The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1912-10-29
DRAINAGE PROJECT
OFFICIALLY BEGUN
When 500 Citizens of Robe
son Gather at Swamp
DlPPER DREDGE AT WORK
Largest Drainage Project - =
luaugurated Under State
Drainage Law
DIPPER DREDGE AT WORK
Especial TO News and Dpsarv-r,

Especial TO News and Ot,sarv-r,
Maxton, Oct. .4.-YesterdsS A,-.
Evelyn Sellers broke a bottle OF go.
Der river water on the dipper :,
the huge yard and q hail dredee n,x
working day and night ia :..~a
swamp. and thus united the waters
OF Back SWanp and Lumber river iy
which token, work on the great f;oba-
son county drainage project was o.
t1cialiy begun and the dredg- ofi,ius-
~ christened the O.. l.. Clark.
The occasion was the cciebrat,oa
OF the commencement OF work on IL.
Sc miles Of canals designed % draia
Back, Jacobs and other tributary
swamps into Lumber river ana II .s
TO reclaim 33.ooo acres Of .ani in
the heart OF North Caroiina's most
fertile county. Some 500 Of h"r
most progressive citizens were ;ccfa
and n,en and women pushed into thu
very heart Of the swamp to jnsg,-~.
personally the work thus to ,eaft $50
practical side OF drainage.
The big dredge worked snonlizy
and satisfied all that it could ,.34s,
everything that it had unde,taA-r
il Is an enormous machine floating nn
a fiat boat IS feet long and IS iert
wide. In from extends a steel boo"
IS feet long that weighs fs~ ,ano
49, <Af5 Ia 0ASbCA - - r.
up and down. The handle IS run o..
through this, p%aunging the dippsr ~
der water and on the bottom ~ tie
canal. The hosting engine then potts
the dipper forward and up against NJ
solid earth ahead, filing 1t. A ii
rises from the water the swinging "
CINE begins swinging the boom - rlgts
or left and with q roar OF exh.ass
three or. four tons OF soil are rHsha
forty feet from the center u T."
canal to the end OF the boom All
dropped from a height Of twout.
feet. simultaneously. al1nos', IT,
G!pper is snatched back and .hs
and as it swings the dipDer harti"
is released. the hosting engine j. ~
versed and the great dipper a 49,
end Of the handle, describing an ar
drops back with a mighty splash aHi
conamotion into IA water, wh"ee z
hosting engine begins to pun. sprirs<
to the attack again. tearing OK 'h
other dipper full Of dirt. a s't':or /.
a log, whatever may be in us wa
Stump Dynan,idns,
From the dredge the sp'
turned to see exhibition = 49,"
stuHps are shot with dynsn3:tr ..
save pulling them with the a;p,'-
and saw q large stump torn $50 -
n ground and thrown high into a."
air by five sticks Of 40 per 60. 1.9t
mite.
The speaking took place GU - ~
hill some distance iron, tn. - ta'
Jos. A. Brown. Of Chado,rn. -
L. Clark, Of Clarkton. ana t;"n ~
Boyd, OF Wilson, addressed III" gan
erine. All the speakers n-r- i@.'
duced by Hon. c.. E. P.ftrr.na ri
Maxton.
The drainage Of Back and ia0osae
swamp Is the largest drainage irot"et
so far inaugurated under the St.'t4
drainage law. It was frs: as:'s'"3
some three years ago by J. p. Set:
G. 3. Sellers. George willard t"'
t.ory McNair, Of Maxton, ami = II
McNeIil, OF Lumberton. who p"t>
ed the funds to meet first
Through their efforts the ="
nent was persuaded to put i par
CT engineers on tho work = ~
urVey and estimates. 1t was f"'.t.'
that by cutting fifty-six miles Of ,aluit-
some $4,000 acres Of exceptionallF -
tile soil could be reclaimed at 2 r3-r
or s15o,o00.0o. Owners Of the hni
IN the watershed voted to issue toadS
IN thus sum and the work was lei th:s
summer. The bonds were sold to an
ONO bond house, and are reported
70 nave brought better than par. the
BOARD OF drainage commissioners 4
composed OF Maj. q. B. Sellers. 9:
Ma1ton Chairman: A. w, Pate. -
fates. nce-chairman; and D. II NJ