New Iberia enterprise and independent observer. (New Iberia, La.) 1902-1944, 1916-05-27
Avery Island. Nav Sth, 1916.
The President and Members of the

Avery Island. Nav sth. 1916.
The President and Members Of I'll
Police Jury. Iberia Parish:
Gertlemen--I bee to acknowledg
"e"eint of letter from your Secrt
AIRY dated May 9th, with copy O
your resolution of that date rel
atlve to our toll gate, maintainc,
by us. on the prairie end of tn
"ausewav. leading through tn
sea marsh. to Avery Island
respectfully submit the folIowin.
reply.
Avery Island. as YOU know i
, surrounded by an impossible Sc;
marsh and unfordable bayou. ant
is over mile and quarter from
the high land Of the prairie
Prior to 1857. the only means OF
reaching the Island. from the lani
side. was by boat from the Span.
'sh Canal. In 1857 my father
Daniel D. Avery, at his own ex.
pense, built through the marsh
the old "Plank Road This was
never public road. During his
life time this road was always
maintained by him, and since his
death in 1879, by his heirs, the
present owners Of the property.
Never at any expense to the Par
lsh. He also built the bridge over
bayou. About eight or nine years
ago this road became impossible
and we were forced to build the
present road through the marsh,
by dredee, at an expense of over
$3OO0.OO. The Parish has at no
time contributed cent to build
ing the road, or the upkeep since
1857 to date-for the simple rea-
son. that no one lives beyond our
property, in the three miles of
unreclaimed sea marsh out to
Vermilion Bay. When the Petit
Anse Drainage District was or
ganized we granted their Board
the right to drain through the
canal we had recently cut, thereby
saving the taxpayers Of the Dis
t"'ct the sum of ovec 100000
which could be used for more
drainage work in the district.
We keep the toll gate on the
Causeway for the protection of
our property. No ferces are re-
CURED in the Parish. Should our
stock stray to the prairie. they
would DAMAGE the crops Of our
7 eighbors. Years age. before we
established the toll gate, the GEN
cral public came at will to the
Island. killed mules and cattle by
indiscriminate shooting, and ri.tn-
lessly destroyed beautiful live
oaks by building fires against
them. So the toll gate is main
tanned to protect our property, in
Ger full legal rights to do so, and
with no i'll will toward, orr
neighbors or the Police Jury.
Since the gate has been main
tanned. the nuisance above re-
ferred to have entirely abatec.
/ have never declined to give a
pass to the Island. to response
hle party. The Island, as you no
doubt know. is not an incorpo-
rated town. The heirs Of nv faith
err own the entire Island. with sur
rounding sea marsh. The various
industries conducted here, are
owned and controlled by the own
ers of the property. Our various
employees come and go at will,
At no expense to toll fees.
We maintain the toll to keep I'M
desirable people if possible off the
Island, and not as a source of rev.
pnue. The toll fees 90 to the gate
keeper. We force no one to come
TO the Island. Should the law
less acts re-occur, we will be COM
PEELED to entirely close our prop
arty to the public. We sincerely |
hope we will not be compelled to
7o this, as we have no desire to
10 so.
Would like to frankly and re-
'pectfully ask why the Jury dis
against us in trying to
force as to throw our property
'pen to the public, and does not
orce other taxpayers of the Par
sh to do likewise. We claim no
,ther legal rights than those ac-
'orded the smallest taxpayer in
he Parish. The road to the Is
and passes the property of Mr..
curtis. Mr.. Deslatte and Mr.. De-
.ouen. Why does not the Jury