The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1877-09-22
Bayou Lafourehe.
Suspension of Navigation Threatened
Movement to Remedy the Evil.
Assumption Chronieie.I

Assumption Chronicle.
A serious question presents itself
to the inhabitants of Bayou -afourche
at this time. Flatboats, which bring
our supplies from New Orleans, are
seriously impeded in their progress
bv the shoals IN the upper portion OF
the bayou ia fact, are even forced
to ship their eargoes from boat to
boat in order to descend the bayou.
The low stage of water has not yet
been reached, which, as matter of
course, will increase the evils of which
We complain, and the end will be that
we shall be compelled to haul our
supplies from Donaldsonvilleto enable
us to live and carry on our farming
operations. This is bad enough, but
how will it be when we wish to for
ward sugar and molasses to meet en-
gagements in the city, which will have
to be done whilst we are busy III taxi
ing off our crops9
Some will say that the owners OF
steamers and fiatboats should sub
scribe the amount and have the neces-
sary work executed to give us nayi-
CATION. 1t is true that they wonld be
benefited, finding profitable employ
ment for their boats !; but the planters
and merchants will also reap Il great
benefit from the Improvement of low
water navigation, and it is but fair
that all those who are interested
should assist in bringing about the
good work. We understand that the
owners of the steamers in our trade
are willing to contribute literally in
money and lend their sci vices in
experimenting such work us may be
undertaken.
This Improvement should he exc
cuted by the Congress of the United
States, as the lower portion of the
Laf0urche was, by order of Gen.
Jackson, seriously injured by the
telling of trees in its channel to pre-
vent its navigation by English boats
during the war of 1912. These Oh
stiuctions created islands, which seri-
ously impeded the flow of water, and
the evil has increased from year TO
year until the outlet of our stream
has continued to be more shallow with
each succeeding year. AS the head
at the Mississippi has continued to
enlarge, our bayou may be represented
by trumpet, with the large eud to
receive the water and the small end
to discharge it. This is the reason
why we suffer such Inconvenience
during high water-the outlet being
contracted the water can not escape
as rapidly as it enters. All this gives
us fair claim on the government for
speedy relief; yet, to our knowledge,
petitions have been annually for
warded to Congress since the year
1916, and SO far the only thing done
by the government was to order a
survey, which was made last year,
and IL report of the same returned to
the proper department.
Another may say that the State
should do something for us, to which
we assent; but i'll the meantime we
suffer by the delay, for the State can
do nothing until the Legislature as
sembles.
This brings us to the question: Can
W y IOt wv iASi 'oio|A W. .
and we say, we can, if we will throw
aside petty iealousies and unite III
one common effort to accomplish what
is entirely practicable, and can be
done during the present season OF low
water.
Works of this kind are sometimes
effected by IL general subscription ;
yet there is Il serious objection to this
plan, because some are liberal and
others are not SO. In az undertaking
in which ali are interested, plan
should he adopted which will place
the amount subscribed on some equal
| basis.
We understand that some data will
be furnished i'll II few days, Oh which
estimates can be based as to the cost
of, thewori, and then it is proposed tt
call public meeting to take this
matter into consideration, and adopt
such plans as may be deemed best fol
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