The Lafayette advertiser. [volume] (Vermilionville [i.e. Lafayette], La.) 1865-19??, 1908-11-13
THE INTERCOASTAL CANAL.

The following letter from DR..
A. J. Burkett, of Milton. in re-
gard to securing a change in the
present proposed route of the
Intercoastal Canal. is on a time
ly subject, and his suggestion
of immediate action in the mat
ter should be acted on:
Milton, La. Nov. 9, 1908.
To the Editor of The Advertiser,
Lafayette, La.
Dear Sir:-I am sending you herein
enclosed letter received a few days
ago from Hon. j. E. Ransdell in re-
sponse to one I wrote him in regard to
the opening up for navigation of our
Vermilion Bayou and also that of the
Bayou Teche and converting them
into a portion of the Intercoastal
Canal instead of running the Canal
straight across from Grand Lake to
Vermilion Bay as. is now projected.
This is a matter IN which we should
all be deeply interested; and especially
now since the boil weevil disaster has
stricken US such deathly blow. The
chances are good that cotton will
never be raised successfully here
again and therefore the farmer will be
forced to raise some other crop. Cane
is the crop which they will naturally
turn their attention to. But the great
problem which now confronts them in
raising cane is way to dispose of it.
As there are no rehneries and n
trans portation facilities in reach thi,
problem will be the first to solve. We
cannot make anything out of cane
until we find way to dispose of it.
II is a heavy crop to handle, and
without nearby transportation facili
ties. better than it requires for cotton,
it cannot be successfully raised.
SO this brings us up to the point l
had in view in writing Mr.. Ransdell
and in serding you his reply. 1t is
this great question of transportation.
Here it is that we are in the midst of
and surrounded by as rich and fine a
country as can be found anywhere, and
now we are plunged into dire distress
for the want of some way to transport
many crops that could be raised here
! that would pay far better than cotton
and that too that through the midst of
this fine country flows a stream, that,
with the expenditure of few hundred
dollars properly applied could be
made highway of transportation
that would be of millions of dollars
worth of good to the people. And
| why is this not done? It seems to me
the only answer to that question is
that just because NOBODY HAS DONE
1T. Everybody seems to stand back
and wait for some other one to act.
Now, Mr.. Editor, am willing to do
my part as far as I know how, and ]
wish to ask you to read over carefully y
1.-THE letter enclosed and if you can find
anything in it worthy of commenting
on in your valuable paper, or if you
think proper publish the letter in toto,
why will gladly have you do so.
/ wrote to Hon. r. F. Broussard
about the same time that / wrote to
Mr.. Ransdell, but up to date have re-
ceived no reply. | also talked to
Hon. F. v. Mouton about this mat
ter and he promised me that he would
take up the matter with Mr.. Burke, of
New Iberia, since which have heard
nothing. The time is now short until
Congress will convene and I think
this should be so thoroughly worked
up that bill will be put forthwith be
fore Congress and vigorously pushed
through to q successful issue. 1t is
as Mr.. Ransdell says in his letter
that ''the initiative in inaugurating it
must come from your own people and
from your Congressional Representa-
tives," And with once more asking
your assistance in this all important
matter, beg to remain,
Yours very respectfully,
A. ]. BURKETT.
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