The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1878-06-23

retfHeed In the types OF the populaHonl y
their manners and customs, % wen as II - GneI
Icharming lays and legends. But q the an
tiquity Of 0pelousas no monument now DC
speaks, not even the shattered and Spars
bricks left Of her mouldeTing citadeIs ruins
that resounded of yore with the steps OF Gas
TILES chieftains and Argonaut warriors u
cleaning mail arrayed.
The din of war is hushed forever, and in
stead Of the "gules and gold banner tina
i formerly waved on Its e1nbattled parapets
instead Of the lowered azure pennant Q
latter days, the Union Jack now unfurls 1t
| sky h1les and stars In the breeze.
THE NAToHEz BUanER.
Amid the clusters and clumps of trees tina
| shade few stores on the main street OF Ope
| lousas there are still to be seen few founda
| ton traces Of the revered Gayoso's mansion
AS the death of the old Governor occurred
on the eighteenth Of July, 1893, the post com
mander, who had been his bugler and com
panion In numerous Natehez wars, looket
| upon the sad event as an omen of Louisiana
doom.
When the colors ofthenoble house OF Lemof
| and GayosO were taken down from midfnasl
/ to the earth, the old bugler stole away with
them and hid them In his private chambers,
His grief taught him that he was utterly
unable to break UP with his former habits
and that even death could not separate him
from his gallant commander, whose memory
he retained as vivid as II life was still there to
animate it.
He therefore retained as his personal body
guard the eight privates, two cOrpprals and
single sergeant, who constituted his Catholic
Majesty's garrison of Opelousas, and gave
up Immediately his moral command to his
appointed successor, who was too ambitious
TO resent the old soldiers whimsical satire.
Meanwhile, In the Lemos mansion, at sum
set and sunrise the clarion was sounded In
the paL1eiO, the men drawn up In line and
drilled by their venerable and self-appointed
nh m In fba Iatr faf hia
mand.
This scene required every day till years had
rolled by. and on one fine morning, when the
town was rejoicing at L0uisIana'5 admission
into the Union, and while tifes, drums and
trI1mpets were eeholng loud the massive gates
of the Gay0so mansion were thrown open, and
instead of the sturdy old bugler, corpse en-
wrapped In the azure folds Of the Lemos ban
ner was being borne towards the church on
the shoulders Of four Spanish fdntassjns.
Instead of the Natchez clarions usual
sound, the muffled drum rolled O funeral
march, the final sortie of the sturdy old
Spanish warrior, who still preceded, though
In his bier and for the last time, the faithful
body-guard, whose c0mplacent companion
ship had helped to shed some dews Of solaee
on the last years of his pining affections and
pride.
Save in such "reminiscences the material
tracks OF Opelousas legends and romance
have withered away and decayed with time
iehVIuR no EuOEB bHUglDIe OF visible traces
than q few armoried t0mbstones or engraved
marble slabs IN the cemetery. But the peo-
pies hearts and memory have been true to
their traditions, and they have lovingly pre-
served every one OF them.
Beneath the mansions lofty roof or under
the low thatched covering Of the prairie cabin,
when the swift winter nUrther blows his
parching breath over the meadows and lawns
the family circle near the cleaning hearth
are listening to the legends Of yore, and the
generations that grow form their mind and
hearts In likeness to those at the revered de-
parted sclons OF the old races, their ancestors
and models.
Previous TO the war, and perhaps now to n
more limited extent, .Opelousas was not only
q iars commercial, but also great social
centre of Western Louisiana
1t iS still the most important trading post
of the interior, sending its goods and reeeiv-
ing the produce to and from the 10000 inhab-
itants that are settled on the immense area of
st. Landry and Calcasieu. forming nearly
one-fifth Of the whole area Of Louisiana.
The progress of Opelousas and of the vast
unsettled country around it depends upon
the completion OF the Texas and Pacific rail-
roads. There are no less than 10000 acres
OF land to settle in the Opelousas country
or would be an Improbable investment, be-
cause OF the expense and difficulties of access to
and from market. Yet railroad line through
those prairies will open an endless avenue of
teeming and thrifty farms, whose products
and supplies would naturally come to and be
taken from Opelousas.
Investments in the town property or In the
parish lands would surely prove profitable,
since the New Orleans Pacific tapping Ope-
ousas, will be completed In q year with the
aid extended it by the State, while Morgans
Louisiana and Texas link to Texas will reach
here within this year also.
PARISH GEOLOGY. MINERALoeY AND Topoa-
RAPHY,
st. Landry belongs to the bluff formation of
he pOst-tertiary age in all it's area west Of the
JOurtableau, with lew outcrops OF the ere
aceous formation. The remaining eastern
,art Of the parish belongs to the aIluvial
ormation, with few slopes of the bluff for
nation ending In 1t.
Hence the tertiary forms the basis of the
iplands, and the post-tertiary constitutes al
most everywhere else the surface.
Inc first CretaceolS 0utcrUpS noticeable In
IT, Landry occur at point some seven miles
vest OF Chicot, and consist Of Il gray lime
tone OF good quality for burning into lime
md Of sufficient hardness to be- used as q
building stone.
The second outcrop is 30 be found in the
lezpique bed, near to several insignificant
gns Of the Grand Calf formation.
This, as well as the Chieot limestone, is
pure, OF a peculiar horizontally
landed and fissured structure whence its
similarity with marble and its name, "St.
landry marble"
Nothing can be said as to the extent OF
hese deposits In the absence of surveys, but
Judging from the thickness and soidity of
he portion exposed near Chicot, where it
appears In u layer eight feet thick, and no
ioubt extends deeper in the pits, it Is likely
hat enough Of the stone Is there to build all
II south Louisiana, and to supply the couu-
,ry at large with excellent lime for an in
tefinite period. +. A.