DAM BUILDING
By T. W. FERGUSON
; (Continued from last Issue)
Two small villages, vis: Ronda
tnd Roaring River between
^orth Wilkeaboro and Elkln are
Sam P. Mitchell
| Civil Engineer
CRT W) FARM SURVEYS
PROPERTY PLATS
Office lad Floor Baak of Nortk
JzF.
Office Phone 227
Residence 566
nearly all abovehighwater reach.
The two concrete bridges span
ning the Yadkin River at North
Wilkesboro and Elkln were not
damaged in the flood of 1940 and
they were not constructed at the
time of the 1916 flood. Any
bridge where substantially built
regardless of location would not
have been effected. Seventy-five
per cent of the contemplated
protection in this project is de
signed for industry and only 25
per cent for agriculture. If we
were to double and treble the
flood damages the end would not
justify the means. The photo
graphs submitted of points be
low the dams Will bear us out ip
the above facts.
Statistics show that only 10
per cent of our soil is of the al
luvial or river bottom type,
while 90 per cent is of the hill
and mountain type. Will we act
to protect the 10 per cent and
do nothing to protect the other
90 per cent? There 1b nothing
more true than the farther away
we get from nature the more we
are handicapped by artificial lim
itations. It is always unwise to
try to control water unless you
have a complete syBtem of flood
control. We farmers know by ex
perience and observation.
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ABOUT THE
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TOW AY AND
TUESDAY
BETIX
HUT1DH
JOHN LUND
BILLY PE WOLFE
CwstMjcefttter
LIBERTY
We know if we do not .build
our terraces oomplete it is far
better that we do not build them
at all. The same principles hold
true in any kind of flood control
system. The so called flash floods
that we have today are not due to
* greater rain fall than former
ly. The fact is we do not have
any more rain fall now than 100
years ago; the waters simply
run in to the channel faster due
to fewer obstructions on the land.
We can hold this water back by
a system of contour farming,
strip cropping, terracing, plant
ing soil holding crops, grazing
our bottom lands more, alearing
the main channels of obstruc
tions, building of thousands of
farm fish ponds and reservoirs
and by a systematic timber pro
tection. We know that farm lands
have been depleted by constant
row cropping and our timber
lands have been mutilated by the
swing of a million axes and saws
and by making logging rpads
down the mountain sides. Much
of the water absorbing leaf
mould and the spongy grassy
I slopes that used to hold the ex
cess water and cause it to soak
into the earth making the water
run off more slowly is^now like
a tin roof. When the water falls
it rushes rapidly into the chan
nel causing flash floods. The
whole scheme Is to hold the wat
er back where it falls and make
it run slowly until it gets into'
the channel, then let it run off
as rapidly as possible. It does
not have time to overflow. Farm
ers all over the country have
shown a willingness to cooperate
in a program of this kipd if giv
en the proper encouragement.
Many in this section of the Yad
kin Valley have demonstrated
they can put these practices into
effect on their own farms. Its not
a whirlwind affair but it is sure
and permanent. Louis Bromfield,
the celebrated farm expert and
author has ?demonstrated con
clusively on his farm in an Ohio
valley similar to the Yadkin val
ley that such a system can be
carried out completely in eight
years. Before he started his work
floods were a common occurence;
now the river runs fairly clear
and floods are practically un
known. No dams were built. If
water can be made to run slowly
on one farm, then why not on
a number of farms, a district, a
state and nation? One hundred
years ago when nature had not
been disturbed the Yadkin ran
j practically clear and translucent
6,T year8 ago *hen
ram fell in abundance, it took
several day8 for the stream to
rise and several to fall. Now it
rises over nfght and falls in like
manner. Building detention dams
o this size an<i dimension ig" not
going to remedy the situation or
hold our soil and water where
I?hT be" A11 the? can pos,
sibly doMs to give a little tem
porary relief to those immedi
FEEftS
LIN BUMGARNER
3 Miles West Ob Highway 411
24-F-21 Nerth
WHY?
