St. Landry clarion. (Opelousas, La.) 1890-1921, 1916-12-16
ENTHUSIASTIC MEETING HELD IN The ST. LANDRY PARISH COURT
HOUSE ON LAST THURSDAY Morning
Oaty Followed by utbFss Of Applause from the Audience De-
note the Deep Approval Of the People in Reference This
Great Work Of Constructing OnneCting Link Between
Two Main Roads Joining North, South and Vest

OF years ago, the people OF Ope
lousas and Of the first ward votet
taxes and gave a bonus for tn
construction of two railroads
that these rail lines had beer
built but were owned by private
corporations and that if the peo.
| pie here could well afford to vote
taxes for railroad construction
the railroads to belong to out
Eside parties, they could better af-
ford to vote taxes for the con
Istrlletion of modern highways
the title Of which would vest IN
them, their children and their
children S children. Mr.. Dubuis-
son was most emphatic and en-
thrsiastic in his approval of the
building Of the highway and indi-
Gated that he would devote much
of his time to the futherance Of
the plan.
The meeting then adjourned
until Ills p. NJ, the afternoon
session being devoted primarily
to devising ways and means of
making the association a going
concern, and to that end it was
decided to form a road district
to be composed Of the first, sec
ond and fifth police jury wards,
through which the highway will
run.
1t was also brought out that the
assessed valuation of the prop
erty in these wards subject to
taxation, including non-residents
and railroads, was approximately
SIS, 100000 and that fve-mill tax
on this valuation will enable the
district to issue bonds to the
amount of 100000, of which sum
it is estimated that 100000
would be sufficient to build a
standard highway the entire
length through the parish, in
Guiding concrete and permanent
bridges, thus leaving some $780,
900 to build lateral roads in each
of the three wards leading to the
main highway.
Apropos Of this latter, it was
suggested by some present at the
meeting that a lateral rood could
be built in the fifth ward from
Washington through Grand Pra-
irie to the parish line; another
from Begg, along the old Estate
road, !" to the ward line at Bayou
Waxia; another from Dubulsson,
alcng the road to Morrow, to the
ward line, also at Bayou Waxla
another from Opelousas to De
baillon s bridge, and perhaps
from Devillier's corner, on the
gravel road leading to Port Barre
to the ward line near Leonv1lle
and also another road through
Sunset and Grand Coteau, east
and west across the second ward.
A committee composed OF Faith
er Grace as chairman, with j. It.
Lawler and E. B. Dubuisson, was
appointed to frame bylaws and
report same at the next regular
meeting, which will be held at the
court house in this city on Jan
uary IS, 1917, at 10 a. m.
The following committee was
appointed to appear before the
police jury at its next regular
meeting, to be held on Tuesday,
January 2, 1917, and urge before
that body the necessity Of calling
a special election in the proposed
road district as to whether tax
will be voted and bonds issue for
the building and maintenance OF
the Evangellne Highway: Fifth
ward-J. FL. Baldridge, j. F. Mil
burn, Leon Campbell, Isaac Stagg,
Jno. P. Savant, j. E. Beall, F. 2
Butler, Theodore Ducet, Fred
Fontenot, John Thisthlewalte
Thos. Mccaffery, Leon Wolc
James T. Mary, J. F. Schell
First Ward-E. B. Dubuisson
Jno. w. Lewis, J. G. IaWler
Frank Dimmick and other inter
ested citizens; Second Ward
Rev. Father NJ. A. Grace, w. ]
Boudreau, DR.. T. T. Tarlton. Jos
IT. Rarrv. los. TT. Sibille DIR. &
A. Guidrv. DIR. G. A Gardner,