
Thousand more for them than MS tile
would have cost him if bought from an
iowa manufacturer. There is a great
opening in this state for tile makers
but they must learn to produce as gooo
an article as can be obtained ELSEWHERE
for men can not afford to spend money
for inferior tile" A large proportion
of the farmers here formerly llved IN
Illinois and almost to man they are
cheerfully submitting to the heavy as
sessments against their farms made
necessary by these drainage projects
believing that it will result IN very
great enhancement in the value of
their lands as it did in the case OF
their former experience.
Some landlords appreciate the desir-
ability of retaining good tenant ana
are willing to concede something to do
so. The other day stopped at a very
neatly kept and we'll cultivated place
and was surprised to hear the farmer
state that he was renter. In the
course of our conversation he pointed
to a manure spreader that stood in
shed saying that the owner of the farm
had recently bought it and told Mr..
Tenant that he might use 1t free of
charge until further notice. Later on
it developed that the tenant had con-
sidered emigrating to Washington but
that the landlord had discouraged the
idea. 1t was easy to understand why
the spreader was purchased.
C. E. WILSON,.