The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1905-04-13
Benton. Louisiana, April Is, 1905.
LEvEE BOARD PROCEEDINGS.
Boss1ER CRY. La. April 6. 1905,


Bos5ier Levee District met this day in
regular session. Roll called. Present:
W. T. Colquitt, President; DR.. H. E.
Atkins, L. M. Pruitt, j. G.. McDade and
H. N. Carlton. Absent: T. w. W.
Ssinson and w. E. Ivey.
Minutes of last meeting were read and
approved.
The Secretary then read communica-
ton FRI m Gervais Lombard, Assistant
State Engineer, relative to his inspection
OF tae levee system from Bossier City,
La, to the upper end of the District:
OFFIt BOARD OF STATE ENGINEERS, |
New Orleans, March 81, 1905.
Hon. w. T. CoLQUITT, President of the
Bossier Levee Board, Bossier City, La:
Dear Sir-Col. Kerr and have just re-
turned from an inspection of the levees
on Red River. We went over that portion
of the Bossier Levee District from Bos-
sier City up to Hurricane Bluff, but from
the condition of this portion of the levee
line it is only natural to suppose that
similar conditions exist from Bossier
City down.
The first serious infringement of the
ievee laws that we noticed was right in
Bossier City, where we found that
railroad track had been placed on top of
the levee and the entire levee changed in
shape, etc. The Board of State Engi-
neers was not made aware of any such
intention on the part of the Railroad
Company to place its tracks there; and,
although contract was entered into
between the Bossier Levee Board and
certain saw mill at one time, by which
L
placed on top of the levee for certain
given distance above the bridge at Bos-
sier City, this new extention of the track
does not come under said contract and
was d,ne without the approval of the
Board Of State Engineers which is abso-
lutely necessary under the law before any
such work can be done. (See Article
239 of the Constitution of 1889. The
saw mill and Railroad Company should
be enjt med from using this track and
should be made to pay such fines as are
provided in the law, and also such dam
ages as may be proven to have been done.
The levee just where the railroad track
has bf en- placed has been hog rooted and
a cut for road crossing made through
the levee, which is in violation of the
law. The saw mill people have also
dumped a lot of lumber and material on
the levee, and they should be made to
remove that without delay, and should
also be made to understand that the levee
cannot be used for any such purpose.
noticed, also, that all of the trash, thorn
trees, weeds, etc., which have been cleared
out OF the field just above the saw mill
have / cen thrown over the fence and on
to the levee, where it is a menace to the
proper maintenance and condition of the
levee. A new line of telephone poles
has also been placed on the river slope
where they have no right to be andwhere
they are a menace to the security of the
levee.
believe have mentioned to you al
ready a deep cut or cow path through
the levee near the upper end of the Dill
lard place, and as it is isolated it would
be well to have this repaired and to pre-
vent cattle, ETC., from crossing there.
At F. M. Crows store a feed trough
for cattle has been placed on the crown
of the levee where cattle will stand
around it and wear the levee away. The
levee is also badly worn in two places
believe that Col. Kerr has already re-
places in the Bossier Levee system, but
it would be well no doubt for me to
enumerate them again, as many of them
arc in such condition as to warrant their
being attended to without day.
Barrett has two crossings where the
levee is deeply worn. The Gilmer Lane
new levee has been very badly washed
and the grassing destroyed. The work
entailed in repairing these washes and
restoring the crossings is such that it
should be done either by contract for a
lump sum price, or by an outfit which
can be hired by the day and some relia-
Bile man put in charge of it. OF course,
you understand that this is the very best
season of the year in which to do such
work, IS the grass will now grow and
before fall will spread so as to prevent
the fresh earth from being washed.
> At Pandora, on the Bryan place, near
the barns and stable yard the levee is in
a disgi aceful condition due to hog-root-
ing ana the constant travelling and pres
ence Of cattle, keeping the grass from
growing and allowing the levee to be
washed away by rains.
AT Eenoit Bayou the dixie has been
fenced in, the fence being placed on top
and acl oss same in such way as to be in
violation of the law. This BAYOU is
badly O ergrown with saplings and weeds
on the land slope and should be cleaned
and the fences removed to the toe of the
slope en- either side.
The Cash Point new levee lis in the
same &C ndition as the Gilmer Lane new
leyee az should by all means be repair
ed at OF ce. noticed that the contractor
failed to cut the back end of the traverses
along tie pit. This could be done in
getting earth for repairs.
The 'evee at Gordy Ogden's place
seems to be regularly used as wagon
road ar is badly cut up, which is a
gross violation of the law and should be
stopped Immediately before damage is
done.
noticed that the bank is still caying
at Hon' y Grove, where only about 225
feet is left between the levee and the
river, end it may be necessary in the
near future to build new levee there.
Mr.. Crimson has several bad crossings
through the levee on his place; and the
new Rough and Ready levee, which has
just been built at so great cost is also
being used as wagon road, and some of
the ruts on top of this leyee are actually
hub deep. The same thing is noticed all
along the top of the levee from Rough
and Ready up to and along the Lassiter
place, and notice should be servedon the
parties using these lexees as roadways