Lower coast gazette., 1909-03-13
SATURDAY MARCH 18TH, 1909.
Booming Plaquemines Parish.

oAlpfpAf tMARCH 10TH, ISUS. "
Booming Pladuen1ines Parish.
We don't knowwhether or not it is the advent of THE LOWER
COAST GAZETTE, the subsistence of The Tax Resisters Association,
the discovery of the immense oil and natural gas field in other par
ishes and the great probability Of even better fields here, the high
temperature of the sun itself this year or some other equally potent
cause. certain it is that things are looking better in Paquemenes
parish. Recently four thousand acres of seamarsh land lying in
the rear Of Ste., Anne plantation, the present lower section of
Belle Chase; the marsh land being traversed by the Grand Island
railroad and the newly made Algiers drainage canal, was sold for
$9Oo. ool0 0, These lands lie between the Mississippi river and
Bayou Baratarla and are protected in front by the levees of the La
fourche Levee District, and in the rear in degree by the Bayou Ba-
rataria ridge. The whole purchase can be made into a drainage dis
frIct or poider; and can be kept well drained whenever the conditi-
ons favor the necessary outlay which will be considerable.
TO us so, long resident here these new values that are coming
TO our property are something Of a surprise. The Hon. T. S. Will
kinson bought the adjacent Belle Chase plantation a few years
ago for less thar $780, 600 and from any point of view with which
We are familiar if the lands behind Ste. Anne, are worth 5000,
OO the Belle Chase is worth half a million. By the grand Island
rail road the whole territory under consideration is but five miles
from New Orleans and We presume this proximity to the metror-
oils is the foundation for the increasing values.
If judah '. Benjamin, the great American lawyer, who became
Confederate Secretary of War in 1861 and 1862, and Confederate
Secretary OF State ~1862-1865 and subsequently Queens Counsel
in London, could return to his old plantation home on Belle Chase,
vaiuing 1t az highly as he might, he would be astounded to learn
that the sea marsh lands in the real, were selling in large blocks
at $50 per square acre. Equally surprised would be Lizard Bro
theirs. the famous Mexican Bankers, the former owners of Ste.
AlAnne plantation. Even the pirate LATTE, whose aid, in the. war
oNNSgleswas. rendered 10 and accepted by General jackson for the.
great battle of January s, 1916, in the field Of Chalmette, would
look on in surprise to learn that his favorite haunts in the sea
marshes of Barataria Bay and bayou, were selling at $50 per square
acre. Even John SEdeL, who then fifty years of. age, elected
James c. Polk to the presidency of United States in 1874 and who
for services rendered. was appointed Minister from the United
States to Mexico in 1916. would be shocked to learn Of the high
value Of sea-marsh lands in Plaqueminess parish. Sidel in 1914
was q member of Congress from Louisiana. The, vote Of Louisi
ana, then 3 doubtful state, made Polk president and the vote of
PlaQuemines parish carried the state for Polk. One little tract of
sea-marsh land, some eighteen acres in all, was decided to 23S men,
each one certainly a voter, as the land was acquired to give the
voters the legal status then necessary. The land cost some $22-
and the voters did the rest. Paquemhnes parish has been known
as the Empire parish ever since. At $50 per acre for sea-marsh
lands in 1874 James K. Polk would likely never have been president,
and Henry Clay who SO bravey said he would rather be- right, than
be president, would have had his highest ambition graifed by his
election to the presidency. /
Apart from these diversions and consideration of the avail.
biMy OF sea-narsh lands let US consider what foundation there
can be for the price recently realized. New Orleans IS a city of
about &c., 600 inhabitants andis entrepot Of the great Mississippi
valley and within half a century will have a population Of more
than 9 million. Paquemnes parish is a peninsula projecting a
hundred miles into the gulf and while it is the land of the orange
and the sugar cane, Of rice and Of indian corn and while it's inlets,
bays and shallow shores are the home Of the succulent oyster as
well as rf the red fish, the red snapper and the Spanish mackerel;
its lagoons, ponds and little bays the feeding ground Of millions of
0ucks. and other water fowls, the greatest of all is yet to come.
Plaquemines parish is becoming the market garden of the United
States. Our geographical typographical and climatic advantages
are such as to insure to us the production Of early vegetables at
the season when they are the most wanted, and to insure to US
the facilities tor their distribution among our eighty millions of
people. It IL such culture that gives value to lands. Lands SINH
larly utilized in California are worth $500 90 per square acre and the
necessary irrigation water makes an additional charge Of some So
per acre per annum.
The lands h~ereinbefore referred to are less than Ave miles
from New Orleans. Although but little above tidewater level they
can be surrounded by evees and be drained to any desired depth.
i Is all . question OF cost and whether or not the venture will nav.
From Gee. v. Warnings farmers Vocation we can get some in.
tefesung data that he secured while visiting Holland. In Holland
~ various usvn 2nx.~ 49,
OF which contained an area Of some 800 acres and the largest the
farmers Harlem Nicer. about A.00 acres. The Harlem pkianta.
tion in this parish belonging before the Civil Wal to DR.. Weder.
strand and now to Haspel Davis, was named after Harlem City and
Harlem Lake in Holland, whence doubtless came the family Of
Wederstrand. Harlem Lake was created by a storm in the 18th
century and remaineda waste Of waters for more than 800 wears.
Nine tenths Of Holland has been reclaimed from the sea. Just as
the Rocky mountains and the Aueshanies and the vast plain inter.
yening have furnished the aluvum that has made our magnificent
Mississippi valley. 80 the Alps and the plains Of Central Europe .
supplied the auuvllIn TO- create Holland, the river Rhine being d