New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1871-01-07
The 1Ii!IaudGn Plantation.

4 New Orleans correspondent; Of the
r,ttsbmrs Paper visited the ice manu-.
factory he:r an,: tue Miuandon sugar
plantation. He writes:
After leaving the ice house We concluded
to pay i. visit to one oi the largest sugar
Plantations i'll Louisiana. situated almost
opposite the city OF New Orleans. known
before. the war az the celebrated Nillaudoli
plantation. and now owned ny Amos II.
Merrill ESD. OF Boston. and his chief
superintendent and manager IS Major
Joseph ii. Kingsley. also "f Boston, and
formerly g,,artcrmaStcr II Genera! Banks
army. Mr.. Merrill is q thorough gentleman
and Ills good wife Il perfect lady. and 70
them bot1 Mr.. Fletcher and myself owe ~
debt of gratitude for hospitaities not often
received by strangers so tar from home: in
fact We were made to feel ourselves at
home .ghi.e % the plantation. Major
, Kingsley is II prince Of good fellows. and
thoroughly understands k;- business. and
one OF the few who never "cvies enough
Mr.. Merrill took possession OF tbs pl;!n:a-
ton Janatry !. 1870. and Immediately COM
mcnced. under nauy difficulties, 10 plant
sugar cane.
Mr.. Merrill concluded to try Chinese
| labor. and beng the pioneer OF Louisiana
! in that respect. he imported ore hundred
| and forty OF these cue haired gentlemen, ut
| u
| and landed them IL New Orleans. July ;.
| 1870, and up to the present time he is happy
! to inform us that they are perfect success.
! OF course they had 20 learn The art of r;.is-
| Ing sugar cane but they were found to be
art scholars in every branch belonging to
| il. We had the pleasure CT seeing them
! cutting and preparing cane. There are EN-
! ployed on this plantation at present about
! one hundred cUiored hands and one hum
| jr.l o,I t.r,v Cinnamon The laffApsG
! eighteen dollars III gold per month, and
ruticns and houses to live in. They work
! ten hours each day, and seem 10 enjoy
| themselves very well, and seem perfectly
contented. 1t is d very interesting sight TO
see fifty or sixty of them handling the cane
knife, and johnny is making himself very
! handy about the sugar mills. lie seems to
I rather have a liking for that kind Of work;
in fact, they can be taught to do any kind
of work. aud when once taught they don't
! forget it.
Mr.. Merrill devoted the day showing us
| his plantation and his two large and extern
| sIyc sugarhouscs, which were i'll full opera
ton grinding and boiling sugar, which. to
u.s. was very interesting. being the first
time we ever saw sugar made ON large
; scale.
THIS plantation contains about ten thou
sand acres, fronting about one mile on the
Mississippi river and extending back about
ten miles. There is about five thousand
acres covered with heavy cypress timber,
which is very valuable. and the balance is
, mostly cleared land. He raised this year
about eight hundred acres OF cane and !:
| large quantity of corn. His crop will be
about eight hundred l,ogsl,eads Of sugar
and about one thousand barrels of molassess,
and next wear lie will raise perhaps double
| the amount with the same expense, having
| Eiany difficulties to overcome the present
wear
This plantation. before Che war. was very
| valuable. ant | am informed by good au
| thority that the former owner. Mr.. Milllu
| don, refused the sum OF twelve hundred
thousand dollars for it and the slaves be-
longing to it, some five hundred i'll number.
Mr. Merrill, the present owner, bought II Ill
june 1863, for the rcIu;,rka bic small SUN OF
enc hundred and scvcuty-ive thousand
dollars cash, and | should DC SAT" i'll sayin.
tia. one hundred and scvcnty -tive thou
sand dollars did not pu: much more
than half the Improvements omit. Every
Improvement has been made in The best and
most substantial manner. One OF the
! sugar houses is situated directly on the
bank of the river, AID the other one is some
four miles back. Nj. Mclrilfs mansion Is
also situated OF the bank u the river over
looking the city OF New Orleans. 1t ia q
most delight full and charming place, and en-
t;reIy free from yellow fever.
On returning with Mr.. Merrill from our
drive To the further sugar house. OF what Is
generally termed the back plantation. If
was after dark and his excellent lady had 4
fine supper prepared for rs, which was duly
rclislcd and fully appreciated After spend
ing Il very pleasant evening, we retired fol
the night to dream of what VIC had wit
messed during the day. III the morning We
partoo.s OF one Of Mrs. MeG:ill's excellent
| good oli-tlshioned breakfasts. which was
rclish,,i with will. after which we en-
banked for New Orleans. III company viii
Hr. Merrill. whose business called him Il
;he city that day.
[ .. 1lrn1t.- American IYnNlin il NnINH