New Orleans daily crescent., 1866-01-19
sa eDtsaas asIg esssEs Idsa tataa8 gaanatg - 1896

tile bayou aforesaid. Now, however, it was to be
70 wiaened and deepened as to admit sailing ves-
sells oil some considerable draft capable Of under
taking voyages to tIe West Indies. Hence, i'm
mediately after the subsistence of the watery
food from the late Mccarty crevasse, we found IN
the summer of 1916 q number of African slave
hands busy at work in pumping out the water
from one comp To the other, for the whole
length Of the canal had to be divided and subdi-
vded and separated by pile work and solid dams.
We have never Witnessed seyerer task or more
astonishing work, True the upper new canal
was built or gged as most Of our other canaling
has been performed, mainly BY tho hardy Irishman,
but then it is averred that it has cost particularly
the new canal, q vast sacrifice Of human life or
health. But in theease of the old canal Caronde-
let We heard of no loss Of life nor health, and if
anything. the black people, all original Africans,
grew quite fall and lusty in this hercnean exer-
else. We did indeed, admire tie working Of these
sons of unny Africa who did speak nothing but
their native tongue, Congo Or some other lingo,
but Who knew as it were, BY instinct, the useful
ness of their labor. Never have seen work per-
formed with more cheerfuness and alacrty and
there were no drivers. no whips, but plenty of
rations and occasionally tatie the fet'' WAS what
/
respects they were very sober, eating and drink
ing tsrnall beer of Indian corn, fayorite beyer-
age with them) they had in sufficieney, and thus
in the very heats of summer, with but their trow-
sers and large straw hat or stignott'' thead kerr
chief on, they would indeed perform miracles Of
work in the midst Of dense cypress woods, hewing
out with the pick axe the enormous secular cy7,
press stumps, spading and throwing up every foot
of solid or Shiny Jumps or cods Of earth.
n There were no machinery no steam TO assist
them. for even the piling was all done by hand
work, just as all the rest. As for the carpenter
work, this was the business of both whites and
scolored tnlulatto) working hands: and thus was
this undertaking carried out towards the main
branch Of the Bayou st. John. From the moment
that the large sea-going vessels could reach the
city by this water conveyance, te business in the
little then thriving town of St. John declined, and
although the grounds had been laid out for build
ing lots, and streets been regularly located, yet
for a long number Of years this suburb of our
city has continued, as it were, its iethargic sleep.
Nothing but daires haye been in successful opera
ton here, some gardening is also carried on, some
little shingle or picket making, and eyena pottery
make up the present industry of this little place,
which may call the most anniant hlishnelIt
of any in our neighborhood, for some of the oldest
buildings date back To the time Of the first French
government, ana some Of the titles to.property, if
we mistake not, descend even from original claims
of aboriginal ancestors. These properties, or
particularly those upon which are found the mag
niicent live oaks on the bayou, en- one of which a
lofty belredere had been erected in its branches
some years ago in public garden, and upon which
people on a Sunday would takean airing and a
peep the surrounding gardens and views. Here,
no doubt it was whore Bienville alighted from his
water craft and partook Of his meals. previous to
the march across the forests and cane to the river
bank. Leyees then were there none, but it is
stated by one of the companions of the discoverer
that the forests and capebrakes were alive with
game, and that the wild turkeys would settle
in the tops Of the trees and. be 50 tame as to be
caught by hand. What yeritsble pas cosdque
that must have been-wild turkeys thirty pounds
heavy, when at the bfoehe.