The Oroville weekly gazette. [volume] (Oroville, Wash.) 1905-19??, 1915-10-22
RUSHING WORK ON DITCH
CONTRACTORS EMPLOYING MANY
MEN AND TEAMS AND MAKING
RAPID PROGRESS

Four hundred and sixty men and
1870 horses, besides a steam shovel, are
engaged by A. Guthrie & Co., and the
various sub contractors, in the con-
struction OF the - miles of flume and
canal that will convey water to the
West Okanogan Valley Irrigation Dis
trict project. This big force is pushing
the work as rapidly as possible with
the purpose of supplying water to the
10000 acres of land within the pro-
ject by next spring.
Substantial progress has been made
already and the contractors estimate
that an additional 25 per cent of the
canal will be completed by the end of
October Over 100000 feet of lumber
will be used in constructing the 27
miles of flume that form 3S per cent
Of the canal system. Much of this
construction is of the most difficult
sort, the fumes skirting the rock
bluffs and pricipices that fringe the
valleys of the Okanogan and the Sim
ilkamee1.
Difficult as the work is and exact
ing as are the specifications, the con-
tractors are bending every effort to-
wards satisfying their employers, the
people of the district, and to their
great credit and to the profit of all
h,ri
bination Of flume and canal that not
only equals the requirements of the
specifications, but exceeds those de-
mands in many particulars. The work
is being done in such q thorough d
painstaking manner and with such
integrity that the completed system
will be above standard throughout and
should last beyond the usual estimate
for construction Of this nature.
Three enormous siphons form an
impressive part of the system: one
46 inches in diameter and 1850 feet in
length will convey water across the
Similkameen above Oroville; another
30 inches in diameter and 1900 feet
long will span the Okanogan valley
north of Oroville, and the third "a
inches in diameter and 1900 feet long
will connect the canals on the east
and west sides of the Okanogan vail
several miles south of Oroville. r. F.
Hoffmark, manager for A. Guthrie &
Co., left Thursday for Portland, where
he will let the contract for building
these three gigantic siphons.
The district directors have paid A.
Guthrie & Co. $4,000 in bonds to
date for the work that has so far been
completed. A payment of 100000 has
Just been made for the work done up
to October 1st. On the first of No
vember another payment of over $10O-
600 will be due, if the contractors
make the progress they estimate, and
from the appearance of the work un-
der way they will be fully up to the
schedule.
Many of the land owners within the
project are getting their land in shape
lor irrigation when the water Is de-
hvered next spring. These farmers
realize that the presence of water in
the canals will mean nothing towards
the development of the district unless
the land under the bitches is in shape
lor receiving the water, and they are
exercising the proper foresight in
making the necessary preparations at
this time that they may be enabled to
lake advantage os the full growing
season next year. There is much
work of this nature to be done on
many acres of the land that comes
within the project, and those who are
beforehand in clearing and grading
Will be the first to profit by reason
OF the canal construction.
Growing interest in the project is
indicated by the many transfers of
land that have been made recently. In
making up the last assessment roll
uioiiiSt, IuC uiiOStOAS WV
greatly encouraged to find that large
number of tracts have already changed
hands as direct result of the canal
building and the early promise OF
water for irrigation.
The influence of the work in pro-
sress and the changed conditions that
the irrigation of some 10000 acres OF
FERTILE land will bring about are felt
IN oroville. Every house and building
ot any kind that can possibly be util-
ized as residence is now occupied
and the clamor for homes is growing
constantly. There is no evidence OF
Doom here, and there is no prospect
mat there will be boom. In fac
Doom Is not desired But healthy