Dakota farmers' leader. (Canton, S.D.) 1890-19??, 1907-05-17
TOWNSHIP DRAINAGE DITCHES.
a Lively and Interesting Session
oi the Lincoln and Turner
County commissioners
in Canton Monday.

in Canton Monday.
The Lincoln county commissioners
and the Turner county commissioners
met in this city last Monday to dis
cuSS and assess the costs necessary
to complete drainage bitches in Grant
township of this county and adjoining
townships in Turner county. The
cost of the bitches also includes bene
fits to the ad djacent lands. 1t was
the first important ditch matter thai
has come up for adjustment and il
brought something like fifty men be
fore the ditch commissioners, anc
| Chairman Smith of the Lincoln cOun
diplomatic and courteous in the mid
st of a hot session, and naturally so
because the benefit" land owners
were smarting under the impression
that they were getting the heavy end
Of the mOmentary consideration, but
at the end Of the session the wal
clouds had given place to white wings
and all went home satisfied that dit.
cheS had to be provided or some OF
the best land out in Grant township
would continue to produce 20 pound
carp, and if bitches had to be built it
would require money, and if men
were to receive benefits from the
main bitches they were expected to
contribute their share or the artitici-
al lakes and big carp might turn
their valuable land into summer re-
sorts for acquatic sports.
A storm of protest from the 'bene-
fits" was met with a stiff breeze of
satisfaction from the ''lake owners
and fish hatcherS, - and thus it went
n I,,inr fret ot
ship came in with a mixture of war
paint and white wings, but when the
LEADER saw the boys before leaving
for home and noticed big white doves
sticking out of Lewis LarsOn'S and
knut GedStad'S gun pockets we were
satisfied that the old Grant warriors
were going home full of victory when
viewed from both sides of the contest.
A few non-reSidentS and heavy land
owners like Millard Bennett, O. r.
Brandhagen, Fl. A. Skie and Geo.
Woodley made the way smooth, and
especially when Mr.. Bennett said he
wanted to see the ditch built and
was willing to draw on the treasury
for the amount, benefit or no benefit,
then Chairman Smith smiled and the
lake owners gave great sigh OF re-
lief. From that time forward the
lake owners began to figure on new
fishing grounds for the future.
Among the Grant township warri
ors we noticed Knut Gedstad, Lew
son, n. O. Nelson, Henry and Theo-
dore FodnesS, Gunder johnson, Gus
AulweS and several Others.
Tom Wright, the silent warrior,
from Delaware, and that grand old
pioneer, Phillip Foy of Brooklyn,
we're on hand to look after their in
terests in the Foy- Wright ditch
which drains on both sides of the Lin
coln-Turner line.
The Lincoln county end Of the
ditch question was carefully attended
to by Commissioners Smith and Schi-
ager, while Commissioners Eye, Ellis
and Foss looked after the Turner
county side of the question, and
County Auditor Brown Of Turner
county acted as clerk for the joint
session.
We stated in the beginning of this
article that there was good deal of
concealed electricity under the vests
of many land owners present and, not
withStanding the frequent signs of a
storm, we believe nearly every man
went home satisfied that square
deal had been given him, and that a
fair division of the expense had been
made. This was the tickliSh point
in the conference. Owners of the
"benetit' land wanted a square deal
and once they were satisfied that
they were getting this, President
Smith of the joint session hadn't
white wings enough to go round.
There is no man who loves peace
and harmony better than that popular
Lennox commissioner Smith
yet he is good deal like the fighting
chaplains in the army. When they
couldn't win with prayers they were
ready to fight for justice and equali-
ty.
During the discussion over the
on some land over in
Turner county owned by two solid
sons of old Germany: the one who had
his assessment was too high and he
expressed himself thus to his neigh
Dor who had water to spare:
''That's too tamd high" And the
answer came hot:
ooh Yesus, vat's de matter nit
you?'
The answer was heard by a number
and broad smile passed around, but
the answer was effective. The man
with no surplus water felt that a
reply might bring something worse
and he said he didn't care if every
catfish in the Vermillion sailed up
the big ditch and dam d it..
Attorney Allen Bogue, jr., of Cen
appeared for FOy and
Wright's interests, while Attorney
Mallory OF Lennox represented the
Grant township interests. MeSsrs.
Bogue and Mallory showed that they
had studied the drainage laws thor
Dughly.
The commissioners are satisfied
that when the bitches are built every
man in the district will be pleased.
because no man can afford to keep a
ish pond or a meaSly breeding patch
for mosquitoes on land worth $50 or $40
IN acre when made productive.
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