New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1866-05-12
Tho Environ. OF New orleans.
NuMBER FIFTY-FTyE.


plantation situated in front Of the new swinging
bridge over the Bayou St. John, at the extremity
of the fine Esplanade ay enue had been, in former
times, the seat Of sorta romantic historical remi-
niscences. We shan now endeavor to recount III
brief those interesting circumstances; but, adher
ing Invariably to the rule laid down by US in these
sketches, Of not intrudng upon private or family
relations, we shall only refer to such home details
as may be absolutely necessary to aproper under
standing of the subject. And first, then, to the
locality of which we suppose our readers to be
in full possession already at any rateaa drive in
the eommodious horse cars, from Canal street,
through Rampant and Esplanade streets, under the
beautiful rows of shade trees, will convey the Gu
rious visitor in less than half hour, to the pre-
misses of which the following lines will give more
extended description Traversing the Bayou st.
John upon the newly erected swinging bridge, the
visitor will find himself almost in front of what is
called the ancient Metarie road. This locality, in
former times, when the present shell road and rail
tracks had no existence, led through most dense
and gloomy forest region.
At the time of our first visit, in 1876 there were
then but very few settlements along this coast, as
the tract was called, and one might go through
these tangled forest wids up to where now the
meeting with any farm; that is to say, all the
| grounds now opened for the City Park and the
several cemeteries or burying grounds, formed
| then an almost uninterrupted wilderness But the
soil, except in some few spots, was very high and
dry, and must have Afforded in the primitive times
the best localities for hunting Hence the later
settlements formed upon this ridge, or cote, as
called in French, were originally the camping
tpaces of the few Indian families Of whom we have
already made mention in the very first numbers Of
these sketches. Y These Indian families, going
under various names, for almost every village or
/ tribe had its peculiar name, still all belonged to
one great nation speaking the same language
called the Mobilians, so that although every sub
ordinate tribe or division of these Indian nations
would have its particular tongue or pdtos, yet all
could understand each other by speaking the com
mon or universal language Of the Mobilians. Of
these Indian families few were then settled upon
the borders of the often mentioned water course
n the Bayou st. John, which the first explorers of
the country, coming from Biloxi by the way of the
Rigoets and the lake Pontchartrain, describe as
very suggy sort of water strait or bay. The mmedi
ate borders of this swamp water outlet 70 rthis vas
the real nature of the bayou, upon the margin of
the lake, were uninhabtable, because composed
of nothing but the dreary cypress forests, the mo-
rass prairies and reed breaks such as the visitor
at this present day beholds in that locality. But
coming up in the then used Indian pirogues or
dug-outs, through the crooked windings of the
dark blue waters, a firm footing would be found at
the large oak trees even now seen at the opening
of the Metairie road, Here, then, it was where
first site was selected for establishing the first
rural farm upon Louisiana ground, or the old Mis-
sssippi delta. Here the first mich COWS were in
trodueed for the sustenance of the rising colony;
and if indeed religious worship has in the oriental
creeds of the Hindoos and others elected the kline
as a sacred race of animals, this was on account
of the all.benefcent nourishment which the rear
ing of these domestic creatures affords to the
household boards From this cause the name of
Metairie--that is to say, farm house-was given
to this first establishment. We have no precise
data to form any idea how far this enterprise sue
ceeded in those remote times. There was then an
/ abundant stock Of the most succulent heritage
| upon the high lands already mentioned, and the
| tender branches and leaves of the great fodder
canes, d9Uadd gigaatea, also afforded the most
attractive food for the rearing of neat cattle.
In one place of the annals of Louisiana's colo
NAL jurisprudence, it is mentioned that very Sc
we're penalties were enacted against those that
would wilfully destroy domestic cattle; and there
can be no doubt that the necessities of the first
settlers rendered such legislation imperative. 4
| Now, then, when some of the hardy French ad-
| yenturers had selected their sites for the com
mencement of their agricultural enterprises, and
had fixed the erection of the first stockades, and
log, rather cypress cabins it was in the very
spot upon the outlet of the Metarie riyulet into
the bayou-which Afforded indeed the best drink.
ing water, coming from the highest and drfest
tract of land in the neighborhood The reader
viii recolleet that the water of the bayou itself,
being the draining Of the surrounding cypress
swamp, was not very palatable, although not I'M
wholesome at that time, not being then charged
with all the outpourings of the great metropolis
which New Orleans now presents. Nay, we have
known the waters of this little stream even as late
as time to be stillpaatable, and fish as well
as water fowls would frequent its waves but at
the present day the many manufactures, the gas
and soap boiling works furnish such mass of
deleterious outpourings that this water course re-
quires the purifying contact of the healthy Misss
sippi waters, which should be let on by some sub
terranean canal from the river in order to correct
the actual pestential eluvia, when, after spell
of dry weather, the salutary rains have not per
formed this process Of cleansing the dormant and
stagnant element. 1t is, indeed, surprising to us
NNNp
ing the Bayou St. Johns rural borders, should not |
have petihoned the city council of New Orleans
for such an indispensable improvement-th is to |
say, the purifying of their watercourse by tile
conducting of certain quantity of the river ele-
ment into its midst, Not only would this restore
the ancient wholesome nature Of this rural.
aquatic streamlet, but the almost intolerable
stencil of this dead water tank would thereby be
driven forever away towards the outlet into the
lake channel, at the old, dilapidated lighthouse
As it is the surface of the waters in front of the
very fine rural seats, upon serene summer
days, reflect, indeed, beautiful deep azure color;
but the inyariable accompaniment of that infect
ing smell ever most disagreeahly reminds the be.
holder of this tranquil summer mirror of the
poisonous loathsome image of the waters of the
Styx. Such, however, was not the
view of that little, lively sreamlet that almost in
eessantly poured its little volume through the
thiekets of myrtles and accacias, along the margin
Of the Metarie, and which, at the Allard's place
the finest country farm-fen into the
broader and deeper Bayou st. John.
Our readers need notbe told, that the first con.
sideration of all new settlements is the choice of
water; some spring Or cooling brook, if that can
ha had EnFvagey II, ithe 1ntylapds nf tba 5o1to