The south-western. [volume] (Shreveport, La.) 1852-1870, 1856-02-06

The FAlls.-One Of the mostimportant mat
ters that will come before the Legislature Al its
approaching session, will be that OF the tails OF
Red River, at this point. The work ordered
to be done on them, has been performed as-
cording to the plan and direction OF cieI en-
gneer and under the supeTintendence OF a
board Of directors appointed by the State, and
the sum appropriatedfor il has been exhausted
The question now will be, whether any ben
eft has resalted to the people and the State
from the work already done on these falls, and
furthermore. whether the exigencles the pnb-
lie require that any more work sEoald be done
upon them. 4 sas1ss.sSa .e.s@s.z !. FEz. 5 egE
When Messrs MeilIefert Il Rasloffeommenc-
ed their operations on the falls. they had great
preiudices to encounter. Almost all the cap
ttains and officers of steamboats,, and alarge
and intelligent part of the community, believing
that the work would fail to prove OF the slight
est advantage or utility, freely expressed the
opinion that it would be a mere waste OF time
and money Now, however, that the works.
completed, and its results are seen and felt.
what has been the consequence! Why,a
change of opinion has taken place IN regard to
it, 1t is now admitted on all hands we believe,
/ that the work is Of very considerable advan-
tage to navigation Any boatthat can getoser
other shoals and bars in the river, both above
and below the falls, no longer meets with any
4 obstruction on them. The present spell OF low
water has not only been one of unexampied
duration, but at times the river has been lower
4 than it has ever been known to be before
Bars were formed between this and the mouth
of the river, on which there were scant two
feet water, while above the falls, for a period,
navigation was wholly saspended's boats THE
very lowest draught being unable TO run TWEEN
ty miles Yet even at the lowest stage the
river there was sufficient water IN the channels
on the falls, to enable boats to pass over them.
And since the late slight rise has set IN, the
boats that can run to advantage above, and
even large class boats have found no difficulty,
as far as depth Of waters concerned. in crossing
them. The Swamp Fox, captain Kimball, came
! over them with 700 bales of cotton, and the
. Grenada with even larger load and had no
other difficulty except what they had expe'ienc-
, ed from the narrowness ofthe channels,
l.. Since the rise we have spoken Of, the chan
nels have been much used by boats of ordinary
E size, III going up and descending, and the eek
: pertinent OF cutting them practically tested,
and the resuthas been decidedly and univer-
4 SALLY favorable With one accord our river
: men have. acknowledged that the work done
4 on the falls SO far has been OF ofconsderable ad-
! vantage but they think that more work is both
S desirable and necessary to improve the navlga-
: ton and still more improve the interests of
e commerce as well as of the people Of Upper
: Red River. The channels that have been cut,
while they are deep enough for all desirable
: and practical purposes, are too narrow. They
: have only been made sixty feet wide, which is
n not as wide as many Of our boats. Hence,
f while they have been found to be Of no service
: to them, the smaller boats find them too mar
. row for safe transit. 1t is desired that they
i should be wdened thirty feet more, which
: would give them width of ninety feet A
# petition for this purpose, signed BY all our
1 steamboatmen, has been prepared to be presen-
r. ted to the legislature, and will, trust receive
!. at its hands the favorable consideration which
r. its Importance demands.
- - 81 t9+@f-fsf -5' Alexandria Republican,
: By referring back, it will be found that at the
" time the work was commenced the South West
E ern stated that the proposed channel of sixty
: feet would be of no benefit to steamboats,.
-c~~~-o<2----r~~>D@~~~~---7-r~ p 5.5E E@E
y A VIRGINIA ADvENTURER.-The following
d sketch Of remarkable man which has not be-
1t fore appeared in print, we take, says the Rich
i mond Dispatch, from advanced sheets of ..The
Men and Times of the Revolution, volume
now in press. The writer says
y During my residence at Nantes, in 1881,
= became intimately acquainted with one of the
: most remarkable characters of the age. Louis
: Littlepage was the repued illegmate son of
gentleman Of Virginia. He arrived at Nantes
in the winter of 1779-'8O, OH his way to Mad
: rid, under the peculiar patronage of Mr.. Jay,
: our stern and able ambassador at the court of
Spain. He was a mere youth, ola fine manly
. figure, with dark, penetrating, black eye, and
physiognomy peculiar and striking. At that
early period he was esteemed prodigy of ge-
, MUS and requirements. When | again heard of
him, he had separated from M. jays family,
and entered as volunteer aid to due de Ciellou,
] at the siege of Minorka. At the attack of Gi-
braltar he was on board of one ofthe floating
i, batteries. and was blown up, but saved. Young
: Littlepage participated in a conspicuous manner
in the thrilling incidents Of that siege.
;. While at Gibraltar held a familiar cores
:. pondence with him. After this catastrophe in
r. the floating battery, he contryed to obtain sit
: uation on board of the Spanish admirals ship,
and in one of the engagements occupied him
q SELF upon the quarter deck, during the battle,
in skeching the various positions of both fleets.
On the return of the Spanish feet to Cadiz, he
!, was sent with an officer to Madrid, bearing the
. dispatches He exhibited to the mnisrer an
ingenious and scientific view of the battle, and
was received with great applause and distinc-
, ton at the court of Madrid. 7- .F-.-,. .gs,--y
In the April following, the close Of the war
| dined with him at Dr.. Franklins, in Passy
to whom lie stated the above fact, and exhibi-
ted the sketch. At Paris and Versailles he
moved in the first circles, and attracted mark
I ed attention. f s... M s-.--,t - t......s
l In the following June he made visit at my
bachelors hall, in Berkley square, London I
never saw him again. He subsequently, made
the tour Of Europe. He established himself at
Warsaw, became, in effect, prime minister; went
to St. Petersburg as ambassador from Poland,
acquitted himself with distinguished ability, and
became one of the favorftes of the empress
Catharine. After the dismenberment Of Po-
land Littepage returned to America, and diedin
Fredericksburg, Virginia.
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