The weekly Thibodaux sentinel and journal of the 8th Senatorial District. [volume] (Thibodaux, Lna. [i.e. La.]) 1875-1898, 1892-07-02
FIFTY YEARS AGO !!
BY UNCLE sILAs.
20.

At the municipal election for the
Town of Thibodaux held in May 1872
there vas not much interest shown as
only % votes We're cast.
DIR. james A. Scudday was re-elect-
ed Mayor without opposition, and G..
F. Hawley, L. NJ. Williams, Joseph
r. Niles and John G. Beatty We're
elected Trustees. The council elected
Louis Bush, Clerk and Assessor. j. A
Leblanc, Treasurer, Mathulin Bourg.
Constable, iona G. White collector,
and Wharfinger.
iona e. White was elected clerk of
the Market House. with a salary
of $4,000, hose duty it was to see that
the ordinances We're enforced and the
marke- kept clean and proper.
The council inaugurated action
looking to the construction of wharves
in front of the Town. Focus street
was ordered to be closed from St.
Bridget street Southwark.
The council adopted a bread ordi-
nance that was continued until the late
war.
They enacted that when flour was
worth $500 per barrel in New Orleans,
bakers should give 50 ounces of bread
for ten cents, and the scale was graded
to follow the changes i'll prices of flour
in New Orleans. The scale was
published weekIr aud bakers notified
how much bread they must give in
ounce each week for the amount of
one dime. Dimes were a new species
of money at that time. Previously the
silver was coined in pieces of Ct cents,
known as ''Picayunes," and in pieces
of 123 cents designated as '.bits."
Fol some time dimes passed as "bits"
eight of them equal to a dollar, bat
they finally dropped to their real
value.
During the summer a new wharf was
built extending from jackson to St.
Philip street, and bitches were dug
along jackson street.
The Treasurer reported, in August,
that he had received into the Treasury
Sl2S0.47, leavinga balance on hand of
S93443, with bills receivable for the
sum of S694-5O. but what those were
or how they came into the Treasury
no record was made.
The young men were enthusiastic
ana moral i'll those days, so much so,
that the Town Council offered a re
ward of $4,000 for the names Of some
of them who had torn up the. bridges
and removed gates from their hinges.
The question of fighting fires oc-
cupied the minds of the law makers ]:
two roof ladders, two fire hooks, and
four ladders of 80, 25, 20 and Is feet III
length were made.
ST. Michel and each second street to
the rear OF town, running East and
West were closed.
st. Philip and Green streets were
continued until they intersected the
Canal, and Cider street was extended
from jackson st. to the Canal.
1t was ordered that the curbing for
the banquettes should be made of
planks three inches in thickness. and
proprletors We're required to keep the
streets in front of their lots clean and
free from weeds.
In the early settlement of the Town
there was no street along the Levee,
aud III 1871 a surveyor was ordered
10 run out Levee street to ascertain
as nearly as may be what persons, if
any, have eneroachcd upon the street
by erecting improvements" and in
1912 John G. Beatty was 'sauthorized
to call upon the proprietors on Levee
street who had e~ncroached ON the
same, to procure of them a recognition
of the rights of the Town, with their
consent that they will remove when
ever notified SO to do, by the lawful
authorities of the Town, all encroach-
ing improvements, with power to enter
suit for the purpose of enforcing the
rights ct the corporation against any
OF them who may refuse said recogni-
ton, but nothing practical appeared to
have resulted trom said authority.
During 1912 a Foundry was built,
by a firm composed OF c. F. Hawley
George Anderson & John Larkin which
foundry occupied part of the ground
now occupied by Keefe's Foundry,
with a front on jackson street opposite
the end OF st. Bridget street.
On February 8, 1912 Father C. NJ.
Menard entered upon the discharge of
his duties as assistant Priest to the
Rev. +. Z. b. de st. Aubin in st.
JOseph's Church.
In 1912 a State Election was held.
The vote in Lafourche was for Cover
o
Henry johnson. 1897 votes,
a Moutoh.. u
For CONGRESS.
| Edward n White 400 6