The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1913-01-11
GOOD ROADS CONFERENCE.

Plans Adopted TO Secure Permanent
Hard-surfaced Highways Along
River and Bayou in Ascension
Enthusiastic Meeting of Poiics
Jury and Citizens.
An epoch in the history Of Ascen
sion was recorded Wednesday, WIel
the first step was taken to enroll
the parish in the ranks of these pro
gressiYe communities which have
made a start toward improving thei1
public roads and lettering rural con
ditions by the construction of mod
ern, permanent highways along the
principal avenues of commerce. The
movement was set on foot at a meet
ing OF the police jury and represent
alive citizens from all portions OF
the parish, and the project under
consideration comprises the building
OF gravel roads ON both sides of the
Mississippi river from the IberYille
to the st. James line, and On both
sides Of Bayou Lafourche from Don
aldsonville to the Assumption line.
The meeting was held in the office of
the police jury in the courthouse, and
there were present many of the larg-
est taxpayers and most prominent
citizens of the river wards of the
parish, as well as a big delegation
of Donaldsenville business men.
Everybody appeared enthusiastic and
thoroughly in accord with the spirit
of the movement, and the brief talks
made by the various citizens called
upon We're all to the same effect:
that Ascension needs good roads, is
in a position to get them at reason
able cost, and should Immediately
proceed to their construction.
The meeting was presided over by
Adolphe Meter, president Of the po-
lice jury. Hon Charles E. SchWing,
of Plaquemine, one of Iberville's rep
resentatiyes in the lower house of
the Louisiana legislature, was pres
ent by invitation Of the police jury,
and in an interesting manner ex-
planned the method of procedure fol-
lowed by his parish in constructing
nearly fifteen miles of gravel rcs ds
at cost of only $1,000 per mile. Mr..
SchWing told how the roads were built,
showed how the money to build them
was obtained, and pointed out the
many advantages and benefits &C.
crulng from the construction Of the
excellent highways. He substanti-
ated his every assertion with facts
and figures, and presented a mass
of data which was most convincing
and will prove of much assistance
to this parish when the building Of
these roads is undertaken here.
Adonis schnebe1en, of Plaquemine,
who supervised the construction Of
a large portion of the Iberyilla good
roads, was also in attendance, and
gave much valuable information con
corning the manner in which the
work was done. He said the cost
IF maintaining the roads has been
found to be only S12 or $l4 per
nile the first year following their
completion, and 81 to SIS per mile
every year thereafter. The roads are
.irst brought to a grade OF one-haH
nch to- the foot from the middle to
he edge, and all soft spots are re-
moved and filled in with dry earth
veil packed. They are then cover
I'd with gravel for a width of not less
han fifteen feet, the gravel being
applied five inches thick in the CEN
er, sloping gradually to three inches
It the edge. A ditch is dug on each
ide of the road, not less than two /
eet wide at the top and fifteen inch
IS at the bottom, and from twelve |
Q eighteen inches deep. The dirt /
rom the bitches is thrown on the I
ravel and uniformly spread, after
IL grass and vegetable matter has I
cen removed. Where the soil from
he bitches has a large proportion of
lay, enough sand is added to make
smooth surface. Sufficient cross
itches, with bridges the full width
+ the road, are put in to conduct the
later from the levee ditch. These
pecifications are for river roads,
ut will apply to roads in the in
erior with a slight modification of
ne bitches as may be required by
zeal conditions. The police jury of
oeryille parish now requires all roads
} be twenty-five feet wide.
Following the talks by Messrs.
chWing and Schnebelen, a general
Iscussion of the subject ensued, II
unctuated by brief remarks from
ON. Henry G. Braud of Burnside,
). N. Sims, F. B. Lemann, Dr. E. K.
inns, Walter Lemann, Alex. B1oomen- {
,iel and Mayor Charles Maurin OF
onaldsonville, DR.. J. T. Bringer Of ]
and District Attorney Philip
ilbert of NaDoieonville. The latter
.ated that Assumption parish is pre-
airing to build good roads during the
resent year, and that meeting Of (
lie police jury will be held next (
tuesday, at which steps will be taken i
J inaugurate the work at the earliest |
ossible moment Ex-Gov. J. Y. San /
ers will attend the meeting, and it {
ay be that the petrolithic road
Tilt by the company of which he is
.e president will be the type of d
ghWay adopted for Assumption par i
h. Much enthusiasm was created e
I Mr. Gilbert's declaration that the a
opposed good road from Donaldson
lie to the Assumption line would Y
J taken up and carried through the a
tier parish to the Lafourche line, i
ON whence it should ultimately be- S
tended to Houma.
nj n1 n AL 4