Louisiana capitolian. (Baton Rouge, La.) 1879-1881, 1881-08-27

BAros RouoE, Aug. ioth 1881

| Nix, EDiToR--Much is required of the
citizens of this place in individual ex-
ertion to improve that portion of their
properties that is for the benefit OF the
public. The payeIaents are in bad or
der and there il no doubt that dnuch
could be done in gradual resetting OF
the old brick and the filing in Of holes
and gaps with cement OF old lime or
ashes and earth. New paving brick is
not to be had and slab rock is beyond
the means OF our people, and the above
remedies should apply to the general
line of pavement. But there are por-
tons of the city that requires more than
this. From the ferry and steamboat
landings to Third Street, the pavemcnts
on one side of the streets should be
slab and from the corner of Main and
| Third streets to the State and Court
House the west banqucttes should be
continuation of that in front OF Weeks
| The people are poor, it is difficult for
property owners to get enough revenue
to pay for repairs and the taxes, and al
though the exigence is u sharp one, due
discrimination and legal forbearance
should enter into the enforcement of
the work
One street at time should he Sc
cctod and ample time be given each
owner OF lots to procure labor and ma
terial and the slab walk alluded to
should be paid for in part by the city.
It is tor the general good that one or
more avenues should be paved with
more costly material and out Of the
public funds should come this extra
cost In due time this fine pavement
won!d continue TO the University and
out on Main street, The east side OF
Lafayette fromMau to the State-llonsc
and the east side OF Church from the
Boulevard will follow suit with good
slab ban0uetes. and the rest can be left
to tho people.
Outside Of this pavement question
comes another, and this is one that
should follow public improvements
. The public of its own volition should
inaugurate perfect epidemic OF paint
and whitewash, everything, trees, fen
ccs. galleries etc, showing to the front,
should show in its best colors, white,
gray or blue.
Under the treaties by which the ter
ritorles in the valley of the Mississippi
were transferred by European nations to
United States, stipulations were alway'
made in regard to tho public and prI'
vato rights OF the people 50 transferred
Among Others their roads and highway
as well as all other public improve
mcnts were not to be intericrcd with
What views General Sherman took o
=. these treaty stpulations when he clos
ed one quarter of a mile of Third street,
. was not made public by him. 1t coul'
not have been that he regards the Batol
Rouge republic rs not possessing any
> of the rights SO carefully guarded By
Spain and France in regard to people
and lands over which their hags should
never float again, for Gen. York in lay
ing of the garrison and several grounds
' over n half century before, strictly re
spcctcd the rights of the people of the
struggling village to the street lcadin;
north over the costly cmhankmcn
i built for them by the King Of Spain
d II it was in the right of the might given
;, by the conquest in the late wa
&c there are other Judges besides the maj
u who ate Louisiana's bread and thei
y turned his sword against her, and il
= view of the fact that its rights of thl
. street may in few years be declared
Il by prescription would it not be lapsc'
o well for our authorities to act.
" MoNrHLY SALES DAY-Should a com
nttcc of three or five Of orr live citi
=. zcns take hold Of this enterprise an
e put it through undismayod BY slim at
V tendance the first few months, in les
II than n year, the street selected and sc
Y apart for stock sales will be crowde
II with cattle from the Florida pariShc,
l. ponies from AttakapaS, sheep from tn
+, coast and mules and horses from tn
|, west.
n With o live man, like Sheriff Bates
" for instance, at its head, with all license
1t and costs of sale thrown of by the city
v success will be certain. One hundrc
h. dollars for hitch posts, and hire of on
or two yards, and fifty dollars for po'
~ ters and advertisements, will cover tn
IL expense No entrance fees, no commi
10 sions should ever be placed upon Stoc