Evening journal., 1915-04-28
New News Of Yesterday
A Prophecy Which Has
Come to Pass
By Holland.

Among the considerable number of
able men-almost all of whom saw
active service in the Confederate army
who we're members of Congress in
the administration of President
Hayes and later that of Garfield and
of Arthur. perhaps none gained a
greater tribute of admiration, in
which was infused some spirit of af-
fection, than was the case with Ran
dali Lee Gibson, of Louisiana. lie was
the personifcation of simple dignity
which was entirely without affection.
His smile was the true index of a
kindly heart and there was a pecu-
liar flavor of real intellectual aristoc-
racy and the manner which charac-
terized the true gentleman, using
that word in its real significance,
which served TO make Senator Glib
son conspicuous in the upper Cham
Der of Congress, as he had been dur
ing several terms of service in the
House of Representatives
There were some in Washington at
that time with whom Senator Gibson
was associated in his college days at
Yale. These always spoke of him as
a man who in his maturity had per-
fectly fulfilled the promise of his
youth.
1t was my privilege to have several
conversations with Senator Gibson
and TO discover that there was little
or no trace Of partisan politics III
anything that he said in private as
there. never was in anything he said
or did while a member of Congress.
Recently my attention was called
10 the wonderful work which the
State Of Louisiana has accomplished in
/ the reclamation of swamp lands and
so reclaiming them that the land is
found to be as fertile as that which
{ is watered every year by the Nile.
| was reminded of something that
( Senator Gibson said prophetically to
me in one of my conversations with
him. THE state of Louisiana ought
| TO be, and in my opinion will be, one
of the greatest agricultural States in
I the Union. Science is already show
/ ing us the way to reclaim much of
the swamp land of the State and
am greatly interested in the prospect
that this will be done. II will be
worth all that il costs the State of
! Louisiana to drain these swamps, for
the soil is wonderfully rich and
everything that can be grown in a
I sub-trocical climate can be cultivated
\ in profusion there.
u THE United States ought to, and
believe will. supplement what the
State of Louisiana is certain to do in
the way of reclamation. / am a great
admirer of the Mississippi River and
a profound believer in its possibili-
4 ties. There should be unimpaired
navigation from the Gulf to ST. Paul
But of course, this is a work for tho
government itself to undertake. The
Mississippi River can be mastered Sc
that its permanent navigation coulC
be assured, and If it is expedient fol
4 the State of Louisiana to spend mil
q. lions in the reclamation of land IL II
= equally expedient for the United
q States government to spend as man!
q, millions as may be needed in obtain
ing navigation from st. Paul TO thi
Gulf of Mexico. That, however. viii
be a work for the generation whicl
succeeds mine"
Were Senator Gibson now living HI
would realize with qualification tha
what he predicted in 1883 is now, il
part at least, achieved.
Copyright. 1915. by e. J. Edwards
All rights reserved.)
Tomorrow Mr.. Edwards will tel
'Where Dst,l Webster Tried Hi
First Case"