New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1870-08-24

saw that it is a very desira able bathing place.
The beach of hard sand makes an excellent
drive, and the slope 6f the ground into the
sea is SO gradual, that long distance from
shore can be attained without getting out of
depth. As there is never any undertOw the
bathing is perfectly safe for young children.
1t is said by those versed in such matters
that the absence of undertow is owing to the
formation of bars at some distance out: at
any rate undertOw has never been known
After an excellent breakfast, rendered the
more aDpetizing by the previous bath, we
had leisure to inspect the Hotel The
word recalls generally an idea of an i'm
mense building, with numberless windows,
countless doors, and rooms apparently with
ont end abOunding in handbells, halls and
corridorA replete with slippered walters,
sliding gingerly along, napkin in hand,
intent on pecuniary Precipitation from COM
fort seeking guests. Far different from all
this is Grand Isle ''Hotel' Some twenty
five one-story houses, of various sizes and
styles, irregularly grouped along strag-
Cling street, about quarter mile long,
bearing no small resemblance to thriving
country village, constitutes the Hotel"
A building about one hundred and fifty feet
long contains a dining-rOom, calculated to
accommodate near two hundred persons.
Under the same root, and communicating
with this dining hall, is a large room scantily
furnished, but containing 1lne toned piano.
This room, which is used as general par
lor can. in connection with the dining room,
be eXtempOrized into an extensive salon de
danse. This dining-room building is on the
street above mentioned. At along distance is
building fully two hundred feet long COM
Drising the office. bar-rO0m, billiard room,
and a series of bedrooms, calculated to ae-
commodate from seventy-tiye TO one huh
dred persons. Along both sides of the
street. between the dining room and the
office are cottages standing IN an irregular
manner, Ike line of undrilled militia. All
these detached cottages are occupied each
by family, and they have great advan-
taoe in many respects, over hotels as gen
ertlly built There is more air, more pri-
vacy, more yard room, and feeling OF
home difficult to experience in occupying
sin gle room in large building. All these
cottage are at a distance from the building
containing the bar-room and lodging rooms
for single men.
The distribution of the hotel" into va
r;ous buildings far apart has this great ad
vantage. that the various classes who be-
come its guests are never in each others
way The privacy and quiet of invalid wO-
men and sickly children are never disturbed
by the hilarious uproariousness OF that va
riety of the genus homo who do not go home
till daylight doth appear.
not. however, according to any devised
plan. but is the result of accident: for the
hoter' was formerly sugar plantation,
and the various buildings consist of the for
mer sugar mill, store houses, dwelling
house, offices and quarters"
Grand Isle, with the neighboring Cheniere
Caminada. has no small historic interest,
for in the old time it was. II the legend be
true one of the principal resorts OF the cele-
.al 7 + Ty-As riyl nrnha-
bic pirate. In fact there are no localities IN
the ne;ghborhood with which the name of
Lattte is not more or less connected. The
Island is nine miles long, and from three
quarters to a mile wide, running nearly from
east 10 west. 1t is bounded on the northern
side by Caminada Bay and on the Southern
by the Gulf of Mexico. The eastern end of
the island is still in possessl OF the descen-
dants of its first owner Francois Rigaud,
who is said to have been a lieutenant Of
LATTE. He died in the year 1875. aged
ninetyeight years.
The western portion of the island origin
ally belonged to Louis Chighizola, also con-
| nected with Latitte. Both Rigand and
| Chishizola held their land under old Span
| ish titles. Clnghizola was known in the
| latter part of his time by the nickname OF
| Nezcoupe (cut-nose), he having had his nose
| cut across by Latitte, in q dispute origin
| the western half of Grand Isle passed, by
| purchase. into the possession of Rivas Col
minerO who commenced the cultivation OF
sugar. subsequently Colminer0 sold to
Juan de Egana. who made number OF I'M
| provements, among others constructing a
| draining machine. at cost OF thirty thou
sand dollars. The place continued to be
cultivated as sugar plantation lat one
time raising as much as seven hundred hogs
| I-A ,ria q n
not fully explained, the sugar produced
was found to have a saline taste mingled
with the saccharine. 1t has generally been
| accounted for by reference 10 the mlscul
ture of a new manager; but why the man
y ger was not abandoned instead of the cul
tivation OF the cane, has not been stated.
However. it is known that after sugar grow
ing had been abandoned, an attempt was
| made during two years to cultivate Sea
Island cotton But it was unsuccessful, and
| the cultivation OF Grand Isle, as planta
| ton. ceased.
Sometime in 1865, Juan de Egana died,
| and at his succession sale the western end
of Grand Isle passed into different hands,
Cott, Wlloz, Mioton, Commandeur and
others. The principal purchasers at the
time We're Dir. Harvey (of canal celebrity
and H. Margot. The purchase OF these gen
tlemen contained all the buildings formerly
constructed for plantation use, and the pro
.ject OF establishing watering place was at
once carried ont. Mr.. Harvey subsequently
sold his moiety of the property to his asso
| ciate. Mr. Margot, by whom, il connection
with his sons, the concern is now carried on
There are many points OF interest con
necteI with Grand Isle, as a former resort
of men of violence, whose hands were
turned against every man, and who held as
cardinal article Of faith, that there was
no peace beyond the line Doubtless, the
researches of the antiquarv would be well
repaid. Among the antiquities OF tht
island we may mention the 0fcienne ma'So''
| Rigaud which still stands on Ri2aud
Point. and on the walls of which are re-
corded the several risings of water that
have taken place during the present cen
tury viz: in 1872, 1881 and 1862.
Since the sale of the western portion OF
Grand Isle. at Egana's succession, there
are several family residences erected Oh
the island, the principal one being that OF
Mr.. Willoz. The island grows every varf
ETY. of the melon kind, figs, peaches, grapes
| and other fruit. The only resource tor fuel
is the drift wood driven ashore by the
waves of the Gulf of Mexico; this, though
is more than ample. 1t may surprise our
readers to know that, distant as Grand lsie
Is being reached by long days steam yoy
age, it constitutes a.portion OF the parish ol
Jefferson, right bank, which adJoins the
Fifth District of New Orleans.
The western part of the island has passed
into the hands of parties who will, sooner
or later, improve the property to grca'
extent. But the half retained by the family
Of Rigaud, which possesses all the lnertnesS
and jealousy of innovation characteristic o.
les onciens habitonS, will probably remain
a generation or two yet without the leao
sign Of vivitcation Or improvement
When the wind blows from certain