The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-01-30
;. FLOOD DAMAGE.
Farmers Along the NeOshO to
Straighten the River.
Effect Organization and Draft
ia Improvement Bill.
ONE WILL GIVE $500.
The Merits of Dyking Brought
on a Lively Argument.
Removal of Drift Will Save
Much Loss to Farmers.


OF the farmers interested in the I'M
provement of the Neosho river held III
the court house S. E. Beach was elect
ed Chairman and Grant Billbe secre-
tary pro tenn. Mr.. Beach is Cha-
mute man but Neosho county, Is OF
course, as deeply interested in taking
steps to do away with the destructive
ness as is Allen county.
On motion a committee composed
of w A Dawson Mr.. Lyons and Capt
6. r. Stewart was appointed to draft a
bill to be discussed at another meet
ing to be held February End at z p m
in the court house
That the interest in the river meet
ing is deep was manifested by the fact
that during the afternoon thirty or
more farmers went to the court mouse
for the meeting though no dehnlte
call for it had been made. Capt 5. j.
Stewart having made only a sugges-
ton to that effect.
A pretty warm debate concerning
the relative merits of dyking and the
Strengthening of the river channel was
the feature of the informal cOnclave of
river bottom land cultivators. A
Townsend told of the good results he
obtained from the dyke he has erected
along his river front during the high
water of week or two ago. Instantly
some other farmers were on their feet
to say that while the dyke may have
been a fine thing for Townsend it was
a bad one for others. They claimed
that IT saved him from trouble at their
expense. keeping the floods off of his
land and making it worse on theirs
Mr.. Townsend answered that if the
other farmers would get busy as he
had done and go to the expense OF
erecting dykes all of them would get
along nicely and not sustain loss from
high waters.
The dyking idea does not seem to
Ut, folio tn p
county. Most of the farmers believed
that more complete and permanent re-
lief may be obtained by clearing and
Strengthening the river channel than
could be if all the farmers erected
dykes. They are also of the opinion
that the original expense would be less
and that subsequent expense would be
reduced TO minimum.
Some of the men interested take the
optimistic view that it would be pos
sible to get the farmers along the river
to assume the expense themselves of
Strengthening the river through this
county. But even if that were so it
would not altogether solve the proba
lem of overcoming flood damage. If
the river were Strengthened through
Allen county alone and not in the 9TH
er counties through which the Neosho
passes there could still be trouble. 1t
is for this reason that an effort will be
made to get the legislature to take ac-
entire channel AS an example of the
unsatisfactoriness of purely local meas
ures some of the farmers allege that
since long stretches of dykes were
erected down in Neosho county condi
tions here have been worse than they
were before.
The Neosho flows through Lyon, COT
fey, Woodson, Allen, Neosho, Labette
and Cherokee counties and thence down
into the territory If Allen county
could get the other counties to coop
crate with it in asking for needed river
legislation it might aid in securing the
needed results.
The farmers think that the state
should at least state the expense of
making the engineering surveys and es-
timating the cost of Strengthening the
river channel The government is al
work on a survey of the Neosho. Work
Is now suspended for the winter. how
ever, and it has not yet been completed
through this county 1t is possible that
this survey may be completed in time
to give the needed information and
obviate mourning expense on that score. |
1t is hoped that q good deal of relief
from floods may be obtained along the
upper part of the river in this county
by the mere removal of drift. Where
there are a number of abrupt bends
and turns in the channel, drift lodges
in such quantities as to cause a great
deal of trouble.
One owner of river bottom land said
today that he would willingly give $500
to have an Improvement made if 1t
was guaranteed to render his property
immune from flood damage. There are
probably many others who feel the
same way about it. The farmers say il
would be impossible to estimate the
damage resulting in this county from
each Neosho food. In the course of
years it amounts up to stupendous
sums