The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1886-03-13
NECESSARY IMPROVEMENTS.

NECESSARY IMPROVEMENTS.
There ia nothing perhaps which condnces
more to the welfare III State than facile
and unobstrucsed means Of travel and
freight transportation. This is proven bg
an examination Of the history Of those sec
tions Of the country through which many
railroad lines pass aud IN which the natural
water ways hays been improved and arti-
fetal ouss built. The dogma that COM
mcrcs is the foundation stone of public
wealth and power is daily shown to be per-
fectly correct. The skepticism thrown
around the building Of the Orleans by Full
ton and Livingston in 1911 was put to flight
within the next ten years By the launching
of at least seventy four vessels on the Miss
.issippi river and its tributaries aggregating
9 tonnage Of 14,653,24. Then, most all Of
these boats came down to New Orleans, but
comparison Of the traffic of this city with
that of others even on eastern waters does
not show set of favorable figures during
the years elapsing between 1912 and 1922 CT
since. The cause Of. this was attributed at
an early date to the wealth land, energy of
the eastern and other merchants, coupled
with the dangers of water navigation in the
South; and it may be asserted with safsts
that one ut least of these initiating causes
still exists in Louisiana. Railroads with us
will continuously go on being constructed
&hoxy ha ta1 10
or corporate ownership, but our bayous and
streams have no inherent attractions which
will enforce the expenditure and induce the
attention necessary to have them made
channels not only of wealth to the State but
of safe and easy navigation.
If one will but take map Of Louisiana
and examine the network Of streams
spread out before him be will be surprised
to find how easily communication can be
opened up through them to all parts of the
State, but how many are blocked or alnost
entirely closed. The necessity of clearing
and improving them will appear to hin
without the aid of glasses. For instance,
take Bayou Plaquenine. Closed at ita
source, it is now used only for the purposes
of floating the logs which are to be used at
the saw-mills of the town which bears it's
name. Were it improved By the building
OF lock at its intersection with the Miss
issippi, steamers frc1n New Orleans would
Immediately find access to the products of
the Teche country and those of the io.er
Atchafaiaya and its tributaries, and tie
route between the Crescent City and the
garden spot of Louisiana would be short
ened by two hundred miles. Now contin-
uing, by passing along Bayou Tache, by
means Of the Clarendon Canal, Widowed
and deepened, Grand Lake would be Access
sible, with all the streams running into it.
Compare this route now formed with the
tediousness and danger of that by way of
the Atchafalaya and it will be at once seen
what number Of miles of travel can be
saved by it. Other bayons can be similarly
improved and made immensely useful. 1t
is hardly necessary to dwell upon the ben
fits Of these improvements: they are vas,
and apparent.
These considerations have induced ur.
Gay to make movement in Congress to
obtain an appropriation for the streams
within or running through his district. lie
asks for ten thousand dollars for Bayou
Lafourche and that provision be made tor
the construction Of dams and locks along
Its course and at its mouth; for thirteen
thousand dollars for the improvement of
Bayou Ierrebonne, and for other sums for
different streams. Mr.. Gay should be ur
gently seconded by the press and people of
this section in his efforts at benefting if.
The old idea that national funds should not
be appropriated for improvements and
necessary works within the body of a State,
was branch on the political tree which has
been sawed off long since on account of its
rottenness; and what care we if, by making
our streams and bayous nayigabe, We adj
nit the jurisdiction of the United States
to be exercised over them? 1t is but dam
nam dbsqne inyusia, and the greatest stick
iers for State rights can not possibly urge
more against it..
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