Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 40, Number 26, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 6 December 1907 — LOWER IROQUOIS DITCH STATEMENT [ARTICLE]

LOWER IROQUOIS DITCH STATEMENT

On Saturday, November 30, 1907 tee commissioners appointed by the court on the petition of Carey L. Carr and others for tho straightening and deepening of the Iroquois river from a point at the outlet of tee present improvement j ust below the rock at Bensselaer, Indiana, to tee C. & E. L railroad bridge, just tenth ol the town of Brook in New* ton county filed their preliminary report; Tha lgTiffa rißwnrihflrt in tec petition as being benefited by tee improvement included certain territory. In Iroquois township in Newton county anA in the townBhips of Newton, Jordan and Marion in Jasper county, but the preliminary report of the commissioners now on file brings in lands in every township in Jasper county except Kankakee and Wheatfield. All tee lands assessed for the up per Iroquois ditch now being constructed, the Howe ditch, the Garrison ditch, the Kent ditch, Nisi us ditch, together with all lands hav-_ lng their outlets in Carpenters Creek are reported as being benefitted by the proposed ditch and will be assessed for its construction. The land within the corporate limits of the city of Bensselaer and lying at the head of the new ditch, and also the land in the town of Remington have been omitted from the report and as it appears are not to be assessed. On Monday of this week a number of the larger land owners most of whom own land in the Iro quois valley above the rock ledge at Bensselaer and who are heavily assessed for the construction of the upper Iroquois ditch held a meeting at the law office of Halleck & Leopold and by unanimous vote de e' rA to eircnlateand file a remoo strance against the construction of the ditch as they feel that the lands above the rock ledge and on upper Carpenters Creek can be in no way benefitted by the proposed work. Joseph Halligan, Granville Moody and Benjamin Harris, Sr., were appoined as an executive committee to have charge of the remonstrance proceedings and employ a number of persons to circulate the remonstrances m Jasper and White counties. The remonstrances are being prepared and a copy will be kept at the offices of Halleck & Leopold and Foltz & Spitler where all interested parties who desire to remonstrate are requested to call and sign, which they may do without any cost or expense to them. Other remonstrances will be circulated upon the streets and in the country so that all who desire to do so, may have an opportunity to sign. We feel that the construction of the improvement will benefit but very few people and only a compartively small area ot land at a cost of about $200,000. the most of which money, lands already heavily assessed for the construction of other drains, and which will not be benefited by the new ditch, are to be asked to pay. If you live outside of the limits of the City of Bensselaer and the town ot Remington and other lands that drain into the Iroquois river above Brook, your lands are in the report and will be assessed. If two thirds of the people assessed remonstrate, the petition will be dismissed. This remonstrance must be filed within 20 days after November 30,1907, so that it will be advisable for those people whose lands will be assessed as shown by this to report to sgn said remonstrance without delay. Respectfully submitted, Joseph Halligan, Granville Moody, Benj. Harris, Sr., M Committee*