The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1913-10-05
Association That Got
Busy and Has Done
Very Fine Work.
WORTHLESS LANDS
MAY BE VALUABLE
Judge Scott Asked to Designate
Drainage District That Will
Make Valueless Swamp
Lands Blossom Like Gar
den of Eden-Good
Work by Citizens.

The filing OF petition before Judge
Scott. Of the Circuit Court Of Hen
rice County. praying for the establish
ment Of drainage district taking in
several thousand acres of the Chicka-
hominy Swamp lands was the begin
ming Of what may be the gratifying
end OF long agitation looking to tho
reclamation OF very valuable swamp
lands within hniling distance o. Rich
mond. The petition. whic.: is now
practically before the court, is signed
~ four-fifths Of the owners owner
ship being measured by acreage OF
1913 acres CT swamp lands along the
Chickahominy River and located IN
the counties OF Henr!co and Hanover
The petition asks that = drainare
district be laid Off under the laws
of the State. and that the lands with
In said district be drained according
10 that law. The drainage district
asked for takes in lands that have
been surveyed by the United States
government under the guidance Of
George NJ Warren, the governments
civil engineer, who was put 10 work
on the survey something more than
Two years ago.
Engineer Warren's report. wlrich
WAS published in full in The Times
showed that the lands OF the Chicka-
liominy swamp. from the head OF the
swamp at a point Just west Of Alice
Station on the Chesapeake and Ohio
Railway, 10 the mouth OF the Chicka
hominy River down below Providence
Forge, could be drained and the
swamp lands made valuable at an av-
erage cost OF ahou, sl1 per acre. or 10
be exact. sl0.so.
An Association Formed.
Soon after this report filed and
made public through The Times Dis
patch. enterprising citizens and OWE
crs Of the swamp lands in Henrico and
Hanover embraced in the survey got
busy TO take action under the laws
~ the State. The Chickahominy
Drainage Association was formed
with the following officers: DR.. n W.
Starbuck. president; +. G. Hocnneer.
vice president; W. u. Sydnor, secrc-
larry; J. G. T!nsley. treasurer. and W.
W. old, OF Norfolk attorney.
This association has fought hard and
left no stone unturned 10 get drainage
work done under the state Law. but
the officers met with all Kinds or OPP
position. There ere people IN the tcf
ritory who are so willing to let well
enough alone. and there arc 50 many
ether people who are 50 fearfully afraid
OF "A little extra taxation. that IL was
lard to get tho requisite number of
signatures 10 the petition for a drain
age district. The Laws says in effect
that when thrcc-fifths OF the owners
Of swamp lands ask for a drainage
commission the same shall be appoint
cd. and then the commission is en-
powered to issue drainage bonds TO
raise the money to do the work. said
, bonds TO be paid by special taxes on
the drained property. assessed on tho
owners according TO the number OF
Rcrcs they hold. That is to say. the
drained land must pay for the improve
mcnt brought about by drainage.
Lands to he Drained.
The drainage district asked for by
the petition now before Judge Scott
begins at tho head of the Chicka-
hominy swamp just west Of Aztec. and
runs eighteen miles down The swamp.
the territory between being less than
. mile in width Within these con
fines there arc nearly 5000 acres OF
land that Is now worthless. hut il
properly drained. at Il cost OF less than
$40 per acre, will easily be worth $50
per acre. maybe more. There can
lie no doubt that the lands will be,
when reclaimed by drainage. among the
richest and most productive in the
whole State of Virginia and yet II has
taken tho Chickahominy Drainage AS
ISOLATION more than Il year since the
filing Of the report Of Engineer War
rem to convince the landowners of this
fact. However. through the unceasing
efforts of President Starbuck and Sec
rotary Sydnor and others vitality inter-
es;ed fourffths OF the folks have been
convinced and the petition is before
Judge Scott. 1t remains to be seen if
the other one-hfth will make a fight
before the court to prevent the laying
off of n drainage district. 1t Is not
believed that they within fact, 1t looks
now as IL they will all thrown down
the shovel and the hoe" and possibly be-
come signers OF the petition to create
the drainage district. In any event, if
the district is established by the court,
the Chickahominy Drainage Associa-
ton will get busy and see to 1t that
work shall be commenced IT the earliest
moment practicable, probably in the
carly springtimc. maybe before.
Drainage work. while somewhat
costly. Is not a very heavy proposition.
md it is susceptible OF being pushed
with great vigor. IL Is estimated that
the work under discussion can be com
plcted within six months after it is
started
Making lands now absolutely worth
less worth $50 10 500 per acre IL
something worth considering, and the
Chickahominy Association mas duly
considered Il. The association has
dcne n good work.
Engineer Wnrrcns Report.
In this connection an extract or two
from the heretofore published report
OF Engineer Warren will be interest
Ing. lie says:
Tho proposed reclamation of the low
lands along tho Chickahominy River
IN the vicinity of Richmond is OF more
than ordinary interest and Importance
for two reasons:
First, it Is the pioneer project of It's
kind. that OF recia inning periodically
inundated bottom lands. to be under
taken In tho State of Virginia.
The, present movement to promote
better agriculture in the chlckahominy
River Valley through more systematic
drainage was started by William NJ.
Milan, Or. Daniel w. Starbuck, Rue