St. Landry democrat., 1878-09-21
WAsHI.GToS, La, August Goth, 1878.
Hon. President and members OF the Police jury

It.
Gentlemtn-Tn 1870, Col. VIM Offutt, Ebert
CAN'T and u. W. Morgan then OWNERS of most
the lands to be affected, conceived the idea
of closing the moutn q. Bayou Toulouse by Il
lcvee aud dl -ying ID canal through the Thomas
pace to dram the swamp.
The advantages eXprcte,t to be derived were
1st The closing Of the MOUTH OF the Bayou
would prevent the swamp being filled i'll the
Sulu:uGr tiult by the hIIn waters from heavy
..alns, the only time when crops could be ill
iLrcd. Col. Uffutt Til nilinS .lai at such times
,.le water ran into the swami, through the
Toulouse to Il height four or five Get higher
Than it could # its entrance Was thrru, aditrh
near the present location o the canal. I'd.
more thorough dr;tira4 &c tile swamp nruilgn
me canal nalf Or three Quarters OF d nile i'll
lrnyth from the Toulouse to the CourtaDleau,
w.ina fall of about 20 feet than could lie tx
pected to be obtained by means of a Bayou
fo1 or five miles long and with |. little fall and
3d. On the part of the parish by the saving TO
bc effected by crossing the Toun'lse on a ltvee
which once built would be permanent, saving
TIE COST every or years OF ii bridge l60 teeT
ong, which bridge WIS then III neet OF being
replaced by d new one. petition recilins the
fregong and signed by the above NAMED par
ties and others, was presented to the Police
Jury, which body agreed on the part uI the
parish to appropriate certain sum (s60o) pro-
vided other parties would subscribe $500,
was done, Col. Otfutt an Capt Foard each
paying 500, and Ebert CAN'T and G W. Morgan
each paying $50. was employed by the Police
Jury 70 lay out the work, a lerec l65 feet long,
10 feet high, at the highest place and 60 feet
wide at the bottom of the Bayou and IL feet
wide on top, was built and ditch or canal was
dug of sufficient depth and about a half q mile
long, extending from low water III the Courta-
bleau back into the swamp where it was ex-
pccted it would wash its way back to the T0u-
louise and etfectually drain the swamp; this
was done in the early fall of 1870. The leVee
has since been and will remain a much better
crossing of the Bayou than any bridge could
be; it is now covered with a MAJ gnificent growth
of willows and will last forever, with no further
attention, than such as may be given by the
pa1 !.
saving the parish every or years, the cost of
d bridge to say nothing OF the better crossing
ON the leyee. The canal on account OF the re-
markable tonghness 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
Toulouse, making the canal about three-fourths
of a mile in length and near the COurtableau,
20 feet deep and in some places 100 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. l 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
or ten inches deep: think that the last eight
or ten acres OF the canal next the Toulouse
ought to be dug out about t3) feet deeper, when
the water will be forced through it with sutf-
Gent pressure to keep itself clear and will
drain all the water Of the bed of the Toulouse
this work ought to be done this fall at an ex-
pense of not to exceed two hundred dollars.
I have taken the liberty. gentlemen, of ad-
dressing you on this subject, for the reason
that am thoroughly convinced Of the wisdom
of what has been done and because | under
stand that a petition is now in circulation, ask
ing your Hon body to cut the levee. which
would involve the building OF O. bridge Or a
costly culvert and great damage to those land
owners who naye with the parish paid their
money for these improvements.
Respectfully submitted,
GEO. O. ELMS, C. E.
On motion of Mr. Saizan, Resolved, that the
sum Of two hundred dollars be and is hereby
appropriated to have the canal deepened to the
bed of Bayou Toulouse. and that M. l.. MelancOn,
S. r. Proctor and Ben Prescott be and are
hereby appointed committee to sell the work
to the lowest bidder, supeiintend and to receive
the work when completed.
petition OF DIR. g. Debaiilon and the resi-
dents of that neighborhood was read, asking
that the public road from Debaillions bridge to
FlatTOwn be changed as to run in straighter
of Mr.. Guillory, Resolved, that DR.. L. Debailon,
Arlnide Eafieur, Andre z. Vidrine, Ohm J, l..
Fontenot and Damon Devi.ie be and are hereby
appointed Q committee to lay ont and locate a
road from DehailOns bridge to Flat Town, in
accordance with section 2of the road ordinance.
On motion of Mr.. Saizan, Resolved, that Jos.
Camy, Valery Diplechin and Ouezime Carriere,
.Ir.. be appointed Il committee to examine and
report the probable cost of building a bridge
over Couiee Creuse, near Camys. and report
the same at the next meeting of the Police
Jury.
On motion of Mr. Savoy. Resolved. that Gus
tave Fuselier be and is hereby authorized to
change the public road running through his
place, in accordance with section of the road
ordinance.
x petition was read from numerous citizens of
Piaquemine Brulee, asking for a change in the
public road from Hayes bridge to Gauts ferry,
nn Bayou Came, when on motion of Mr. Clark,
Resolved. that Isaac Hayes. r. B. Sloane and
Thos. Laughlin be committee to lay out and
locate the said road; also TO examine and report
the probable cost OF rebuilding the bridge on
west Bayou Plaquemine, and report the same
at the next meeting of this Jury.
On motion of Mr. Dubuisson, Resolved. that
5000 feet of lumber be and Is hereby appro-
priated to repair the bridg ges on the road from
Bayou Boeuf to Big Cane. underline supervision
of the road overseer, Robert Burleigh.
On motion Of Mr.. Dubusson, Resolved, that
the sum of two hundreddollar be and is hereby
appropriated to repair the bridge over Bayou