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J. D. Shields
Engineer
WILKESBORO MFG.
COMPANY
LOCAL REPRESHNTATTVH
Telephone 7
ately below the dame. We hare
proved concflusively by accepted
statistics that the cost does not
justify the means. Let's not rush
blindly Into a futile money spend
ing spree In order to offset the
mistakes and crimes against na
ture of the last fifty or more
years. Our farmers will do a far
moj^s effective Job if given the
proper cooperation and1 one tenth
of the money requested in this
proposed project.
It is admitted that this is
strictly a flood control area with
soil and tmfber conservation as
the base. We should treat it as
such. The primary object should
he to protect first the section
where the disease originates. Oet
at the root of the trouble else the
remedy is worse than the disease.'
If the project fails in this it can
never be anything but an eco
nomical blunder. These dams
cannot protect something they do
not touch, soil and timber. The
fundamental error, therefore, in
this proposed project is destroy
ing one section of fine natural
resources to give questionable
protection to another section.
The place .to start flood control
is in the hills and mountains and
the sooner both rural and ur
ban dwellers learn this the soon
er we will have real flood con
trol. Observation shows that a
bout all the average urgan dwel
ler knows about handling water
is his ability to turn a water
faucet off and on or In the
handling of a fire hose. ,
(Continued next Issue)
: -o
GAUD QF THANKS
We wish to thank the friends
and neighbors for their sympathy
and kindness during the death
of our son and brother.
MR. AND MRS. ED DANCT
AND FAMILY.
In 1946 the property loss from
fire Vas $661,487,000, an in
crease of 28 per cent over 1946.
Support the Y. M. C. A.
NOTICE
North Carolina, Wilkeg County.
The undersigned, having quali
fied as administrator of the estate
of W. A. Payne, deceased, late of
Wilkes county, this is to notify all
persons having claims against said
estate to present them to the un
dersigned at Boomer, N. C., on or
before the 14th day of July, 1948,
or this notice will be plead in bar
of their recovery. All persons in
debted to said estate will mAlr?
prompt payment to the under
signed administrator.
This 14th day of July, 1947.
JOHN PAYNE,
Admr. estate of W. A. Payne, dec'd.
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* F. W. ABSHER, MANAGER
'Phone 271 North Wilkesboro, N. C.
TH? AMERICAN WILL IS
_THI WILL TO VI
"3
URI
PACE of PROGRESS
Penelope with her strands of tlax . . . the Hebrew
woman spinning wool . . . the ancient Aztec skilled
in cotton craft . . . each had a different tool for
spinning. But ... for each . . . enough thread to
make a garment required hours of hand labor.
For 7,000 years spinning remained a hand craft
. . . achieved on primitive tools. Then men in
England began to venture in industry as ... in an
earlier century . . . they had ventured on the high
seas. Seven English working men . . . each trying
to find an easier way to' do his work . . . built the
tools of a new industry . . .
John Wyatt and Lewis Paul made rollers
twist their cotton.
John Kay made a shuttle
James Hargreaves made a
several spindles at oncfe.
2
Richard A combined
achievements, and made water drive his
machine.
Finally, a farm boy, Samuel Crompton, listened
thoughtfully to his mother's complaint that the
new machine-spun thread was too coarse for fine
weaving. He resolved to find a way to spin thread '
that wbs both fine and strong.
"Often baffled ... as often I renewed my attempt,"
he records, "at the expense of every shilling I had
in the world." But he found a better way. Instead
of taking away men's jobs, his machine multipliad
them a thousand-fold.
The creative forae of these men . . . and thousands
like them who have tolled and risked to find a bet
ter way . . . Have made tools set the paee of
? fJrogrees.
TLaJ. ew>eeln-Illoi In ]
wppominmn to ?flinirv ana infff
dhonee m win aie ffce eeieere of ear Me ^
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DUK& POWER "COMPANY
4 Adrnmi OU~4 J
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