Richland beacon. [volume] (Rayville, La.) 1869-1890, 1875-12-11

OFFICE BOARD STATE ENGINEERS.
New Orleans, Npy. 26th, ISIS.

New Orleans, Nov. 26th, 1875 }
NrS<r<. Wyrjck, EdicaIdS and Ed-
Wu',j<. CoMmjHcc on LcreeS Of
G:rord Truapr No. 90, GiFord La,
G"HiicmoH-lour communica-
ti"n of the 2l-t inst. is at hand. [
cannot -" exactly fr1m your letter
whri her it is your object to form u
Lrvrc Association for local protection
or part of the State system is your
desire /; and therefore, | will answer
YOU ua each. Should YOU desire to
he protected at the States expense
v"n will have to write To General
James L"ngSirrrt, chairman of the
C"mtni>>iun OF Engineers, which COM
mission, under the law, has "a direct
the location aud Dimensions of all the
!csrcs I" he built by The State; hut
| can give You my frank opinion on
the subject, which l.. that it will he
m?"ssihIc fer Your people to get any
local protection from the state until
the United states GDvcrnn.ert assumes
The building al the lrvecS on the Mis-
SIS ippi river in both Arkansas aud
Louisiana. for the tree mills fax as
collected does not pay fr half as
many cubic yards of levce work as
are nerdrd To protect vast districts of
country from overflow, and ,hc state
l. still i'aving open Ashton. Diamond
Bend, Point Pleasant. BGbkridre and
llarllintcS. aud also nral Y all the
irvec~ from llrudrr>on'> Point to
BlackhaWk. in ll,r parish ut Concurda.
M"rEanza and Bonnet Care crevasses
will again he l'tt open thio wear. But
while may Thu, discourage Won, I
would still advise yru To forward
proper application TO the Commission
of Engineers that yuu NAV be- on the
record. for should Congress grant the
aid that is 50 'arncs' V ask, d. then
, the three mill, tax can be u-ru to pro-
tcct The interior, where the govern
mcnt icree, do Lot afford protection.
The waters that distress your region
"f country are those that escape f,om
the Mississippi above Grand Lake in
ARKANSAS, and whrh The lcvees i'm
that region are built YOU nav be
entirely safe All Of these breaks
were reported by the United States
Commission Of Engineers in their re-
port To Congress last session and are
embraced in any plan hat may be
adopted by Congress. send you
one Of the reports alluded TO aud on
pages l5i and l45 and pages GO and
81 you will find The works in Arkansas
that will enure to your benefit.
Having thus given you NY opinion
on the matter from the State help
point, | will now s,cak. of any local
protection organization or association
you may de>iIc TO r"rm Should your
desire he TO do lrcal work by local
con'rbutinn, will hc Glad to assist
you in any way n nv power but
during the next two months | will he
con-ianlly buy Supervising the 500,-
600 cubic yar.- now under contract
aud stalking the lcvces not yet staked,
and a. | have only one assistant
engineer, | fear that neither of us
could get to your neighborhood until
January hut there is a most efficient
young engineer in Monroe, named
BENZ. McLeran, who has full set of
instruments, and probably he would
make all the examinations and surveys
for your Grange at a less cost ibaa
would be the expense Of one Of tie
State Engineers from the city 10
Girard. Any survey or recommends
lion he may make will tie received by
me with rs much confidence as if my
own work and thus you may bav"
your fart at an early day for such
action or authority as you may want
from the Legislature to carry out your
plan.
Being always at your service, ] anl
most respectfully your ob,. servt.
NJ. JEFF THOMPSON,
, Chief State Engineer.