The Morgan City daily review. (Morgan City, La.) 1916-1920, 1919-05-23
Louisiana to Mine Oyster
Shell Reef for Road
Material
Subsequent Operations to Begin
at Once on S5O,0O0,000
Atchafalaya
Deposit N
From Times-Picayune)

oyster shell mine at the mouth OF tn
Atchafalaya river, on Point au re
reef, estimated to be worth between
S4O,0OO,OOO and S5O,0OO0O0 will follow
as result of the trip Of inspection
made by Commissioner M. L. Alexan
der and federal and state engineers
last week. Another reef, with de.
post of an estimated value of SIS,
100000 at Sabine Pass, will also be de.
veloped.
w. D. Haden, one of the largest
contractors in this section Of the
country, with headquarters at Gal
weston. will move his dredges to
these points Immediately and start
operations. A shipping point will be
established for the she'll at Morgan
City, the nearest port to the Point
All Fer reef.
The major portion of the shells
will be used as road building ma
terial and will greatly assist the state
in its highway program. They also
will be used for the manufacture of
concrete and chicken food.
Duncan Buie head Of the State
Highway Department. and R. v.
Glenn, senior highway engineer Of
the Federal Bureau Of Public High
ways, who accompanied Commission
er Alexander on the trip, expressN
themselves as astonshed at the pro-
digious deposit Of shells at these two
points.
THE freshets coming down the At
chafalaya river" said Mr.. Buie,
seemed to have killed the oysters
pust at the proper stage Of develop
ment when the shell is most suitable
for road building purposes. These
shells average about an inch and a
half to two inches in length and have
not grown so large and hard as to
make crushing difficult.
Il have closed a contract already
with Mr.. Haden for the delivery at
an early date Of 10000 cubic yards
of shells, which will be used in road
way construction in Terrebonne and
St. Mary parishes. The mining and
the consequent roads which will fol-
low will be, I am sure, a revelation
to the people of that section and con-
stitute great factor in its develop
ment
"The development of this great !,
reef will 60 long way toward soly-
ing the road material problems Of
the state. The shells are worth 81 /,
per cubic yard and make a splendid |
roadbed. TheyAare used as founda-
tion and also as surfacing. It will
mean an added impetus to the con-
struction of roadways in Louisiana"
Mr.. Glenn was also greatly impress !,
SEQ with what he saw and his views
conceded with those Of Mr.. Buie.
when the entire deposit is ex-
plotted" said Commissioner Alex
ander, 1T will bring in revenue to
the state alone of several hundred
thousand dollars. The reef will be
operated under a lease granted by
this department to Alfred Mead. Of
New Orleans. This lease is grad
uated contract based on five-year Pc
RODS and the amount of revenue de-
rived depends on the amount of she'll
d,,r,cr c,ch oar:oLc Ws<h
the splendid equipment which. will
be furnished by Mr. Haden the work
will go forward rapidly. |
1T will also result in developing
an unusual resource of the state. add
millions to its wealth and attract
here other industries such as the
manufacture OF concrete and chick
en- food.
Finally. it will remove an obstruc-
tion from the mouth of the Atchaf-
alaya through which it is necessary !,
to build channel, and eliminate
great pressure Of back water which |,
has been most injurious to the
EIOWtH VI OyalCIS HI akHdl Vicinity.
Judge Thomas H. Milling of the
Board of State Affairs. was much
pleased with the prospect and said
that the state had made an excellent |
business arrangement which would
add considerably to much needed
income. /
The trip was made aboard the flag !,
ship Alexandria. of the Conservation
fleet, the party leaving Monday,
May II, and putting in at Lake
Charles Saturday night where they
came by train to New Orleans. arriv-
ing here Sunday.
On board the Alexandria were
Commissioner NJ L. Alexander, Dun
can Buie. state highway, engineer;
4 V Glenn. federal highway engin-
eer: Thomas H. Milling, Board Of /
State Affairs; w. D. Haden. contrac-
tor, and Alfred Mead, lessee.