Jasper County Democrat, Volume 20, Number 34, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 25 July 1917 — RYAN DITCH CASE IS COMPROMISED [ARTICLE]

RYAN DITCH CASE IS COMPROMISED

Agreement Was Reached Monday Afternoon. BOTH DITCHES TO BE DUG New Reports Ordered and Matter Will Come Up at the September Term of Court. When Special Judge Elmore Barce of Fowler adjourned court the middle of last week until Monday there were indications that a compromise might be reached between the attorneys and their clients in the Ryan ditch matter. This indication proved correct, and an agreement was reached by which both the Ryan and Oliver ditches are to be combined and will be constructed, the matter coining up for final dispensation at the September term of court. ‘ In Judge Barce’s findings the report of Engineer Price was found to contain many errors and the court held that the report was not according to law, and same was set aside and a new report ordered to be filed at the September term. C. J. Hobbs was appointed engineer and former Trustee John "W. Selmer of Gillam township was appointed one of the commissioners, and Louis Timm of Pulaski county, one of the old commissioners, was retained as the other commissioner, and an agreement was reached that a report should be gotten up in the Oliver ditch and the matter come up at the September term and the jurisdiction changed from Judge Hanley to Judge Barce, making both ditches, which drain territory in the same vicinity, under the same judge. The parties who make the report in the Oliver ditch will have this report practically ready but will not be appointed until the September term, when they will be ordered to file report, one week from their appointment, say,, it being designed to have both reports in at practically the same time so that joint action can be taken. This fight—-which has been more of a lawyers’ fight than anything else, so the petitioners say:—has been a long drawn out one and everybody will be glad to know that it is practically ended. Both ditches are needed, so the affected most claim, and it will mean much to the sections of Gillam, Walker and Barkley townships to have them constructed. The Ryan ditch was petitioned for in October, 1909, and it has been in the courts eve? since. The Oliver ditch was petitioned for in January, 1913, but the matter has lain dormant pending the outcome of the Ryan ditch. Many of the farmers most deeply interested have lost more in damage by high water — some in a single season —than their entire assessment will amount to, and it is with much satisfaction that The Democrat notes that a compromise . has befen reached and both causes consolidated with the prospect of soon securing the muchneeded drainage.