New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1866-05-09
ne Eavirons Of New Orleans.
Nl@anlN - t,y-rnREE.

NA'A lttle fishing village situated al ule /
mouth u tAe Bayou st. John; and which, in olden
u .es We had known as so thriving, and compare
lively speaking, SO prosperous sl If any Of our
readers have visited this locality Of late they will
have perceived that this place appears to have
undergone total change from its former activity
and thrittiness. The reasons for this change are
various though the principal ones, no Doubt nave
their origin in the altered position Of tins outlet
with respect to the lake navigation, now mostly
finding its starting point from the Lakepol1
wharves or the Pontchartrain railroad deposit
station. The introduction, then, OF the Tsllway
commodity, has had the natural eheet upon tne
inlet of Bayou St. John, of diminishing us 4oriher
| Importance So also the the outlet OF the upper
| canal on the New Shell Road conveyance, IN the
| First District which, on the lake shore' Is put
4 short distance from either the lighthouse at the
bavou,s entrance, well as that OF the Mllneburg
yvbarves. ind thus has contributed in taking away
the former visitors or customers during the winter
season for hunting pleasure parties, in summer
for the lake bathing conyeniences-hence we now
fnd the former bath houses at the bayou's outlet
in an utter state of deapidation. Nay, there is
at present hardly a single public establishment
kept for the entertainment of visitors, FIVE ex
| oept one on the lake shore, under the name of
Moreau's if we mistake not.
y In former seasons, and for number of years
after the United States government had alienated
the buildings and locality upon which the little fort
had been erected, on the left hand side of the
bayou's entrance, this most charming establish
ment, under the proprietorship of Harvey Elkins,
an uncle of John Sdell, then Tin 1880 just emerg
ing into public fame, was the rendezvous of the
choice spirits Of New Orleans bon-Yivants. Al
the Pontchartrain competition took away good
deal of the business from the st. Johns environs,
still the drives upon the pleasant serpentine she'll
road, along the placid watercourse, and through
the neighboring forest, towards the open lake
shore, would continue to attract number of visit
ors from our crowded city, to enjoy the cooling
breezes and bracing sea-air, when dust and heat
were left behind in the throngs of our metropolis
/ Indeed, we know of no greater restorer of ones
even temperament, ones quiet disposition of mind
than the occasional visit to that ever-pleasant
view of the vast expanse of our lake. so quiet and
Esun-refected when not agitated by the northern
breezes; and again, so lively and surf-sounding,
when the rolling waves are tumbling, as it were,
one upon the other, in sportive eommotion. Then,
the unbounded horizon, the white Sails often con-
founded with the white eruss ofthe surgng billows
distance vanishing steamers Of all sizes flup the
tableau which is we'll worth the pencil of some
painter, or better delineator than the present
writer is able to offer to our readers. RThese
beauties we feel much more than we are able
4 to describe, and the soothing effects upon a
nervous temperament have always been of the
most beneficial and salutary sort When then,
with these feelings we approach the subject which
at this moment is uppermost in our mind, that is
the totally altered social condition of our country,
we confess we have had often recourse of late,
towards these shores in order to sooth our inward
\ commotion, and to our utmost establishment,
here where we sought for repose, for recruper-
alton, we have met the very acme Of our suffer
ings our painful antieipadons To commu-
nicate them to our readers may, perhaps assist in
forming what at present is SO necessary to our
land-a correct and impartial survey of our rural
situation. Hence, the motive for the following
| observations and suggestions Not only towards
tHamp Parapet, where some black regiments still
lay encamped, only lately dsbanded, lin such mis-
cradle huts, that our military authorities should
certainly take into consideration the reflections
which every one now will make, of the perncious
examples of such lazzaron hahitations,) we now
meet the same style of architecture, by freed
people upon the margin shore Of lake Ponchar.
train. These ereetiOns, which we cannot describe
for the materials are noadescript, neither tree
\ banks, nor shinge, yet not the hunters huts of
latanier leaves, are repetition of what already
! have noticed upon the high roads Of the GENTLY
region outside Of the regular plantation.
What strikes the beholder of these new abodes
Of the freed folks, is the idea that these people
have certainly a notion Of leading an independent
| life, of cultivating some little bean or potato
patch outside the already cultivated farms or plan
tatons Aye, they know, or they feel, if nobody
/ has instructed them, that they cannot encroaoh
| upon the lands Of the planters or farmers hence
they build or patch up for themselves some IN
nameable shanties upon the high roads, in the very
bayous, or outside the marshes, on the very shores
of the lake, often under the surges, when at high
water. Now, what does this signify? Are our
local authorities to tolerate such situation Can
we shut our eyes TO the condition such a general
example will lead if these disorganizing tenden-
cies are not nipped in the bud? Who does not see
that under such regime we shall soon be in the
same condition with these people are the thrifty,
Industrious classes in Mexico with their peon popu
lation Nay this must not be suffered to continue;
for, whilst we are very far from advocating any
stringent regime towards the black, now free la
boring classes still must we insist, that they,
more than any other tribe, class or race shall in
4 trodgce into this country style of life which is
nothing else than the former way of eBohemians,
or ancient Gypsies who also would erect
their temporary abodes upon empty lots
or vacant corner sites, and thus exempt
themselves from paying any house rent or
hire for their abodes by the exercise Of regular
course of industry or regular labor habits. For,
let our authorities be well persuaded of this most
weighty consideration that if these people can
find a means of exemptng themselves from the
payment of house rent or room hire, they will, in
our city and country, obtain sufficient of food or
provisions and even rags to cover their bodies and
4 in such manner lead life Of Wretched misery in
preference to being subjected to regular labor
habits. The proof is patent to our eyes, aud when
4 such contrigances are erected in the immediate
/ vicinity of our great metropolis, surrounded
almost by uninhabitable marshes and morasses
how much more reasonable is it to foresee that
this will be tEa node of lifewhichour emancipated
blacks will generally adopt in the open country
upon The vacant public lands, if prohibition to
such course is inteTposed Hef.tar
Upon the GENTLY road, little beyond the rail
way, and towards the temporary Notifications
/ erected to impede the advance Of hostile forces
frot, tl,a saa,,