PIONEER HUNTERS OF THE K.ANK.AK.EE 



nearly one hundred thousand dollars of their 

 own money without as yet realizing the desired 

 benefit. Most of these settlers bought this poor, 

 wet land with limited capital and are improving 

 it under hard conditions. Legally and by all 

 rights the State owes to the land-owners of the 

 Kankakee River Region every dollar that has 

 been spent in the reclaiming of these lands. As 

 I have said all great improvements have their 

 beginning. So in the summer of eighty-six was 

 the date of the digging of the Cass and Single- 

 ton big ditch in Lake County and it was the first 

 dredge ditch dug for the reclaiming of the swamp 

 region. Since that there have been many 

 ditches constructed on both sides of the river 

 running parallel with the stream One of great 

 importance was the drainage of English Lake 

 some years ago, Three years ago was com- 

 menced the reclaiming ditch, the new Kankakee 

 River, by straightening the old river which was 

 so crooked in its course that it almost crossed 

 itself. In a distance of forty miles, straight line. 



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