The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1916-10-21
SATURDAY, OCT. Fl, 1916
HIGHWAY PROJECT EXPLAINED
Manager clarkson Tells What efea'
Road will Mean to South.

The value of the jefferson HIGHWAY,
r. the sections through which lt WIN
uaes was effectively pointed our by D.
D, Clarkson, general manager OF tne
highway association, at mass NE IT,
inc held in the Grand Theatre Ihufs-
dav afternoon. Incidentally she
meeting served to bring home the 1acs
thai che selection of the west pam ~ ~
the river as the official route Oh tne
great highway is regarded as i1la''et
Of vital Importance to the CITY o.
Donaldsonville and the western Waros
of Ascension parish, and degree Oh
interest and determination was arous-
ed which gives assurance that nothlng
will be left undone to press the claims
of the west bank for recognition as
a link in the route of the lnternatlon-
al roadway.
The meeting was attended by a
representative gathering OF LADIES ana
gentlemen of Donaldsonville and VI
cinitv. and the students of the upper
Grades of the high school were pres
emit also. A delegation from lbervllle
parish, including among others Sena-
tor Charles E. Schwing and Lewis X.
Murrell. was in attendance and after
the meeting headed the party OF good
roads boosters who escorted Mr..
Clarkson to Plaquemine, where ne
further expounded the Jefferson High
way doctrine.
Mavor Walter Lemann presided
over the local meeting and introduced
Mr.. Clarkson. The latter explained
briefly the project under considera-
ton, told of some of the numerous
benefits that will accrue from the
construction of the highway, spoke
in complimentary terms of the adj
vantages possessed by this section
of the country and the charm OF the
southern people, and cited concrete
instances of how the highway will
prove a paying investment to all pro
gressive communities through which 1t
passes. The interchange of informa-
ton and broadening of views will be
valuable to all concerned, to say
nothing of the money that will be
placed in circulation and the general
development that is certain to result.
Mr.. Clarkson prefaced his remarks
by stating that he had come to adj
vocate a new form of merchandising
and one that has been profitably en-
ployed in many states-selling good
roads. Enlarging upon this theme,
he explained that good roads enjoy
the distinction of being the only COM
modify for which the purchaser pays
the price, but which is left on the
counter to be re-sold at profit. The
automobile tourist, he explained, is
primarily the purchaser, who comes
into a community and buys the road
by expanding his funds, enjoys the
road, and yet leaves it for the com
munity to resell to other tourists
time and time again, paying attention
only to maintenance.
california was the first to offer
paved highways to the travelling pub
lic," said Mr.. Clarkson, "and along
with their good roads they threw in a
quantity of scenery and little atmos-
phere. People from all over the west
came and paid big prices for the road,
and the scenery, and after using them
they left them there for the use of
others.
"Now the Jefferson Highway is 60
ing into the business of selling good
roads, along with the bounty, scenery,
and personality of the south"
Mr.. Clarkson then commented at
length on just what the south has to
"sell" tourists in the way of historical
surroundings and quaint features of
interest. He directed attention to the
fact that the Jefferson highway would,
in effect, be broad, hard-surfaced
avenue extending from Canada to the
gulf, as important as the main
thoroughfare of city.
Possible results other than pure
~ financial, he illustrated with the
assurance that farmers from the up
per reaches of the Mississippi, coming
to New Orleans, would realize that
the soil carried from their lands by
the mighty flood waters, to theeir det-
riment, reaches the mouth of the
river only in the form of a possible
. liability through flood results. and
would be encouraged to take steps to-
ward flood prevention from the up
per portion of the watershed.
LAC VIVA w Aol t1ISih With
money seeking investment, who, if
they should get one glimpse Of the
possibilities of Louisiana land, would
be eager to invest.
A fluent and easy speaker, with an
engaging gift of humor and q pleas
ing manner of expression, Mr.. Clark
son presented his subject in most
interesting and entertaining manner,
and succeeded in imparting to his au-
ditors measure of his own enthu-
siasm ov& the Jefferson Highway pro-
ject, and an enlightening sense of the
Importance and value of the enter
prise.
Police Jurors George B. Reuss,
Jasmin Tobias and C. Fl. Landry, ST., !
and Messrs. E. J. Mccall, c. Kline,
E. Fl. Barton and Walter Lemann
were selected by the meeting to rep
recent the west bank of Ascension in !
the state organization of the Jeffer-
son Highway Association. A number
of local automobile owners and good |
roads boosters accompanied the
Clarkson party on the trip to Plaque
mine.
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