St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1921-10-29
EXCEPTIONAL
UNDEVELOPED
RESOURCES
(By A. E. Briggs)

What are the natural resources OF
this parish? Oil? Gas? Gold?
Suppose some Wildcatter struck oil
here today. 1t would create little
excitement. Indeed the spectators
have not ignored St. Tammany par
ish There is a lot of oil stock own
ed in this locality, and wells have
been dug here, and as long as~there
is loose money around which the
owner doesn't know how to spend
otherwise oil speculations will pros
per. But if real gusher came in
| today, it would produce less pros
perity than is derivable from the one
resource of this parish about which
there can be no question of doubt.
Whatever money is to be made In
the oil business requires an invest
ment Of money, and taking into con-
sideration both losses and gains and
balancing one against the other, the
ordinary investor is usually loser,
and those who are expert and make
-,beasinass-.af- ordinarily not
prosper more than those who operate
other businesses.
The one natural resource of this
parish in which the investor is sure
| to make money is farming under
drainage Farming is not profit
able business without drainage
With drainage farming is the surest
and most stable source Of wealth
which any community can have.
But St. Tammany parish has
ing which is incompatible. a loca-
tion only means opportunity for de
velopfent Without enterprise and
initiative natural advantages are OF
little or no vaue to the possessor.
The man who wins is the man VINO
works, and that is as true of COM
munities as it is of men.
St. Tammany's natural resource
from which it is possible and feasible
to procure millions of dollars of mer-
chandise annually is its land. When
it's lands are drained, it will be able.
to sell each year a greater amount
Of produce than it has derived from
it's timber in all the years Of the
numbering industry here. But with
out drainage it is a perfectly safe
prediction that this parish will
steadily dec inc in amount Of value
of production. It's great natural re-
source is of little value until it is
improved.
The great question before st.
Tammany people today is whether it
were better to emigrate to a de-
veloped and prosperous country, Or
to stay right here and make this
parish the great agricultural COM
munity it can be made by "a parish
wide drainage system. AS matter
of fact, as we brought to attention
a few weeks ago, there has been for
a long time past a constant emigr2-
tion from this parish of its educated
boys and girls who are able, if given
the opportunity, to make this parish
the richest in the state. Drainage is
the key which will unlock the treas
ure vaults Of this parish.
present the testimony Of man Of
education and vide experience who
is one of the thousands Of boys whom
the lack of development of his home
place sent away to make for other
communities with his labors which
might have been proftably expended
here I wish | had at hand the
names Of men who like Mr.. A. e.
Roome were born in this parish AMI
received an early education here and
have since leaving risen to import
ance. / have no doubt there are
many Of them. Such men absolutely
disprove the slander which I hear
SO frequently from home people to
the effect that this country can be
improved only by immigration from
outside. The trouble is that by fail
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