The weekly Thibodaux sentinel and journal of the 8th Senatorial District. [volume] (Thibodaux, Lna. [i.e. La.]) 1875-1898, 1881-12-10
SCIENCE.

There is a mysterious virtne in
is known as science. as de>
veloped in Louisiana in these lat
ter days.
Anything that is done, that is
ncomprehensible to ordinary NOR
tails is called science. Anything
that is TO be done must be con
summated by tie lines laid down
in this mystic secret that but few
can comprehend.
The Legislature of this State
at its session in 1850 was highly
impressed with the benefits tba,
Science does for the promotion of
the happiness and prosperity of
mankind. 1t was something that
the members knew little about
except from hearsay. but they
were determined to do something
towards intoxicating its hidden
mysteries, and impreSsing them
into the thick souls of their con
StitnenIs.
How to effect this worthy nb
ject bothered their brains consid
erabiy. seeing that their kIowi
edge of modern science. was
about equal to that which a Sea
Lion has of the Gospel of Mahom
1T. Same genius, however, came
to their aid and suggested to
their honorable selves that they
obtain the services of the
3 ,ard Of Engineers to draw up
an act that would fill the bill.
This suggestion tickled them
hugely and the Engineers were,
at once called in council and told
to put their heads together aud
help them out of their troubles.
The Engineers did, and prepared
Act No. SO. The members did
not take the trouble to read the
Act, knowing that they conld not
comprehend it If they did. bur
passed it as quick as possible.
and then stuck their thnGnb, un>
der their vests and congratulated
themselves that the country was
safe, that science would relie"e
her of all troubles. and that thei.
constituents would meet them Oh,
their return with blessings aud
welcomes warm and gushing.
Act No. IS went into force. 4
of Scientific Engineers
was appointed thereon. They
worked and they studied how to
get al the taxes possible out Of
the people. In tue District West
of the Bayou Latoarche the mem
bers would not give them five
mills tax which they asked. This
worried the Engineers greatly.
and interfered with science, pc:
They called the members
at Morgan City who
would only vote 81 mills taxes.
This was not satisfactory so they
put thoir science boxes together
aud thought, thought deeply and
profoundly. The conclusion was
that there WAS d little unheard ut
place way up on the Mississippi
river that wonld require IA week
fol the obstreperous members OF
the Levcc Beard 10 reach, SO thai,
they called IL meeting in tha,
place, and were wonderfully amns
ell at the science in the selections,
for they said to one another, those
members from Lafcurche, ST.
Mary. Terrebonne, st. Martin
and Assumption will not go up
to Port Allen and we will get the
FIVE mills sought for. Science is
mighty and must triumph. But
it didn't.
In the winter Of 1880 81 there
was a slide in the Levee III front
of the Town of Thibodaux.
The Board OF Engineers were
notified and SOME of them came
out here to see it.
They placed their compasSes.
put down their stakes, took:their
levels, and found that by all the
rules OF science they would have
to build a Levee on front street.
close to the buildings aud destroy
that street entirely. But they
did not 20 to work to build the
Leve... Oh no. They returned
to New Orleans, and made maps
and specifications, and drew trl-
angles and parallels a d
all sorts of lines and made calcu
lations, filling mp whole qu:res OF
fo 'iscap with figures, and Iogari-
/ hims and things, and by the mid
die OF summer they l,ad ascer-
tained that this levee would cost
about three thousand dollars.
In the meantime the water of
the Bayou would have l.een run
ming through the town for six
mouths.
Bat the Town Council being
men, who had nothing but com
sense to guide them, an arti
Gle that has, of late years, got in
to bad repute. went to work aud
repaired all the damages in less
than a week, without using any
Of the street and all for the sum
ut Forty seven dollars and fifty
cents III currency.