The weekly Iberian. (New Iberia, La.) 1894-1946, 1910-10-22
ADVOCATING the PORTAGE.
Editor Of Weekly Ibefian.

the Enterprise are both agitattng the
Boutte Canal and that the Board ol
Trade has been taking a hand in il
also. 1t 10 we'll known that / have
been for years advocating the connect
Ing Of the Teche with the waters ol
the Atchaialaya for two purposes.
First, to give a short route 10 the
Locks AT Plaquemine, the mississippi
river and New Orleans, one that will
shorten the distance some Is miles on
more and at the same time give IA Ger
tain and reliable navigation at all sea
sons of the year.
Second, to put more water in the
Teche 80 as to increase Its current and
cause IL to wash out its bed. which has
BET n filling up for many years, 30 that
il il difficult to navigate u with light
draft boats.
lam opposed to the Bayou Boutte
route for the reason that il empties
into Lake Fausse Poiute, which is
shallow and rapidly filling. To such
an extent is this true that there il not
sufficient depth Of water In 1t at pres
ent for light draft boats to get through
II. not even TO tow logs through IT.,
only In times of Aood water In addi-
tion TO this il 10 the main channel Of
discharge of the food waters of the
Atchafalaya, and its waters are full Of
mud and sand. To turn them into the
Teche will cause them to fill up the
BAYOU instead Of deepening IL. For
these reasvus l have advocated max
ing the connection with the Bayou
Portage. which entities into the head
of little Fansse POinte lake, large
and deep bayou mt it's mouth, and you
only follow the Lake for few hundred
Yards, when you come to another
large and deep bayou, which flows into
lake Long. not far from the mouth of
Bayou L'Embaffas. From thence you
travel through large and deep bayous
to Graud river. and the locks at
PlaQuemine. entirely above the shall
low lakes, whose headwaters do moi
connect directly with the Atchafalays
current; but the waters come from the
bayous Courtableau and Opelousas.
and Catahoula lake, and down through
bayous and swamps into the Portage.
All the mud and sand are deposited
long before they reach the Portage,
and there IL no danger Of the filling
Of the Teche. AZ will be the case II
the Boutte Is opened.
II will not cost much to dredge out
the Portage to the POinte Claire
bridge. only about ~ miles from the
Teche, through an open prairie. At
Pointe Claire bridge there are two
deep couleer; one running from the
Teche in northerly direction; the
other westward, to st. Martinvtlle.
The latter is the one they propose to
cut to st. Martinville. The other,
which l prefer, runs southwark, the
natural direction of the currents and
will be equally beneficial to both cities.
II will. Ii cut above the locks at Key
stone. fear. cut of the flow of water
above the locks. and injure, II not de
.troy. the navigation below. From
Keystone IL would not be difficult to
carry on the canal to the Vermi1ion
md down the vermilion TO the Inter
Coastal Canal. This. I am confident.
would not cost one third AZ much AZ
The one proposed across the vermilion
md Petite Anse BAYS, and the marshes,
md swampe, on the proposed route to
The Hanson Canal below Franklin
Il will afford better and safer nav ga
Ion, free from the storms Of the Gulf
md equally a. direct.
For the above reasons l appeal to
he towns of New Iberia and St. Mar.
inville to cease their rivalry and op- |
position Of the one against the other,
md to join their resources. Let us
rave at least one canal that will prove |
beneficial to both towns and the |
Whole beautiful Teche country.
It will be found that IL will cost
reat deal more than Il has been anti
jpated to build such canal az IL re-
uired II both attempt II. and neither
ril1 succeed. and We will never get
uch canal AZ IN needed.
When the agitation first started for
he Boutte canal opposed it for the
easons above and favored the one BY
he Portage and gave my reasons
ONE of the members of the Board of
'rade came to me and promised me
hat II | would stop my opposition
hey would have both routes surveyed,
0 that we could adopt the one that
,ould be found n be the better. They
hen had the Boiitte route surveyed
} the lake. Though repeatedly asked
, have the other route surveyed they
ave never done 90.
II 10 necessary 70 have not only the
oute u, the lake surveyed. but also
10 whole route 10 the locks NJ Plaque
line. What use would the building
The canal be II there were no water
the lakes for boats to get through
lem2
In consideration at the work I have
Dne, and my knowledge Of the couu-
,, think the Board of Trade has ,
eated me with great disrespect In
d notifying me cf their recent meet.
II ana the SeAding Of i committee 10
Iain examine Into the Boutte canal |
,uie. |,
Il does not surprise me, that Mr., ,
should withdraw his offer !.
the right of way and recommend
e Portage route. He knows the I
kes and both routes and knows the
Drtage to be the most practicable and {
70 best.
E. T. KING.
Editors Note: Capt. King misun.
Mr.. 0onsoulin's recommen. !.
ltiOn 20 the COMMITTEE" The route
commended was In an opposite di.
elton from that leading to the Port d
Y. r
Or SALE. Il
Farm land on the east side Of |
A~ 4. i