White Bluffs spokesman. [volume] (White Bluffs, Wash.) 1907-1938, 1932-06-30


new homeless capitol building,
L. gigantic pile of limestone
which rises SO stories above
the streets of Baton Rouge.
Louisiana boasts many modern
buildings in her bustling cities, but
the fame of the state is not confined
to architecture. 1t is more widely
known for it's equitable climate, its
tranquil scenic beauty, and a hospi-
tally which makes the manifold
claims Of her citizens as to the states
point of excellence seem bare re-
cital of obvious facts.
It is one of Americas leading FUR
producing regions, and the source OF
staggering quantities of shrimps and
strawberries, oysters and oranges,
sugar and salt, terrapins and fiery
tabasco, rice and red snappers, figs
and frogs legs, waterfowl and musk
rats, timber and turpentine, cucum-
bers and cattle, sulphur and Span
ish moss. Oil and gas flow from its
seemingly inexhaustible subterranean
chambers.
1t boasts the second largest port
in the United States-New Orleans
through which pass vast cargoes Of
foreign commodities, including 23,OOO,-
600 punches of bananas each year, cof-
fee for every third cup consumed in
the United States, and mahogany and
sisal, to our markets; while all the
varied products of farm and factory
originating in the lower Mississippi
valley begin their sea journey from
the city's docks.
Romance of New Orleans.
Many writer's agree that New Or
leans is one of only three great
"story cities of America. And New
Orleans is part and parcel of Louisi-
ana. One needs only to go back to
the adventurous times of those dar-
ing French pioneers, La Sale, Bien-
Vile and Iberville; to the days Of
those picturesque and honored pi-
rates, the Lafitte Brothers and Dom
inique You; to quadroon balls, WOO
doc rites, suicide and dueling oaks,
or even to the fantastic revels of this
years Mardi Gras, to find romance
here.
Today in Louisiana the visitor en-
counters romance as readily in any
one of the half score 15-to-2O-story
office buildings of New Orleans as he
did formerly in the city's haunted
houses" absinthe bars, or charming
patios rich in association with the
names of Lafayette, Louis Philippe,
Adelina Patti, Jenny Lind, Audubon,
Paul Morphy and Lafcadio Hearn.
For decades Louisiana's great SUI
gar mills, set down in the midst Of
pillows of green cane extending to the
horizon, had unfailingly ground out
wealth to the states sugar barons.
Three hundred thousand tons Of su-
gar was not an unusual years yield
from the fecund black soil. But the
major romance of Louisiana is to be
found not in it's cane fields. The pro-
genitor of those fields, and of the
entire state, is the Father of Waters.
With it's long, tenuous fingers of
silt thrust far out into the Gulf Of
Mexico the "bird's-foot" delta Of the
Mississippi is unlike that of any 9TH
er major river on the globe. Between
its fingers or claws are shallow, open
bays, and the banks combining the
great streams into which the river
divides at Head Of Passes, 95 miles
below New Orleans, are in some
places only few feet in width.
In colonial times, when 10 or II
feet of water provided ample depth
for all caravels of commerce, navi-
cation Of the main passes of the Mis-
sissippi presented no difficulties, but
with the increase in the tonnage and
draft Of vessels the shallow finger
channels were bar to progress and
prosperity.
Making the Delta Naviqable.
Ninety years ago the federal gov
eminent made the first appropriation
for deepening these natural channels,
and in the course of the next 40
years 1t succeeded, by means Of crude
dredging processes, in increasing the
depth to from - to 20 feet. But
when 1t Is recalled that In time of
flood the Mississippi brings down for
deposit at it's mouth more than g.
100000 tons Of sand day, one can
realize that this was costly and
disheartening battle.
BY 1870 vessels had so increased
in size and draft that deeper chan
mel became a crying necessity.
board Of eminent engineers, appoint
ed to find solution Of the problem,
made exhaustive studies Of many i'm
portant harbor entrances, including
the mouths Of the Danube, which had
been successfully improved by means
Of contracting jetties similar to those
now in use on the Mississippi river.