The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1916-10-21

The unusual interest being man
Tested by the people of the west bank
in the matter of securing the official
routing of the proposed Jefferson
Highway is reflective of their keen ap-
praisement of the great value of hay
ing such highway pass through that
section and the many progressive and
enterprising towns and cities on that
side of the river between New Orle-
ans and Baton Rouge.
No finer spirit was ever shown IN
any advanced and progressive step
than was and is being manifested by
the people of Plaquemine, Donaldson
vile, White Castle, Bayou Goula, and
those of all the parishes through
which the jefferson Highway is in
Vited to pass.
The proposed international highway
from Winnipeg, Canada, to New Orle-
ans, should continue or, the west bank
from Port Allen to New Orleans for
many reasons, the simplest and plain
est Of which might be readily cited.
First. We have already built and
have now in actual use over fifty miles
Of hard-surfaced roads between Port
Allen and New Orleans. These roads
lie in the parishes of West Baton
Rouge, Iberville, Ascension, St.
Charles and Jefferson. st. James on
Iy a few weeks ago made ample provi-
sion to gravel the roads in that par
lsh. This will leave St. John alone of
all the parishes yet to act, and we all
may rest assured that st. Johns peo-
pie are just as good a business peo-
pie as there are anywhere and it will
not be long before they will see the
great investment value of hard-sur-
faced roads. For hard-surfaced mile
age, then, we now actually have over
fifty miles along the proposed route,
with adjacent and tap roads cover
ing even greater distances; as for in
stance, tRe Paradis road insSt. Charles
parish; the Donaldsonville, Napoleon
vile, Paincourtville, Labadieville road
in Ascension and Assumption parishes
on the north bank of Bayou La
fourche, covering a distance of over
twenty miles; the Donaldsonville,
Plattenville, Lafourche road on the
south side of Bayou Lafourche, COW
ering distance of over thirty miles,
and now completed to within five
miles of Thibodaux; the Plaquenine-
Indian Village road, covering a dis
lance of twelve miles the Plaquemine-
Crosse Tete Rosedale Maringouin
road, covering distance of approx
mately forty miles, and reaching to
the Pointe Coupee parish line. In
lberville alone the people have con-
structed over a hundred miles of gray
eled roads.
Second. If the west bank is select
ed as the official routing, a vaster
number of people.can be reached and
will be served. All southwest Louisi-
ana, over the Raceland road now be-
ing constructed and the Donaldson
ville-Bayou Lafourche roads, will be
connected with the Jefferson High
way. 1t will connect with the road
known as the Spanish Trail and all
southwest Louisiana. Morgan City,
Patterson, Franklin, Jeanerette, New
Iberia, Lafayette, Opelousas, Crowley,
Lake Charles and all other towns in
that section will have direct south
Louisiana connection with the Jeffer-
son highway if its official routing is on
the west bank. st. Gabriel and Sun
shine, the only two villages of import
ance on the east bank, would have di-
rect access to the highway if placed
on the west bank; whereas, if it |
should run on the east bank, these
two enterprising- and progressive Iber-
vile communities would be miles and
q tho
doubtedly follow the so-called Hope
Villa road. Is there any reason why /
such an international highway should
be run through an appropriated sec
ton where the travellers will have no
hotel facilities for such a long dis
lance; where, in case of accidents or
break-downs or need of accessories,
they will be many miles from gar
ages, gasoline, and oil stations, when
1 more logical routing, supplying all
these facilities, is at hand and the peo-
pie squarelly on the job setting up and
IT'S fair and just claims?
Third. BY passing through Port AL
en-, Baton Rouge is on the jefferson
Highway and is in no way hurt by the
official routing on the west bank.
Why, then, should Baton Rouge desire
% deprive the west bank of what the
vest bank is clearly entitled to? Why
ioes Baton Rouge wish to cause trav-
,lers for many years to come to suffer
sreat Inconvenience and sufferings {
when caught in accidents and break
Towns by reason of their being miles
md miles from hotels and garages To-
:ated in towns, which, on the west
oank, are conveniently distributed?
Should not our good neighbors in Ba-
on Rouge have kindlier feeling for
he countless strangers who will pass
'ver the Jefferson Highway than to
eek to mark out that road through a
ection where the only benefit to be
will be the benefit that
few property owners will enjoy by
eason of enhapced va1qes? Is the
.ttempt at SO raw deal not entirely
or selfish interests alone, and wholly
.gainst the best and most enduring
interests of the public at large?
Fourth. The crossing facilities at
3aton Rouge have for years been hor-
ible, and should the east bank mis-
akenly be chosen as the official rout-
ng, the travelling public will in all
probability be punished by Baton
touge's failure to provide proper fer
y facilities in the way Of grading,
tic.
Fifth. The scenery on the west
'ank is, on the whole, prettier and
more attractive than that sameness
hat one views on the east bank, be-
ng varied and made more attractive
" reason of the great sugar refiner-