St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1880-07-17
4 Railroad "Trip 10 sesa.asi-
iGEsV:s.e'.
IN, O. piCaE5Iu1,f

most beautiful countries that God III
his wisdom ever made on his Iootst0ol,
let him take tie ears 1T Aigiers at Y. ",
and move Oh to Ecrmillonville, 142
miles from New Orleans, and tj} miles
from Bcrwck's Bay and Morgan City.
The furmer has added nothing to the
charms Of this coUntry--il many lll>tall-
ces he has greatly narred TIE charms
of nature by sloycnly farming and Il
rural architecture that is sometimes
hilcous. This country WAS, doahtless,
riuch more beautiful eco years ago than
it Is now, but When the country is com
p!ctely settled with stliiful and prosper
Gus farmers, and these i1rallles are dot
ted with thousands Of beautiful cottages,
convenient farm buildings, fine hedges
and fences, groves of orange trees and
live oaks, and gorgeous flower gardens
and flower bearing slrHbbcTy, and
vineyards and orchards, and Jersey
COWS and Merino sheep, fine roads and
bridges, fine farm and carriage horses,
then Attakapas, from the Ieche to the
Mermeutau and St. Landry, from the At
chafalaya to the Nez Piqut. will be the
most magnificent agricultural region to
be found on this broad earth. Tanned
by sea braeZcS and free from malaria, it
now has a better record of health and
| longevity than any o. the Northern,
| Middle or Western States, and this
country has never been oveifoWcd since
| the memory OF man, and never can be
| down to the thousanttti generation.
| There is a doubtful tradition that in a
remote period i'll the past the west bank
of the IGcilG was submerged and some
of these prairles were under water, but
the report is doubtless untrue. And the
natural bank on the west side Of the
| ai,n t,n ,ft.yr oct ,tF IT
| with no leVccs whatever.
A PANORAMIC VIEW FROM THE CARS.
From Berwick Bay to Bayou Sale
Station, a distance Of about sixteen OF
| seventeen miles, the road passes through
sWamps and marshy lands, and
across the back lands OF the Teche plan
esting in the view. From Bayou sale
to Franklin the scenery improves. The
sugar plantations OF the Iec1e, and
sugar-houses and planters dwellings
and the cane fields are in full view, and
the tall cypress with its gray beard OF
Spanish mosses, and tie grand Old live
oaks are in full view III all their glory,
clothed in their richest green.
From Franklin to EatdWln's Station,
land to Sonel's, and Jeanercttt, and
Oliviers, and New Iberia the scenery is
everywhere interesting. Ihe SypGe-
mort and Au Large pGarles, extending
from short distance above Baldwin 5
| to New Iberia, and spreading out from
bank OF the Teche Oh the east to the
chain of tall cypress trees on the west,
which stand between the praIfles and
the sea marsh, are now clothed III their
richest robes. The cultivated fields and
open prairies and waving forests, the
shade trees around the farmers dwell
ings, the islands Of timber, the willows
in the ravines and skirting the ponds
and natural drains Of the prairie lands
Lake Tassee or Spanish Lake, Orange
or Jetferson's Island, and Petite Anse
or SaltIsland, dimIy seen IN the distance
are all in their glory now. But distance
1 lends enchantment to Orange island
and Petite Anse and Spanish Lake and
Lake Peigneur. One must visit them
if he wishes to know how beautiful
and charming they are.
TRAVELLING FACILITIES.
Before the railroad was built beyonG
Morgan City, the distance FROM Morgan
!. City by the usual carriage road was
j, about eighty miles, about Il niles more
than by railroad. In hot weather, anC
in the rainy season, The trip was eX-
tremely uncomfortable for horse ant
man, particularly so for women ant
children. There were but few shade
, trees or watering places in the almos
, unbroken lands from the bay 10 New
Iberia, and the road across the prairie
to Nermillionyille was in places horrible
The Harding road, above Franklin, wa;
sometimes impassable, even for person:
on horseback, and they had to take tt
the fields and the turn roads.
The ermilionvile people had to q
. across the prairie over twenty miles t
New Iberia, to take Il steamer seventy
two miles to Morgan City. The Techt
people sometimes had to sit up half th;
; night, or until morning for Il boat
Now they can leave ermi!ionviIIe at
A. NJ, daily, roll across the prairie t,
New Iberia in about an hour, reach th'
bay before noon, and New Orleans at 4
p. NJ, They can leave New Orleans il
the morning and arrive at Franklin at
p NJ, at New Iberia about an hour later
4 and at ,Nermillionville before sunset
even when the days ale shortest. Thi
J railroad brings Attakapas almost at TIN
very gates of New Orleans, and s0ol
the people of st. Landry, aud OF all th
country between ermiiionville an,
Houston, will be neighhors of the citi
zens of New Orleans.
IMMIGRATION SOCIETIES.
, Vermilonville is organizing all immi
grafton movement which may result il
something very fayorsble to these par
. ishes. Mr.. Harris, President o.
the Bureau of Agriculture and lmmi
grafton, is urging on this movement, anc
will render these societies all the assis
J, tance he can give them. An effort vii
: be made to organize a society in Yer
million parish at Ableville, and in st
. Martin, Iberia and st. Landry thes
societies are all working III harmon,
and having close connections with til
Bureau Of Agriculture and immigration
:, at New Orleans.
( e THE RAILROAD AND TIE CATTLE.
y To avoid killing the stock ON the rail
road it is thought thai the Morgan com
y pany will protect Their road with Wir
= fencing. Some Of the owners of stocl
> begin to show their teeth at tho
2 :, trains and the huge steam horse Whicl
: mashes its victims into jelly in
= twinkling. 1t was reported on the car
: that mercurial Creole who lost Il COY
!, on the track swore that he intended t
IL