New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1875-10-28
1"as NEW ORLEANS THURSDAY OCTOBER 2s 1875
The Jeities Again.

Ioe JelNles again.
We have expressed some we'll grounded
apprehensions that the South Pass iJetty
Company might abandon the ''no cure, no
pay" experiment, on the strength of which
1t obtained it's contract for attempting TO
deepen the mouth of the Mississippi. We
have also called attention to proposition
looking to the closing up of some of the
flood safety valves Of the lower river, in
volving contracts and expenditures of pub
lie funds, tor which it now appears the
jetty contractors were but paving the way
in getting this mo cure. no pay" method
adopted When we suggested that after
obtaining agreeable contracts for closing
"Cubitt's Gap" the Jump" and Bonnet
Care crevasse, by the Jetty Company, we
might look for the closing of the L Lafourche
and the Atchafalaya. and, perhaps, the
turning of Red river into the Atchaf alaya,
with canal to connect the latter with the
Mississippi, the question was presented:
Where is this jetty contracting with Con-
gress to endl As this company appears to
be on the eve of unfolding it's gigantic plans,
of alarm was not sounded too soon. The
ST. Louis Republican breaks ground for the
next step toward placing our river in the
hands Of q monopoly, which, it is seri ously
feared, is under the control of the great
railroad rings of the East and West The
ST. Louis Republican is credited with being
one of the official organs of the South Pass
Jetty Company, and as such more than OF,
dinary significance attaches to the extract
quoted below:
Captain James B. Eads had expressed the
opinion that for $l5,000,000 depth of
twelve feet from St. Louis to the mouth
could be obtained, and that seems to US
good enough authority. 1t may not be to
others, however, and as an assurance that
this idea of improving the Mississippi ia
altoge; her feasible and practical, it wo uld
be well for Captain Eads or some other en-
terprising and responsible engineer to pro-
pose TO Congress to perform this work for a
certain stated sum, to be paid when the
work is done, after the manner of compen-
sating Captain Eads for the constr uction of
the jetties.
Such a proposition wonld silence the talk
about the millions involved in the under
-: - u.o O1on oo s's"aiy
snch a h;eh renntat;on as hold apS ooy' os;
ginsl engineer, that he seems lust the man
TO sske mold OF this enterprise. 1t would be
mouth What haa be % TO ns saw, w'f1 ca a' Ine his
shoulders carry the new load9 or must we
seek elsewheres
1t is bad enough to have our only chance
for an improved outlet to the sea in the
hands of private corporation, and at the
mercy of those whose interests are antagon.
istic to the building up of grand com.
merce between the Western States and the
Gulf ports 1t will be too bad if this corpora.
ton be allowed to close the great safety
valves OF the lower river. 1t will be " t more
deplorable if the Congress of the United
States delegate the treatment of the whole
river to this irresponsible and dangerous
monopoly.
Will the next step be toward the seiz ure
of the levee system of our valley' Con-
solidation of the jetty company with our
Louisiana Leyee Company to attain such an
end would place in Washington this W inter