New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1873-12-28
4. Description Of the Country and the Type
and Character Of its People.

Il
sign giving an account Of life in Nortl
Louisiana, political and social, since tn
war; and I will devote this introductor.
article to brief description of the countr.
and the type and character of its people.
| Geographically. the portion of countr,
known az, NORTH Louisiana proper lies be
tween the Ouachita and Red rivers from
the Arkansas line down to near the mouth
of Red river. This scope is composed of thu
parishes of Claiborne, Union, Bossier
Webster, Bienville, jackson, Lincoln, Cald
we'll, Catahouls, Red River, Grant, VIM
and . portion of .Ouachits. ,..r .sros 2
| :, The Ouachita river bounds the eastern
border of this territory, and Red river ths
4 western.
What is more properly known as North
eastern Louisiana lies between the Missis
sippi and the Ouachita rivers, and com
prises the parishes of Tensas, Franklin
Concordia, Madison. Richland, Morehouse
Carroll and portion of Ouachita.
And what is properly known az North
western Louisiana lies between Red river
and the Texas line, and is composed of the
parishes of Csddo, DeSoto, Sabine, Natchi
tOches, Rapides, Avoyelles and portion OF
Red river. J-...
In the articles which propose to write
on this subject, l may aliude to some po'
litical events, and especially to some of the
fruits of political persecution and proscrip.
ton since the war, throughout the entire
portion of country named; but shall con-
fine my remarks mainly to that portion
lying between the Ouachi % and Red rivers.
The entire scope Of North Louisiana
proper is in the main an upland, pine hill
country, and consequently in the main very
healthy. The exception is found along the
Ouachita and Red rivers. and Immediately
on some of the larger OF the many small
bayous-for none Of them are very large;
all Astounding in the best quality of fish, but
hardly any of them being sufficient to float
a steamboat. The Dorchete is about the
only exception worth naming, and that ia
navigable only to Minden; and within six
or seven miles below Minden this bayou
changes into what is known and celebrated
as Lake Bisteneau, the largest lake in North
Louisiana, and where abundance of the best
quality of salt was made from wells during
the war. And this Lake Blsteneau changes
or runs into Loggy Bayou before reaching
Red river. $50 ,t,.. ..' ' .fe.H
North Louisiana. in its natural advan-
tages and Inducements, is not surpassed by
many localities of equal length and breadth.
Its climate is of course not altogether rs
warm as Lower Louisiana, but it is not at
all rigid at the coolest seasons. During
some winters there are frequent SHOWS,
mostly very light, and none remain on the
ground but short time. Some winters
there is scarcely "spit" of snow. Frost
comes about the last of October
Or early in November; sometimes much
later. The principal productions are cot
ton. corn and sweet potstoes-early Irish po-
tatoes doing very well-snd almost every
species of fruit and garden vegetable
growing to most luxuriant perfection. The
'oil, except along the Ouachita and Red
'ivers, and Immediately on the bayous and
axes, is light, but of good average upland
ype, producing remarkably we'll for few
'ears; and then may be easily kept invigo.
ated by proper and judicious applica-
ion of cotton seed and other fertilizers
he seasons are generally propitious,
destructive drohth hardly ever oc-
throughout the land-so
hat a good average crop is always pro-
uced. The facilities of navigation are not |
God in the main-exoeedingly inconvenient
, many localities. This is the main draw
ack. With the completion of . railroad |
ON Monroe to Shreveport, North Louisi-
IA would at once be most desirable coun-
y to live in. 1t would indeed soon 'tblos
I'M as the rose," in every material sense of
In rural and natural sense it
already so, for never had land more
'etical and romantic scenery. The rivulets
the main are Us clear as crystal. and
'arkle and whisper in the midst Of beauty,
i'd song. The forests are truly musical
it'll BIRDS for at least eight months of the
'ar. They have no ice there during the
It months, and need none, for the clear,
Id water of the wells, and the cool, spark
'g springs-all pure as crystal drops-an-
'er every purpose-quench the thirst and
ing natural health and vigor.
North Louisiana is inhabited by type of
ople which may be called mixed, whose
aracter is diversiEed-in pursuit, oualii
ton and taste. allude especially to the I
ute race. They came mostly from Geor-
!, Alabama and Mississippi, and comprise !
As perhaps all other given localities of
e scope-some of the noblest and some of q
3 basest of the human character, with the :
nal variety of intermediate intermixture. ,
g black race is more of a sameness. The s
DC is that Of almost uniform ignorance, in /
mt OF educational or acquired inforna- !,
D, and the general character that Of in. I
stry and obedience-qulte a seryile and G
most a slavish obedience-with a general ?
'ervance of law, when informed what the i
' is,, and universal religious instinct. N
t might or might not be thought strange b
It with this type and character of people, :
7 locality should have been visited and | II
'cted with human wrong and outrage b
has North Louisiana since the war. But
it is, and the story may be rold. ="
lily Hotel. December q, 1873. q
Our Father. ~
good woman. searching out the children
want one cold day last winter, tried to | nj
n door in the third story of wretched u
sc, when she heard little voice saw, of
Ill the string up high" She looked up an
saw string, wnich, on beng pulled, an
ID latch, and she opened the door upon N