The Opelousas courier., 1898-02-05
The Public Roads,

highways Of St. Landry, are in great
part a disgrace to the citizens. They
are nothing more than bitches. Wher-
ever Lateral bitches have been made
running parallel, the dirt from them
has been thrown up on the sides of
the roads, thus making canals of them
instead of draining them.
The public road leading to Flat
Town resembles bayou, inasmucll as
the water lies in it full half the way.
In some places it is SO deep that it
comes within TO inches OF running in
the buggy. InN Npthers there are holes
which one not familiar with the road
is apt to fall into. Buggies have been
overturned in them. At the north end
of the long bridge at DeBaillon's old
crossing, there is q hole as one gets off
the bridge which is frightful One
not knowing how to descend from the
bridge will inevitably go down. There
is no escape for one not knowing how
to shun it. To attempt going on the
bridge by keeping in the road proper,
Is to stick or be capsized. Again, at
place three miles beyond PIaisance,
there is another frighttul space. The
water covers the road for a space of
full half mile, and at one portion is
deep enough to run in a common bug
Ky or baroucbe. There is bridge there
but the ends are floating and some
planks are off, 80 that it is prudent to
keep off and to take the water and the
mud in preference, We know not why
it is, but SO it is, that road superintend'
ents never deem it necessary to raise
the middle OF the road, 50 as to cause
the water to run off through the la,e-
raj bitches they cause to s,e dug.
Il al, IL f,Nl
wide as they are made and twice as
deep. Were they 80 made, dirt enough
might be had, if thrown to the centre
of the road, to raise the beds above
the ordinary waters that run along
them.
The road to Flat Town is not the on
ly one in the condition We have des-
cribed. None of them are properly at
tended TO. Along all Of them there is
at this writing stretches of water from
u quarter to three-Quartsrs Of a mile
long, the deepest being in the road and
having no way of escape. Why is this
condition of the roads allowed Have
the members of the Police Jury been
unable to realize it Z Are the citizens
content with it Would it not be far
better to make changes and SO i'm
prove the approaches to the towns
that produce may be brought or taken
in7
The main street in the village called
Flat Town has one or two places in it
that te,rify the passer-by, and the
quiet deniZens are apparently satisfied
to let them remain sO. 1t is really as
tonishing. The planters of St. Landry
who live in pIaiIies, by their inertness
touching their roads, remind one of the
story told by an Arkansas traveller
who called at a house to stay all night.
The major dOM0 was playing his fiddle.
The stranger asked him why he did not
sbingle his half covered house, the re-
ply was that the half roof answered
very well when the weather was fair,
then added that he wasn't d-n fool
enough to go out in the rain to shingle
the other.
It the Police Jury can do nothing
to improve our roads, and it
the citizens will not, we wOnld favor
the expedlent of placing them under
the control of State authorities, State
comm missi0ners, with plenary power to
do all necessary work, aud to levy a
tax to pay for it. Change the jurisdic-
ton of magistrates, and the provisions |
Of the criminal lawsin all that relate to |
misdemeanors and non -felonious crimes |
and have such offenders sentenced to
work on the public roads, under the |
of State appointed CON-
We sometimes have 90 and |
30 culprits charged with minor offenses,
aud all kept in prison for months at
the expense of the taxpayers. Now,
We contend it were far better to try |
them speedily before magistrates aDd |
have them put to work on the public |
roads. Such force we'll handled and
kept at work, would in a short time in
sure passible roads. and he a source
Of great economy to quiet aud honest |
holders.