New Iberia enterprise and independent observer. (New Iberia, La.) 1902-1944, 1910-10-08
BOUND FOR GRAND LAKE
THOUGH BAYOU BOUTTE.

IN NtTN dNtS ihN siilitlir ,'"'
scape. as one glideS in a comfort
able motor boat up the
"Teche. II
Grassy banks dip into the placid
stream and the soporif,ic throb,
ithroh. throb Of the faithful engine
is reStful TO nerves aweary with
1.-The long hours. and trying tasks OF
bus ness.
Starting in the evening. with
the RAYS Of the sun darling III un-
der the canopy on our left. we
soon round a bend which brings
the sun first behind us. and finally
to our right side. as we head in
direct easterly course, which S
Imainta ned with little variation
until we land N b minutes at
belle Place At this place the
Bayou has reached the most east
Ierlv point in its c 3lus above New
IBERIA. From Belle Place
straight across fertile cane fields.
5, II cont nuing our direct course
towards the east. a mile JauHt
finds us Just beyond the shadows
Of a mile IF swamp and low land
and standing on the shore Nf Lake
FausSc Pointe (an arm OF Grand
Lake which here stretches It's
fartheSt towards the west. y
SO foot channel in this Lake
sweeps westward here, and comes
in close to the mouth of Bayou
Boutte. This channel and Ba
you Boutte would each offer a
considerable saving in eXcavatsng
a canal right here. and there Is
no other spot. within our reach
which offers in the writer's iudg
ment so many advantages for a
Grand Lake Canal as this route.
Standing on the shore of the
Lake. we have come, perhaps nine
or ten miles from New lbeua,
and down the Lake, off TO the |
southeast only 10 miles away is
Morgan City and deep water, near
lily 20 miles closer this way, than
down the Bayou.
From New Iberia by the pro-
posed canal and an upper route
to Plaquemine. and the NJ sSiSsippj
We figure the distance about %
miles. as against l24 by the pres
ent route. That spells lower
freights and a safer route. New
iberia to New Orleans. by way If
the proposed canal and Plaque
mine figures loo miles, as against
234 by the present route which
brings it reasonably close to the
distance by raj 126 miles.
Speaking of this l26 miles by
rail. canal will be cut connecting
the Black and Bayou Terrebonne
and by that route and our propOS-
ed Bayou Boutte canal we figure
1876 miles. only s miles more than
the Southern Pacific now charges
us for. t. the Crescent City. Con
Iteration of the above would seem
compelling, but the story isn't
half told
Glance at the State map. AMI
note the wonderful net work Of
waterways which surround Grand
Lake. il is a Yer table Lake 81 Il
thousand bayous. Each f these
bayous has it ndge of high land
on either side and cultivated tracts
all the way from small patches to
large plantations dot this whole
district. Fertile is tn lh,ld and fair
the climate. forests full of game,
and waters alive with fish. For
L ads. beaut rul streams and in the
last taW ,caYs. to them has been
added tne motor boat. Nova
days, 10. the price of cheap
horse and buggy. YOU can be cap
tain of your own motor boat.
With plenty of gasoline aboard
and an engine true. the world is
yours or the streams thereof. Over
the shimmering sea to Morgan
City it used t. be a long pull with ,
the oars. and hot, but now, it is
a JOY. to run 40 miles under sum- I
srler skies in the motor boat. and I
in consequence the two towns ac- !
cessible by water. viz: Morgan !
City and Plaquemine get the bust '
ness. There is a little bank down Ii
in Morgan town. only 6 years old, |e
but it has a better line of deposits g
than our oldest bank, and more {
actual deposits than our two late! v
banks together. Id
Where. oh. where is New Iberia I?
Let us place her ON the map. a
Think of the impulse the Bayou +
Boutte Canal would give our wood h
working plants. Our cypress o
mills. at plesent handicapped with n
a heavy tow bill would be on at n
least an equal footing with any a
other. Other mills would come o
to us. We have room here for b
wood working plants of all kinds Il
spokes and cars and wagon mater hi
ial and handles and everything IL
made of wood could be made here @
to compete with the world. Iii
Two trunk lines to ship by. and D
down stream from the woods for {,
raw material ought to make New t,
iberia look ''good" to prospecting a
More mills would "
help us keep our young men al Il
nome. Id
We seem to have lots of children II
1t school in New Iberia. but let Il
is fix up to find work for them Sc
when they graduate. and let them II
make their homes in the town of l.
heir birth.
Perhaps you would account for =
ONE of that Morgan City bank :"
deposit by saving oysters. y
Your point is well taken )"