Jasper County Democrat, Volume 12, Number 11, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 8 May 1909 — PETITION IN HOWE. DITCH DENIED. [ARTICLE]

PETITION IN HOWE. DITCH DENIED.

Ephriam Gilmore, the contractor on the Howe ditch, whose contract was annuled by the court recently T>ecau»e of dilatory tactics pursued by the contractor and the fact that the limit for completing the ditch had expired nearly a year ago, filed a petition with the court last week signed by some 135 or 140 landowners who are affected* by said ditch, asking that ne be allowed six months more tjme to complete It. There were a score or more of those who had been raising howls because the wyk was progi'esslng so slowly that signed this petition, but the »court Is determined that contractors on ditch work in Jasper ceuniy must use dilligcnt effort to

complete their contracts within the allotted time, and the petition was denied. Supt. Price stopped Mr. Gilmore from further work last Friday, and will now proceed to go ahead and advertise and re-let the contract, as provided in the court’s order. Mr. Gilmore has a little more than half of the ditch completed, and both the people along the ditch and the superintendent say that he has done an excellent job as far as he has gone. He has a good new dredge, but the greater part of the time is said to have employed incompetent help, which has caused much necessary delay and several break downs.