The Opelousas courier., 1867-11-16


Having for long time had a desire to SEE
more of the Parish in which we have cast oul
lot, most probably for life, about the middle o.
last month we worked ourselves up into the be
lief that yellow Jack" might possibly, in the
way of his vocation, make a call upon MS which
we could not decline, and thereby, for time at
least, ifnot Hfor good and ALL" deprive us and
our readers of the mutual benefit and pleasure
Of our weekly interchange of a qai pro quo Sc
we determined to give Monsieur Jacques the
go-bye, and not be at home should he chance to
drop in; and accordingly, one fine morning,
three or four weeks since, duly armed and
equipped, as the law directs, with gun, fishing
tackle, books and papers, plentiful supply of
perique, and, though last not least, something
short in asstohe jug we got into cur buggy and
struck bee-line for our friend Cottrells, on the
Mermenteau River, the boundary of the extreme
southwestern portion of St. Landry, and, ac-
cording to our sanguine expectations, a perfect
paradise for the sportsman as to shooting and
tishing-that role we having determined to take
upon ourselves fora period long or shbrt as cir
cumstances might decide Confined and cir-
cumscribed as we had been for many months, to
the limited space between our office and resid-
erce, upon reaching the open praries which a
short ride brought us to, we experienced feel
ing Of e&hlaration and freedom to which we
had for long time been a stranger, heightened
no doubt by the idea that we were leaving the.
scene Or at any rate the near. neighborhood of
death and disease, and approaching locality
as yet uninyaded by the former at least. Pass
ing on through the prairie, bounded MT unequal
distances by timber, some so far of as present a
dark blue appearance, we reached, late Id the
evening, Mr.. p. keough's store, in the well known
and desirable settlement Of plaquemine Brulee 7:
and here we5were first made aware of a fact
which had not before presented itself which
was that Opelousas folks were strictly taboeed
IN that and In fact every other country neigh
borhood, exaggerated reports having, as usual,
spread abroad Of the prevalence of the fever
thirty, forty, fifty, and as high as q hundred
cases being reported to exist in Opelosisas.
where, when we left the same day, only one was
positively known to exist. A number of persons |
were gathered at the store, some of our nc
quaintances among the number, and we were
overwhemed with questions as towhen Mr.. and
Mrs. VT or DR., so-and-sc had died was such-antis
such-''-one twho had never been sick) dead 81
out OF danger, and 50 on, and so on. When, WI /
had answered all the inquiries, we commenced |
IN our turn endeayoring to find out where Ne
woald be likely to find hospitality for the night |
and soon discovered that our chance for 90 doing
was rather Q slim one, as everybody, is was en- |
pressed, was mighty shy of q person COMING /
from the yellow fever districts Thisswas rather /
discouraging, as we had made no preparations
for such an emergency. About d half mile from
thestore, however, lived gentleman with whom
we had some acqnaintance and who was noted
Tor his hospitality; and on him we determined
TO call and try our luck, which did not desert
u.s. as we found him ut his front gate, ant though
--as WIS natural he did prove somewhat shy.
ms good iesllng would not allow him to repuIse
W. aast ne made us perfectly comfortable, ex-
esps rom the feeling that we were making him
ana nus family not 30 much 50.
1aking an early start next morning we made
INQUIRIES Of our kind host as to the road We we're
70 take, and received the directions to keen the
paasaesf one, which we did merriIy for several
miles, when the plain road suddenly ended +
branching off into four or five traces, Of which II
Woalu nave taken old Hawk-eye himself to tell
when 1' was the rlasHest Trusting to luck again
We sook tiie one leading most westwarily, and I
y abosst an hour more pulled MP at saw mill In
ile midst of swamp where GIL roads, plain III dim
gain ended, and We were for time at the end
4 our row, and aothing seemed LEFT to MS but to |,
Q back and pick up the and Of the road we had /,
ropped and then strike another trail when, by
he polite Intervention OF the owner Of the saw
I'LL Mr.. James Webb) we secured the services
! . youth who happened to be there, to put us