The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1881-05-05
communicated.
Navigation and DRAINAGE.


bossfer and the drainage of two.
thirds Of the hill country passes out
through one channel. This channel
takes different names in various
parts of its course. 1t enters Lou
lsiana from Arkansas as Bodcau
bayou. WREN eighteen miles are
passed it takes the name of Bodcau
lake. This name lasts fifteen miles
further. Thence to the Atkins land.
ing road it is Red Chute. Here a
short distance of three miles is call.
cd cross Bayou. And from thence
out to Loggy Bayou the name is
Flat Rivera very inappropriate
name-for it is by no means fiat. If
Red River be low and Bodcau be
not flooded, then a we'll defined
stream flows entirely through the
channel l have indicated. This
channel is Bodcau, and ought to be
so called throughout.
In considering ways and means of
improving the parish we are much
inclined to look too far ahead
Railroads seem to occupy all the
public attention, to the entire exclu.
sion of minor matters. Now this
Bodcau Bayou can be navigated; it
can be so improved as to better nav.
igation and to better the drainage.
And this improvement can he made
at so little expense thatitis astonish-
ing that it has never baen attempted.
| have inspected the Bayou at a
dozen different points, and have
made innumerable inquiries of
others, and thereby have become
thoroughly convinced that to do all
the necessary work from Loggy
Bayou to Bellevue would not cost
over five hundred dollars. From
Bellevue up to Martins Ferry might
cost five hundred dollars more.
The work required is the chopping
out and blowing out of the channel,
at very low water, the few Cypress
stumps that would be occasionally
found, the chopping up Of RATS and
clearing away overhanging trees.
Let this be done and continuous
navigation would follow. The effect
of this, year by year, would be the
deepening of the channel and giving
it a greater drainage power. Drains
into it from the low adjacent swamp
could be better effected. This nav
igation and drainage would be no
very big thing. 1t would not cause
Bossier to double its population and
wealth in five years. But it would
repay us in five years a hundred fold
its cost. A permanent saw milling
business could be gotten up Oh the
Bayou to supply the River plauta-
lions for generations. In Bodcau
bottom quantities of cypress and
oak exist and on the hills and flats
adjacent enough pine, white oak and
white hickory to last a hundred
years. ALI which could easily
be brought to the mills by water
A permanent brick and tile making
business to supply the bottom could
also be established. All these prod
uctS in high water could be carried
to many of the plantations by water,
through Bodcau, Mack's, Cross Bay
on and Willow Chute.
More than a hundred Red River
land owners are interested in the
work on account of drain
age, and the navigation would bene-
fit a third of the people of this par
ish and a large part of Webster.
A few of us have had it in con-
temptation for some time to raise a
for the work and this
article is written to see if any pub.
lie interest can be brought out in
the matter. Midsummer, when the
crops are laid by and when the whole
becomes nearly dry, is the
time for the work. Let each one
who feels interested consult his
and see what money could
be raised. A meeting could be held
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