The Planters' banner. [volume] (Franklin, Attakapas Co., Lou.) 1849-1872, 1870-03-30
FRANKLIN PARISH


'EUNESDiIs MAkCH 3O 1870.
l. Beau Basin
It Ihe road leading from Vermilionve to Grand Coteau
runs through beautiful agricultural region calle Bea,
naSlh 1t is twelve miles from VermiIonve to the Ca,
and about half distance from the roa
'"o eastern boundary of Beau Basin. which is the
eastern boundary of the parish The lands near Yer
ohviiie are nearly level, but extremely productive
ie" miles NORTH between the road and the bavou the
surface becomes beautifully rolling
lhe gentle slopes and long tortuous raypes NAV b,
ranked with the most delightful landscape scenery in At
'aAApas- Here we find some of the pleasant build
ing sizes III THIS enchanting country. The swells are k,
e N'ihs oosom OF the ocean after storm. Descend
ing INTO The ravnes one feels though he in
oush otthe sea, soon to rise again the mountain
wave and look out on the green The cottages
the farmers many of them neat and comfortable The
green Pastures fat cattle, fine fields Of cotton ana
corn In their proper season. Indicate rich SOIL and
prosperous population. Shade and eumps of tim
Der add greatly to the beauty of the scenery The fields
generally enclosed with nice fencing Of cypress peu
/ and posts and the lands formerly pretty well
ditchcd The country is airy, pleasant and extremely
healthy, will be shown health of the
parish.
Il Cote Gelee Hills.
The road leading from vermilionvile to New Iberia
after crossing tine Vermilion river miles from town
enters section of the parish of Lafayette called the
Cote Gelie, the Cote Geae hills This includes di
vision of country ten twelve miles in diameter south
OF Bayou Tortue east Of Vermon and both sides OF
the main road
The soil is here rich, the country beautifully undulat
ing with deeper ravnes aud higher swells than find
| Beau thrift but mo- as indie
pendent as they the north of Vermilionve Plain
dwelling houses and groves of China may be
in all directions The scenery in places is quite pctu
| rescue.
This is an open and airy country, with pleasant loca
tons for residences, admirably drained the rich
mixed with enough sand and vegetable loan make
easy of cultivation No portion he south can be more
healthful than this. St not wonder to lea
that they have full share of sickness here They nearly
al live in small houses and have close shutters and
they sleep in rooms that not well inflated They
close their doors and shutters night, and shut
pure air. Besides, they drink well water They have
but few cisterns
They obtain pieux and posts fencing in this country
nearly as cheap as they obtain them the Teche
but firevood scarce, and Is obtained by trimming their
China trees and from the woodlands that skirt the neigh
boring bayous. Upon the whole, nature has done won:
ders for this country who has twenty acres Of
land here should be short provisions for his
| family.
The range for cattle is admirable A farmer should
always have plenty of beef mutton pork butter poultry
etc. in such country And the people here really
independent They little nothing and are thriv-
| ing finely.
| Royville.
This is neat little village the open prairie about
ten miles from Vermionville river, south Cote
| Geee 1t has and pretty Catholic Church three
s'ores black smith and carriage shop, doctors Office
and several dwellings all new. l, has fine site
village and is surrounded by thrifty population with
splendid prospects ahead These prairies will before
many years settled up with small and Industrious
| farmers.
| South of R0yville.
There is fine sheet of level prairie around Royve,
and to wards Lake Pcsreur. Many stock rsers and
| small farmers live in this prairie. Some of them arr
| quite Independent.
The parish of Lafayette has many fue features which
those who merely r"-- 80, ,,ai~
aro,to .,,ro. nroperlr r.>A>--tand or appreciate
| Velmilion River.
Darby, in his Geographical Description of louisiana
thus speaks of this river
4 The praries known by the names of tn
Opeousas and Aakapas extend themselves each sid
OF the Vermion through its whoeiraverse from its
into Atakapas to its into the Gulf of Mex
leo, the distance Of one hundred miles.
Wood is much more abundant the Vernilion than
along the bank of the Teche and though the sol
may inferior in fertility it is nevertheless excellent
and the quantity greater an equal extent of river
There certainly eighty miles of the banks of the
vermion which have an back ward, two mile
which affords three hundred and twenty superficial miles
hundred and four thousand eight hundred
Some of the most beautiful settlements yet made il
Attakapas upon this river From the diversity j,
and elevation there is risk in giving the prefer
in beauty of appearance to the banks of the Yer
million over any other river IN Louisiana south OF ayo
BGuf
situations favorable to health, united to the mos
agreeable prospects, which bounded but by the hor
zon should be sought after; taste to select sites TO
buildings, its research would here be requted and b.
grated by the breezes which direct from the Gul
of Mexico Fancy itself could not form delight
range than the Carton Crow aud Cote Geiee settle
ments
extension of the Opelousas Prairie, tho eye is per
fecty enchanted.
lfa bold extent of view give vgor the nasina
ton; if the increase Of the power OF intellect bear any
proportion the of the upon one of those
eminences onght a seat of learning TO be established
There the youthful vaetudinaan of the North, would
the warm, so and vvifying air of the South, had hi
health restored and his soul enlarged Astonishing as
may sound to many do not hesitate to pronounce this
seher with the range of hills from Opelousas TN
most healthy and agreeable near the a!luval land
: louisiana.
Churches and Schools.
There are Cath olic churches white Meiho
dist churches and colored Methodist church in hi
parish. There six church e,lifces There eigh
| public schools in the parish.
4 Population-Iealth.
The white and colored population of Lafayette paris
$685. white and colored vote, 1885, white population
about 1000.
The ages of ll6 Of the Oldest native born white NAL
citizens of Lafayette, follows Ages-69 years,
81 years. 62 years GO years. 2l 6i years. 65 year.
TO- &c years. g. 81 years, 6s years, 6; 60 years,
years. Il years6 7a years, B. % years. TO- "A years.
years. 76 years l. n years, l. 7a years 70 Year
So years Il 50 yea, l; 80 years. l; ll5 years. l. toa
ll6.
Besides the above list have the names Of two Dor
in England So years and - years. in Massachusetts
90 years. and five in France, 81, 6a, Co.
49, and one % wears old
As the women of Attakapas more healthy than tn
men, the true health statistics Of the parish shoy
that there than ll6 white women Lafayett
of the ages given in the foregoing list This would max
two hundred and thirty white and women.
tives of the parish of Lafayette in white population
about 4O0O whose ages range from 60 to lis years
one sixteenth Of the population Were those who ar
native born added to the list and also those who
from prvations in the last war, the health statistic
would show to still greater advantage
There are thirty the war of 1912 in tn
parish
Four active physicians could do the entire practice o
the parish of Lafayette.
After inquiry have not been able to hear Of the
death of any young lady in Lafayette since the
a.Av