St. Landry democrat., 1878-09-28
WASHINGTON, LA, August goth, 1873.
Hon. President and members Of the Police Jury

Hon. President and members of the Police Jury
Of st. Landry:
CAN'T and q. W. Morgan then owners of most
of the lands to be affected, conceived the idea
OF closing the mouth OF Bayou Toulouse by i.
leyee and digging o canal through the Thomas
place to dram The swamp.
Inc adVan!a ses expected to be derived were
ISL Inc CLOSING OF the mouth of the Bayou
would prevent the swamp being filled in the
summer time by the nigh waters from heavy
rams, the only time when crops could be in
Jured. Col Dtfutt thinking that ut such times
Tue water ran 1nto tue swamp through the
toulouse to a height four or tive feet hi cher
than 1t could II its entrance was through q ditch
near the present ocatiJ: III the canal. I'd A
more thorough drainage o. the swamp through
the canal hail or three quarters Of a mile in
length from the Toulouse 70 the Courtabeau
with a fall Of about 20 feet than could be ex-
pected to be obtilned by means of q BAYOU
Tour or five miles long and with Il lit tie fal, and
Sd. On the part OF the parish by the saving to
be effected by croSS!l1 the Toulouse on @ .Uyee
which once built Wnttld be pcrlnanent, saving
the cost every or . years # a bridge 100 feet
long, when bridge WAS tli>n n nee Of heins
replaced by new one. 4 i.ttitiuii recitng the
foregoing and signed ny the .tauve named bar
Ties ana olheis, WAS presented to the Police
Jury, which body agreed Oh tie part of the
parish To appropriate ii certain a,l,n tS50O) pro-
Videi other parties Wost.A subscribe 500
WAS dnle, Col. Omit an Hip:. toartl each
iylIlS SloU and ElbeEt Can't and u ". Morgan
each paying Si50. | was employed h, II, polire
Jury to lay out the W".. ,tvee I6, let long
~ leet nigh, at the nlgurst ss.tce al / 81 feet
VIDE at the bottom OF tie l5;t..,i al: IL .eet
WIDE on top, built ANA /, itc,. or canal was
aug Gf sufficient depth and about 1t halt Il mile
long, extending from low water i'll the Courta-
pcrted it would wash its way back to the rou.
hiil9e ana efectually drain the swanlu, tuls
Was done in the early fall at 1870. The leyet.
has since been and will romaii. :. much better
crossing OF the Bayou tllnn any bridge could
he, 1t Is now covered wltha III .nitice1t -rowth
OF willows and will last forever, with no further
attention, than such as may be given by the
road hands once i'll two or three wears TINS
saving the parish every or wears the cost ri
bridge 10 say nothing OF the better crossing
ON the levee. The canal ON account OF the re,
asHa'iG dia tousnness @ Of the soil in tho low
swamp dld not wash its way to the Toulouse
as y expected, and 1t has since been extended
~ Nlerent tli4es, ny appropriations by the
rouge jury, and further subscriptions by the
lahd owners until IN 1875, 1t reached the Bayou
Iouloase, making the canal about three-fo
~ q mile III length and near the Courtableau
20 feet deep and i'll some places 100 feet wide
the last eight Or ten acres next the Rayoli
Toulouse being in the low swamp and the water
having but very little pressure ii is now ciogged
up with moss, leaves, timber, DC. Twisted the
eanSl en the lou INST, and find that the water
mas neen 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 ight
OF ten acres OF the canal next the Toulouse
ought to be dug out about (3) feet deeper when
the water will be forced through 1t with suffi-
cient pressure to keep itself clear and will
drain all the water Of the bed of the Toulouse
above the canal and for some distance below:
this work ought to be done this fall at an ex-
pense of not to exceed two hundred dollars
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 I under
stand that petition is now in circulation, ask
ing your Hon. body to cut the levee. which
would involve the building of bridge or a
costly culvert and great damage to those land
owners who have with the parish paid their
money for these improvements.
Respectfully submitted,
Hrn rra5c