The Planters' banner. [volume] (Franklin, Attakapas Co., Lou.) 1849-1872, 1870-03-23


FowLs-PMCE OF LaNDs-NAvIGAuoN-HEAL
MINERAL AND OTHER RESOURCES - SOCIETY -
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES GAME--FISHEs-RAIL-
RoADs-MARKETs-scENERY Observation-Disclosures
LAKEs-BAYs -BAYoUs-RIvERs-FoRE
OTHER MATTERS OF INTEREST TO STRANGERS AND
IMMIGRASTs
To be published from week to week in series of art,
cles IN the PLANTERS BANNER the whole to reappear in
Circslsr. accompanied by Map of the Six Parishes
described, by
D. BENNETT, Editor Planters Banner.
PARISH OF ST. LANDRY.
It's Area and Physical Character.
The parish of ST. Landry contains about l $50 900
acres, about equally divided between woodland and
prairie About hreequarters of the land is for
planting and grazing purposes 1t is well watered by
numerous bayous, running streams, and branches an
clothed with a generous growth of timber, in many
Fsaces mile wide The land is generally undulating,
and drssns we'll Between the timbered streams fine
natural meadows spread clothed nine months
the year with grass that sustans herds of cattle
and horses.
The soil-Face of the Country.
fed by springs. take their rise Here the country is
somewhat hly, and is covered with a dense forest of
PINE oak ash walnut hickory and other valuable
estrees. Here also found fine mineral sprin gs
which are much resorted to by nvalds and which pos
sess great curative qualities Here considerable
posits Of lnestOne from which, for ONE consumption,
is made very excellent me and a fine bed of marble,
which is susceptible of beautiful polish and is valuable
for the making of mantle pieces, monuments, etc.
The soil in the middle and lower portion is excellent
resting subsoi of fine brown or greysh clay which
when plowed up, exposed to the weather, and mixed
with surface soil is rich the upper That sub
ject to overflow being rich alluva inexhaustibe and
adaptsa to all the products phis latitude The son of
the prai generally mellow, and easy of cultivation
Grass all portions of the parish except the cult
waited fields surfaces covered by forests by water
More than half million of scres of in s. Landry
not under fence The greater portion of the wealth
st. Landry has been obtained from oattleand hesss
the prairiea raised withsut hay shelter On these
praries hundred thousand tons of hay might be made
yearly for the New Orleans and other markets.
Darby's Observation-Disclosures and Herds.
In Dartys Geosraphicar Description Of the saas Of
louisiana published in the year 1917 when the Sabine
was the western boundary Of the parish Of St. Landry
nve miles southwest and northeast. ana Is rwsnsyn!e
miles wide. contaning than 600 acres. ssca.
sive of the numerous points owoods that fringe itsmar
gin os al sdes This prairie begins north
west Of opeousas church. and gradually opening to the
southwark, sends out vsrious branches between the
bayous.
OF - hsrdsas tho. seen on te prairies, the samr
-l,:oh ~<F<r
subsistence b the natives and the inhabitants Of New
Oseans is csainly one Of the most agreeable view.
Of
0eAats meeAja wild confusion The mind feels glow
Of corresponding innocent enjoyment with those useful
s5s ans aeus would keep sheiy
nnee fancy Veuld transpOS them backwards into the
pastoral ages Allowing an~nimal = 6e produced from
thousand be yearly reared and transported from th
prairie alone, which, at of ten dollars Pc
head would amount to two million four hundred thou
sand dollars.
At the time the above article written, the yea
1917 Mr. Darby estimated the herds Of the three creates
stock owners of the country Mr. wikoH in the Calca
sieu Prairie Mr.. Fontenot, in Prairie Mamou an
mr. Andrus, In Opelousas, at twenty thousand head
Long after Mr. Dsrby's day, the Dupre and Wikoi
families the widow Guidry owned over 90 600 head
horned cattle, and more than 600o horses The stoc
rassrs Of the parish owned 100000 head of cattle
and 30 900 horses.
The Timbersd Bottoms.
The timbe red bottoms rich, and excellent fo
sugar rice cotton corn sweet Irish potatoes peas
tobacco melons, pumpkins, hay gardens. fruits, ETC.
richer lands be found anywhere. They heavil
tmbered with the best of sugar wood and the swamp
inexhaustble supply Of the best of timber
building purposes and for hossheads and barrels ft
| sugar planters.
Baycus, Rivers and StReAms.
The Atchafalaya on the east this parish
| steamboat navigation with New Orleans The Bayo
Courtabeau formed by the junction of the Crocodile
Beuf affords good navigation to Washington the ent
year. with slight and occasional interruption during
| summsr The route is down the Courtabeau to II
Atchaaya thence up the latter to the Mississippi rive
| and thence to the city.
The Bayou Beuf is the channel of transportation f
planter, by of barges to Washington and ii
Crocodile affords of transportation to the lumb
men. The Plaquemine Brullee, the Mallet, the Can
| and the Nex Pique fine streams. but not navgab
The Mermentau, formed by the Nez Pique, Cane, Al
plaquemine Bruilee is fine navigable stream;
ascend it some 20 miles for lumber. which is taken
/ Texas Havana, and the Mexican ports Upon the
streams are found large bodies Of TIMBER suitable for
the purposes of building and fencing, and afford
failing supply of water for stock.
The parish has 80 miles of navigable waters.
0vsrdoWs.
Portions of St. Landry en- the Atehaflaya and some
the bayous are subject to overflow when Grand Lev
gives way but Of the lands have never been inu
dated since the parish has been inhabited by white
and never can be.
And even the overAowed lands may be convert
into rice plantations to extent reclaimed VII
the eyees of the Mississippi and Atchafaaya are M