Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1874-05-13
From N. o. Picayune. ]
Familiar Science.

Sho,cing hOto 4 ands Along the Routes of Fort st.
PhtiP Canals are sopl.times Entered-Aad
accounting for Great Deal of the MIX in the
Suspecting from the great bitterness and per-
sonai enmity displayed by certain parties here
against Captain Eads, Of jettee fame, that
feeling stronger than more , striotism or scien-
tho disagreement had entered into the contro-
versy, and observing from the nature OF the AZ
g9ments popularly In vogue, that the opponents
of the jettees b ad been CHOSEN by the stand ara
OF inveetive rather than engineering, we have
concluded to look little beneath the surface
and, by ascertsining whose individual profit or
loss 10 involved in the canal project, arrive at
some better understanding of the problem.
Inquiry at the Land Once ELECTS two fact.
|. On the 18th, Sd and 2Sth of August, 1873,
John Beckwith, (brother Of General Beck with .
I. s. A, late of this department, and now on
duty at Washington obtained Il We several Ger
tincates OF entry for tidal overflow land" run
ming BACK from the river to the bay in rear of
Fort st. Phillip, and sggregating about 400
acres. There Is q II addition concerning this land
TO the effect that 1t was once sold by the govern
ment, or entered by means of United States
land warrants, but we can find no definite record
OF such transaction.
2. ON the 18th Of January, 1874, patents were
issued by Gov. Kellogg, based also upon certid-
Gates OF entry from the Land ONCE. to j. 5.
Copes for ], So As 100 acres, situated two miles
below Fort st. Philip and running back from
the river to the bay. This entry was effected at
cost or twenty five cents to the acre, by virtue
OF sworn affidavit that the land was subject TO
TIDAL overflow; and the patents bear the same
date as the certificates.
Subsequent to the issue Of these patents, 1t is
related Gov. Kellogg, at the instance OF Senator
West, recommended in his annual message to
the legislature the passage OF an act apprOpri-
ating Tor the beneft or the canal the very
lands already entered by Messrs. Copes and
Beckwith.
In accordance with this suggestion an act was
framed, passed BY the general assembly, and
duly promulgated in the official Journal. Some
OF the parties interested In the scheme-for, of
course, Messrs. Copes and Beckwith were too
modest to keep such thing all to themselves
hsIged the governor with bad faith in having
appropriated lands for which he had previously
signed patents. The governor, however, or
those OF his supporters who claim to speak for
him, alleges that he did not know he had sgned
such patents, as his signature, according to i'm
lane patents in blank.
Now, We don't pretend to know how often the
original interests Of Mesers. Copes aud Beck
with have been subdivided. We have seen 1t
by private individuals that quite an extensive
and influential association has sprung from
those two entries OF humble marsh lands near
the Fort st. Philip canal; but, somehow people
are not communicative At all times, and We dis.
cover bhat In schemes Of great public benevo-
tural Injunction about letting the left arm re-
main ignorant OF what the right il doing. As
we have limited above, there has been rather
700 mnch bitterness displayed in this contro-
versy 70 admit Of the BELIEF that IL IL animated
wholly by considerations Of national good Men
IN these days don't take of their coats and shake
their nste and call bad names on q purely Alb
suaet iesue, and 1t would be innocence OF the
most gushing Arcadian type to suppose tn at the
Eads's jettees were founded on . simple dues
ton OF their superiority or inferiorify to the
canal.