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

tion. Il can take mp the roossoi big
trees without diaculty.
ut may be interesting to note that
the fall OF the ditch is 2 ieet 11inches
to the mile, while that In the present
Maria des Cyenes b less than I loot
to tie mile. We win have strssgb,
banks. The river is so crooked tia,
sccelefation OF the csrrent means an
eroison that Is dangerous to prop.
erty. Il k thought that she drais'
age ditch, when once completed, viii
bring about two results. Il will
cause the river to I'll because Of the
reduced current following the utili.
sation OF the ditch, while the ditch
should wear deeper. Otherwise, the
ditch might be dug even deeper, but
nature can do that at great deal
less expense than we can with q
dredgebost."
FOLLOWING THE DRRDsEBoAT.
The workmen follow the dredge.
boat constantly. Two houseboats
are kept about quarter Of a mile
back Of she dredge. In one the men
have a doymitory where they sleep
and In the other one Of the men and
bis wife live. She is the Aousekeeper
Tor the two crews and serves the
meals In the dining room on her neat
boat.
rs is natural for one. to like this
work." said George W. Heavier OF
Kentucky, one OF the crew. 81 have
followed the dredgebost for eleven
years, and suppose l shall be doing
so as much longer. One might sup.
pose that this constant living on
water would cause sickness. never
knew OF such a case. though In some
Of the swamps where ] have worked
We have taken precaution against
disease. This Is ons OF the most
pleasant places l ever worked. We
are out on the prairie, have good
breezes, the air Is pare and above all,
We have not been bothered by mo-
'quitos.
Some OF the men In the crew have
been over large part Of the country
IN their work of draining the land.
Land always increases in value
where we co." said Runner G. L.
Myers. 'Ii | had bought land every
place we had gone with dredgeboats
would have been rich. The dredge.
boat permits crops where none have
ever grown. Oh course In some places
further filing is necessary, but the
returns are so great that the invest
ment Is sure to return profits"
CUTTING LATERALs. =
Though the main ditch IL twenty.
three and a hall miles long, two
dredgeboats Of a small type are busy
cutting laterals that will total eleven
miles in length. Small ditching will
drain lower places into them. Al
ready the County Court has pur-
chased the bridges for crossing the
bridge every two miles.
Each OF these bridges cost $4,000,
and these must be paid for by the
drainage district.
"We have tried to complete this
big job in the right fashion," said
John D. Moore, vice-president OF the
Farmers and Manufacturer Bank
Of Rich Hill.
"The property owners have already
made money, simply through the
TACT that the ditch is being built. l
know Of one man who protested
against the ditch and who has since
sold his land for a profit OF 81, 900.
has cleared $4,000, while
the biggest operator is supposed to
have put away about $4,000 thru
the handling of this fine land.
practically everything can be
raised on this soil. 1t is rich with
the alluvial deposits Of untold cen.
turtles. The annual overffows from
the Marias des Cygnes have been the
only drawback to the development
of this part Of the country. The
drainage ditch clears the land. I'm