The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1906-01-11

he would not be robbed by the drain
age district. The drainage work was
completed and several years later this
farm could not have been bought for
less than $125 per acre. A hold-up by
the drainage district in which they
added $40 per acre to the price of the
land in seven years. You will have
these same problems to contend with
here. know from various interviews
with farmers, that there are number
who think their wet land is due to
their neiShbors, and want the other
fellows to take the ditch and pay for
the building of it. In my Judgment
there are very few sections of land in
the area surveyed the past season, that
cannot we'll afford to pay drainage
assessment.
The value of drainage is not fully
realized until one has lived where he
has seen Its benefits. In the western
part of the area surveyed in Cass
county l was talking to gentleman
who had recently bought a section of
land east of one of the sand ridges.
His land was above the danger of
floods and in this country is called
dry land. In the course of the CONVEX
sation ! learned that he had come
from a country that has been thor
oughly drained and knew what drain
age meant He said he needed some
drainage on his land, that it was not
dry enough to suit him and spoke of
opening up the road bitches on the
north and south side Of his section. In
an effort to get his personal feelings
on the ditch matter, intimated that |
might possibly recOmend the construc-
ton of a dredge ditch through his sec
ton on the quarter line. He looked
at ME for a moment and then asked
me If meant it, and then added, That
would he the making of my farm.
would give the right Of way and will
lngly pay my share of the expense for
that kind OF a ditch on my quarter
line. When we separated, his last
words were, "In making your plans,
don't fail to get a good ditch some
where across myland."'
When boy, | remember going out
with my father after rains to open
up dead burrows with shovel and hoe
to let the water off the cornfields. In
those days the Illinois farmers worked
their farms in patches. There was
scarcely fOrty-acre field that could
be cultivated through, they were con-
tfnually turning to avoid sloughs and
wet lands, that could not be crossed
In the early part of the season. Up to
this time work had been done in pro-
miscuous sort of way on drainage
bitches, with plows, scrapers, cap
stan ditchers, mole ditchers and var
ious other appliances. The result of
these efforts had been to lower the
water level of the sloughs, but as
general drainage scheme it was fail
,ure.
When systematic drainage was first
talked, there was all sorts of dis
cussion on the matter. Some said
that there were no outlets, that the
country was SO fiat outlets could not
be had, tiles would not work, the
water could not get into them. II the
sloughs were drained the country
would dry up and nothing could be
raised on account Of the drought.
Then there was the usual cry, I'VE
are too poor. 1T costs too much, we
can't afford 1t. The farms will not pay
for the drainage.
Land was then selling at $25 to $50
per acre. In the SOS districts were
organized, engineers employed to
make the surveys and determine the
/ size of the bitches. Steam dredges
took the place of scrapers in ditch
construction; tile mills were erected
and the complete drainage of the
country soon became an assured fact.
The drainage of this land was carried
on while the land was worth only $35
to $50 per acre, and at the same time
was under mortgage. These were the
conditions that prevailed in central
Illinois twenty years ago. Today there
is scarcely a forty-acre field that is
not cultivated in a square, the land
that formerly raised ducks and musk
rats is now the best corn producing
land in the state, while the price var
les from 500 to $3.50 an acre. The
land is paid for and, the land owners
have money to invest, and il they were
asked what has been the cause of the
country's development, they would re-
ply drainage" They had their trials
and their failures, the same as the res
idents of the valley, but they had con-
fidence in their soil, persevered in
their efforts and fought down the
knockers, until today those who own
a quarter section of land, can live
in town and enjoy their ease, with
the satisfaction of knowing that their
rental will support them the remain
der of their days.
You in the Red river valley are in
about the same condition today, as
that country was in the eighties.
What they have done you can do. 1t
requires work and perseverance to
carry to successful issue any pub
lie project Your valley cannot make
any great substantial progress until
your drainage systems are better de-
veloped than at present. We believe
have the soil and the opportunities and
Will carry this work to successful
finish, IT we had thought otherwise we
would not have spent department time
and money in the valley the past sea-
son. 1t is our desire to encourage
and help you to get started on a sys-
tenn of drainage, that you may work
on unitedly and with definite end in
view. The rainfall and hill water can
be successfully controlled
A system of drainage that will sue
cessfully control this will reduce to a
minimum the Inconvenience and dam
age caused by the overflow of the Red.
The only damage from high water will
be when the channel of the river is
surcharged. AS soon as as the water
In the river falls your drainage sys-
tenn will begin Its work and the back
water from the sloughs and low land
will rapidly be removed. In regard
to the overflow of the Red, came
came to the valley for the purpose
of investigating the method of drain
Ing given area, and not for studying
the entire water shed, as would be nee
essary for the handling of the flood
problem. l have heard the various