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Show Reclamation of Big Acreage In the Valley By Drainage System. (By Leo D. Bardsley) One of the largest and most important im-portant projects ever undertaken by Gunnison Valley farmers, is the "rgr.ni. h.k n of th:' lirst Drauoy ; district ir. Sanpc.e county. The 'problem ot taking car? oi' the "bog" lands of iliis valley has oeen a giave one for the past twelve or fourteen years. Before that time the best farms in the valley '..ere within the present boundaries of the drainage ; district. As soon as the location of the sugar factory was assured, the ! need of more farming land was at once evident. Everyone looked to 'these waste lands as furnishing the needed resource. The various drainage districts throughout the state had been visited vis-ited by interested men ot our valley, and a favorable comparison of our situation with various others, con-vince,r con-vince,r them that there was but one policy to follow to get the land drained as soon as possible. The preliminary work necessary in securing the names required for a proclamation to be presented to the County Commissioners, asking that a district be created, vas done by those most enthused over the pos-jibilllies pos-jibilllies of redeeming our bad . lands. There were no funds available avail-able at that time, but the prelimin- i ary work was pursued with as mueh ' vigor by those interested as if im-: mediate compensation were to be made for the time spent looking after af-ter all details of the proposed project. pro-ject. An engineer was employed, the district outlined and preliminary surveys made on which to base future fu-ture estimates. The district as outlined out-lined at first, was the same as finally final-ly determined, excepting in a few leases where petitions were filed by ! various land owners, ' asking to be J admitted into the district. The district dis-trict contains 3.600 acres of land, of this amount 2,911 acres, is assessable as-sessable for drainage purposes. I The district wa6 first " organized June 7, 1919, with W., V. England, jj. W. Nielson and Leo' D. Bardsley, as supervisors.- Mr. England sold his holdings to " the district and in August of the same year John C. Mellor of Manti, one of the largesi land owners in the "district, was selected se-lected to take the place made vacaut. by the resignation of Mr. England. In December, 1919, an election was held at which time the landowners indicated their desire to issue bonds to the extent, of $115,000 to be used for the construction ot a drainage system. In February, 1920, $95,-000 $95,-000 ot these bonds were sold to the Palmer Bond & Mortgage eotupauy. of Sail Lake City, at a very good figure. Bids asking for the construction of Ihe drain: had been " advert 1 avid ir. Man- i, 1920. a contract was signed sign-ed with, the iBe.r Drain ; company com-pany of Tremontou. Utah, for construction of approximately forty miles of concrete pipe Iinw, averting avert-ing in size from five to fifteen i ches, the latter being used as mains. , The actual work of putting in :ht tile begaJi in June aud.. if conditions condi-tions had been favorable, tho contractor, con-tractor, with the . three trenching machines then iu the vieiaity, wo.ilit have had the work completed with-in with-in ninety days'. With the one machine ma-chine working every day, storm or shine, the work is over ' three-fifths complete and will be finished by March, 1921. 1 |