Louisiana capitolian., 1880-08-19
AT THE ELDORADO.
The Festival Of tho Episcopal Ladies
Of Bayou Maringouin.
A BRILLIANT SUCCESS FINANCIALLY
AND OTHERWISE.

tho editorial fraternity, we had rc
Iceived most cordial invitation to pro
ceed TO that favored region, Bayo,
Mnringonin, ono day in advance Of th'
proposed festival, which WIS given o.,
Tucs'ny night by the ladirs, for th,
purpose Of erecting M Episcopal Churcl
in that ncighborhood.
| Accordingly, armed with dead hcnt
transportation ticket sent us through
tho n'uniiiccnt generosity of President
Mon'ah, Of tho Baton Rouge, Crosse
Tot" md Opclonsas Railroad, now vt tylr,l
"R"l River Valley Railroad," in com-
pany with our elegant and fastiliont
friend, Col. b., we crossed tho Mssis-
sippi between showers At 3 O'Clock =. NJ.
On Monday, and in duo timc, tho cry
Off nll aboard found nv sMmgly seated in
tho car especially reserved OF the ln,c
for tho "oldest and best" The co part
ncrHhip vulise was aluo stored, when we
fclt that we didn't care much whether
school kept in or not Several ladies,
two Of whom the Misses H., among tho
most accomplished in West Baton
Rouge, with their escort, Mr.. T., II very
sociabIo and clever gentiomah, wrro
bound for tho exact place of our dcsti.
nation.
While enjoying u cigar will, tho lat,
tor IN tho smoking car and Willis he and
our humble self, having discussed the
matter, in unison wore declaring
thnt our experience us "pnticrn' l,nd
never carried us beyond tho cigar, the
irrcprcssiblc Colonel looked in on nv in
timc to hear our remarks; when ad-
dressing himself to u tipsy son of the
Emerald Isle, no suggested to him that
all that kind Of talk was stuff, for any
man who smoked II cigar could do il
through pipe. "lndadc," said the son
of Erin, "yon're right, sir, these fellows
are putin on airs; they'll shtand
poipc as well as can" Soon uftor
throwing this bombshcll the whistle
blew and the amateur Of the "nosc
warmer bid ns mlicu, as also to the
ladies' in tho adjoining compartment,
and left tho train. On tho WY 10 Rose
dalc and M,lssm,, we wcrc pleased to
notc tho promising condition of the
crops ofcotton and cane, products Of the
most fertile lowlnnds in Louisiana,
which need but protection against
overflow To attract 10 stream of enter
Prising men who will soon agree with
us that West Baton Rongc and rointo
Conpce lands, from the Mississippi river
back TO the Crosse Toto and Maringouin
country, are beyond all question tho
richest in Louisiana. The resources and
fertility Of thosc lowlamds cannot bc
ovcrestimatc.l. Tho cane on tho Hill
and Collins places and on the celebrated |
Westover plantation, owned by Mcssrs.
Burke and Caldwell, arc simply prodi-
g'ons in size and most promising in ap- |
pearancc. From the Crosse Tote, and
lastly the Maringouin, the same story
can be related. o
Through the indomitablc energy of
President Montan, the railroad has been
put in good condition as far as it's ter
minus, Musson Station, and every ac-
conimo'laton for freight and passengers
has been fully provided for the incon-
ing busy season. o q
Arriving at Musson, We were met by
President Nfontan, who extended all
sorts Of friendly invitations TO make our
stay long one, on tho banks of tho fer
tile bayou Maringo,,in. He would open
watern'eions and champagne, besides
giving dinners every day Or 80. His
gushing enthusiasm excited our suspi-
cionS, however; and just Us soon as VIC
could tear ourselves away, we followed
our host, that scholar snd proycrbally
iospitablc gentleman, Col. +. G. Sparks,
who, with suitable convcyanccs had been
lwait,ng our arrival
Driving along u good road bordcrcd on
mo side by the Maringouin and on the
'ther by rich fields, the evidences were
,oforc us that wc were in tho very heart
If the typical alluvial country of Louisi-
INA with its gigantic oaks tcstooncd by |
,hcir long trcsscs Of green moss
At sundown, we reached Col. Sparks,
mansion with it's broad galleries and
Pacious central hall and apartments,
model Of the architecture of comfort,
hat characterized the residences of our
Southern planters before the war. To 4
70 sure, one cannot see tho same display
# expensive care that existed in those
'alcyon days but tho gulf breezcs arc AS :
ool and balmy, when night spreads her