The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1909-06-08
DECLARE IT IS UNFAIR
PROTEST AGAINST STATES Be
COMING A PARTY.
State Board of Education Again Hears
the MattamuSkeet Drainage Pro-
jcct Discussed Pro and COn-Would
Cost the State $780, 600.

At the meeting of the State Board
of Education yesterday, after the
Angola Bay swamp matter had been
disposed of, another hearing was held
with regard to the Mattamuskeet
Lake drainage project, in which GER
tain interests and land owners Of tina
section ask the board to join with
other landowners to form the three
fifths necessary under the State drain
age act to establish the Lake Malta
muskeet drainage district. Col. H. C
Carter, Of Fairfield, appeared for those
who desire the State Board of Educa-
ton to join in the undertaking..
Mr.. NJ. Makeley, of Belhaven, one
Of the largest landowners in the Mat
tamuskeet section, and his attorney,
Mr.. j. c.. B. Ehringhaus. of Elizabeth
City, appeared before the board to
protest against the States joining
with the other parties, declaring that
this would not be fair to those land
owners like Mr.. Makeley who own
immense areas and desire to form
different drainage districts, carrying
out the recommendation Of Mr.. j.. O.
Wright, the drainage engineer of the
United States Department of Agricul-
ture. Mr.. Makeley is said to own s.
600 acres of land bordering on the
lake.
Mr.. Makeley and others some time
ago filed a petition under the gener-
al drainage act for for the establish
ment of a drainage district. This was
done soon after Mr.. Wright inspect
ed the lake and was Undertaking to
interest the landowners in the drain
age work. Later when the broader
project was considered Mr.. Wright
recommended a different plan for the
canals. Mr.. Ehringhaus commended
hat the latter plan would be a heaV-
ier burden upon the landowners sit
uated as Mr.. Makeley is, on the side
of the lake next A1bemarle Sound
and would change the natural course
of drainage. Besides this, Mr.. Ehring-
haus said. the latter plan would rem
der practically useless all the dltcbeS
which have already been constructed,
draining the water into the lake m
stead of into the sound. and
it out Of the lake after being drained
into it. He said that the scheme was,
primarily. to drain the lake, and in
cidentally to drain the other lands.
The drainage that Mr..
clients desire and are anxious to IN
dertake is into Juniper Bay, a pro-
lection of the sound, which IS con-
siderablv nearer than the other way
designed for the main canal The
intimation was also made that if the
State Board of Education goes into
the project. which would cost the
State $500. 900 as the States part of
the drainage expense, the board would
have in all probability to build a
railroad in order to make the iands
sell. or be valuable for agricultural
purposes.
1t is understood that Mr.. John Sefp
a western capitalist, and MIR. j. A.
Wilkinson, Of Belhaven, have offered
the State SEQ, 900 for Lake Mattamus-
keet.
Col. Carter says that the plan to
drain the lake stO cut a canal five
miles long from the lake to the sound,
and that this will require from six
to twelve months, according to the
number of dredges employed. The
canal, he said, should be so feet wide,
and carry from 6 to s feet of water.