The Butler weekly times. (Butler, Mo.) 1881-1918, 1907-11-28

| laRe zen miles east anu sOutn ol tnii
place, Even in ordinary dry weather
long lakes, OF pond.lily depth must
be skirted by the roads. In times Of
ireshets, the Marias des Cygnes ID
likely to change Its course by the
erosion OF the soft dirt banks. A
man may own acres OF land before a
rain storm and when the overflow
from the stream has subsidized he may
find 1t gone, perhaps over q neigh
boris field or perhaps In the bottom
OF the river that has decided to
change Its course.
SOME FIFTY MILES.
So 1t was not surprising that few
level.heads got together and decided
that the overflow must be stopped.
They engaged engineers and found
that relief was possible According
to the engineers the seyenty-three
miles that the Marias des Cygnes
took In going from one line OF Bates
county to the other could be short
ened by making straight channel
twenty.three and one-half miles in
length. Losing iorty-nine and one
half of the crooks In this river was
almost too good TO be hoped for.
Now the realization Is only few
months In the future.
The steps in securing relief shows
what persistence may do. Under the
old drainage law, a district for de-
traying the expenses OF such ditch
could only be secured by means Of
an election. The man with small
farm had as large vote as man
with a thousand acres. Trivial OBJ.
iections we're often msgnifed. Luck
fly, Southeast Missouri-Scott,
Dunkhn, Ste. Genevieve, Cape Glrar.
deau. Madison, Stoddard and few
others-were also asking for relief sc
after convention at Cape Girar-
deau, In which Bates county partici.
psted, the present law was passed
| Ii permits the formation OF drainage
districts much In the same manner
that sidewalks are secured In the
cities. A majority OF the property
owners to be affected sign petition
and the county court takes action
A majority OF the acreage can force
the building OF a drainage ditch
The cost is ass sssed in proportion &c
benefits derived.
j. F. Kern, OF Butler, and John D
Moore OF Rich Hill took the initia
tive, secured the necessary number o.
signatures. Mr.. Kern is the largest
land owner-he held 1000 acres
persuaded the wners OF the land tc
join In the m ovement. 1t did not
take long, for they worked intelli
gently and though court proceedings
were brought testing the legality o
the petition and other incidental
features, defe at In the Circuit Court
insured the standing of. the bonds
that were ordered.
BIG COST BUT BIG PROFITS.
Their total amount was 1910, 900
but the promoters had figured. thu
cost and the resulting benefits. They
found that In round numbers about
800 acres OF land would be kept
from the dreaded annual overflow
and that the cost per acre would b
$1093, which could be paid off OF
the installment plan. The method
Of assessment Is simple, though
unique. The basis lie that land Il
either overflow land or It is not. As
seesments are made on each forty
acres, the size Of q mans farm max
ing no difference. Thus, II thirty
acres Of q certain ''iorty" are over
flow land, the owner pays on each
acre 70 per cent Of the full $10.9a
fixed as the cost per acre for over
flowed land. liz man has Q high
"iorty", entirely surrounded by over
Gov land, be pays no tax, n hall d
his ''iorty' 10 overflow land, be VII
pay on that particular tract 81 land
e216.6o, or hall or the 5000 q
| acrs. ss'
Tbe County Court q petss County