The Progress., 1892-12-31
THE MOORlNGSPORT FERRY.
Black Bayou Gentleman Discusses an
Interesting Subject.

a Black Bayou Gentleman Discusses al
Interesting Subject.
BLACK BAYOU, La, Dec. 2S. 1892.
To the Editor of The Progress:
Unfortunately, when the State of
Louisiana was admitted into the
Union, its boundary lines included
small and insignificant section of
country known as Black Bayou, and
by some process of law we have to
presume 1T was made part of Caddo
parish, and is to-day designated as
Wards One and Two of Caddo par
lsh. The same law requires tie un-
fortunate people who inhabit this
section to pay their taxes and per-
form jury duty, and i'll fact pay gen
eral tribute and conform to any laws
enacted and required of them by the
laW-maklng power of the sovereign
State Of Louisiana And further.
the unfortunate people who reside in
this benlghted region have never
been denied their right of franchise,
when 1t comes to an election to
choose our lawmakers, or for the Sc
lection of men to execute the law.
And we have rea son to hope (al-
though your article of December II
would seem almost to deny US this
right, that we will not be denied the
right of laying down into the lap of
the merchants OF our own parish
town whatever of commerce our poor
people can boast. We can reach
Shreveport, which we have the hardi-
hood to call ''our parish town." only
by crossing the lake at Mooringsport,
where the ferriage is more than a
mile long, perilous at all times and
absolutely impossible oftentimes,
and the tri p usually takes four or five
days by wagon; still our people want
to come with their produce to Shreve-
port, if it be possible to do So. Now,
yours is not the first effort of the peo-
pie of Caddo to make the ferry at
Nooringsport source of revenue to
The parish instead of an expense.
But frequent efforts have been made
to maintain ferry Shere without ex-
pense to the parish, and not a mar
can be found who will furnish and
run ferry at that place, aid depend
upon a reasonably low toll for re-
muneration.
The police jury has given $1,000 to
rebuild the bridge over Tones
bayou, to accommodate the small
amount OF produce which comes by
the wagon-way from below that
stream IN Ward Eight 50 o4reveport,
besides building and constantly TT
pairing many small bridges along
the Sand Beach road; and it is hard
for US TO believe that The PRoGRESs,
upon the pages of which may be
found in every column sentiment
of religious justice, should ask the
police jury, two of whom are and |
must De, under the law, representa-, |
tives of these Wards One and Two,
to ignore the desire of these people |
to bring their produce to Shreveport,
and buy such supplies as they do not
raise, Instead of hauling the same to
Atlanta or jefferson, Tex. Or, to
reach Shreveport at all in the wiuter
7Nt*''N'j W pny ooACo VI ktAlOiin OtutI
duties of citizenship, without travel
ing through portion Cf three States
10 reach the courthouse.
Verify, we are an iguoble people.
We live in Louisiana and are not
Louisianians! Or, if we are, We are
not wanted in Louisiana.
Let us hope that MADAM Rumor,"
or whatever good old woman does the
editorial WORK for yonr paper, may
rnb up her spectacles and examine
the topography OF the country lying
north Of Shreveport for a hundred
miles, and see 81, III your article on
''AloosingspOIt Ferry you did the
poor devils who exc out an existence
I'D this dark corner of GODS vineyard.
* ow4 as Black Bayou, "a fuI meas
uro OF justice. Ne believe she viii
say she old not, our faithful jurors,
Louree and Taylor, WAC are 10y the
way merchants OF your town to the
contrary Notwithstanding.
W. .nuugAc Ec were Louisianians
end fe-J some pride IN being OF old
Caddo Are we wronS'
YAAEoo.