The weekly Thibodaux sentinel and journal of the 8th Senatorial District. [volume] (Thibodaux, Lna. [i.e. La.]) 1875-1898, 1893-11-25
STATE OF LOUISIANA
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Gentlemen:-I have again the honor to
present to your Honorable Body these my
reports.
lst. The roads and bridges in my District
are, am glad to say, in perfect order.
2nd. In regard to the levees in nv dis
trict, beg to refer you to my antecedent re-
ports
3d. | would call attention also to the fact
that the following named parties ''notwith
standing previous notices. did without re-
gard to same. cut and place pipes leading
from Bayou Latourche to the level of the
public road, viz:
f. Toups & Bros, Lake View Plantation.
j. N. Bourgeois, st. Sauveur
Lucien Guidr0Z, Lake View :!
U. Leblanc, White Rose -
l.. & T. Bleaux, Prosperity
Awaiting further alvlces from your Hon.
Body aud trusting that my reports will be
accepted,
am respectfully.
L. A. BELLANGER,
r. & L. Inspector Bird Dist.
Iaourche, La, Nov. 9th. 1898.
On motion OF Mr. Christen, seconded by
Mr.. Gaude. the report OF the special commit
tee was read, as follows -
STATE OF LOUISIANA,
Parish OF Lafourcbe, Nov. 9Th, 1898.
To the Honorable, the President and Mem
Ders of the Police Jury.
pointed at your session of September the
9th last, for the purpose of inquiring into
and reporting upon the subject matters
forming the basis OF the different petitions
addressed to your Honorable Body, by the
citizens OF this Parish, residing below the
point situated in this parish, on the Bayou
Lafourche, and known as the Cutoff, beg
leave to submit the following as their find
ing on the Drainage, Navigation, Levees
and Canals-as the same exist in that por
tion OF our parish below the SAID Cut OFF -
| r1.1y- a
to, such remedy, as in their Judgment, they
deem proper, CATER a careful study of all
the premises) for the existing difficulties
found in that section and which for Il series
of years, have more or less, been called to
your attention by petitions and otherwise.
CUTS IN THE LEvEEs.
Your Committee made a personal examin-
alton Of every cut made in the leVces Situ
| ated just below the Cut off, on the left bank
of the BAYOU, and extending down to a
point fully six miles distant from said Cut
off and we find that, at all of these cuts
there are evidences of musk rat holes, for
the closing OF which the owner of the lands
Immediately in the rear OF said cut levees
alleges that he had no alternative left him
| in the matter, that is to day, he had either
| to obtain dirt by cutting down in the crust
| of levee at u little distance for use in closing
the rat.holes or allowing the holes to run
| and these parties allege further, tnat the
| cut and canals made in the batture of the
bayou just below their sectod had at that
| time inundated all their lands up to the foot
| of their levees, and that hence they had no
| other dirt at hand for closing rat holes in
| the levee on their fronts except such was
| afforded by cutting the crust of their le-
| vees-Now,-all the excuses alleged may
be correct-yet. in the opinion of your
| committee,-all cutting was done careessly
I-wantonly and without any respect for the
public levees erected by the state and Par
/ ish on their front, at tremendous cost, not
| only for their protection, but for the pro
te ,tion of all their section ; and thas, your
| committee believe that every cut so made
| in the Public Levees should be promptly
| repaired at the cost of those who made or
| caused the cuts to be made,-and to that eft
| feet we recommend that positive instruction
| be given to the X. and i-evee Inspector oi
| said Obstructive further beg to state that
your committee were favoraply impressed
| with the extent and fertility or lands lying
Immediately in the rear of the aforemen
| toned cut levees and that said section is
| are fully worthy of the close attention OF
the State, Levee District and Parish Au-
| thOrities.
CANALS AND CUTS IN THE BAYOU BATTURE.
On this subject your committee found that
| the fact relative thereto, previously repo 1T
ed through various sources to your Honor
| able body, were In the Imain correct but
| at the time of our visit all of these cuts OF
| canal were closed by dams, more or less i'm
| perfectly made, and that che owners OF the
| lands through which these canals are made
propose not only to keep said cuts closed
| in the future, but they also propose to con
| Struct, at their cost, leveeS on their fronts
| amply sufficient to prevent the overflow OF
| the bayou during extreme high water
| Now, your committee would state, for the
| information of the Jury, that the section OF
! country in which these canals exist is i'm
| medately below the section above reported
| upon, say commencing ut about miles be
| low the Cut off and extending below about
miles or just beyond the Lorentz Cheram
| Estate-You~ ComtCfttee's Visit having
| been made during low water, and at Il time
| when these canals were not i'll operation
| and therefore we had no means OF Judging
| of the volumes of water conveyed bN them
| to the nterior,-eXcept that offered b, the
| combined width OF all the canals, ano
| whereon-we do not hesitate to say that
| said volume must have been fully equal tG
| the capacity of an ordinary eievasse-say OF
! 50 to 50 it. in width : ana That such Il sol-
| ume of water thrown into the rear Sw @IuE
| must have, considering the flat surface ol
| the country. acted detri.nru.;iI.r ON the
| drainage of the entire ViclEity.
| On this last subject matter, Your commit
tee have no recommendations to offer, vx-
! cept, GhOWever, tnat tnC OluinanCeS OF tht
| parish bearing thereupUn be execute Il.
| Your committee, while on ti.e premises
We're impressed with the diiIicultlcs tlhj
| beS;.t the Road and IeEtC Inspector of All
that district lying belew the ut oh, on
| both banks ofsthe bayou, that set tten uein.
| comparatively Il new ANA mostly an unue-
| veloped one there are nvW roads ana le-
| wees to be made, to wnicn .tud tlry,'to the
| spirit of factions, appearing to Dc tNluated
] by different interests IA all tiltir opinions
upon road and leNee questions thst may
| arise, it becomes an absolute necessity tUI
| the welfare of all tnat section That the i.u;ld
i and Leyee Inspector, appointed or elected
| for said section should be :. IAGruuA nly
| competent and energetic n.an.- tonN crsant
| with all thesduties Oi hl, Iiicc, anu Wiling
| to perform them, ana " 40 y otilA bcsiue al
| this, be person belonging 10 neither Ct he
/ two existing factions, and in whica unbEtes-
| ed Individual both factions could rcpuse I'M
pliclt confidence anu respect, -.icrepy aS
suring hat his couns, Is unu ofutIS, az the
case might be, would meet prompt uDeui-
ence. With such Il man, placed ia authori-
ty, all that Srction that nov IS torn up by