Jasper County Democrat, Volume 3, Number 13, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 7 July 1900 — State Will Not Mix In. [ARTICLE]

State Will Not Mix In.

Indianapolis Sentinel: The state of Indiana yesterday refused to enter an appearance and give its consent for the construction of h large ditch in Starke county, which, if dug, will drain 70,000 acres of land in Starke and Porter counties. The proposed ditch, as surveyed, is to be twenty-three-miles long and crosses the Kankakee river sixty-four times. It will also cross a small portion of the two sections of land owned by the state. The remonstrators claim the ditch, which at places is to be sixty-five feet wide, will clog up the river and cause an overflow on land owned by them further down the stream. The matter was presented to the state yesterday by Attorney Roberts and Mr. Coffin, representing the petitioners. They asked the officers to enter an appearance and give consent for the ditch to pass through the land. This they refused to do because they do not wish to involve the state in litigation, as the matter is already in the courts. The last legislature passed a law authorizing the sale of the two sections of land, the proceeds to be used in deepening the river near its mouth. This sale will be made as soon as the land can be surveyed. Within ten days Attorney-General Taylor and George U. Bingham will visit the land and arrange for having the survey made. Governor Mount is anxious to proceed with the sale and the work of deepening the river as soon as possible.