The Jimplecute. (Jefferson, Tex.) 18??-1907, 1905-09-30
NAvIGABlE STREAM,
IMPORTANCE CONFERENCE RE-
LATIvE TO OPENING TWELVE
MILE BAYOU.
AGREEMENT is REACHED

AGREEMENT is REACHED
congressman Watkins of Minden Anx
ious to Cooperate With Congress
men Sheppard of Texarkana, Pro
vided Latter's Plans Do Not Conflict
With Landed Interests and Water
Supply
From the Shreveport Times, Sept. 2sth.
According to an agreement reached
yesterday at lengthy conference in
this city between Congressman Morris
Sheppard of Texarkana, Judge j. T.
Watkins, of Minden, Mayor Andrew
Queries, Superintendent Keene of the
local waterworks company, properly
owners and engineers, there is ground
to believe that an appropriation will
be made at the next meeting of Con-
gress for the purpose of making Twelve
Mile Bayou, navigable stream be-
tween Shreveport and Jefferson, Texas.
If the present plans are carried out
Congressman Sheppard and Judge
Watkins, who is representative to Con-
gress from this district of Louisiana,
will work tremendously to persuade
the national legislative body to allow
big sum to put the stream in perfect
condition for navigation.
Judge Watkins declares that he will
devote his labors to the proposition,
provided none Of the plans of the con-
gresham from Texas conflict with the
pure water supply of this community,
along the stream are injured; and en-
Enthusiastically Congressman Sheppard
assures the Ainden gentleman and the
mayor and others interested here that
it is not and has never been his inten-
ton to damage anybody or anybody's
interests.
Armed with special permits, and as
an invited guest to confer relative to
the public question, Judge Watkins
came to the city from Minden, al
through it lie Q town against which
Shreveport established quarantine
some days ago. But the judge gave
assurances that he had not been near
an infected point, and, as his presence
here was very necessary, he was al
lowed to pass the guards without in
reference.
"My object in coming to Shreveport"
he said last evening, 'was to attend
the meeting in reference to the open
ing of navigation from here to Jeffer-
son. My immediate intention though.
in making the trip was to see to it that
the navigation, if opened. be SO ar
ranged as not to interfere in the least
with the pure water supply of this
community, and the landed interests.
IL think the matter can, be 80 adj
justed as not to conflict, and l am OF
the opinion that the appropriation can
be obtained. Mr.. Sheppard has given
his promise that his plans and ideas
are not to conflict with the landed in.
terests or water supply and if his ideas
do not subsequently change before
Congress convence, will stand with
him."
A great deal of correspondence had
been going on between Congressman
Sheppard and himself, so Judge Wat
kins said, and the proposition had beer
given considerable attention on bott
sides. Shorty after his election to
succeed Congressman Brazeale, the
judge began to familiarize himself witt
the proposed scheme, and at present hi
thoroughly understands the matter.
The Impression. seemed to be held by
some that the plans put before the
public BY Congressman Sheppard al
the last session of Congress, if materi
allied, would have damaged the land
ed interests and particularly the waite
supply, as it was proposed that thu
dam across Twelve Mile Bayou be de
molished. In Judge Watkins sopinioi
navigable properly brought abou
would mean great deal for this sec
ton of the country, especially Louis
lana and Texas, as many of the citi
zens own land in the river parishe
! and counties and the distance iron
Shreveport to Jefferson is about sixt
miles. Owing to the interest of tn
people he was not willing to assist il
any proposition that would be likel