The Opelousas courier., 1898-03-05
of the Improvement Of the
TeChe.

The undersigned was appointed by the Police
Juries of the parishes OF st. Mary, Iberia and
st. Martin to gather the statistics OF the com
merce OF these parishes to demonstrate the lm-
portance ofthe Improvement OF the navigation
Of the Bayon Teche and other streams tribu-
tary to 1t and for any other purpose they may
ss,ne over these '1 parishes @ % and ma making out, first
tabulated report giving the names and amount
of products shipped by each person; also
amount OF commodities and price, with total
amount, they come to. These reports have
submitted to the Police 'Juries which bodies
have examined and approved the same.
Believingit it would be of great advantage to
consolidate these reports SO as to show the com
merce of the Bayou Teche l have done that
also in the present report, & nave s also az lr az
dry lying on the upper Teche. the Courtableau
and B9uf that are directly interested in hav-
ing water navigation to regulate railroad
charges and rates.
BY reference to this report you will see what
a magnificent showing they make; but this
will be almost nothing to what they Will be IN
the future, if the government Will only make
the small appropriation asked for the improve
ment of the navigation of the Teche, so as to
make it navigable for steamboats, at all sea
sons of the year. The upper Teche is virtually
without navigation the greater part of the
year and then only to Breau1 Bridge during
high water. 1t is a beautiful bayou. Its banks
thickly inhabited by an Industrious pOpula-
ton. The lands are high and on the banks
of the bayou have never been known to over
flow. They are rich and as we'll adapted tothe
sugar cane as any in the State, also to colt IN
and other crops; but owing TO the want of ia
cilities for shipping of their crops and the
want of central factories to give a market for
their cane, the farmers have been compelled
to devote their attention almost entirely to
cotton in competition with the great cotton
States OF tho Union. There are tive parishes
that have been doing this and the present
yeer have made at least 100000 bales of cotton ).
to add that much to the over production and
low price Of cotton. All OF these parishes pre-
fer to go into cane, If they had the market, but
without central factories to buy their cane and
no facilities to ship it. they are compelled to
stick to cotton oven if they had to produce it
with little or no profit. The greater part Of
them are small planters or farmers @ ana are mot
sugar and are entirely dependant on foreign
capital to do it for them. AS they are at pres
ent situated without railroads or navigation,
they cannot get capitalists to do this. At the
SAME time the most OF then are living on the
banks OF one of the most beautiful bayous in
the world, rendered immortal by the genius OF
Lopgfelow in Evangeline-one that is almost
natural canal.
Major J. B. Quinn, the United States Engi-
neer in charge OF the waterways of this district,
estimates OF the cost, only makes it s245,os6.
Considering the immense commerce already cx-
listing aud the grand possibilities for the fn-
ture, surely the Congress OF M the United States
ton necessary. 1t does not amount to more
than 65 OF one per cent of the annual commerce,
as have shown.
CONSOLIDATED REPORT OF THE EXPORTS
of the Parishes of St. Martin, aid au estimate
OF that portion of St. Landry on the BayOus
Teche, Courtableau and BGuf, for the crop and
year, 1891, made by Capt +. T. King, for the
Police Juries of the Parishes:
Sixty-six Sugar Factories, 2O5, ,423, Isl
TBS Sugar at 4c...-........-.....$ 4c safe, 1876 36
sixty-six Sugar Factories, 9,s2s,135
gal. molasses at 10c. c...-...----.. 992,8l3 81
Nineteen, Saw and Shingle Mills,
7O,3l7, $40 tt. Lumber at $l2 per
NJ s51,O15 2s
Nineteen Saw aud Shngle Mills.
1sl, $4,000 Shingles at 50 per NJ 363,O6O 00
Nineteen Lumber Manufactures,
value ..................... 413,750 0O
Thirty eight Cotton Gins, 31,5s7
Bales Cotton at S27 so .... s64,642 sc
Thirty eight Cotton Gins, 1s,05o
Tons Seed at t$6. 1O3,342 Of
Ten Brick Manufactures 7,267,0C0
Brick at $3.50 per M............ 47,235 0t
Sixteen Rice Plantations 4 Farms,
2l,125 Sacks Rice at $3.......... G3,375 81
| Five Ice, Mineral water aud Bot
tling Factories, value. ...-....- $4,000 o.
| Two Gotten Seed Oil Mills, meal,
soap and cake ke............. 1928 81
| Three Foundries and Work Shops,
| products, value. ue.......,......... 1925 g.
| Poultry, eggs and game, Value. 157.424 On
| Fish and Oyster Factories, value l68,750 Z
| Cow and alligator hides, peltres,
| and furs, value. ..........-... 120.7O3 o.
| Moss, wool, esculents, etc 35,l25 ]
| Many other products not enumer
| ated. NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. 94,374