Ste. Genevieve Herald
Ste. Geneveive, Mo.
Saturday, July 14, 1883

According to the call mentioned in our last, a meeting of owners and
renters of land in the Big Field of Ste. Genevieve, and other interested men
was held last Saturday afternoon at the Court House, to consider the
practicability of erecting dams for the protection of the land in said
field. The meeting was organized by the election of Mr. W.B. SKEWES as
chairman and Jos. A. ERNST as secretary. Mr. SKEWES remaked that it was
unnecessary to explain the object of the meeting, as everyone present well
knew what he had come for, and called upon those present to express their
views. A plan was put forward by Mr. KRUSE of erecting a dam running around
the whole field, at a distance of 300 yards from the river, the dam to be 20
feet wide at the base and of sufficient height to protect the field against
an overflow like that of this summer. Mr. August GISI thought this
impracticable and inadequate to protect the whole field, as those who owned
land on the outside of the dam would derive no benefit from it. Besides, he
urged, that such a dam might do more damage to a man's land than the benefit
he could derive from it would amount to, as it would take more land than the
strip of 20 feet, corresponding ditches on either side of the dam being
required to furnish the ground. Mr. KRUSE thought he could protect his land
from inundation for $5, if his nearest neighbors were willing to protect
their's in a similar manner, but would not stand back if more was required
to protect the whole field. Several others spoke in a similar strain, and
toward the close of the meeting the opinion seemed to prevail that an
assessment ought to be made upon all the land in the field to provide means
for the erection of the dam and for the indemnification of those owners
through whose land the dam will pass.
Mr. Wm. KERN moved that a committee of five land owners be appointed
whose duty it should be to visit the field in person as soon as practicable
and to ascertain as nearly as possible the benefits and damages to be
expected from the erection of a dam, to make an approximate estimate of
expenses and report to a subsequent meeting which should be held on
Saturday, July 28, at 2 o'clock in the afternoon at the Court House in Ste.
Genevieve City. The motion was unanimously approved, and the chairman
appointed Messrs. Aug. GISI, Felix ROZIER, Wm. KERN and Hy. L. ROZIER, to
which names that of Mr. Wm. B. SKEWES was added by acclamation, so that the
whole length of the field might be represented in the committee. The
meeting then adjourned until July 28th, at 2 o'clock p.m.

Bottom farmers have received a terrible lesson which the wise ones among
them will improve. It is to be hoped that the owners of the Big Field land
will, at the meeting to be held at the Court House on the 28th, agree upon a
general plan of constructing a dam for the protection of the bottom from
overflow, as in case an agreement is not arrived at, each one will be
obliged to take care of himself as well as he can. There are certainly some
farmers who can save their lowlands by a very small outlay of money and with
very little labor, but that is not serving the community, and, for the sake
of our farmers more than of anybody else, it seems imperative to save the
whole Big Field if possible. And it can be saved if every man stands to his
colors. There must be an understanding and that can be arrived at only by a
thorough discussion of the matter. Think over it and communicate your views
to your neighbor in order to form as correct ideas of the subject as
possible, and then lay your plan before the next meeting. The committee,
especially, should be careful to visit the field at the earliest practicable
moment, examine carefully the low places and note the depth and width of
sloughs so as to be able to make an approximate estimate of the probable
cost.
"Where there's a will, there's a way."

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