The Tupelo journal., 1912-08-02
Senator Lee M. Russell Tells of
Hi Visit to Tupelo to Look
Over Drainage and Good
Roads.
Editor Oxford Eagle:

Editor Oxford Eagle:
/ shall thank you very much If
you can find space in your val
liable paper to allow me to tell OF
what we saw in Tupelo, Miss.
The drainage commissioners,
Messrs. T. w. Avent. VIM. Hus-
ton, and H. L. Davis. and J. P.
Young and the writer made a
visit to Tupelo the early part of
this week to look over the drain
agedistricts and good roadsthere.
Iconfess I never had any definite
idea of just what that kind of
work could do for any country.
The results obtained in and
around Tupelo are nothing short
of marvellous. Here are some OF
the things we found: Tupelo is
situated on the very edge of a
bottom, the bottom being almost
as wide as Yocona. The work
was begun there eighteen years
ago; it began by putting down a
ditch six feet wide and two feet
deep. Think of that as a begin
ming to drain Yocona! They
levied a tax of twenty-five cents
per acre at first, that only cleared
up the right of way. they had a
new law passed and finally they
have put through a ditch twenty
five feet wide and ten feet deep.
Maybe you don't think that would
amount to much. Well, you will
see from what l say here as to
what has been done. Let me say,
however. that they are going to
widen that six or eight feet
right away. How does this ditch
help; what results have they OBJ
tanned by this sort of a ditch to a
bottom one mile wide? Just this.
This same land sold fifteen years
ago for it's taxes. No one wanted
it, no one would buy it. We
were shown a sixteen acre block
of this land after being drained
by this ditch and tiled for So, 600.
We saw a PIT acre block of this
land that had recently been sold
for SO, 400 that the man has now
refused $24, 900 for. What about
that per cent? We also saw a
big body of land that cost SIS, 600
not over four years ago that will
sell (but they won't sell it, for
$3.50, 900! And this is the rule Of
the increase of values caused ex-
clusively by drainage, no excep-
tons at all. Does drainage pay?
Look at the above figures. The
result has been that there are
about twelve drainage districts
already in Lee county, the Sec
ond smallest county, in area, in
Mississippi.
But, we are asked if the canal
must not be large enough to car
nv all the water. No. Nothing
but the hills will serve as levees
for overfows-no canal will ever
carry it. The above land over
flows sometimesseveralfe feet deep;
they say that is good for the
land gives new life to it by de-
posting sediment. Then why
dig a canal? For the simple rea-
son the water runs off at once.
The above land before drained
took over sixty hours to run the
water off; now a little owe TWEEN
ty. Running water, does not
hurt; the standing water kills.
Every observing farmer knows
that.
Do you use the old stream?
Not in the least, don't get near
it If you can help it. 1t is always
crooked and full Of logs. 1t is
cheaper to build a new one, much
CHEAPER than to even clean out
the old. What experience has
shown the men around Tupelo is
to get the straightest possible
ditch, straight as a gun barrel, if
possible Another idea, never
cut banks of canal straight up
ord dovup A canal thirtv-fvo