St. Landry clarion. (Opelousas, La.) 1890-1921, 1914-03-14

all over the state, and it is about time that
the people of st. Landry make a noise like
getting together and boost it up to the skies.
New Committee Appointed On
Opelousas-LaWteIl Model Road.
Below is reproduced an interview given
out by Mr.. S. A. Gournay, member of the
police jury from the 9Th ward to the Eunice
paper on the Ope,ousas-Lawtell road:
At the meeting of the police jury held
in OpeIousas last week. Mr.. S.. A. Gournay
was put on the committee appointed to in
vestigate and ascertain which is the best
route, the Prairie Ronde or Dejean roads,
for the new model road to be built from
Opelousas to Lawtell, and he thinks it to
the best interests of the taxpayers for the
Committee to ignore both of these routes,
and build the gravel road parallel with the
Frisco railroad track.
We are informed by Mr.. Gournay, po-
lice juror Of this ward, that these routes are
out of the way, one in particular being about
a mile out of the way, which would cause
people in the western part Of the parish to
travel out Of their way going to and coming
from Opelousas. in addition to paving taxes
on this out-of-the-way piece of road; there
fore, as it is going to cost $1,000 or 5000 a
mile to build this model road, the route
along the Frisco railway would save that
two or three thousand dollars to the parish.
There are several towns to be connect
ed by the construction of these graveled
highways in the parish. and the committee
ought to follow the straightest routes, and
let the communities that think these costly
roads should be built out Of the way for
their especial benefit, make lateral roads in
tersecting the model roads.
Nc parish that we know Of has been
building model roads in zigzag fashion ac-
cording to petitions gotten up by settle
ments near the route, but have followed the
most direct route, SO as to be of general
benefit to the public.
Of course, Eunice and this end of the
road, unfortunately, will not get a model
road just now, but it is only a question of
time until sentiment will demand one, and
being a part Of the ward and the parish, we
naturally want to see the general welfare of
the parish conserved, and as much of the
road money saved as possible.
The duty Of the Good Roads Committee
outlined in the ordinance Of the police jury
relative to constructing PERMANENT
grauel roads, is to see that the roads MEN
TONED in said ordinance, are STRAIGHT
ENED OUT and not crooked to meet this
community or that community's wishes in
the matter.
AGAIN. is Mr.. Gournay right. The
gentlemen on this committee with him
should consider ALL sides of this question,
and save the taxpayers every dollar posi-
BILE by building the road alongside the FRS
co railway.
The Clarion agrees with Mr.. Gournay
that model roads should be built as straight
as possible; we also agree with the distin-
guished police juror that a model road
should be constructed alongside the Frisco
as far as Eunice. All this is true, but
when a parish has such a small sum Of
money to construct some twenty odd miles
Of road the question Of building a modern
road is almost wiped out.
The eight foot gravel road cannot be
classed as a model highw ", because it does
not come up to the requirements of the State
Highway Engineers. But we have to be
satisfied with what we can get at present
and not below for what seems to be at pres
ent an impossibility.
The good roads as they are to be con-
structed will help the situation a great deal,
but when it comes to building a straight
road between here and Lawtell, with such a
small amount of money to be expended for
this work, it is our candid opinion. that this
is entirely out of the question.
No one would like to see a straight
highway connecting this city and Eunice
more than the Clarion. 70 do this it will
require several thousand dollars. We con-
tend that it would be better to build the
gravel road on either the Dejean or the
Prairie Ronde road. AS is at present very
few people would be getting the benefit of
he road, whilst we can be patient
to wait until the parish and the TAX
payers are in a position to levy a tax sufi-
GENTLY large to build one straight road be-
tween here and Eunice with a width of at
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