The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-05-14

stream will do away entirely with the neces-
fS, have 'G cost ,svf @iili Sns the viii present Se sb 5sEeSHs; Sn'f n
2 dixie is constructed it will cut of the
1 htofo" with S S%e'treoly rla isS% ~ Eats WHICH S9mR e does
most, OF It's business. II Is suggested that this
MAJ, be o%byiated by n lock q Donaldsonvllle. az
the head OF the bayou: but even with a lock
the tendency Of the bayou will be to Al up, and
it cnn only be kept open by constant dredging,
hold out so long against the Inevitable is dueto
the extraordinary fertility OF the country. rs
densely populated agricultural region Of the
United States, maintaining, u population or
length. Not an Inch Of land is ""iHHcaIitiyated;
Whenever n crevasse occurs the silt and sand
from the bayou ~ up the swamp back Of IT,.
NJ and brought into cultivation. Crevasses.
therefore,; while causing immense, damage
The I.aiourche is about 100 miles long. 1t Is
Ike the Nile. viii, only a narrow fringe OF soil
with the Gulf. and subject to flooding witt salt
water ~ a storm: At the upper end OF the
plantations. the finest in the state. There
Is something in the soil. found nowhere
s m"1 IN h9 ,hs hs.t when tb maE Eensl a'2 TRirtS
miles down the stream the country changes
to one vast truck farm. The farms are
bayou .'iiE%%' tho, farms in French Canada
stretching aGk 70 the swamp. The houses are
though you we're, sailing down. a, city, street.
consumssS, LaioursieS eggs as they are uni.
oHroMily EnoEn-chick"ns; early n] "1t
the ihRiG "or ena 2t mSrk yfsS TRe sSp ,SG ins IS S'i nen any
il q majority; but thsy are not liked and aie
French, OF the same stock us the French Cana
a annrtcr '" ii m 2anis,ona by 4 fh century, laTner nnd ara a
prosperous. and have money stored AVA
Below, this is the rice country. where the land
only "A rev lnpnpS above TIDE lever. sui
further down. whore there are no levees. where
the the h ian4 is cu On" %i WAY Ma,e4 fo IS sSe i soant t4s Of fE he f Ts1
fourehe lenGrs. where those driven IRON neigh
swnmps and su6sistlng on fish.
There is no Immigration: there is no room
% TSt any, a. OE boy IN and PJ s,ris Hurry = y ';Sasas snff
have ,arge families, When the farm get over.
ptaitriarShiaaII style. the father, IA !s;uufrro"nded hy
his married sons. the land being worked IN
common and without diyisionIthc youngster
will emiRratc to the neighboring woods and
try to make himself n new place in the brulees.
Much can pc done only by treasurins, every
rounding swamps. Part of the swamp is re;
covered every year. but it is slow. tedious and
expensive work. and the mass of the people try
TO overcome any congestion Of population-
aud have so far done it successfully-by in
tensive arming. making their places produce
more each year. giving more profitable crops.
chickens. eggs, fruit and early vegetables.
Among these people there Is very natural
" Nv Va WV 'AiE'' ~ tN Ntit' Villl 'll' S'AN
Il complete change Of the country as will result
from cutting 1t of from the Mississippi and
making 1t an interior Instead OF a riparian coun-
try: and 1t cannot but be noted that the coun-
try along the other delta streams which have
been cut Off from the Mississippi has deterio-
rated. Some modification Of the like is there
fore desired. 1t has been suggested, among
other things. that the bayou might be con-
through which sufficient water could be run 10
render 1t always navigable. while n lock would
prevent anv overflow Of the country.
The United States has expended q large sum
and ever since in trying 10 keep it open and
naviRable. And it and the people along It's
banks have secured little benefit thereby. The
Iafourchn convention to consider the matter
makeshift policy. and the adoption of some
permanent plan Of Improvement that will
prevent the annual improvement appropria-
tions and the annual crevasses which now oc-
plan is adopted must include the severance OF
Bayou I.afourche from the Mississippi. either
in full or IN part. in accordance with the plan
Of improving the Mississippi now under way.
bayou Chetemacha; after, the Chetemacha
Indians. who formerly populated its banks. but
who have long since gone the way OF all good
Indians-thcre is not one left. Being a fork or
La Fourche des Chetemachas." The latter
part Of the name has disappeared. like the In
Iians whom 1t commemorate and there re;
The closure OF these hayous has changed the
geographical nomenclature of southern Louis
lana. All the old maps mark the Isle OF
Orleans, which included the S9untry-it was
Gulf. lakes ,Borgne and .Pontchartrain and
Bayou Manchac-on which New Orleans stood.
The closure and Disappearance Of Bayou Man;
thu yarn mama hDl a lea ral