St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1911-04-29
HELDHEAR|NG
ONTHEAB|TA
Colonel Lansing H. Beach
Hears Arguments.
Testimony Given in Support
Of Opening Abita River.
After Breakfast at the New
Abita Springs Holel,
A Largely Attended Hear
ing Held in Town Hall.

The hearing given to the proposed
opening up of the Abita River, to
give navigation through the Bogue
Falaya and Tchefuncta rivers to
the lake, was held at the town
hall at Abita Springs last Saturday.
Colonel Beach was met at the morn
ing train and received by large
delegation of citizens, who conducted
him to the New Abita Hotel, where
all sat down to an excellent break
fast, which was well served and
tempting to the appetite, which was
further encouraged by several kinds
of very good wine. Colonel Beach
was accompanied by his clerk, Mr..
Chas. Waite. After coffee and cigars
had been enjoyed, the party repair
] ed to the town hall, where citizens
| had gathered to take part in the
hearing. There were present at the
breakfast, beside Colonel Beach and
Mr.. Waite, Mayor Multi, Councilmen
L. c. Heintz, ]. L. Clairain, Geo. s..
Strain, Joseph Rauch, Clerk A. O.
Pons, ]. P. Rausch, Charles Biggio,
L. Daring, Hon. Jos. B. Lancaster,
G. C. Alexius, A. C. Alexius, D. H.
Mason, L. ]. Hennessey, A. L. Bear.
The meeting was called to order
by Judge A. o. Pons, who introduced
| Colonel Beach and stated the object
of the meeting.
Colonel Beach stated that in order
to justify the opening up of the river
the government would require a re-
port showing that the advantages
gained must be commensurate with
the cost; a relative benefit to the
immunity. That in estimating
these ADVANCES only actual facts
must be considered, and that he
would like to have such testimony as
would show the amount of business
now done on the river, the amount
and kind of business and industry
that would RESULT from the improve
ment and any facts and figures in
proof
The following statement, prepared
by committee appointed for that
purpose, was handed to Colonel
Beach:
l @uOotloA. w AoI 10 LlC dAu
amount of commerce, at present, up
on the Abita River?
Answer: Bricks, logs and lumber;
100000 bricks.
Question: Logs, moved from where
to where and amount?
Answer: Logs from Abita Bridge
to various points.
Question: Sawed lumber?
| Answer: None at present.
Question: Cotton?
| Answer: None at present.
Question: gSugar-cane and cane
products?
! Answer: None.
| Question: Other foreign products?
Answer: None
Question: Any other freight?
Answer: General merchandise
from New Orleans to Alexiusville.
Question: Did any boats run on
the bayou carrying fright and pas
sengers in 1910, if so, their names
and iszes?
/ Answer: Six boats: Eureka, Anita,
three barges belonging to Jahncke's
Navigation Company, and schooner
Anita p: SehooRers have . tonnage
of 60 tons, barges about 800 tons.
We also have the Steamer Josie,
which has a tonnage of 100 tons.
Question: What are the names and
population of the towns or villages
situated on the bayou?
Answer: Alexiusvi1le, 200; Maih-
lesville, 200; Claiborne, 500; Abita
Springs, 565, with $500 in the sur
rounding country district.
| Question: What is the extent OF
rural district tributary to the bayou
and it's population?
J, Answer: About 200 square miles
Question: What transportation
lines now serve the people of these
towns and this district?
/ Answer? The N. O. G. NJ R. r
Company:
Give the freight received or ship.
ped over any of these lines at any
point. Name articles, quantity, value
IN dollars aad directions of move
ment, whether in or out?
Answer: The value of logs, lum
Der ,piling, cross-ties and other woo6
products is now 100000. 90
with an approximate freight
value of $3O,O00.00, and genera
merchandise imported from New Or
leans and other points $12, 100000 ir
freight value.
: Question: What is the character
| of improvement desired for the
, river?
! Answer: Dredging, clearing ou
logs and snags, and to make tht
stream navigable to Abita Springs
/ Question: Between what point.
: would this improvement be made?
Answer: Between the towns o
, Abita Springs and Bogue Falaya
i Question: Will this improvement
! increase the movement of any freigh
] named in answer to question one; i
: so, how and to what extent?
! Answer: 1000 per cent,
Question: viii it increase tn,
number of vessels ON the river?
>; Answer: Yes.
Question: Will it divert to tn,