St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1911-04-29


Question: What are the freight
of commerce in this locality?
Answer: They are in excess at
least 200 per cent over the water
rates.
Question: What effect, if any, will
the desired improvements have on
these rates?
Answer: Reducing them.
Question: Will the Improvement
develop any new Industries or estab-
lish any new factories?
Answer: 1t will facilitate the truck
farming, dairy product, poultry, clay
industries, cattle and wood product,
and naval stores; a special mention
will provide cheap transportation
for pine knots, fat pine charcoal and
other -by-products.
Question: Would the Improvement
of the stream work a disadvantage to
any interest of parties, if so, to whom
and how?
Answer: None that we are aware
of.
Question:If there are any products
within your knowledge bearing on
LHc IL Is IS-
quested that they be stated?
Answer: In the opinion of the
committee appointed to investigate
the deepening of the Abita River,
the opening of the river to schooners,
barges, tugs and small steamers of
all kinds will give tremendous i'm
petus to existing traffic and will open
up trade now lying dormant await
ing cheap transportation. Land ly-
ing along the river bank can be had
at reasonable price and there is
enough timbered land adjoining the
river to Justify the erection of
large saw MILL box factory. Fat
pine in stumps and other forms that
cannot be shipped with a profit over
the railroad could be either manu-
factured here Or the products ship
ped by water to other points. The
amount Of fallen timber that could
be cut into cord wood and shipped
enormous. One of the greatest bene-
fits to be obtained by opening the
river would be in drainage; flats that
are now subject to overflow forming
some of the richest land in this sec
tion would be available for trucking;
damage to stock which amounts to
thousands of dollars in the sheep
industry alone would be saved re-
pairs to fences, roads washed out,
and traffic stopped would justify the
expense if that were the only benefit,
Abita Srpings is widely known as a
health resort and during the summer
months has floating population OF
extra hundreds. A navigable stream
would give an outlet to hundreds
who would prefer to travel by water
than by rail; it would cheaper trans
portation and add attraction in boat
ing and bathing. Covington has
water transportation and the freight
rates are never less than 25 per cent
to IS per cent cheaper than any we
can obtain in Abita Springs. We
expect to be large shippers of truck
In the near future and are now ship
ping carload lots of potatoes and
beans to Northern markets Eggs.
chickens, hogs, sheep and cattle
would all use the waterway for
market. Three years ago the N. o.
G.. N. Railroad came direct to Abita
Springs making the time from New
Orleans in 1 hour and As minutes,
Abita Springs was making gigantic
strides. Since then the best time
made is 2 hours and 20 minutes and
the difference is very marked. The
distance by water to New Orleans
will be considerably less than by
rail and connection could easily be
made by small boats to larger ones
on the lake. The whole country
contiguous to the river is fully aware
of what it would mean to them in
improving trade and will do all in
slider O justifiable expense.
Several citizens gave some valu-
able information as to the river traf-
fic and the increased business that
would accrue by reason of the con-
templated improvement, among them
Messrs. G c. and A. C. Alexius Mr.
J. P. Rausch went quite extensively
into the lumber trade, with which
he is thoroughly familiar, and demon
strated clearly that an extensive
business in this line would go to the
river, it opened up, and that millions
of feet of piling and cross ties that
cannot now be handled at a profit
would then become available for
shipment. He also stated that i'll
that event he would put up saw
mill at Abita Springs. 1t was also
shown that pine knots, charcoal, tar
wood and other products would then
become profitable shipments.
Captain G. E. Miller spoke of the
benefit it would be to truck growers
ond Of ho Inn Lo&
taking place in that industry, and
that aside from the shipment of pro-
duce, fertilization would become less
expensive and farm necessities less
burdensome to the farmer by reason
of decreased freight rates and lessen
ed hauling distance. He also stated
that much cost would be saved
to the merchants, who are now haul
ing goods from the schooner landing
i in Covington, q distance of three
miles. Both Captain Millar and Mr..
Rausch deprecated the idea that the
| improvement of the river would in
the least reduce the revenue of the
! railroad. In fact it was generally
conceded that the increased business
| resulting from the contemplated i'm
| provement would cause an increase
In the business of the railroad, as it
| would give them the handling of
more high-class freight and leave the
bulky tonnage for the river.
| Mr.. w. N. Keen, who is familiar
| with the tributary branches of the
| Abita River and the adjacent coun-
try, said that over a thousand acres
of good farming land would be pro-
tected from overflow II the channel
! was opened UP,
| At the close of the meeting Colonel
Beach expressed a desire to go over
the ground afoot, and accompanied
by several citizens and his clerk, Mr.
Waite, he trudged along the bank OF
the river distance of several miles