The weekly messenger. [volume] (St. Martinsville [i.e. St. Martinville] La.) 1886-1948, 1899-11-11

deepening the bed Of the canal TO soma
slight extent for the distance back of
probably one fourth Of . mile from the
Teche, but 1t has not nearly reached far
enough back towards the lake u affect
the lake q particle. But we have not
done any digging to sink the bottom of
the canal anywhere.
The Grand Jury suggested that We be
compelled to build q leyes against the
lake and that water sills should be pla.
ced 90 as to restore the lake to its for.
mer level.
Now submit that there IL no such
thing known as a standard level to the
surface water Of the lake. The level
Is governed entirely BY climatic and at.
mospheric conditions. When we have
rainy season the lake surface rises and
In time of drouth 1t recedes. The me-
morable storm Of the first day of Sen.
TENDER 1879, raised the lake level higher
than 1t has been within 81 years and
the great drouth Of the summer OF 1881.
two years later. reduced the lake level
lower than 1t has been within 81 years:
yes. lower than 1t has thus far been BY
the present drouth.
Last winter at the end Of the rainy
season. the surface level was as high. as
1t has been within 81 years. excepting
the storm Of September 1879.
Now to show the effect Of evaporation:
as a protection to the shingle roof Of the
Keystone sugar house. we have q mum.
Der OF sound tight iron bound water bar
reis placed on tho highest ridge: when
we finished our wagon sugars about the
first day Of last June, the last thing
done with the steam. was to pump the
sugar house water cistsrns and the wa
ter barrels all full Of water and Just
four months later In the trst week Of
October. BY accurate measurement, the
water had evaporated down from the
tops Of those water barrels from Il to II
inches.
The marsh surface around the lake is
rising; instead Of the water surface of
the lake being lowered and this fact, /
submit. is what causes the careless OBJ
server to imagine that the water surface
is becoming lower.
There is an immense growth OF grass
there of from two to four feet high with
stout woody stems. which together with
the green roots. which are all decaying
at the end Of summer, and being renew
ed again with spring growth. together
with the field soil which every rain car
ries on the marsh causes an annual de-
post. and Of course gradually but Ger.
tainly rises the whole marsh surface.
Even in the years when the dried grass
lie burned of the decayed grass roots re-
msiD-and this is an annual accumula.
to the marsh surface. 90 that where men
saw ponds of water on the marsh and
did duck shooting in years gone by. now
find those ponds dried up, through this
process of the march surface rising mp,
they sllsge the lake water is being low
cred, thus being entirely mistaken as to
the cause.
This annual accumulation OF decaying
vegetable matter together with the tur-
bid rain waters all around the marsh
will continue on to elevate the marsh
surface until 1t will all be reclaimed for
farming Uses and will be 90 rich In qua
lily that 1t can be cultivated for . whole
generation without the use Of any ferti-
lizers. and IS the Keystone Plantation
has more acres of land surface In the
marsh, than IL now being cultivated, We
are anxiously waiting the time to eul.
tivate these valuable marsh lands. which
will than double the present land va.
lues; We therefore do not take kindly
to this proposition to build levees against
the lake and to put Ia mud stills.
Besides. IL would deprive Us Of the free
use Of the lake water for plantation use
for the people, and for the cattle. and
for the sugar house. Let me odd hero,
IL will destroy thousands Of acres Of Va.
luable lands that are now being cultivs.
ted along thu lowlands Of Bayou Tortue
which is the only natural outlet Of the
lake.
We are now living In an age Of pro-
gressiveness and improvement-tbe 9TH
or sugar Parishes are alive and fully
awake to the spirit OF the age. they are