St. Landry clarion. (Opelousas, La.) 1890-1921, 1909-12-18
SCHEME WOULD RE.
CLAIM 100000 ACRES
Enforcement Of AlChaiaIaya and Rsd Rivers
IRON he Mississippi.
PLAN BEFORE CONGRESS
PsIlee Jary Of 81. Landry Heartily FagoFs Il.
As It VIII Greatly Effect Thls
Parish.

lMIueH0Eldl-te 1t HAS UeSu an 5uhSOiV6Q
problem ais to the manner Of reclaim
ing some two million acres of fertile
land. much Of which is Id st. Landry,
from the overflow waters Of the
Mississippi River, sending its foods
down the Atchafalaya.
4 plan is now before Congress,
however, which it is believed will
solve the problem, and make levees IN
that country almost useless at least
easy to maintain. The State engi-
.neers believe the plan practicable and
advisable, and Congressman Brous-
sard will push a bill before Congress-
for an appropriation to divorce the
Atchafalaya and Red Rivers from She
Mississippi, By turning the waters Of
the Red through the AtehafaIaya BY
means of Old River.
The Police Jury Of St. Landry Is III.
favor Of the scheme, and at its last
meeting passed a resolution reading
as follows:
Whereas, the plan proposed for
#diyorcing and cutting Off the Atchaf-
alaya River from The Mississippi River
would be Of great benefit and advan-.
tage, not only to the western portion.
Of the parish of St. Landry, but DO
all that extensive and fertile section
Of the State below the mouth of the
Red River on the western side Of the
Mississippi, ID which great basin as
much as ewo million acres Of land
would be- reclaimed and made suscep-
tible of settlement and CIVILIZATIONS
and,
Whereas, said plan, If carried out.
would greatly lessen the expense of
constructing and maintaining the
Eleyee system On the rivers and
streams in that great basin.
Therefore, be it resolved, that the
said plan meets with the general ap-
lproyal Of the people of hhis parish,
and would add immensely to the value
Of all of the alluyial lands west Of the
Mississippi River below the mouth 0f
THE Red River, and We, che Police
Jury Of the parish of st. Landry. do
cordially and heartily approve and
recommend the said engineering
work.
Major Harry Flanders, of the Opel
ousas, Gulf e Northeastern Railroad,
who IS familiar with the entire sec
tion effected, believes that the scheme
lila one that will rebound III the bene.
ft Of this entire country, and has
been advocating its consummation fol
many months. It will not only re.
deem much land ID western ST. Lam
1 dry, but will do the same good to ths
| fertile soilnow swamps and lands
subject to overflow in Pointe Coupee
and st. Martin.
Il delegation, headed BY Senator
Liable, of St. Martin, recently Ia.
turned from ashington, q. Ct, whert
lie had been to urge the project.
1T is the only solution Of the At.
lchafalaya problem declared Senatei
Liable. Millions are at stake along
the Atchafalaya, added the st. Mar
Tin senator, and that country eal
never be ssfe as long as the Miasis
sippi sends II food waters down thl
Atchafalaya. 1t would take tw8nti
years to build the proposed levee
down the AtchafaIaya and then the
would not be certain. Steamboa
men all agree that d enforcement D
| the rivers would solve the problem
Give us the Red and the AtchafalaYi
land we viii be all right
Il Others who returned from Wash
ington op the same train Eere Col
cnel William 6. Dufour, Peter Cass
and Mr. Rodrigues, Of Assumption
Parish.
Major Kerr. Chief State Engineer
Id written statement, says concern
ling the project:
Il do not hesitate 20 say that z
far as the board of State engineer
Of Louisiana Is concerned Id is of oi
fetal record ii most Of its biennis
reports for a number Of years pas
that it has always indorsed, and sti
indorses, the project for the divorce
, ment 0f the Red and Atchafalay
Rivers from the Mississippi Rive
! whenever, in the opinion Of the Unite
+ States and State engineers charge
with the consideration and directio
of affairs, the time IL accepted as fl
yorable and opportune for its consiC
GRAFTON. Il may be further ssssrte
that, in the opinion of the Board {
State Engineers. the benefits 10 ]
derived from the final Accomplished
Of the project, to all interests cd
cerned, cannot we'll be ogerestimated
= -4-s-saSs-sz--
D The guard rail around the Pom
: ehartrain bridge has long been 3
r sent, having been taken of by beir
run into By vehicle. The gul
I which the bridge spans il deep q
dangerous There are seldom sire
( lights ii that section. Some serio
accident would not be surprising