When emergencies arose regarding right-of-way, he invariably proved the man of the hour; sometimes by buying outright the property that caused the friction, and sometimes taking necessary court action to prevent obstruction of the work. He could if he wished, tell of the hot-summer conferences in Omaha, when others were away on vacations, and even the courts were not to be found except by journeys into the woods or mountains. In these duties Attorney James E. Kelby was right hand man and capable counsellor.

The Canal Builders The men of brain were not the only people necessary to build the ditches, neither were the men of finance. There came a time when rough men of action, capable of handling other rough men of work were strung along the miles of the construction.

Bids for the big construction appeared high in comparison with former prices for similar work. However, portions were let out, principally to Maney Brothers, and part of the work was undertaken by force account. The latter is; that the company itself went into construction business. The government was then building its big Interstate canal, and the rivalry between the two advanced prices of construction, and made labor independent.

Engineer Wanzer was at the head of the consulting board, and O. V. P. Stout, of the Nebraska University, was frequently overlooking the works. Chas. Green was sent out by Stout at the request of the Tristate people. Before leaving, Stout gave his student one parting piece of advice that has made Green one of the foremost engineers in the land today. Stout said: "Remember, Green, you are going out there to build a big ditch. You will find all kinds of reasons for slowing down, for stopping the work from time to time, but that is not what you are there to do.