South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1917-11-25


Ohio railroad on the south, a dis
lance of about FIVE and one-half
miles along and through what is
known as Mud lake; also. for an
arm at the outlet Of Pine Creek in
Liberty township, St. Joseph coun-
~, OF perhaps one-half mile in
length. The petition also stated the
names Of parties, including railroads
and townships who would be affected
by the ditch. less than 80 in num-
Der, in the vicinity of the proposed
ditch.
In January, 1914, three and one
half years ago. this petition was re-
fcrred TO a board of drainage COM
missioners TO report. The time for
making the report was extended
from time to time, and il was finally
filed in the summer of 1915. The
report disclosed that the commits
sioners, instead of reporting the
five and one-half miles of ditch ex-
to the Baltimore and Ohio railroad,
as petitiOned for by the IL farmers,
had established a ditch beginning
at the CrumstOwn bridge, west of
the city limits Of South Bend, and
from thence extending west along
the Kankakee to the Porter county
line. a distance of practically so
miles. Several hundred tracts of
land were also reported as assessed
for the construction of the work; in
fact all the lands along the Kanka-
L. g. Il. 4 l.,
city of South Bend to the Porter
county line had been reported as
sessed.
Already Recorded Money.
At the time of the filing Of this
report, bills were presented by the
commissioners. TO whom the petit
tion for the construction of a FIVE
and one-half mile ditch had been
referred, and were allowed as fol-
lows:
Miles, county surveyor
of Laporte county .....s 371.65
Thomas Conroy .... 1861
T.. o. Croft ........... 1,123.54
B. F. Thomas, bill filed
for s5,O59.74, allowed at. Assault
A total of $6,796.47. costs and ex-
penses which was paid by the treas
urer Of Laporte county from the
county funds. These bills were filed
and allowed in May, 1915. The bills
on file show that a camp outfit was
purchased, also provisions. grocer
les, meats and canned goods.
The commissioners established a
camp down along the Kankakee
during the time they were engaged
in considering a petition for the
ditch along Mud lake.
Somebody Makes Mistake.
After all of these expenses had
been incurred, and paid by LapOrte
! county, it was discovered that,
through somebody's oversight, prob
ably not the petitioners or their
| lawyers. the drainage law had not
/ been followed in that the ditch as
petitiOned for was in two counties,
| Laporte and st. Joseph. The drain
age law provides that in such case
the county having the greatest mile
age of ditch shall have original
jurisdiction; but that the third
drainage commissioner shall be ap-
T.
/ il was now discovered, for the first
time, that all three commissioners
were from Laporte county, and the
report and all proceedings were,
therefore, illegal. One of the La
porte commissioners, Croft, to whom
had been paid $1.123.54 for services
rendered under an appointment
contrary 70 the drainage law, re-
signed; Robert Geyer of ST. Joseph
county was appointed as the third
commissioner, and the petition or
iginally filed by the IL farmers for
a five and One-half mile ditch was,
on Sept. Is, 1915, referred TO the
drainage commissioners of Laporte
county, anG Geyer of St. Joseph
county One year and nine months
had passed, practically $1,000 eX-
pense had been incurred and paid
by Laporte county and the IL farm
ers who desired a five and one-half
mile ditch and who presumably
needed it for the drainage of their
lands, judging from the filing Of
their petition. had gotten no relief.
What were these farmers who
wanted a five and one-half mile
ditch doing all this time?
Here ends the first chapter.
About July /, 1916. the second
chapter opens. Robert Geyer was
allowed a bill for S6S7.63 for SER
vices as commissioner TO date, and
this bill contains the following two
items:
Automobile, 50 days at
IS per day. $4,000
(Whose automobile the bill
does not disclOse.)
services, 6S days at $500
per day ................. S2O4.OO
The bill also contains the recital
that the commissioner had Travelled
3,417 miles; all this in considering
a petition for a ditch five and one
half miles in length in the town
ship IN which the commissioner
lives and then lived. At the same
time there vas allowed and paid
bill 10 Herman Empke. drainage
commissioner OF Laporte county, in
the amount OF S2s4S1. Total paid
at the July payment, 1915, S9S2.44.
And the end is not yet
Still More Bills.
During She month OF July, 1917,
hills were presented by the drain