New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1873-09-03
FROM TERREBONNE PARISH.


in this portion Of the Pelican State, sends
you few items which may be of interest
to yeur readers.
The corn in this parish may be considered
as thIee-tourths ruined owing to the preva-
lence Of bng continued rains. In one por-
ton of the parish l am informed that dur
ing the past l10 days it has thundered every
day, rained eighty-one days, and that sew
enty-six inches Of water have fallen during
that time. In the face OF this heavy rain
fall the corn upon the high lands is as good
as usual, while every piece of low or i'm
perfectly drained land is total failure
with corn.
Rice, wherever planted, has turned out
well, but many Of the smaller planters have
failed to see the importance Of the rice
crop, and consequently il has not received
as much attention as it deserves. The
most successful of our rice growers are our
native Creoles, but owing to their lack of
proper machinery for cleaning and mar
keting, they do not realize as much prof.on
their crops, as in other parishes.
ouO S0AC-WCll, ACAAooVAAO pdI1su LIDS
the cane and to spare, At first the stubble
came up very badly and nearly every one
prophesied miserable failure of the cane
crop. Many Of the more explrienced
planters commenced putting on guano and
cotton seed as compost, and although late in
the season it succeeded wonderfully. Your
correspondent had the pleasure of recently
visiting two plantations belonging to julius
Lapene, Esq, of your city, and was sur
prised to see the vast difference between
the cane with guano or cotton seed applied
and that grown without. The difference in
favor of the composted cane is fully four
red joints at the present writing. But stub
BILE and plant cane are both doing Fl nelly
in this parish, and experienced judges be-
ieve that our cane crop will exceed that Of
last year, and as this is the great staple of
this parish, there is much satisfaction ex-
pressed at the fine appearance Of the cane
fields
Politics is very quiet in this section.
existing order of things, and we'll satisfied
with the officers elected. In fact. politi
ly, Houma especially, and Terrebone parish
in general, are to be congratulated on the
ascendency of their Republicans, since they
furnish two State Senators from the little
town of Houma, thus supplying Lafou rche
and Assumption parishes, as well as them
selves. All the Republican officials are
giving satisfaction, and matters seem to De
very harmonious to outsiders.
The police jury have determined to have
good roads, and the road inspector, P eter
Smith, Esq, is fulfilling his post of inspec-
ton in manner truly creditable.
Hon. p O'Hara, the parish judge, has
gained deserved encomiums from all parties
and classes, by his impartial decisions On
the bench Personally, the judge is great
favorite with all his acquaintance. His
vast fund of good humor, as well as his
extended experience in the political arena,
render his opinion and advice much sought
for. There is also another point with the
judge which is highly commendable, es-
pecially in these our later days of grab
while-you-can. This point Is his infexible
honesty and uprightness. He has held sew
eral very responsible positions, and during
his entire period of political and public
service, the breath of calumny has been
unable to fasten spot upon his record, or
stain on his reputation. A true Republi-
can from principle, he stands among his
peers as the embodiment of honor-an up
right and impartial Judge. 1 should be
invidious, perhaps, if l omitted to name his
able clerk, Anthony Drayton, Esq, or our
rising representative, Hon. N. ii. Keys,
whose persistence and energy in the cause
Of the Republican party, have won him an
enviable name among the State legislators
What strikes stranger OIL entering this
parish is the fact that there is not an acre
of land to be sold on any terms-cash or
credit. Situated among the very lowest of
the lowlands, with all the alluvial ric hness
of hundreds of years of deposits from the
Mississippi, Terrebonne Tor good land) par
ish is the home of the cane and the natural
producer Of rice But while nature has
done wonders, art has been unable to make
a drain sufficient to clear the swamps of
their surplus water. Nature, having fur
nished the finest system of inland naviga-
tion in the shape OF bayous and inland arms
OF the sea, extending in some places to the
very banks of the sugar cane fields, has been
unaided by mans efforts to accomplish even
boat sailing in many of the most impor tant
tributaries of navigation. The swan ps are
filled with the finest cypress, ash, gum,
maple and cottonw ood, and yet the roads
to get timber or wosa out are corduroy or
mud to the axles.
1t is safe to assert that the cane crop OF
this parish could be quadrupled with
very little comparative laber. Rice, nearly
as profitable as cane, could be increas ed
hundred fold by clearing out the bayous
and using the proper draining mach ines.
Tobacco grows in such profusiOn that one
wonders why it is not cultivated and cured
for the market. Alas flor mans depravity
in using it), if he will use it, why does he
allow the article to be grown and man ufac-
tured in another State, and then brought
here tor sale!
But these are not a tlthe of the actual re-
sources of the parish. Stock can be raised
more easily thah at the West, yet our meat
comes from Cincinnati Oranges grow
wild; so do figs and lines. Grapes flourish,
yet our mouths have to wait for foreign
merchant to bring our fruit to US in cans.
Your correspondent could pursue this
theme through column, but sufficient has
been said to show that our parish, if in pro-
gressive hands, would be the banner pro-
ducing parish of the State, but like other