The Opelousas courier. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1852-1910, 1870-10-29
8migrants from Canad;

We are gratifed to learn that move-
ment is on foot to obtain from, canada
the labor which is SO much MI faed in
Louisiana. DIR. A. Duperier, L:jplanter
near New Iberia, called on us s morn
ing and gave us informatie of the
movement, which we gladly Make pub
lic' believing as we do that isie South
should leave NO stone unturng ito secure
intelligent laborers for the de- plopement
of her immense resources. sThere are
millions of untitled, fertile acres within
the Southern States lying idle for tile
want of men and means to work them,
and far better is it that the men who
till them should he educated christians
than Asiatic heathens.
DR.. Duperier informs us that during
visit to Canada last July he noticed with
what an hnInense amount of labor the
laboriug classes manage to wiring
scanty living from the worn OUT soil,
which for seven months of the year is
frozen hard, and conceived the idea of
inducing them to emigrate to Louisiana,
where the fields may he titled all the
year round, and where labor reaps such
a rich reward. He accordingly wrote
comm muEications for the papers in Mon
treal setting forth the advantages of our
soil and climate, and almost imme-
diately he was Gesjesed by persons de-
string to obtain mere particular informla
ton, The result was that the Doctor
entered into contract on behalf of him
self and number of his ne'ghbors, with
Mr.. Metot, very wealthy gentleman
Of Lower Canada, Province OF quebec,
for 100 families to come at once to iIcu-
isiana. and there are already applications
for 1000 more families. The laborers
engaged contract to work ten hours per
day, performing all customary work on
sugar estates, including night and day
labor during tie sugar-making season,
for the sum of $400: SlOU Of which is to-
be advanced from time to ti1nc during
the year, and $500 paid when the crop
is secured. They will be allowed garden
spots, and everything will be done to
render their homes comfortable and
themselves contented and cheerful. Mr..
Metot, it is believed, can easily control
some 5000 families, most Of whom will
probably wait until they receive &C
counts from the 100 families now engag-
ed and en- route to New Orleans, via the
Illinois Central Railroad.
Most of these people read and write,
and understand perfectly the use of all
the improved agricultural implements;
indeed, it may be safely inferred that
men who have managed to scraFe sub
sistence from the soil of Canada will
consider the hardest labor in our Louisi-
ana lowlands mere holiday pastime.
They are peculiarly adapted to the sec
| ton for which they have been engaged,
being Catholics in religion and the
French language being their native
| tongue.
1t will be remembered that many Of
| the residents of the Teche and Opelou-
sas countries are descendants OF those
Acadians who fed thither to find peace
from persecution in their native land,
and who have been immortalzed by
Longfellow in his graceful verse.
Louisiana will, indeed, be most fortu-
nate if she succeeds in securing emf
grants of so intellig gent and civilized an
order to supply the great want which
now exists. -. - + - =
We advise our planters to give this
matter their serious attention, for inf
nitely better will it be for them to secure
such laborers as the Canadians are, than
to obtain the ChinamaD, even though the
latter could be procured for half the
price. The former are educated Chris
tians, the latter are strange to our GUS
toms, have an idolatrous religion which
they will never abandon, and will al
ways retain those peculiar characters,
tics which are 80 antagonistic to the
white race. Information relative to Ca;
madam emigrants can be obtained from
Messrs. Price, Hine g. Tupper, or from
James T. Tucker, Esq, agent Of the Lii
noiB Central Railroad.