Jasper County Democrat, Volume 19, Number 91, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 10 February 1917 — GIFFORD DITCH. [ARTICLE]

GIFFORD DITCH.

Did Benjamin J. Gifford err when he brought the water of Haddock marsh down what is*known as the Gifford? ditch instead of down the Pinkamnik I came here about twenty-five years ago and have since made Jasper county my home. As I remember it, it was at about this time that Mr. Gifford came to this county and commenced buying up land and started to drain this portion of Jasper county. I well remember going up to the marsh to see his dredge work* and driving on the, north and south Toad west of Newland, I saw a body of water lying to the east as far as one could see, dotted here and there with small islands, covered with oaks. When it was known that Mr. Gifford intended draining the marsh into the Itoquois river at a point threefourths mile east of Burk’s Bridge, instead of dowp the Pinkamink, everyone started to criticise, 1 and some went so far as to say very harsh things reflecting on his ability as a drainage engineer. This was due to the fact that? none of Us knew what we were talking about, and I, myself, thought that Mr. Gifford was wrong and have always wanted to see profiles of both -routes and be able to compare them. • , It has been my good fortune to get

hold of such a survey and to make the i comparison; in fact, this should have been done before the Ryan ditch was. petitioned for; then the cheapest, best and most feasible* route could have been petitioned for and draini age areas so divided and the ditches Ibcated, that everyone could get the best drainage at the least cost. Now looking at the profile made by Yeoman and Head, which is from the survey of the Gifford and Ryan and after having been informed of the methods used in taking the levels and platting the profiles of the two routes, I believe it is sufliciently accurate to make a reasonably close estimate of both outlets. There is no question as to the drainage of that part of the marsh known as stump .slough, until you get to IT point where she two ditches diverge, which is somewhere in section 5, township 31, range 5. The Gifford ditch runs in a southwesterly direction to the Iroquois river, a distance of about 3-4 of a mile southeast of Burk’s. The Pinkamink runs in a southerly course for* about 9 miles, thence west to the Iroquois river, not far from the place where the Monon crosses, a distance t of about 16 miles. - Taking this profile and the profile of the Ryan ditch and the levels I run some 23 years ago on the Gifford ditch from Boston’Bridge to the Iroquois river and my knowledge of the country, I have been able to make an estimate and to satisfy myself as to the drainage of this marsh, and the land lying around Newland. The levels show that there is about 20 feet fall from surface of the ground -at the junction in section 5, township 31, range L, to the surface of the ground where it enters the Iroquois river at ik point about 3-4 of a mile southeast of Burk’s bridge, a distance of eight miles, which will give an abundance of fall, especially to the ■Copperas Creek country. While taking the Pinkamink from the same point to its outlet in the Iroquois river near''the Monon railroad crossing, it will have a fall from surface of ground to surface of the ground at the railroad of 24 feet and. a distance of 16 miles. In making an estimate on outlet for this project, I have laid out ditches a pon\t in section 5, township 31, range 5, to a point where they would find sufficient outlet laying the most practical and economical grade that would do the work, giving both the same fall, one foot to 5000 feet in length. The Pinkamink would find an outlet in 14.6 miles, and the Gifford would find an outlet in 7.6 miles. I also made the ditches the same size, though the Gifford ditch is a little larger, as it has a 15 foot bottom from Lateral 77, while in* the Pinkamink the 15 foot bottom does not start until it gets to the Newland road. In estimating the Pinkamink I used 10c per cubic yard for earth work and sl.lO per cubic yard for the rock, and after making an allowance for the old ditch I find it would cost about $367,000.00. This does not include the cost of the upper main ditch or laterals, or any court cost, and spreading this over the land bemefitted, we would have an equal cost of about $6.00 per acre on sand hill and marsh alike, or comparing this cost to the carrying capacity of the ditch, we would have about $500.00 per second foot. Take the Gifford ditch and estimating it as if it had not been dug. and making the allowance for the old ditch I estimated .it at 20c per cubic yard, on account of it being a,clean out job, which would make the ditch cost about $47,000.00, and spreading this over the land benefited it would make an assessment of about 82c per acre, and comparing it with the carrying capacity of the ditch, it would cost $75.00 per second foot. Comparing the cost of the two ditchies it is easy to see why Mr. Giffoird came down where he did, as it would have cost at least four times as much to have used the Pinkamink for his outlet, besides not giving as good an outlet as the Gifford ditch. L. A. BOSTWICK, Civil Engineer.