The weekly Iberian. (New Iberia, La.) 1894-1946, 1914-09-26
THE SECURA
MODEL ROAD.

our pleasure and privilege, as the
guest Of DR.. II A King, the Pfesl
dent of the Police jury of this par
ish, to go over the new model road
extending from North street mp
through and beyond SeguIa Sta
ton. This road was laid out and
designed by the state engineers
and built jointly by The State
Highway Department and the Po-
lice Jury of this parish IT IL q
beautiful avenue and, for once nj
least, a road has been logically To-
Gated along a line calculated to
win The approval of people to
come in later days.
While this road has no other
covering than It's own "moi her
EARTH, it still belongs to that
class designated IN "model roads
for many reasons. Flrst-lt had
an objective point, and il proceeds
with the greatest possible direct
ness to that point. II has long
stretches Of straight travel anu
has been given that care in It's
grading that 1t now has an even
aud level crown. II il uniform 10
width and evenly 'tultle-backed'
it's entire length. Secoud-It has
been carefully and Thoroughly
drained in all Of its run a large
canal bas been cut along North
street leading to the bayou Teche,
and other drains have been open
ed to Spanish lake, though all Of
these have not yet been eomplet
ed 1t has several bridges and
many cDlveits, a loving the free
passage of the waters falling on
the contiguous territory. The
bridges are ali built of concrete
and are so constructed that the
wayfarer would not know that he
was passing over such if j. were
not for the substantial railing ut
their ends The culverts are all
of corrugated lion, of ample dia-
meters, placed at low levels, con
siderably below the crown
The initial start of this road
was through considerable brake
of timber, on the lands of Mr..
Jean Courrege and Mr.. Octave
Darby THIS timber, along the
right of way, was cut away aud
the stumps were dynamited and
taken out before the graders start
cd their work. This was a pro
caution against the future settling
of the crown due to the rotting of
these old stumps, had they been
left in the grown where they grew
In a number of places the right of
way ran through low places, aud
at others over few ridges of per
ceptible altitude. The low places
were filed by the use Of the dirt
taken from the big water ways
cut along ell her side and by the
use of the dirt taken from the
crests OF the ridges, where the lat
ter were too high. The drainage
system is so thorough that there
is no water left standing in any of
the bitches along the sides of the
road.
This road passes on through
Segura Station up TO Latina's
place, where it il carried across
the Southern Pacilic's tracks, aud
again resumes its westward
course, There is no break in it,
nor in its general character, till
DR.. Harrison's place Is reached
Here there was a failure to come
to an amicable understanding in
the matter Of the right of way.
The Doctor, out of his abundance
refused to surrender the amount
of land needed by the road build
ers upon such terms az might
have been acceptable to the Police
Jury. Therefore, at this point
the model road ends And unfor
tunately. There probably viii
never be an opportunity for The
Doctor to add greater beauty Il
his home place, at less sacrific.
aud cost, than the continuance oil
this road offered. 1t certainly
provokes unfavorable comparison,
at the point where it breaks. Ant
the continuance of the old country
road, from that point onward, &C
centnates the difference between
the two characters Of roads.
The Police Jurors are hOpefu
that the maintenance cost of thi,
new road, notwithstanding that il
is only dirt road, will not be a,
great as has been that item fol
the New Iberia--Jeanerette mode
road. Neither has this new roat
cost anything like what the Other
cost for building. The wisdom oil
future generations may devise Q
suitable, enduring, covering, which
will come within the means of the
people Of that coming day.
The value of farm crops is de
| termined not only by the amount