The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1877-01-06
BAYOU LAFoURoHE,
Shall it be CLOSED or Dredped ?


Congress to grant an appropriation
for the dredging and improvement OF
Bayou Lafourche, and requesting the
representatives of Louisiana in the
national legislative assembly to use
their influence to secure an appropri-
alton for such purpose. This reso-
luton was promptly passed and sent
to the Senate for concurrence, where
it was Immediately put through its
various readings and adopted.
We trust that the object sought by
this measure will be accomplished.
There are undoubtedly many people
living along the course of the bayou
who favor the closing of the stream
with locks, as proposed by the bill in
PRODUCED in Congress by DR. Darrall,
and large area of swamp land might
be reclaimed and made valuable by
this means. But, on the other hand,
the sentiment of the inhabitants of
the wealthy and important section
extending from Donaldsonville to
some distance below Thibodaux, seems
almost unanimously opposed to the
scheme, for the weighty reasons which
are graphically set forth in the fol-
lowing extract from the Thibodaux
Sentinel:
Who is to be benefited by the closing of
Bayou Lafourche at Donaldsonville2
Ia it the planter who will have to pay from
two to four dollars freight on each hogshead
of sugar, instead of one to one and half
ward for each Dbl molasses that he ships,
instead of fifty to seventy-fve that he now
pays; whose freights on every article that
he eats, drinks and wears on his plantation,
will be doubled or trebled; whose supply of
stone coal, western lime, hoop poles pro-
visions and forage will be cut off, or the cost
ct obtaining the same will be doubled upon
his purse
Is it the laborer who will have to pay from
% to rs cents more for every barrel of -four
or pork that he consumes; who will have the
same amount deducted from the net pro-
ceeds OF every barrel of potatoes or onions
or other products that he may ship to market
Is it the mechanic who will have his freights
doubled on every peice of machinery or ma
terial that he may require to execute his
work .
Is it the oysterman and orange grower ON
the Gulf coast who brings and sells to our
people thousands and thousands of dollars
worth of oranges and oysters annually,
whose business will be effectually closed 2
Will it be the poor widow who supports
herself and children from the products of
her poultry yard, by doubling and trebling
the expenses of sending her little earnings
to market
Echo comes back from all sides, 'Who is
it4
Does any one think that this is a fancy
picture
Go and ask the planter who lives in Terre-
homie, four miles from Bayou Lafourche,
what It costs to ship his sugar and molasses
to market9 What freights he pays for his |
return merchandise, and compare them with |
those Of planters who have the facilities of
bayou navigation, and see if these double |
rates are not real and true.
The West Baton Rouge Sugar Plan
ter also refers to the subject:
The people of Thibodaux and the Lafourche |
parishes generally, are indignant at the pro- |
position tG close the bayou kafourehe. Evil |
IDENTIFY, there is some rascality i'll the move
that will yet crop out to the con-
sternatiun of the movers of the scheme. We /
would not be surprised if the railroad COM
pany had finger in the pie and we fail to |
see how DIR. Darrall can add to his laurels |
by assisting and encouraging this outrage
for outrage it is. That bayou is a navigable |
stream-a free water eourse-and Yves such /
when Louisiana was cedcd to the United |
fofa nd ha Inni afaIx- olnpaA /
without violating one of the most important
stipulations in the act of cession.
We do not agree with the opinion
of the Sugar Planter that there is ras-
cality or hidden object in the prop
nsition to close the bayou. AS we
have before said, it can not be doubted
that large class of interested people
are favorable to the movement, and
proof OF this is found in petition on
ile ia the Office of the State Board of
Engineers, signed by over five hun
lred residents and property owners
in the section traversed by
Bayou Lafoulche, asking that the
stream be closed at Donaldsonville.
1t is evident, however, that the
Weight of public interest and opinion
S against the scheme, while the dredg- !
pg of the bayou will meet with uni
7ersal approval and be of the vast
benefit to one of the wealthiest and
most fertile regions Of the State. We
believe DIR. Darrall conscientiously
lesires to faithfully represent the in
erests of the people of his district,
md that when he becomes convinced
hat he can best do this in the pres
mt instance by Withdrawing his bill
o authorize the closing of Bayou La
ourclie and joining in the advocacy
# an appropriation for dredging the
tream, he will PROMPTLY adopt this
,urao The r,ottaY 10 hoipnr th oronuh