The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1916-10-28
ADDRESS WATERWAY LEAGUE,

ADDRESS WATERWAY LEAGUE.
BAYOU Lafourche Route Urged as Link
of Intercoastal Canal.
Hon. G. j. Labarre of Assumption.
who with Mayor Walter Lemann OF /
Donaldsonville attended the inter
state Inland Waterway League con-
vention held at Lake Charles on Fri
day and Saturday of last week, fur
nishes The Chief with the following
partial report of the second days
proceedings of the convention:
The president announced that hVe
minutes would be allowed to each DEL
egate in which time to offer sugges-
tions. Mr. Lemann Immediately arose
Aand asked the conventions co-opera-
slson in having the Donaldsonville-Ba-
n. afourchelC ancienne Canal route
|l sskaized as an arm of the inter
81 waterway. Mr.. Lemann made
Meloquent address, in the
Cd which he showed the Dom
aldsdN lie route to be ten miles
shorter to New Orleans and 80 miles
shorter to the river, and furthermore,
is through a settled, populous section,
with public roads, railroads, telegraph
and telephone facilities on both sides,
for almost it's entire length. Only 81
miles require any improvement. Dur
ing Mr.. Lemann's talk he was ask
ed MANY questions. Those in refer
ence to distances and the AtchaSala-
va, he called upon Mr.. Labarre to an
@her. Mr.. Iemann was kept on the
floor upwards of one hour
Mr.. Labarre made a short talk,
bringing out the advantages OF the
Donaldsonville route. He began by
Mr.. Lemann due to his limited time
and the many questions he was
Obliged to answer. Mr.. Labarre con-
fined his remarks to showing the peo-
pie of Texas and of the third district,
and especially the people of the
Atchafalaya basin, the tremendous
advantages to be derived from the
Donaldsonville route. He began by
referring to the renaark of E. M. Har-
ton. snafaaauilaaazgs p the effect that
coal could only be handled by an in
land route, and to be economically
handled the route would have TO be
such as to permit of returning the
empty barges, and, if possible, the Sc
curing of cargo for the barges on
the return trip.
Mr.. Labarre showed that the Dom
jacksonville route will be $50 miles
shorter for coal barges coming down
the Mississippi river or going up the
river from Morgan City, or points
along the Teche, and 125 miles short
err to points along Bayou Lafourche,
Bayou Terrebonne, or Bayou Boeuf.
Mr.. Labarre then explained to the
convention the impossibility of using
either the Atchafalaya or the Plaque
mine route to bring coal to these To-
cations. He stated that with the Dom
aldsonville route open so that coal
barges could go through, it would save
all of the consumers of coal in the
third district and along the intercoast-
al route between one and two dollars
per ton, because these barges would
| be able to get loads going back to st,
Louis. The opening of this route
| would Immediately increase the value
| Of hardwood stumpage So per thou
sand feet, and, besides, would allow
men with small gas boats to
handle their own lumber, because
| the towing down stream can be done
with almost any size boat to Morgan
City, where the logs could be loaded.
| Mr.. Labarrea showed that this was
lno conjecture or wild dream. He
| told the convention that he was at the
present time selling hardwood logs
that were being loaded on the empty
/ barges of the Monongahela Coal Com
pany at Indian Village, near Plaque
mine, and going through the locks up
| the river to st. Louis. The industry
is already quite big one, so much so
that an up-country concern bought
out the Babin mills on Bayou Plaque
mine last week and are preparing to
saw the lumber and ship it up the riv-
er to St. Louis on these empty barges.
| Mr.. Labarre then explained that
| the cost of towing lumber up the cur
rent to Plaquemine was So, and only
high-power boats could tow up against
the heavy currents prevailing. While
it costs only So to $3.50 to tow cy-
press up that current, it costs more
to handle hardwood because the log
! is smaller and more difficult to put in
towing condition. Three dollars per
thousand saved on all the hardwood
will amount to many millions of dol
lars. It will be pretty well divided
up, because nearly every land owner
has some hardwood stumpage.
| After his talk Mr.. Labarre and Mr..
Lemann had long conference with
]. S. Daugherty, of Houston, Texas,
representing the coal interests of that
section. Mr.. Daugherty seemed to be
very much enthused over the inform
alton received and promised that Tex
as would give hearty cooperation.
Bos Lemann and Mr.. Labarre
are 81 tis4lel &c. lllaaat3ae Donaldsonville
route will be part 6f the intercoastal
canal.