Rogue River courier. (Grants Pass, Or.) 1886-1927, 1911-08-11
TO BE USED TO EXTEND IRRIGA-
TION SYSTEM.
COST LAID DOWN IS $3.50
Not Only Excavates But Will Pull All
the Stumps Encountered
Along the Ditch.

T. j. Patterson, representing Beall
G Company of Portland, in Grants
Pass, Saturday closed deal with
George E. Sanders, agent of the Chi
cago-Rogue River company, for a
steam shovel which is to be used for
digging the gravity ditch ard the Ap-
plegate ditch.
This steam shovel will be shipped
direct from the factory in Ohio and
is to be delivered in Grants Pass by
October. The steam shovel has ca
pacity of 800 cubic yards every ten
hours and will cost I. o. b. Grants
Pass, $3.50. 1t has one main engine
and three auxiliary engines and is the
latest and best type. ~ VIII propel
itself under its own power along the
bottom of the ditch.
This machine will not only dig the
ditch without any plowing, but will
also pull any stumps that may be
necessary to remove along the right
of-way. After the survey stakes are
set all that has to be done with the
right of way is to slash it and pull
the big stumps with the engine, and
all of the other, small stumps, brush
and roots will be lifted out bodily.
The shovel has power enough to
dig ordinary shale, porphyry and de-
composed granite without blasting
1t will take out boulders bodily that
measure half cubic yard In size.
This machine can be operated just
as we'll when rain Is falling as
when the sun shines, and can be run
day and night, thus giving 1t capa-
city of from 600 to 700 cubic yards
per day.
The bitches to be dug will be eight
feet wide on the bottom, twelve feet
on the top and four feet deep, with
the exception of the first part Of the
gravity ditch which will be twelve
feet on the bottom and eighteen feet
on the top, with a general depth of
four feet, and with a depth of five
feet between the Golden Drift dam
and the east side of the city, which
will give a greater pressure on the
pipe line under such streets as are
paved.
Work will start on the gravity
ditch just west of the Golden Drift
dam as soon as the shovel arrives.
To operate the shovel requires one
engineer, one fireman and a roust'
about to each shift, and man with
team as a tender for both shifts,
1t will be a wood burner and much OF
the wood and water required can be
obtained at points nearby as work
progresses.
Between October and May 10
there are 229 days and by working
two shifts 600 yards a day can be ex-
cavated, which will be 203,400 cubic
yards, which will extend both the
gravity and the Applegate more than
five miles below town.
Mr.. Sanders says that II the Merlin
people and the people on the Murphy
divide will assure the company that
they will take water in sufficient
quantities to pay interest on the
money expended, he will buy second
steam shovel by January 1, and en-
large the Grants Pass ditch to the
size OF the Applegate ditch and dig a
ditch that will cover the Merlin basin,
and also q shorter ditch that will COW
er the high lands between Grants
Pass and Murphy. with the exception
OF hill tops. Farmers Of Murphy and
Merlin should get together and make
arrangements TO have their land come
under ditch the coming season.