New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1866-06-11
The EnvirOns of New Orleans.


doors the several names of nine States, to wit:
Kentucky, Tennessee, Missouri, Ohio Indiana,
Illinois, Mississippi Arkansas and Louisiana,
These solid brick warehouses, erected about the
year 1886 or 1887, by association of capitalists,
for the purpose Of attracting the then very val
uabe staple article of tobacco towards the down
town district, are at the present moment falling
into total ruin and decay When, at that distant
period, these extensive stores or warehouses were
established in that rather out-of-the-way section,
it was under the impression that by offering
greater facilities to the tobacco trade for the
sampling storing and asserting this very unwieldy
article in the huge Kentucky Or Western hogs
heads, the dealers, consignees or commission rner-
chants in receipt of consignments of this produce,
would be induced to transfer at least part Of the
business Of the inspection of this merchandise to
these downtown magazines. In this expectation
the company who had undertaken this very eX-
pensiye enterprise were, however, totally disap-
pointed. Consignees Of this Westesn product con-
tinued TO give the preference to the uptown
warehouses; and although these were situated
in different and separated localities still brokers'
inspectors and all interested parties did not seem
to be in the least willing to lend helping hand in
extending any patronage to the new, and certainly
most vast and otherwise very commodious down
town tobacco warehouses. 1t was, if we mistake,
not, pretended that the steamboats, laden with this
article in part of their cargo, did not want to turn
from their way in bringing down to these far away
storehouses, the tobacco freight and as for the
fatboats, laden with the same article they al
legged that the current down town was too rapid
to make fast at the proper landing, and they would
run the risk Of being carried to the English Turn if
they ventured to 60 below the upper point, that
is, the Delord street., or st. Marys market landing
Under these adverse circumstances, the enter.
prize turned out complete failure; and more
than a hundred thousand dollars worth of build
ings, besides the large vacant lots, have been and
continue to be dead loss to the company that
had ventured to give lift or aid to the lower
section interests. 1t must be owned that such dis
appointments calculated to discourage from
similar enterprizes and we have indeed wondered
how it has been possible for the company of the
lower cotton presses to overcome the almost gen
eral indsposton of the boating interest to assist
in aiding the lower situated cotton and mercantile
concerns; for it is undeniable, that all want
to make fast and land in the upper part of
our port, and there is, hence, continual contes
tation, when goods or produce have to be unship
ped or loaded in the lower districts. With regard
to the tobacco warehouses we know not what in
terested parties intend to do with these premises
For some considerable time the United States mill
tary authorities had made use of these very ex-
tensive localities for quarters and as deposits of
military stores and equipments. But since the re-.
turf peace, the whole Of these properties have
agaif Sssed under the control Of the agents Of the
company or owners of these long unOccupied
storehouses, some of which have actually been
taken down, or demolished being in such pre-
carious condition that they threatened ruin. What
most interests u.s. and what we should see put to
some practical use, are the extensive lawns or
fine level plains that from the rear part of these
warehouses to the far off cypress forests, and
which extensive meadows or pasture grounds are
seemingly left in waste and for no particular pur-
pose.
It was in this vicinity that the Gen. John Alair,
commanding the division of Kentucky volunteers
in the of 1914 and 1885, was stationed that be.
ing then estimated the Reserve Corps or Camp
Dupre. From this quarter Gen. jackson ordered
several detachments to scour the adjacent swamps
and bayous falling into the Bayou Bienyenu. 1t is
related that during these explorations in the fens
and bcgs of the morass region, several red coats
were picked up, may be, some loiterers on pur-
pose for being made prisoners by the American
forces whilst the British after the disastrous de.
feat of the 8th of January, 1916, were about re.
treating through the cypress swamps back to the
AXE shores for embarkatiou.
The rear part of these forests, as we have al.
ready stated several times, terminate in what is
called the open prairies; that is, the low, salt
marshes, covered with reeds and aquatic plants
Here it is almost impossible to have a solid foot.
ing, and most of the travelling is therefore per
formed in the light water craft of this country,
called pirogues. Now, whilst upon this subject Of
the retreatng of the British forces through these
hOp1 nt m relate hat 1pa bpva eonD
stated in some English documents, respecting the
landing of the British troops that penetrated the
rear of the river plsntations below the city by
way of the Bayou Bienvenu. We have there read
that the admiral, as well as the commander of the
first division of the invading army, had been ex.
ploring the hack coast OF the waters of Lake
Borgne almost in every direction, without any
prospect Of success for any practicable landing,
when some Of the British engineer oficera, sent
out upon the exploring tour seized several of the
Spanish fishermen and bTibed them to show them
the way by which they brought their fish to the
New Orleans market. In this manner, several OF
the British officers disguised as fishermen aseended
the Bayou Bienyenu and creeping out of tie cy-
press forests, actually went through the sugar
cane fields TO the margin of the Mississippi river,
out Of which they drank, as a sign of their having
then reached the so much desired way towbat thev
Imagined sure conquest of the great metropelis
of the South. The fact is, that by ASCENDING in
'iat-bOttomed barges, which they had on board of
their transport vessels, it was easy for them to
come into the Bayou Bienvenu which lead them
( up 10 the rear of Where's plantation, and thew
might even have gone somewhat higher and come
out CT the cypress sWamps, in the close vicinity
of the lower suburb, by thus taking the only prac
ytiaal lcutlet towards Lake Borgne, known but tc
H1GhN,o G,l,a.