The Bemidji daily pioneer., 1918-06-08
HUCEPR0BLEM !.
Is SOLVED BY
REYNOLDS. and. D !.
!WEYERHAUSER
Long Period of Losses and Ex-
7 pensive Litigation Ends in
=: Satisfactory Manner. z
FARMERS SAVE THEIR ..,...4+
-. : VALUABLE HAY. CROPS
Everybody Gets Together. and
Vexatious Matter Quickly: !:
Adjusted With Judgment :

A problem that has caused the loss
of thousands of dollars to farmers
residing along the Mississippi, and
also cost huge sums in litigation
has been solved iby Harry E. Reyn-
olds, federal food administrator for
Be1trami county, in one. of the most
simple methods and to the entire
of all concerned.
For; years past, log drives have
been held up at shallow rapids on
the Mississippi. The logs would, jam
and the wateg back up and overflow
hundreds of acres of meadow land
of farmers. On top of this, the logs
would float onto the meadows and
lie there until taken off, which pro-
cess would destroy the valuable hay
crops and cause heavy damage to the
land owners.
This year was no exception, and
the farmers were facing certain
heavy losses or utter ruin, owing to
the same conditions existing. Loss
of hay crops meant the selling of
cattle and stock and it was this con-
dition that happened to be called to
the attention Of Mr.. Reynolds, and
he quickly figured it all out. =
Lumber Co. Co-operates.
Calling upon the state food ad-
ministration he laid the matter be-
fore A. D. Wilson, state administra-
tor. He in turn sent to Bemidji, J.
executive secretary of the
administration, and Corporal Ken
nedy Mr.. Weyerhaeuser, whose
company owned the offending logs,
was also seen and he promised his
best efforts to remedy the situation.
Unable to be present himself, he sent
B.. j. Henkle of Little Falls; con-
nected with the Weyerhaeuser in
terests. The contractors, Connor &
Wilson, who have the contract for
running the logs, were also advised
of the situation.
Territory Involved,
The problem involved the river
from Bemidji to Rice Lake, along
which it was estimated 1000 acres
of valuable meadow land was affect
ed. The party started from Lake
Irvine in Bemidji and up the river
to Miller's school house, where a
meeting was held, both sides being
free in expression. About 25 farm
ers were also present. After the
meeting, the party continued to the
La Sale dam, then on to the Viking
dam and Itasca' dam. Mr.. Kennedy
and Mr.. Reynolds proceeded on to
Rice Lake, Marquette and Carr lakes.
The lumber company's representa-
tives were fair in every detail, as
Mr.. Weyerhaeuser assured Mr.. Reyn-
olds they would be, and the perplex-
ing problem was settled last night in
a jiffy.
Looks to Future.
The company was given until June
"a to get the water off the meadows
and it's logs off, also. The water is
to be let down and the logs run in
such manner as to not cause any
trouble of a flood, and the lumber
company went even further and Of
fered four men to patrol the river
and see that nothing further oc-
Cured to allow the waters of the
river to overflow meadows nor logs
to jam.
Right On the Job.
The company Immediately set to
work and yesterday had twenty men
at work on one of the big meadows
and cleaned up about 100000 feet
of lumber that had lodged on the
growing hay crop. The flooding of
the meadows and floating Of the
logs onto the hay caused the losses
when the logs were snaked off, which
would practically destroy the en-
tire crop, one of the most valuable to
the farmers in solving the feed prob
lem.
And the solution was simple when
got at in the right way.
Pledge W.S.S. Year