St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1906-06-23
Shall We Vote the Five
Mill Tax for EleC-
trio Railroad.

III NJ xGGGx1lV11Us
Covington. La, June Is, 1905.
TO the Voters of the Third and Fourth Wards o.
st. Tammany Parish;
In the st. Tammany FARMER, issue
OF June 9, saw letter entitled, "a
Woman's View OF the Electric Railroad
Tax" The Woman says she is "sup
posed not to have much sense, ant
certainly not to VOTE" I beg leave t.
inform the worthy lady she has q per.
feet right to vote, in such q case, or tt
appoint proxy.
Now Voters, Old Corn Tassel will try
to give you his views on the subject
Now, ] don't want anyone to miscon.
strue my intention, or to think that
am opposed to seeing improve entl
that will be benefit to the public ii
general; far from it.
Now, Voters, will try to give 20,
some facts and figures, so you can SEE
for yourselves what the so-called com
pany is trying to force upon you. The
present assessment amounts in round
numbers to 5000, 900, and is growing al
the rate of from s25, 900 to 10000 pei
year, for the Third and Fourth Wards
You can easily figure what the 5-mil
tax would amount to in ten years.
snug little sum, assure you.
Now, Voters, do you wish to have
the amount of tax that such q tax az
that and it Is tax that is going te
benefit but very few, and the few who
will get the benefit are the ones who
are at the bottom of the projected road,
is going to saddle upon you? The gen.
tlemen don't even tell you what the,
propose to do. They tell you they are
going to cross the lake by fast boat
What is the matter with, the New Or.
leans Great Northern Railroad? Are
not they giving US good service into
New Orleans? What is the use of tax
ing ourselves to build road for some.
one else, when we have something bet.
ter than what they are Offering us; and
further more, what knocks Old Corn
Tassel out, is the wey they propose to
get the money. II you will build the
road for us we will let you ride, If you
will pay US for 1t. That puts me in
mind of little gag I once heard: A
Yankee and IN Indian went hunt
ing and they killed turkey and a crow.
The Yankee said to the. Indian, II will
take the turkey and you can have the
crow, or you may have the crow and
will take the turkey" "Ha!" said, the
Indian, "You no say turkey to me once. /"
Now Voters Of the Third aud Fourth
Wards, do you feel that you would be
justified in voting tax to help such a
corporation? They don't even tell you
whether they will make it direct line
over the lake, or not. II were going
to build railroad, I would want to
know where I was coming out and what
l was to get for my money. Don't try,
Mr.. Railway Company, to fill me up
with hot air, and tell me my real estate
will double. Your road will help me
about as much as it would help me to
have q garden on top OF Pixies Peak.
Now, l will give my idea of how q
8. mill tax could be used in the whole
parish to far more benefit than building
q railroad; that is, for a general school
fund. Take any of the wards in the
parish: how many school-houses will
you see In riding all day? 1t is a shame
and disgrace to the parish. l live about
two and one-half miles from Covington.
There are close to forty children, be-
tween my place and Covington, of
school age, and no school for them TO
60 to but in Coyington. I, for one,
think 1t would be better to improve the
young stock that Is growing up than to
invest in something to make a few dol
lars out of. I have four little tads, and
[ would not trade one of them for all
The railroads in the whole country.
Now, / wish to say q few words to
The people Of Covington. You think
you are having q boom. Don't be de-
ceived. Your town is only having q
good. healthy growth. have been here
Tor thirteen years, and / have seen
whole lot larger town than you now
have grow up in the West inside OF six
months.
Now, Voters, I have given you nv
news on the tax question, and I will
cave It to you TO decide whether q
i-m1ll tax would do the public more
rood invested in schools for our little
ones, or to invest in railroad, to help
! few men who haye formed themselves
INTO corporation for the purpose Of
crawflsh nest, located be-
ween C0yington and Lake Pontchar-
rain.
I will now close, by repeating the
Prayer. It runs thus;
30. Lord, bless me and my wife; my
on John and his wife; my Essex SOW;
~ Durham COW; US, and no more. |
men! L. L. THOMAS. |
DEADLY SERPENT BITES
re rs common in Indla as are stomach,
nd liver disorders with us. For the
tier. however. there is sure remedy.
lectric Bitters, the great restorative
edicine, of which 8. A. Brown, OF Ben
ettsville, 8. G., says: .'They restored