The weekly Iberian. (New Iberia, La.) 1894-1946, 1906-06-02
Mr.. Chairman, Gentlemen Of the Con

Mr.. Chairman, Gentlemen Of the Con
vention:
The project wh1ch has brought this
splendid convention together in this
elegant little city, is no new project
| Nor can any one of this generation
claim to have originated it. AS fai
back as 1873, the Congress Of the
United States provided for a"survey
for connecting the inland waterways
along the margin of the Gulf of Mex
co, from Donaldsonville, in Louis
lana, to the Rio Grandc River. in Tex
as, by cuts and canals" This survey
was commenced in 1873 and complet-
ID in 1873, and reported to the Chief
| f Engineers by Captain G. ". How
| II of the United States Army in the
| ,ame year. Even at that time the
rOiect was not new, since the of
icers having charge Of same III re
| ,orting, acknowledges the assistance
ll1orded him by Mr.. Peler, civil
ngineer, who, some years before, had
made a personal examination Of the
Louisiana end Of the proposed water
aay for the Louisiana and Texas Ca
ial Company As | have not been
bile to find any trace ofthis company,
he origin of this project remains
,hrouded in mystery. insofar as my
knowledge goes.
The report of 1919 was followed by
40 further effort IN the direction Of
.utting the waterway, and the project
seems to have been neglected, aban-
ioned or forgotten. Ten years ago,
and the Parish of Calcacieu played
10 unimportant part both IN the con
tenton that nominated me and in
lie subsequent election, for which /
have ever felt grateful to the good
people of this parish. / had the dis
inguished honor Of being elected a
member of the Fifty fifth Congress.
In 1898 was re elected and in the
first session of the Fifty sixth Con-
yress, my attention having been ac-
cidentally called to the project, in
,ti,ued search for the old reports
IF the Engineer Department Of the
Army and found the Howell report
oi 1879. l resolved to revive the pro
iect and Immediately introduced II. r.
1OSO, bill providing for re-survey
Of this waterway. | was unsuccessful
in that Congress In the Fifty seventh
Congress former Congressman Cooper,
then representing the Texes district
adjacent j, this. joined in the prosecu
ion Of the matter and in the first ses-
ion Of that Congress introduced II X
1911. We had no better success in
that Congress. In the Fifty eighth
Congress, second session, Congress
man Garner of Texas introduced II. K.
j1Jl, and I re-introduced my bill OF
previous congress, being II. K. 1861,
and Congressman Garner and | joined
Efforts in pressing the survey. Aided
most materially by Congressman Bur
gress of Texas. and Congressman
Ransdell Of Louisiana, both OF whom
had meanwhile become members OF
the Rivers and Harbors Committee or
the House, and with the cooperation
of congressman Pujo, and Robertson
of Louisiana, and Brooks and Gregg
Of Texas, through whose districts this
waterway is projected, we secured an
appropriation in the last session OF
that Congress for preliminary examl-
nation oft.
II is but fair to state that Texas,
since l have had connection with the
project, has evinced more interest IN
it than have our people and soon the
Victoria convention was called to aid
in properly setting forth the merits
Of the waterway. The unfortunate
advent Of yellow fever into our State
last wear. and the quarantine result
ing therefrom. prevented at once both
the attendance of our people on the
Victoria convention and forbade Cap
tain Jadwin, to whom the important
work had been entrusted by the War
Department, from crossing into our
State to complete his examination or
the route. The Victoria convention
however had sown the seed OF success,
and this convention has resulted, as
will a favorable report, l doubt not,
from Captain Jadwin, and the final
accom- ,lishment of the waterway.
have tried to give an impartial
history OF this project. trust have
done full justice to every one thus fa'
connected with our success, and thai
may be parloned personal reference
to myself in the narration of events
leading to this convention. Let n1
one claim exclusive credit for what
has been done. There is credit enough
| for all, and the work to the final cul
mination of this important matter, !:
such that all may gain further lan
rels, and the blessings of this ant
generations to come, By aiding in tht