New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1866-06-20
NUMBER 264.
RByou Terrebonne.


| VIC bUuhAdEy IlHe between the parishes of IL
fouche and Terrebonne, although it has been. fo
more than twenty years, connected with the bayo
Lafonrche, by canal at Thibodsux. This bayo
runs through the Oldest settlement in this parish
emptylng INTO the gulf near Gallon Island abon
seventy miles southeast from Thibodaux. Tn
soil, as its name indicates is inexhaustibe som,
Old plantations having been cultivated in sugar
cane Tor half century and yet, at the commence
ment OF the war. still produced good crops From
IhloOdaux to the railroad crossing some foul
miles is the old Malbrough settlement. We spent
a day very pleasantly among these people, not
long ago. We found their little farms in a high
state OF cultivation most of the labor being done
by themselves This settlement possesses great ad.
vantages for shipping their crops and receiving
supplies, being very convenient to the bayou La.
| tOurcbe and the 0pelUusas railroad. We were
very kindly received. The old folks are pleasant
quaint old people; the young ones sociabIe and
| intelligent.
| On leaving this settlement we cross the railroad
and travel some ten miles through, what were
once, princely plantations. Here we find the once
| splendid estates of the Thbodaux family, the
pioneers Of Terre bonne. Here, also, are the once
rich plantations of the Ellisses, the Winders the
Tanners, Barras, Beatties, and others of scarcely
less note; but all sadly changed ia appearance and
pToductyeness since 1861 This part of our parish
exhibits less energy, and seems TO possess less re-
Cuperatiye power than any other. II seems to be
| quite paralyzed from the blightng effects of the
| war Although not subject 10 overflow, it is far
behind any other part OF our parish in recovering
| It's vitality. Large fields are uncuItiVated and
growing up with weeds and brieFs. The buildings
| and fences are, generally, in a very dilapidated
state and the crops but poorly cultivated, and un-
| promising Two or three plantations, here, have
| been rented to negroes, but we anticipated,
| Gufy makes poor effort his own hook The
| grass and weeds have taken possession and from
present appearances, will be able to keep it.
| Having passed these large plantations, we ar
rive at the Bayou Cane settlement. Here, we be
| gin to see signs of energy displayed This il an
old settiement'and thickly settled, for some two
| miles Here we see every man doing his own
work, and the little fields are generally well cultf-
waited and the crops look promising.
| Passing this settlement, and one of Captain
| Minors plantations tHoywood) which seems to
| be unculhvated, We approach the town of Houma.
This is q village of some five hundred souls aitu.
ated on the Terrebonne about seventeen miles
| from Thibodaux and about fifty miles from the
Gulf. Il has three pretty brick churches, and one
neat frame one fine brick academy costing some
SIS 600; some twenty-five retail stores; several
billiard and drinking saloons, carpenter shops,
cooper shops, blacksmith shops, carriage sheus
shoemaker shops, bakeries, etc. These together
with the public buildings u few lawyers and doctor
Offices the Office of the :" Civic Guard and about
one hundred neat little dwelling houses, with their
| accompanying out buildings, constitute the town
of Houma, We have only space here to give
HOuma this passing notice hoping we may be able
| on some future occasion to call attention to its
many advantages over most country towns and to
its matohess good fellows who constitute its bona
tide old time cidzens. At Houma the Bayou Ter
rebonne is connected with the Black by canal
! about mile long.
"
ter quite a thick settlement extending some two
miles from the town on both sides of the Terre-
bonne. These are small places little homesteads,
that have, in many Instances, descended from
father to son, from generation to generation.
These little places are cultivated nicely and a.
though consisting of few acres, generally furnish
the families living upon them with the necessaries
Of life.
Leaving this little settlement, we next pass sew
eral large plautatons among which we may men,
ton Burrows "Residence" and "Myrtle Grove y
| aoT15a Rugh Ytlafa.
Most of these plantations are hardly cultivated at
ali and Grr fast growing up in grass, weeds and
4 briara. The buildings and fences have very d.
n lapidated appearance and the bitches are nearly
all chOked up with briars, willows etc. However
we should observe that Bush Il Gueno's plantation
q is toeraoly well cultivated and at Semple's also,
we saw some fields in cultivation.
Having passed the last of the above named
9iAptatinns we approach the " "CanAl.N This is
not only the name OF naVigable dftsh that con-
} meets the Bayou Terrebonne with the Blue and
f Lake Long, but it is also the name given to the
little, dense old settlement at that place. Here we
find two three little retail stores, and if it hap
pens to be Sunday we will find all the neighbors
here, seated on empty barrels, boxes, blocks, or
J whatever comes near, playing poker with grains
of corn or coffee, each grain representing FIVE
cents. This settlement is about mile long.
= Most of these people have few acres of land
which they cultivate very well, but the most OF
/ them employed themselves formerly during the
| winter and spring of the year in boating. The
greater part of the neighboring crops beingssent
through the canal and the lakes to the Bayou
i Lafourche at LOckport and from thence to New
Orleans
! Leaving the Canal u settlement and its indus
i trious inhabitants, we pass several large planta
tons which We find in much better state OF cult
= vation than those above HOuma. Two of these
G the Bisland plantations, are planted in cane ant
are in high state of cultivation Home farm, th
y residence Of Captain W. A. Bsland, viii probabl,
. make four five hundred hogsheads- of sugar thi
year.
After passing the last of the large plantations
= q Point Farm enter the last settlement on tn
Is Terrebonne, extending down the bayou soma tit
teen miles. This settlement is, for the most part
1t composed of very industrious and prOspeFOu
farmers, who cultivate their little farms 5hen
tselyes OF with few assistants. We saw nOnegr
II laborers here. Their little farms exceedingly
well cultivated, and the crops, usual, lock yer,
a. promising. Here we were entertained by cur oil
friend Capt. Sanders. in his usuel hospitabs style
He has discarded negro labor entirely, but ans arr
r looks like garden. He has about one aundre
m acres in cane and corn. Many Of these planters i
or this settlement very pleasant intelligent gen
NJ tlemen, and although somewhat out OF the world
are quite with the general toGiGs of til
day. They have not suffered from the war in pre-
portion to those above Hounla; their pEincipallof
,r being the emancipation of thar slaRes- We hRV
| spent some pleasant days in this settsBment, an
know many very excellent enamOnBlts denizen
NJ. | But we cannot leave this part of Bayou Terr
lp bonne without giving opinion o8 q set of il
norant, deuded wretches living in hAs neghbo
bood who have been eonjoled into jaining, what
here called the "John Bg0Rn's.'f Very few
these animals know anything abouh the principl
of the clique to which they belohg, and belle
| every word that an unpTnoipled lemagQgue tie
. them. They profess to be negro equality me
and if We should judge from thsiE appearance a
conversation, we would say that they might be !
proved by fraternziug with the negro.
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