Richland beacon., 1878-03-02
BY THE EDITOR.
RESOURCES.


The resources of this parish are its
fertile soil. its abundant supply of
timber and It's transportation facilities,
for there are no minerals that have
ever been discovered therefore, we
will take up first. the very important
subject of our supply of
WATER,
Of which we have an abundance for
both man and beast, especially during
the wet season. Our drinking water,
as well as that used for culinary and
washing purposes, is obtained from
cisterns and wells. mostly from the
latter. The most of the wells in use
are drove wells, which are made by
driving iron pipes into the ground
from 90 to so feet deep. The process
is easy, simple and quick, as it never
requires more than six or eight hours
TO drive the pipe down and adjust the
pump; and the supply of water thus
obtained is abudant and the quality
nearly always good, much better than
that of dug wells. which have almost
entirely gone cut of use. These wells
are never failing, and are not eXpen-
sive. The stock that run upon the
range obtain water from the sloughs,
creeks, bayous, lakes and rivers.
TIMBER
covers our forests in great abundance
and variety. 1t consists of oak, ash,
hickory, gum, walnut, elm, cher
ry, holly, cypress and pine (n small
quantity, the most valuable of which
for the manufacture of lumber, is cy-
press, because it is as durable as cedar,
freer of knots and flaws, is soft and is
easily worked. here are many large
and valuable cypress brakes in our
parish, that could be manufactured
into thousands of dollars worth of
lumber, and we therefore consider
them as among our most valuable
resources There is hardly enough
pine 10 the parish to be of much
value.
The hardwood timlers are of the
greatest abundance and of excellent
quality. Hence, the supply for the
manufacture of hardwood lumber is
inexbaustible. 1t is also valuable as
firewood, the ash and hickory, as is
well known, being the very best of
xunou for that pnrpOCa
TRANSPORTATION.
F. The Vicksburg, Shreveport and
Texas rai,ioad runs centrally through
the parish, from east to west, which
gives US daily communication with
the Mississippi river and with all the
country east of that greatest of all
our majestic rivers; the Bayou Macon,
our east boundary line, is navigable
during the winter and spring; so also
is BGuf river, which runs through
the center of the parish; and hoth
these streams give US communication
with New Orleans from four to six
months during the year-and that TOO,
at q time when transportation is
needed most for the removal of the
crops Hence, our transportation ia
cilities are unsurpassed by any coun-
try, either for rapid transit or healthy
competition.
We thus have an outlet at all times
to all the marts of the world; and the
producer can choose either New Or
leans, Vicksburg or Monroe for his
market, all of them being excellent
markets for anything that is produced
on the farm or plantation. frem doz-
en- eggs or a pound of butter to q
thousand bales Of cotton, for we are
in constant daily communication with
the two last named cities. Or if be
prefers to cell them at home, be can
nearly always find purchasers at
good prices in tie towns of our own
parish.
The largest town in the parish is
Delhi, which is situated on o beauti-
full elevation, one mile west of the
Bayou Macon and directly on the
Vicksburg, Shreveport & Texas rail-
road, aud is the railroad shipping
point of West Carroll aud Franklin
parishes, and the larger portion Of the
first ward of Ricbland; and is, there
fore, q town of considerable i'm
porlance in q commercial point Of
view, and is, we think, destined to be
of great importance as a manufactur-
ing town. The people of the town
are generally public-spirited, iutelli-