The Butler weekly times. (Butler, Mo.) 1881-1918, 1908-08-06
BUTLER BOY IN CHARGE.
Ira Mcconnell Engineer for Sow
eminent irrigation Project.

An interesting article by a esait
correspondent TO the Globe Demo
crat, descriptive OF the Great Gov
ernment Tunnel near Montrose, Colo
RADIO, by which about 100, 1000 serss
OF waste and arid is 80 be reclaimed
In the Uncompshgre Valley, ,el's
about the engineer In charge, IrH W.
Mcconnell, son OF Mr.. and Mrs. !. c
Mcconnell. Ira was born and raised
in Butler and served an appreu RICE
ship In The TINES office, The Globe
article says OF him:
IN the Uncompahgre Valley W
Mcconnell is supreme In authority.
He not only struggles with great
engineering problems involved, ous
handles all general questions Of
policy. Is may be interesting 80 the
readers OF this paper to know ,aat
Mr. Mcconnell was born and reared
In Butler Mo-, and In his youth had
many fist fights with she young sOas
OF Representative DeArmond Nc
Council lie small in stature, bus mas
muscles as hard as steel and has
nerve colossal. He has strapgIsd
with problems at the bottom Il ihe
Gunnison Canyon which would nave
appalled, man with less courage
and determination. Two or shrse
times he has been Obliged, becaus7 o!
labor troubles, to clean out she Rorve
OF several hundred workmen aud.
start shem hiking up the side o2 ihe'
canyon while he looked elsewhere
for lsborers 1t is only by seeing
him on the ground and In action.
that you realize shat one so mid la
manner, so nsignifican. In personal
appearance, Is such master ~ Ms
profession
yet Mcconnell passed through al
apprenticeship which we'll fits hirnfC Y
the task which now comes 30 hiEn.
After getting what education he
could In the public school OF Butler p
be wen: to Cornell University. and
there, by cutting lawns IL the
summer time and attending .nr-
naces " the winter, he was able so
complete his first collegiate year
The next year he was Ia charge u
the cooperative book store, and
each year, through outside WORK sad
endesvor, he was able to make his
way, hard earned, to high hoDors
and well merited degrees IN she rxnt-
Y versity.
:, Immediately on his graduation
/. he was retained as a member Of the
g faculty, teaching engineering and
e having charge OF the erection u.
r the great civil engineering iabo-
2 ratory for which the university
z is now famous. He went to the
Brooklin navy yard for year as y
}. rodmsn and surveyor In the tech
!. meal department. and helped to put
e into condition for war work, coll;sys
0 and other vessels In 1898. The sew
;. er system at North Tarrytown, n.
e Y Is a monument to his ability as IL
;, superintendent OF construction. The
n present indianapolis water system
n was built by a contractor for whom
q he was q superintendent. The New
Orleans sewer and water system was
v also constructed under his direcyibn
"ln 1908 Mr.. Mcconnell went 30
= the University OF Missouri and fora
q year and hall was one OF the faculty
D OF the School OF Mines at Rolle.
g From this position he was taken by
0 the reclamation service, In this po-
= sition he has charge Of the GunnisOn
J. tunnel. Since his connection with
Q that great work be has been offered.
some tempting places by big CON
struction companies. One Of them
tried to wean him away from the
government with an offer OF $1,000
q month with Eve year eonrraes'
i and guarantee. McConnell's deterf
mination to stay with the Gunnfsor-
3 project until il is completed prompt
ed him to refuse this offer, although
the government pays him but one.
: fourth OF this amount"