St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1886-03-06
IMPROVEMENT OF THE
BOGUE FALIA.
EDITOR Sr. .TAMNANY FARxrR.

EDITOR ST. .TAMNANY farmer:
| notice, in the papers. that
among the appropriations that will
he recommended for Louisiana,
there is one of $4,000 for the
Tchefuncta river, but nothing for
the Bogue Falia, and fear you have
fallen into the fatal error of calling
our river. up to Cov:ngtoh, as the
Tchefunc:a only. Why is it that
the Representative Of st. Tam
many parish in Congress is not bet
ter posted in regard to our wants
and rights? The Bogue Falia is
the prin cipal outlet for the agri-
cultural districts, both of st. Tam
many and Washington parishes.
such rs cotton, sugar. moiasses,
cattle. wool. game. fruit and other
farm products, besides extensive
shipments of lumber. brick, sand,
tar, charcoal, etc. largely dealt in
between Covington aud New Or
leans, giving considerable employ
ment to schooners and small
steamers, in the carrying trade be-
tween the two places, with return
cargoes OF gsaeral merchandise,
farming implements. etc, through
Covington to the surrounding coun
try aud parishes. enclose you an
article from a New Orleans paper,
on the subject OF opening up. i,n-
proving and building large hotel.
by the new Abitu Springs Com
pany. which the writer knows to
be facts, and think now is an APP
proprlate time tor the people of
Covington and the citizens of St.
Tam,nany parish to act in the mat.
ter of improving the Bogue Falia
as am creditably informed that
unless something is soon done, the
schooners and steamers will have
to abandon all attempts to come up
to Covington. You have some very
worthy and competent gentlemen
among you, who !! think would be
willing to give some Of their time
and talents in getting up petition
to Congress Oh the subject. Our
leading Senators and Congressmeu
have told me, personally, that they
would take pleasure, and much in
terest, in advocating such meas
ures and appropriations as we are
justified III demanding through
said said petition. Yours truly,
ST TAMMANY.
For the past eight years the
FARMER has vainly endeavored to
Impress upon the minds Of our
Congressman that the commercial
interests of this section depended,
for their development, upon the
improvement OF the Bogue Falia;
but when the appropriation is made
it is invariably for the Tchefunota
river, which needs no improve
ment except deepening the channel
at the mouth of the river. With
deep water at the mouth OF the
Tcchefuncta, no obstructions are
encountered until vessels enter the
Bogue Falia, on their way to Gov
ington-which is about five miles
below town, taking the course of
the river. From that point up. the
channel is obstructsd by wrecks of
sunboats, snags, and three or four
small sand.bars. This is where
the difficulty lies, and what the
people want is an appropriation to
dredge out and improve the Bogue
Falia, from its junction with the
Tchefuncta to Covington, the capt.
tai Of the parish. and the center of
trade for this portion of the State
Aside from interfering with and
virtually destroying the navigation
Of the Bogue Falis, these obstruc.
tructions prevent the rapid dis
charge of surplus water and cause
sudden rises in the river, ut points
above Covington. resulting in great
loss OF live stock and doing seri-
GUS injury to the growing crops,
to say nothing Of the destruction oi
bridges. fences and other property
In years gone by steamers o.
no less than q hundred feet in length
came up the Bogue Falia to Coving
ton, whereas now, owing to the &C.
emulation of snags and fallen
trees. and the deposits Of sand, the
small schooners find it difficult ard
frequently impossible to come up
to tue wharf.