128 LAWS RELATING TO AGRICULTURE. 



SEC. 4562. [Commissioners may remove drift for protection of 

 roads 1 The commissioners of any county are authorized to cause 

 be removed from any river or watercourse within their county, any c 

 or timber for the better protection of roads and bridges in such c 



SEC. 4563. [Application by tax-payers therefor.] When there 

 is filed with the county auditor a petition signed by five or more tax 

 payers of the county, setting forth the benefits to be derived from remov- 

 ing such drift and timber, the starting point and terminus, with a de- 

 scription of the river or watercourse to be cleared, and amount of drif 

 and timber to be removed, together with an estimate of cost to be incurred 

 to complete the work, the auditor shall at the next regular or called 

 meeting of the commissioners notify them of the filing of the petition. 



SEC. 4564. [Appointment of viewer.] The commissioners, upon 

 receiving such notice, shall forthwith appoint some disinterested person 

 resident of the county, who shall go upon the line of such river or water- 

 course, and carefully examine the same, and make his report to the county 

 auditor in writing, stating whether he deems the clearing of the river or 

 watercourse important and beneficial for the protection of any state or 

 county road or bridge, and if so, an estimate of the amount of money 

 required to perform the labor. 



SEC. 4565. [Report of viewer, and proceedings thereon.] The 

 auditor shall, at the first regular or called meeting of the commissioners, 

 after receiving the report from such person, notify the commissioners of 

 the same, and if the report recommends the clearing of the river or 

 watercourse, the commissioners shall proceed to let the same at public 

 sale to the lowest bidder, whose bid is not tv/enty per cent, above the 

 estimate cost, and who has no official duty to perform about the work, 

 and take a bond payable to the state, of the person to whom the work 

 is let, with good and sufficient sureties for the performance of the same 

 within a specified time; and on completion of the work thus let and 

 accepted by the commissioners, the auditor shall issue a certificate to the 

 person performing the work for the sum due. 



SEC. 4566. [Costs and expenses to be paid out of bridge fund.] 

 All the costs of letting and clearing such river or watercourse, and all 

 the other necessary expenses which shall accrue, shall be paid out of 

 the county treasury, out of the bridge fund, on the order of the county 

 auditor. 



SEC. 4567. [Commissioners may remove obstructions as a san- 

 itary measure.] The county commissioners of any county may, 

 whenever in their opinion the same will be conducive to the public 

 health, convenience, or welfare, upon petition of the owner of any land 

 adjoining or adjacent to any stream of living water, remove, or cause 

 to be removed any drift, timber, or other obstructions except mill-dams, 

 water-works, or flood-gates, that may hinder the free passage of water in 

 the natural channel of such stream. 



SEC. 45670. [County commissioners may remove certain mill- 

 dams as a sanitary measure.] The county commissioners of any 

 county may, whenever in their opinion the same will be conducive to 

 the public health, convenience or welfare, upon petition of the owners of 

 any lands adjoining or adjacent to any stream of living water, remove 

 or cause to be removed any mill-dam or mill-dams that may hinder the 

 free passage of water in the natural channel of such stream. 



