The Lake Charles echo. [volume] (Lake Charles, Parish of Calcasieu, La.) 1876-1898, 1886-07-03
A Drainage Hint 10 tlle City
Authorities.


The following is an extract from a
letter in the Times Deaoerdt We give
it to our readers as food for thought; !;
II is very interesting TO ride in the
Prytania street ears during a rainy
season, as we have had for several
days, After you pass through the car
station, on the way up to the park,
the eye beholds vast sheet Of water,
reminding one Of an artificial lake.
Some ladies were in the cars, and in
quired If it was lake. mo" says
an old man, "it is crevasse from the
clouds and it cannot run away. The
water remains until tho COWS stamp
holes into the ground and the water
soaks through, Those geese and ducks
you SOC there holp to flop 1t out !
think the sunshine helps the most to
dry itup."
''lf this was in our city," they said,
"our Mayor and Council would soon
make that water run away some
where.'
Just then we passed a place on
which there was . signboard: "Phis
choice place for sale well filled, high
and dry three lots of ground" All
we could see was the signboard, for
the land was under water about foot
and half, Judging from the boys who
were playing with planks as boats and
jumping off into the water
Several questions were asked by the
ladies'; "Did the person have boat
when he put that sign thereW "No,"
says the old man, sit was dry when
he put il there
"Could he walk to it ?" several in
quired ''if so, why did he not take
the sign away when the place became
flooded who would be SO foolish as
to purchase place iR that flooded
district 7 These people are exempt
from taxes, are they not 7"
An old lady who had not b word to
say, only smiling at the remarks made
by the others, opened out by saying
"Ladies, | hear by your conversation
that you do not live in New Orleans" "
''No," was the answer; tive are Wis
ltors, and came out this afternoon to
ride up to the park and through what
is called your Garden District, |
must confess we have enjoyed cur
selves and do not regret the trip"
'Ladies, wish you could have
passed here three weeks ago, and you
wonld have found this section all dry
and covered with fine carpet Of clo-
yer, with its sweet white flower, and
beautiful to lock at, My husband and
| came up here in dry season, and
found fine dwelling and a flower
garden at reasonable price, We
purchased it and occupied II as soon
as we could, My husband concluded
to buy one of these low places--half
a squaTe--as a pasture for the family
horse and COW, In a rainy spell we
abandon it, as It gets under water
about foot, II would cost us $1,000
to fill II with river sand, and my hns-
band says it is not worth that mpch'
If we had proper drainage il would be
high enough"
The ladies' asked the old lady If
ever the Mayor and Council came up
this way, and were they aware how
the people suffer from want Of drain
ago.
II do not know If the Mayer and
Council come up here, for do not
know any Of them all we can learn is
through the Times Democrat about the
drainage in this Sixth District, We
have given up all hopes Of the Coun-
ell, They have been talking and act
ing upon it for six months. They |
had the surveyor UP last spring run
ming lines for drainage"