Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1916-07-24
lscHEMEaro RECLAIM $4,000 ACRES
OF LAND in THREE COUNTIES
BLOCKED FOR PRESENT.
STORY, JASPER AND
POLK COUNTIES AFFECTED
Disagreement Over Employment Of En-
aineer Upsets Preliminary Agitation
and Work Of Years-Some Hope That
Project May Be Revived and Pushed
to Completion.

Des Moines, July 24-Plans to reclaim
Sc, 900 acres Of fine farm land in Polk,
Story and Jasper counties from the
clutches of the Skunk river during high
water periods, which have been in the
making for more than year, are at a
dead stand.
Petitions of landowners for a drain
age district, providing for levce along
the Skunk river and laterals for drain
ing the adjacent land, were withdrawn
Saturday and the work postponed IN
definitely.
Supporters of the improvement men
who have toiled and spent hard dollars
in an effort to promote the project de-
clare they are not disheartened ana
will, in the course of the near future,
begin their work anew.
Would Add to Values.
The proposition, they declare, will
cost landowners in the neighborhood
of $40 per acre for the Improvement,
but after it is once in, it will increase
to $3.50 per acre
Inc VI q uldiudoe
trict for the Skunk river bottoms has
been watched with keen interest by
farmers, landowners and grain men in
this section ever since the plan was
proposed.
A number Of months ago landoWn-
ers in Polk county, men who owned
most of the acreage in the affected
district along the erratic river inter-
esled themselves in a drainage pro-
ject.
Jacob Hartman, head of the Har-
man Engineering Company of Peoria,
Ill.,. an expert with a national repu-
tation in drainage matters was hired
at cost of some $4,000 to make the
preliminary surveys for district for
Skunk river.
Polk Engineers Baked.
After the engineer had made his
survey in which he recommended that
Il large dixie be built along each bank
of the river the landowners went
before the board Of supervisors of Polk
county asking that the district be es-
tablished and that a commissioner be
appointed
After a number of sessions, the
vote was three to two, the three coun-
try members voting against the propo-
Sition.
Undaunted by the action of the Polk
county supervisors, Attorney E. J..
Kelly, representing the landowners,
tried another plan.
Headed by Kelly, the landowners
went before the county boards in Jas
per and Story counties and proposed
the establishment of a joint drainage
district embracing the three counties.
Under the law, if the two counties were
favorable, Polk county would have to
come in.
The results were that the joint dis
trict plan got well under way. In fact
a commissioner was appointed from
each county. They were James Sewers,
of Nevada for Story county, Cyrus No
lin of Monroe for Jasper county and
James s. Uhl of Mitchellville for Polk
county. ..... ~. 49,.
Commissioners Disagree.
Several days ago the commissioners
held a meeting. Ignoring the survey
as made by, Engineer Hartman. the
three commissioners voted to select
John Wells of Nevada, an engineer, to
make another set of plans for the dis
trict. The commissioners, it. is said.
refused to have anything to do with the
Harman dixie plan for the river.
AS the landowners are not in SYM
pathy with any other scheme devised
for haltering the unruly Skunk river,
they baked at the appointment of En-
gineer Wells.
Acting under the Instructions IF
the property owners, Attorney Kelly
withdrew the petitions for drainage
| district iii each county.
No, we are not thru yet" emphat-
ically declared attorney Kelly Satur-