The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1880-03-20
LETTERS FROM TIE PEOPLE.
i,The DEMOCRAT IL responsible for none oR
the views expressed In Che communications
under this head; but no communications viii
be printed except from responsible pnyttee.1
THE RED RIVER QUESTION.
New iberia. La. March u, 1870.

NbW lB6hAAs kA.s ANrOn lVs AO0Os
TO the Editor Of the Democrat:
Since you have been kind enough 10 oiYsr ne
use Of your eolumns for public discussion n
relation to the mouth Of Red river, have bsea
nstonished at the diversity Of opinions on that
subject. Having plantation interests en- thS
lower waters Of tho Atehafalaya. and having
been resident OF that country for thirty years
and we'll acquainted with IT. Typographical and
hydrographieal features. give my views, hon.
Ing they win have some weight. IL h my csr.
aln belief that the United Htates engineer,
Cnpt. BsnyAurd. has suggested tho only fBaAts
bic . m 70 insure o certain and opntlu t1sd nav
!gatlpn.. during nll seasons vf the year. from
md at the satne lime to reclaim and make feF.
,ils tho immense valley OK the lower Atohafa-
laya.
N the year 1868 was under The command
2l Onpt 10. " Fuller On aRunbOat expedition.
We we're ordered ON sope temporary aunbQaM
and trnnsp?rts to guard the mouths gt the Red
and Atchefalaya rivers. and 10 facilitate this
crossing ot cattle Supplies for 0en Johuston1s
| army apa other Confederate foro on the east
burg nor Port HUDSON wete iorItfed' ana ths,
United States Runb 1tts anh ships OF war had
o s r. s q ra. es ysr VIZ, ASa l Pared Y h 9;
ihe then mouth d ued river. ioald tnst ths
Island. but that there was an old bed or clisni1si
| hat extended from tho mouth OF Tho He'd. by
ne month # M The g. mAc,,ialaya. e.l 70 within sloi
s'is ss .1.sf sss ssss sssps ssss
Of willows. Capt. Fuller discovered that il IS
could force . .pa4sago through this stfio 81
enn h Xoaa xsa hsye s,st sS .ys hs
would have ~ follow the main GhAnnel around
the Island. and u ho .,sueceeded he would
n ar and sso ,ns ~. IN; 2tn n q q:
OF escape. Oapt. Fuller did snoossd Ia opsnin9
pnse nae thronsh the j willows: ,spd during the
tween thirty and forty thousand baef cattle 20
tho eaet side 1t tho Mlssissippl = Col. Aeklsn,.s
piled np. Where the mud bars and obstruetion1
buvy. meptioned, the dsop bed Of an Old rlvsf.
ls y. rtnarkabe that this deep channel
sh.pla g ,hs saRRiay A. nPs Ths
geiyw Tho l!eh river aud diecharg.s pot only the
BOD but at times good portion Of the waters OF
tho Misnistippi. tue amount from silhsr DO
he ase tss Msssps
10 much greater than to the Ied, and tho euf-
e ono Ts ssss sa saSs Ss' ssa
post takes place. How u this 70 bo romsdied.
and et the same time preserve the present put
and that iA BY cloeins the AtchaialayA AND
oToas ts M sa t. seesss ss N q s
diloalt @ 5 undsrtahig, ana vi one e iraushs WIsk
gro I danger. for IL tho currents Of byth rivers
should meet whom at the food. which Often
Atchafalsya. the. const auenoes would be- thAt
tho % waters would @ ~, now tho whole country.
United States engineer W. can have ssfo and
reliable nnviaation oil tho yesr round by tho
ipr the Hed and Ouachita rivers. but also for
n,sassre r, ,. that Ylll proye q immsnsesyelqs e
through the com pA ttiOn thAt will arise b6tWe63