The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1880-06-30
The LoWlands of Louisiana.


Editors postmsstsrs and land owners all
along the line of the New Orleans, Texas and
Pacific Railroad and Morgsn's louisiana and
Texas Railroad, as well as all through Lower
Louisiana, are constantly receiving letters
from persons in Indiana, Illinois, Ohio,
Kentucky and Tennessee, asking for intor-
nation in regard to soil, climate, health, 30
ciety, educational and religious advantages,
the adaptation OF soil and climate to the
cultivation of fruit and the raising of stock.
AS information is solicited with a view to
immigration, ii is important to give strict
" correct statement of facts and accurate
descriptions, aud allow the interested to
draw their own differences and form their
own opinions.
Most of the letters received are from per-
sons of capital, who are in search of a more
salubrious climate, with the combined ad-
vantsges of adding to their fortunes. Some
of these who have spent winter In Florida
complain o. The capricious irregularities of
the weather, which frequently give you an
experience of the four seasons in one day.
The cold northwest winds that sweep over
the peninsula often cause the mercury to
fall to the freezing point, injuring fruit trees
and crops. From papers furnished the Com
mittee of Agriculture IN Congress in 1888,
we learn that "a severe northwest wind
blew ten days in succession, but more vio-
lent for about three days. During this
period the mercury sank seven
degrees below zero. The st. Johns River
was frozen several rods from the shore, and
all kinds of fruit trees were killed to the
ground; many OF them never started again
oven from the roots"
From later papers we learn that "in Feb
ruary, 1S41, the frost was so severe on Resss
Creek, in latitude 2S', for several nights in
succession, that thick ice was formed, and
the horses boots clattered the frozen
ground as loudly as at the North in the
severe cold of November. Scarcely year
passes at Tampa Bay without ice, and the
bodies OF the orange trees are all scared from
the effects OF the cold winds"
Another objection made to Florida is the
want of fertility of its soil. A great part of
the State is of no value, and therefore offers
no advantage to those in search of locality,
where they may reside permanently and ac-
cumulate property.
By reason other unexposed situation, and
the bsrricsde of heavily timbered forests all
along her Gulf coast, Louisiana IS protected
from the cutting, killing winds called in
Texas "Northers," and consequently enjoys
the advantage OF q much more equable
CLIMATE than Florida or Texas. The winters
are not so cold nor the summers so hot as in
Texas, and the extremes of heat and cold
not so great as in Florida. There is seldom
a night even in midsummer when il Is too
warm to sleep under a light blanket. and
1t is very rare for the mercury to rise above
go during the day. This summer, up to
dats-11th of June-it has not once reached
1909, whIle all over the North, East and
West it is reported as standing for several
days at those figures. Although we find
fires comfortable from October to April-at
least most of the time, yet in fifty years the
haua haan
injured by the cold, and never killed to the
root.
l believe tits generally admitted that there
are more instances of extreme longevity in
this State than any other. At the same
time il has been commended by many writers
on vital statistics that large proportion of
centenariaus does not prove greater longevity
OF a population.
Amongst the Creoles-I mean the natives
1t Is not unusual to find four generations
living In the same house.
Ii is well known that diseases of the res
piratory organs-phthisic, pleurisy, pneumo-
MIA, asthma, bronchitis, laryngitis Group,
ETC., are very rare here, as every where
South, and that all varieties of typhus fever
are almost unknown.
My parents reared family of eight child
rem to be grown men and women, the
youngest being tweaty-nine, aud there has
never been a case of fever among them
either bilious. malarious, or any other kind.
Although a native, have never seen a case
OF fever here.
1t is proved that yellow fever is not the in
deigenous product of our soil and climate,
and not more fatal in New Orleans as an
epidemic, than 1t has been in Baltimore,
Philadelphia and New York
Diseases of the digestive organs prevail to
a greater extent here than any others
dyspepsia, dysentery, chronic diarrheas, and
all affections of the liver. A man can not
drink whisky to excess in this climate, and
escape some one of these diseases. Drunk
ards die early In ell warm climates, and it is
to be regretted that the same fortunate
results do not follow q residence in cold
climates. STEREo.
Tigerville Station, Parish OF Terrebonne, La,
June 20, 1850.