The Opelousas journal. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1868-1878, 1873-07-05
The Great Picnic of Hope
Hook & Ladder Co. No. Z. VI

officers of the Hook & Ladder Com
pany extended to us an invitation to be
present, and participate in their picnic
of the I'd inst. It is useless to tell Our
readers we went. OF course we did,
for who ever heard of a man in our lit
tie village neglecting the opportunity
of joining such a crowd of good fell
lows" qCithout e~rceph0W, as are. to be
found in the ranks of the Hope Hook IL
Ladder No. l..
At about ten o'clock A. NJ. our town
was awakened from it's dull lethargy by
the stirring strains of our Brass Band
composed of the young men of our town,
all of whom, we believe, are members
of the said company, which marched
down Main street at the head OF the
company which carried along with them
their Truck beautifully ornamented
and festooned withfowers and wreaths,
and looking more like "a thing Of life"
than anything we ever saw "0n Vheets'
before. Our gallant Boys in theirhand"
some uniforms, the inspiring strains
of the best amateur Band in the State,
and last but not least, the delightful
breeze which was her blowing from
the direction of the cool and shady
v which had been selected as the
place for the picnic, urged us to hurry
up the Harvesting of "old grey" After
a pleasant drive of ten or fifteen min
utes we found ourselves on the planta-
ton of our fellow-townsman (and a
member of the company MI. James o..
Chachere, and within n of the most
beautifully shaded yards in the Parish.
Under large oaks and pecan trees over
fifty years of age, whose boughs were
entWined forming q dense and cool
shade, were seen gathered the members
of the company. We hardly had time
to get out of u buggy, ere a "free
American citizen of African descent
had the reins in his hands ready to take
charge of our steed, and more than one
cordial grip" from the members told
us far better than words, welcome"
Numbers Of the company were lounging
upon the broad piazza of the dwelling,
forming a more than beautiful picture
in their handsome and tasteful uni
ferns of blue, and naught was heard,
on every side, but laughter and jest.
We had not proceeded far in u search
for the merliest group, when we were
taken possession of by that prince of
good fellows, and owner Of the planta-
ton, Mr. Jas. O. Chachere, who conduct
ed us to the shade of a venerable oak
tree at whose roots. was snugly en-
sconsed two or three kegs of Lager, and
several baskets of wine, with ice and
goblets ad kbitum. May be our readers
think we belong to the Temperance So
ciety, or our wife told us not to drink
more than we could conveniently hold.
All of those things you may think, and
keep on thinking, but if you think we
did not hide ii blushing face behind
a foaming glass of Lager, you think
a--a-a something detrimental
to the quality Of that Lager, or deroga-
tory to our character of a truthful re-
porter. We did doit, and feel good YET
from the soothing influence Of some
eight or ten (none ofyourP Pony Glasses,
glasses of that same dew of Heaven
not eounting.sev-e-r-i-al drops of rye
ETC., etc. (etc. means Claret, Champagne
and some more Rye.) Our clothes (not
our spirits) were suddenly dampened
by a falling shower, and all rushed tt
the large and commodious residence
of our host, whose doors had from The
beginning Of the gathering, beenthroWr
wide open in true Southern style. ON
friend "Jemn is not married, SO we were
told to take off our coats and make our
selves happy, which "you bet" we did
not being trameled Eve mean honored
by the presence Of ladies. Cigars wert
lit by the smokers, glasses freshly flle(
by the sensible men, and with tru,
happiness depicted upon every face, w
took seats, tried to get our feet highe
than our heads, and listened to the de
1ightful music from the "Opelousa
Band All was jollity and good hume
within that house. Old men forgo
their wrinkles and grey hairs, married
men forgot their wives, and young me-
theirdulcineas during the time they wer
together.
At about two O'Clock the rain begal
to pour down in torrents, and many be
ganto wonder, w1atmagicianewas goin
to eause to spring up a table Of sufi
cient length and size to feed such
crowd. We were not long in suspense
for in the twinkling Of an eye the beau
tiful ladders which lay upon the True
were ~disengaged, and in a second
table forty or fifty feet long was erect
ed, and seats composed of two othe
ladders. As canvass was spread owe
the top, and soon the Steward, Mr.. Pei
ferkOrn# was seen m~arshalling in b
crowd of Walters, bearing upon the
shoulders everything to tempt the tast
and appetite of the most fastidiou
Beet, mutton and various other mea
barbeeued to aturn, caused each man
the crowd to sniff the breeze, ndloose
his belt. It would tire our readers WI
We're not present, and perhaps nal
them feel badly that they were n
there, five went into detail and enume
ated the banquet of good things beneat
which the table groaned. Suffice to s;
the guests were first invited out to tai
seats By Che courteous officers of q