St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1881-03-05
THE BOGUE FALIA.

attention to the fact that Congress
had made an appropriation of
$500 for the Improvement of the
Tchefuncta river, and remarked
that this might possibly have been
q mistake, and tina. the appropria-
ton was probably intended for the
Bogue Falia. We received letter
from Col. Robertson this week, in
which he explains that there vas
no error in the matter, but that he
had succeeded in securing this APP
preparation for the Tchefuncta,
upon the recommendation of the
engineers who made the survey.
We publish below o portion of
Col. Robertson's letter, which will
doubtless be of interest to our
readers. He says:
Il notice in late issue Of your
paper an article calling my atteu-
ton 10 the appropriation. in the
River and Harbor bill, for improv-
ing the navigation OF the Tchefuncta
river, in which you state that the
Tchefuncta Resds no improvement.
Permit me to say that in 1873.
upon representation. I secured an
order of survey for that river, with
a view to its improvement. The
engineers made u survey and re-
ported that it required some $4,000
to make that improvement. With
this recommendation of the en-
gineers. l secured an appropriation
of $500 in the present River and
Harbor bill, to commence the work.
I knew full we'll that Covington
was not situated on that river
cat the time I got the survey or
dered for the Tchefunctp, there was
no request or petition from the
citizens Of the parish of st. Tam
many asking for q survey of the
Rogue Falla. Shortly afterward,
however, I noticed an article in the
FARMER calling attention to the
necessity Of improving the Bogue
Falia. and upon that suggestion !
obtained an order for survey on
the River and Harbor bill of last
year. (13S0). for the Bogue Falia,
from its junction to point twenty
FIVE miles above Covington. with a
view to improving the navigation
of the stream. This survey being
o., the bill Of last year, the en-
eineers in charge did not complete
their report in time to get an az
preparation on the River and Har-
Dor bill Of this year. I trust, how
eyer, that at the next session of
Congress the report will be in, and
I hope to obtain the appropriation
for the Bogpe Falia, also for the
Bogue Chitto.
ALLOW me to explain that Con-
gress will make no appropriations
for rivers and harbors, except UPON
q survey and estimates made By The
engineers, and these Surveys are
always ordered, or placed upon the
River and Harbor bill for the cur
rent fiscal year, and the reports are
not made until the next fiscal year,
so it generally requires two years
after survey has been ordered be-
fore an appropriation is made and
the work commenced"
We take pleasure in publishing
the above extracts from Congress-
mai Robertson's letter, as it shows
that he is doing all he can for the |
improvement OF our navigable |
streams. 1t is no doubt true that
q petition, numerously signed by |
our citizens, would have materially |
aided him in securing o survey of
the Bogue Falia, and we urged this
course upon our readers over a
year ago. But while the necessity
of this work was generally ad-
mitted, no action was had, and we
hpa began to think our advice bad
fallen entirely upon unappreciative
ears. 1t will be seen, however, that
Congressman Robertson, acting
upnn the Suopesfion IF 4ho