Tensas gazette. [volume] (St. Joseph, La.) 1886-current, 1897-04-30
a Trip WITH THE ENGLNEERS

inspection OF TIE leFeSS. ne
General Constock" is very COM
Portable, and is commanded by
Capt. James Aubic, of Bayou Sara,
La, most courteous gentleman
who handles his craft with great
skill. Engineers Thompson and
Hardee made an inspection-of the
levees between Waterproof and
L'Argent, which has been the
dangerous point in our line
below Hard Scrabble and pro-
nounced them all right with the
exception that they found on the
levees, or near them, numerous
cattle, which met with their great
disapprobation.
We would remark parenthetical-
ly, that we have published in the
TENsAs GAZETTE since the begin
ming of the high water season the
law prohibiting the people from
allowing their cattle to roam on
levees, and denouncing the penal
ty, and we had supposed that if
the owners of the stock did not
have sufficient intelligence to ap-
preciate the great danger and dis
aster which would result from
cattle roaming on the levees, that
the guards and gentlemen in that
part Of the parish who have charge
of the levees would have seen to il
that these animals were either
driven of the levees by the owners
or killed by the guards.
We found Commissioner B. B,
Parham, levee contractor A. P.
| Martin, Mr. J. A. Turpin and 9TH
er gentlemen of the neighborhood,
keeping a close watch OH the levees
| from Waterproof to Ferriday's
levee on Lake Concordia. These
gentlemen reported that the levet
had sloughed very badly Al
"Aquasco" plantation last week
where the levee crosses Bayou
lL'Argent, but that by hard work
they had succeeded in reveting the
entire eight hundred feet viii
plank which had been jeopardized
and saved it, and it was now com
paratively secure. They put al
| much as one hundred and fifty
sacks Of dirt to every fourteen fee
! of the eight hundred feet o
sloughing levee, and our reader
can understand the amount o
labor that required. Commission
er Pafham reports that the colore'
people along the entire line of hi
/. levee and on the back plantation
responded to all calls and worke'
diligently and he gives themgrea
credit. Mr.. Parham shows hi
, confidence in the levees by havinl
retained his family at his home Oh
, his "Arcola" plantation. Oh
Good Friday night, the night o
the Riggs crevasse, son was borl
to him. We asked him if 1t was
; girl and suggested the name "Hia
watha" but Mr.. Parham said tina
it was a boy, and that he ha'
named him. for his brother, Dr
F. w. Parham, of New Orleans
, "F. W., however, could easil
: mean Failing Waters, as b
hoped he would soon have that
We have ascertained from thes
gentleman that close and careful
> watch is being constantly KEEP
; upon the levees, and Engineer W
5. Hardee, who is in charge Of tn
work here, cautioned them mos
particularly not to relax their Wig
lance because The water had stoE
ped rising to any great extent, g
the levees would be endangere
for some time after the water bt
gan to fall.
Major Bolivar Thompson give
E Engineer Hardee great credit fo
5 the manner in which he has cor
Quoted the high water campaig
along our front, and says that tn
people of Tensas owe him a debt {
: gratitude for his services, in whic
! we cordially concur.
z After leaving the Aquasco leve
!. we steamed around Lake Concol
, cordia, stopping at the Ferrida
| ievee aud on the front along til