The Planters' banner. [volume] (Franklin, Attakapas Co., Lou.) 1849-1872, 1870-04-13
Grande Pointe,


Grand Polnte is situated above Erearx Bridge on I
east bank of the bayou, and has on the bayou
miles in extent from Breaux Bridge the line
the Lestrapes plantation; the settlement extends ba
five or six miles from the bayou
This settlement includes about one hundred and If
Creole families they live in islands timber COY
OF rairle and cultivate cotton tobacco coru ard son
cane The country is beautiful and land cJ Ic pc
tie H'e Iii small cheap houses, many of them
Industrious, and they generally out of debt.
they keep up the old Creole custom of having neia
oood balls every Saturday night; the balls general
" made up of the and daughters small Creole farm
ers, who work all day, and dance at night There L.
no: less than sixty fddes and ddlers this settemen
they are merry people; and those who think tn
young ladies don't know how to arrange their hair an
primp for the ball room, make themselves loo
attractive TO the beaux simply mistaken
These Creole families are very friendly with eacl
other, and are Dpubled but little with the jeaousitS an
quarrels which sometimes affiict neighborhoods the
are extremely sociable and obtain large amour .f so
eial enjoyment at a small expense So
The timber in Grande ENina four miles back from IL.
leche Is gum pecan, oak ash, elm and blackberry The
lands here look dry cooleys and ravinss -
lands in the timber further back; whole sheet o
country drains WE'LL ami some of these rijs scvcra
miles back from the bayou were out of water in the
overflow of 1867
| Natural bitches.
The sheet cf prairie either side of the Teche is
everywhere groved with raSi1nS Sbiek extend back
many miles to the bayouS swan fs and 1es They are
natures ditches and take off all the surplus that
falls in showers, or long continued rains. -
Home Manufactures.
On the Magenta plantation the properly of Mir. ehas
| DE on tle sill.
above Breanx Bridge, they have. saw mill, blacksmith
shop turning lathe and wagon shop Mr.. Edward Kis-
sacks, chief manager and mechanic the plantation
made a splendid dumping wagon last year HTeche
grown white oak hickory and ash, at $780, which would
have cost sa5 in the city. He thinks plows, wagons,
I names, buckets, wooden ware brooms and all such
things should be made on the banks OF the bayou.
Game aud Fishes.
In the amount of game and fishes this exeeS ali of the
other parishes. Hunters, and fishermen and fishing
parties have sport this parish amy
of the year
More has been given to cotton than cane, in
this parish but both crops flourish we'll and the yield is
remuneriyc and satisfactory. The sell everywhere
fresh. rich and easy of cultivation
St. Martin, 1850 and 1859.
In the pear $50, before the parish was divided it con-
tanned 22o farms, and $40 dwellings, population, 44O
Whites free co!ored, J3I; slaves 535 total niO7 Its
Surface was then estimated at l III square miles.
In 1e59 the cultivated lands of ST. Marin were as fol-
lows:
Cultivated in sugar cane S3i2 acres; in cotton 1lS
aces; in corn, Il, ass
Stale tax in 1852 s49s4 parish tax sg4i7 State and
parish taxes, s24,43
Largest Crop Of Sugar.
In 1858 the sugar crop of ST. Martin amounted 10 |
l34s hogsheads molasses, year. about 600 bar.
res. |
I:ems-Parish of St. hIarsiu.
Corn is often sold in st. Martin thirty five to ty
cents 6ushel Sweet potatoes usually sell seventy
i've cents barrel, or twenty five br1 No soil
acre than mat OF 81. Martin.
Mr.. Thorn, on the upper Tcche seven miles above |
Breaux Bridge in 1862 cultivated go with
hands He made about 5000 bushels Of corn, and had
about 100 acres cane. He cutvates with number
seven plow, drawn by one horse. |
He has White Chester hog, brought from Ohio less
than year old, whose live weight is 100 pounds
He thinks them the grass eating hogs for this
Try.
Colorcd laborers in StMartin work well and peace
able and well disposed |
Mr. Erwin, who has place on the bayou below Breaux
Bridge has eleven pecan One year he lost two
thirds of his crop and sold the balance hundred
and seventy dollars His best prices hirtyve dol
lars barrel; the bear well every years.
Between St Marnvile and the Junction there is land
enough for 1000 fine farms of hundred each
The praries and woodlands of St. Martin the distan,
swamps excepted high and airy, and country
be more healthy than this
Gen DeCouet is selling twenty lots of excellent
land at twenty five dollars acre.
They make carote tobacco at Grande Poin,e in this
parish; the yield from acre, will make 100 carrote
of two pounds each; they sometimes make three crops
in year. crops from suckers after the first crop is
saved. |
Mr. Alfred Lestrapes who owns over leCO0 acres OF
fine land in this parish offers sell lands in quantities
to suit purchasers, at reasonable ratss.
Prairie Gros Chevrcul extends from the lower line OF
the Iestfapcs plantation to Arnandve nine miies.
The rise in the Teche above Breaux Bridge in the
overflow of 1867 thirteen feet and six inches; the
banks of the bayou twenty feet hghthc second
bank nearly thirty feet
Bayou Fuselier connects with Bayou Eernion. by |
cleaning out these bayous small steamers could reach
vcr,nilion Bay from Bayou Teehc, by this ROUTE
By deepening a ravine mile aud ha If in length,
ga.on could be opened between the CorabIeau and
Teche. Steamers have passed through this ravine in
high water, from the Cortableau to the Teche
The Southern States are beginning to cul- |
tivate China grass to be used as a substitute
for silk. A machine and process for its pre-
paration have already been patented. The |
planters have raised the most OF |
this grass; but they sell it in London, where
it is worked into what are called japanese
,ilks.
80 ----
Tc1, 81, 10, 1,n,r