St. Landry democrat., 1878-10-05
Proceedings of ssse Police Jury.
OPELOUSAS. Septemhrr 9Th. lS1

| Present: r. Ii. Litttll, President A. GlllGrV
ID. P.@azan, G.. II. Hawkins, f. Duuusson, s
| Haas IL. j. GuillOry +. Savoy, and Is. +. Clark
Tue minutes Of the last meeting were rtal
! and approved.
ON motion Of Mr.. Haas, Resolved that $500
, feet OF lumber be and is hereby appropriat ed
to repair the bridges on the public roads from
Opelou5as to Garrlgues bridge, and from the
Catholic church to Jouberts bridge under the
| supervision ot c. F. Burr.
! ON motion of Mr.. Hawkins, Resolved, that
1000 feet of lumber be and is hereby appro
prlated to repair, the bridges on Bayou Negro
; foot, and the gully south Of said Bayou, under
the supervision OF L. Godeau road Overseer; also
1000 feet OF lumber to repair the bridges on the
road from McHenry's store to Big Cane. under
| the supervision of jules Godeau, road overseer.
! On motion OF Mr.. Saizan, Resolved. that Jos.
| Bloch, Rene Carriere and ArYile Rider, be and
are hereby authorized to have Kings bridge re-
| built and repair the bridge near BlOch's panta-
| ton, and report the cost at the next meeting
| OF this Police Jury.
| On motion OF Mr.. Dubuisson, Resolved, that
| 5000 feet OF lumber be and is hereby appropria-
| ted to repair the bridges OF the road from
| Frozards bridge to Barry's Landing, under the
supervision OF d. p. SaiZan.
On motion of Mr.. Clark. Resolved, that Z. r.
! LS ons, H. NJ. Andrus and Agerin Arceneaux,
| are hereby appointed committee to locate
and report the the probable cost Of building a
! bridge over WikOf Bayou, near the residence
OF Dannlel Lyons, and report the same at the
next meeting Of this Jury.
| On motion Of Mr.. Haas, Resolved, that HON.
ere Durio, p. Blackshear, Etlennc Neazic, f.
Poiret, and Pierre IeansUnne be and are hereby
appointed committee to make an estimate Of
the probable cost OF repairing Garrigues bridge;
Louis tontenot be appointed committee to
make estimate of the probable cost of re-
pairing Debaillion's bridge, and report the
On motion of Mr. Hawkins, Resolved, that
E. a. Carmouche Jules Godeau and j. H. Lester
are hereby appoint ID committee to examine.
locate and report the probable cost of building
bridge over Bayou Petit Prairie. and report
the same at the next meeting of this Jury.
WAsHINGTOE, La, August Goth, 1875
Hon President and members of the Police Jury
Gentlemen-In 1870, Col. VIM Offutt, Elbert
CAN'T and G. ". Morgan then owners of most
OF the lands to be affected. conceived the idea
OF closing the mouth uf Bayou Toulouse by q
levee and digging a canal through the Thomas
place to drain the swamp.
The advantages expected to be derived were
1st. The closing Of the mouth Of the Bayou
would prevent the swamp being filled in the
summer time by the hisn waters from heavy
rains, the only time when crops could DO in
jnred. Col. Ofutt thinking thai at such times
the water ran into the swamp through the
Toulouse to a height four or five feet higher
than it could If its entrance was through ditch
near the present location OF the canal. Cd.
more thorough drainage oi the swamp through
the canal half OF thlce quarters Of /, mile in
length from the Toulouse to The Courtabieau,
with fall OF about % feet than could be ex-
pected to be obtained BY means of q Bayou
four or five miles long and with little fall and
Sd On the part of the parish by the saving to
be effected by crossing the Toulouse Oh a levee
which once built would be IerlLaucnt saving
the cost every Or years of a bridge 16O feet
.Ung, which bridge Was Inrl in nee1 of being
replaced by new one. 4 petition reciting the
foregoing and signed by the above named par
ties and others, was presented to tue Police
jury, which body agreed on the part o. the
parish to appropriate d certain sum t$6otN pro-
was done, Col. Off1tt an Capt. Fuard each
paying Sl00, and Ebert CAN'T aud G. W. Morgan
each paying $50: was employed By the Police
Jury to lay out the work evee 165 feet long,
l9 teet nigh, at the highest place and 50 feet |
vide at the bottom OF the Bayou and - feet
wide on top, was built and ditcn or canal was |
dug OF sufficient depth and about a half IA mile |
ong, extending from low water in the Courta- |
bleau back into the swamp where it was ex- !
pccted it would wash its way back to the Ton /!
louise. and etfectually drain the swamp; this |
was done IN the early fall Of 1870. The leyee |
has since been and will remain much better |
crossing of the Bayou than any bridge could |
be; 1t Is now covered wltha magnificent growth |
OF willows and will last forever, with no further
than such as may be given by the !
road hands once in two or three wears, thus
saving @ the parish every or syears, the cost of
on the levee The canal ON account of the re,
toughness of the soil in the low
swamp did not wash its way to the Toulouse
as was expected, and it has since been extended
at different times, by appropriations by the
Police Jury, and further subscriptions by the
land owners until in 1875, it reached the Bayou
Of mile in length and near the Courtableau,
20 feet deep and in some places 106 feet wide,
the last eight or ten acres next the Bayou
Toulouse being in the low swamp and the water
having but very little pressure it is now clOgged
up with moss, leaves, timber, &C. visited the
canal ON the 10th inst, and find that the water
has been for long time confined to the bed of
the Toulouse, here about 100 feet wide and eight
)r ten inches deep. think that the last eight
)r ten acres OF the canal next tho Toulouse |
ought to be dug out about t3) feet deeper, when
rlT Tnry hn =,
;ient pressure to keep itself clear and will
Train all the water of the bed of the Toulouse
above the canal and for some distance below.
his work ought to be done this fall at an ex-
,ense OF not to exceed two hundred dollars.
have taken the liberty. gentlemen, of ad-
lresslng you on this subject, for the reason
hat am thoroughly convinced of the wisdom
# what has been done and because I under
tand that petition is now in circulation. ask
ng your Hon. body to cut the leyeo. which
you'd Involve the building of a bridge or a
ostly cnlEert ana great damage to those land
wners who have with the parish paid their
money for these improvements.
Respectfully submitted,
GEO. O. ELMs, c. L. ]
On motion OF Mr.. Saizan, Resolved thar the
um of two hundred dollars De and is hereby | |
appropriated to have the canal deepened to the |
ed OF Bayou Toulouse, and that N: L. Melaneon,
r. Proctor and Ben. Prescott be and are
ereby appointed a committee to sell the work
0 the lowest bidder, superintend and to receive {
he work when completed.
A petition Of Dr. l.. DebaiIliOn and the resi- !
ents of that neighborh0od was read, asking
hat the public road from Debaillions bridge to i
lat Town be changed 80 as to run in a straighter
irectiOn and on higher ground, when on motion
Mr.. GuillOry, Resolved, that DR. L, DebaiIlOn |
-rnide Laf1eur, Andre 2. Vidrine, Olin J, L, |
ontenot and Damon Devilie be and are hereby
Dad from Debaillons bridge to Flat Town. in | ,
with section 2 of the road ordinance !