New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1866-05-17

NUMBER F1FTY-ErGHr.


that we seem most especially to direct our atten
ton and observations to one particular local
lity, to wit to the ever recurring village of tn
Bayou st. john and its immediate surroundings
This censure may be apparently Just one, bu
when we remind our readers that our intentio,
is as far as in us lies, to give as circumstantia
and as truthful a picture of the most anoien
local events in our city, it will no longer be sur
prising that our solicitude is more particular,
directed to the quarter from which we ma
draw the most interesting "reminiscences. Beside
these reasons, there are others which NAV no
have escaped the penetration of our contemporan
eous observers, to wit, that by describing will
some minpteness, one Of our neighborhoods of the
most remote origin in the countrys colonial settle
ment we in some measure, hand down the bro
cess of all the other establishments urban a,
well as rural Of our city and environs. We hope
/ therefore, that our sketches may prove accep
table, notwithstanding their seeming uniformit,
! in some respects, but which in great measure
also must be set down to the circumscribed sub
iect in hand.
Had WEI greatervariety of seenery-did the land
scape offer more extended diversity of hill and
dale parks and gardens ofields and meadows
we should certainly be most happy to diversity
our tableaux with these moving panoramas; but as
it is we must but too often return to our ancient
cypress forests, our immovable swamp reed NOR
asses, our never ending cane brakes and prairie
levels Alas, these are our surroundings, and the
moment we leave our brick walls, our city thor
oughfares, and saunter past the farm houses and
Suburban cottages, we find ourselves in the unds-
turhed condition of former primeval nature and its
centenary witnesses, the time recording green oak
clusters. We said that at the former prosperous AL
lard plantation or Metarie establishment, of which
we have given the minute location, the want of
good drinking water had been supplied blythe little
riyulet which deseends from the high ridge bearing
that name. This was the case before the new
canal, now traversing these tracts, had Invested
the upper portion of the streamlet from the lower
water course passing towards lake Ponchartrain.
Before that time, never failing supply for all
household uses, washing and culinary demands, as
well as for the numerous herds of cattle was pre-
served in the shaded reservoirs of this BAYOU.
by small and simple continuance, constructed in
the Enclosure of that country farm that is to saw
a small cofer-dam had been constructed at the
outlet of the little water course andrwhich would
be kept shut, so as 10 keep the sweet rain water
eyer ready for the use of the plantation.
This economical plan dispensed with wells els.
terms and all other costly outlays, and we have
never known that district to be in want of water,
even during the greatest droughts, when all other
rural neighborhoods were complaining of the lack
of that indispensable element The visitors of our
City Park will have noticed the clusters of live
oaks which afford such comfortable shade from the
hot summer sun in olden times the whole of the
Metairie Ridge was dotted with these forest orna-
ments, and the numerous herds Of cattle, horses
and mules would gather under these shelterfnr
protectors against the strong rays of the sun, as
well as the heavy showers of the summer thunder
storms The clearing of the forests for the de
mand of agriculture has necessarily destroyed
great many Of these evergreen, ornamental trees,
and upon the public lands for the preservation Of
these valuable materials for naval construction
our government has appointed special superinten
DENTS whose duty it is to look after tile eonserya
ton Of this indispensable product for the equip,
nent of our national marine. Speaking on this
construction Of public vessels in our
Southern ship-yards-We should now mention that |
oflate several small sea going crafts have been built
from the staple or stocks upon the borders Of the
Bayou ST. John, right in front of Allard's farming
house; thus once more proving that this locality |
may still aspire, in time to come, to emerge from
its long seeming somnolency Why should not
Southern ship building be successful in that 10.
eaity, when with the greatest ease the best mate
rails can be procured from the borders Of Lake
Pontchartrain and floated up the bayou, as is now
done with the annual supply Of the heavy wharf
timber for the use Of the city corporation
indeed, we should suppose that the primitive
idea Of keeping public nayy-yard by the United
States government somewhere upon that lake
outlet ought never to have been aban