Dakota farmers' leader. (Canton, S.D.) 1890-19??, 1912-04-12
WHY Not All Work For Canton ?

The old timers or Canton and a
good many who are not so very old
residents have a very pleasant re-
collection OF the beautiful pond thai
Tor so many years lay at our doors
and in pioneer days furnished power
for saving the trees into lumber
when the settler had TO haul his
building material by wagons from
Sioux City.
The first dam was built by that
well known pioneer, Honorable
William M. Cuppett, and was con-
structed Of logs, brush, gravel and
dirt. This dam with numerous re-
pairs was maintained for more than
thIrty-tive years and later furnished
power for the Touring mills which
ground the grist OF the homesteaders
when there was no railroad nearer
than fifty miles.
About fifteen years ago Mr.. Hender-
son built a new dam where the old
Sioux City and Penn bina railroad
crossed the river Il little above the
old dam which had become so badly
decayed that 1t could not stand the
high-waters. Owing to limited means
but with the aid Of a good many OF
his farmer patrons, he raised Il couple
of thousand dollars and with that put
in a dan partly of stone and cement.
A pier built at the head Of the hume
evidently having been put down on
the solid clay bottom still stands not
w~ithstanding the high waters that at
time submerged it, thus giving ample
proof besides borings that have been
made every ten feet across the river,
which reveal the fact that there was
a good solid bottom all the way across
the bottom of the stream.
A good deal of money has been
spent In having several different
hydraulic engineers come and investi.
gate the feasibility of putting In a
permanent dam at a point between
the two former dams and they have
all pronounced 1t perfectly praQ1-
cable.
The estimated cost of a reinforced
concrete dam and f1uMe runs from
twelve to twenty Thousand dollars
and II that much Of an improvement
was to be made, the balance Of the
work necessary to generate the
electric power with which to supply
the city Of Canton would readily
follow.
This matter which la slumbered
perhaps longer than it ought to Is
now being taken up by the owners OF
the water power property and loyal
citizens who are taking stock and
there is now about $40, 600, 90 subscrib-
ed. The benefits of this improve
ment Is so manifest to every person
in the city that it is almost useless to
dwell upon that point, TO say nothing
about the money making features, the
pleasures that the people OF the town
and surrounding country would enjoy
by a good permanent pond for boat
ing. fishing and etc., is in Itself a
great object during the summer
season.
The people who are interested In
this proposition are mostly old resi-
dents who have spent their time and
money in upbuilding Of Canton and
have no motive or interest In seeking
to build for a neighboring town that
which they ought to build for them
selves.
If the subscription papers that are
out meet with the favor and sub
stantial assistance that nearly every
body talks of there is no sort OF a
question but that work on a perma-
ment dam at Beloit will be commenc-
ed this summer and most likely
completed before winter sets in.
With a united pull and a strong
pull by the people OF our little
city, the object so long sought may
now be easily attained.
Eggs! Eggs! Eggsl