The Opelousas journal. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1868-1878, 1869-10-09
st. Landry Caricafurcd.

The following picture of our parish is
from the Courier Of last Saturday. The
real object is to expose the worthlessness of
the Police Jury. The picture is therefore
an exaggerated one, and will not be seen by
others through the magnifying optics of its
author:
Here, Under our eye, at the seat of
justice, see the shameful and neglected
condition of our public square, the di|api-
dated and loathsome state of our Jail,
though a tax of twenty thousand dollars
has been levied and COLLECTED to replace this
acknowledged nuisance, long since con-
demued. Abroad what q spectacle is there
presented? Roads impossible, bridges over
water-courses decayed and fallen down, and,
in short, there are nowhere visible, in what
concerns the public, any of the ordinary
indications of civilization, to invite cmigra-
ton or to cheer the saddened and despond.
ing hopes of those whose lot has been cast
here.
This article is inaccurate in its details,
and untruthful in its spirit. The public
Jail, instead of being "dilapidated" and
"loathsome," has been repaired and rem
dered secure. 1t is a two-story brick build
ing on the Courthouse square, is kept
clean, and answers very well the present
necessities of the parish. As to the pub
lie square, it is unenclosed and we under.
stand that the people of the country prefer
that it should remain so, as it furnishes
shade for their horses when they come 10
town. We, on the contrary, would pre-
fer to see it surrounded by a handsome
fence, and more densely covered with shade
trees. Rut we give both sides of the ques-
ton, as the article above quoted has
~magni6ed it into some Importance.
Our public roads require improvement.
We called the public attention to this
subject in the JOURNAL of July II, in a
we'll considered article headed "Our Public
Roads" in which we stated that our paro-
chial authorities could do but little under
our present road laws, and were therefore
not blamable. They can appoint road
overseers, but have no control over them
after they are appointed. But while we
admit that our citizens do not work their
roads as they should, we are far from ad.
hitting that the parish is in the pitiable
condition described by our neighbor, and
that "thcre are nowhere visible, in, what
concerns the public, any Of the ordinary
indications of ciuilization." We are told
by travellers that our roads and bridges
compare favorably with those of the sur
rounding parishes. So far from being
"impassable," every public road in the
parish is in a practicable condition, and
vehicles may pass over them with ease.
Several bridges are in a failing condition :;
but steps have been taken, as every one
knows who reads the proceedings of the
police jury, to repair or renew them, within
a short time. The road from Opelousas to
Washington will soon be put in a better
condition than it ever was and the bridge
at Washington, we are told, is the best
structure of the kind ever built in St.
Landry On casting our eye over the
Parish, we have failed to see things as
they have been caricatured by the Courier.
Figures Of Hyperb6le, like that we have
quoted from our neighbor, are allowable in
fiction and poetry ; but it is very unlikely
that they will serve "to invite immigra-
ton. or to cheer the saddened and despond-
ing hopes of those whose lot has been cast