Barrow ditch.

[Felton, Robert]

>> Better consult it! The DARE entries for "barrow ditch" and "barrow pit"
are
>> far too long to copy here, but briefly "barrow ditch"="barrow pit" 1 = a
>> roadside drainage ditch, chiefly West, esp Rocky Mts. There is also
"barrow
>> pit" 2 = a place from which material for construction has been excavated,
and
>> which, esp in the Gulf States, often fills with water."

Ouch! I should have spotted this right away.  A "BORROW PIT" is the place
from which soil is "borrowed" for use as fill.  Often, soil is borrowed from
the side of a roadway alignment in order to elevate the road and, at the
same time, provide drainage along the side.  I can't imagine how this got
turned into "barrow;" the southern accent, I suppose.

Robert M. Felton, P.E.
Technical Editor, InTech Magazine
ISA - The Instrumentation, Systems, and Automation Society
67 Alexander Drive
Research Triangle Park, NC 27709

E-Mail: rfelton at isa.org <mailto:rfelton at isa.org>
Phone: (919) 990-9223
Fax: (919) 549-8288

        -----Original Message-----
        From:   AAllan at AOL.COM [SMTP:AAllan at AOL.COM]
        Sent:   Monday, October 09, 2000 2:36 PM
        Subject:        Re: Barrow ditch.

        << the only work we have not consulted is DARE.  >>

        Better consult it! The DARE entries for "barrow ditch" and "barrow
pit" are
        far too long to copy here, but briefly "barrow ditch"="barrow pit" 1
= a
        roadside drainage ditch, chiefly West, esp Rocky Mts. There is also
"barrow
        pit" 2 = a place from which material for construction has been
excavated, and
        which, esp in the Gulf States, often fills with water."
        - Allan Metcalf