St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1880-06-05
The Agricultural and Other AdyaI.
fages of st. Eandry Parish,
Mr.. EDITOR:-

! Mr.. EDITOR:-
That Louisiana is so lar behind her sister
| states or the Union III natural tteTeupCmrmi
can be attributed to but ono thing, and that has
DCt'n the failure to build railroads. Heretofore
| Notwithstanding the peculiar attaptahilty OF
! the country to rail road construction. every
effort to penetrate this section of Lotisiana by
railroads has proved a miserable abortion. Vast
silms have been expended. road beds thrown
up and then the work abandoned. But the
tllne has at last arrived When We have all ab-
Solutc certainty OF seeing our own beautiful
region, where God has done SO much and man
so little, absolutely "gritlr0ned with railroads.
The La. Western Railroad. nterSccting the
southern part of st. Landry. is rapidly nearing
completion. 1t passes through a section of our
parish admirably adapted to stock raising and
the cultivation Of rice ana oranges. This road
will open uD railway communication between
termiIlionVle, where it Till intersect Morgan's
La. and Texas Road trom New Orleans and
Orange, Texas, and thence with all the vast
empire lying west, northwest and southwest OF
us. BY the month of September MorSan's eX-
tension from EcrInillion. lille to Opelogsas will
be completed. This VIII put us witnin eight
or nine hours Of New Orleans. That this road
VIII soon be built frGn, Opel0nsas to Texas no
one tnteltains a doubt. The New Orleans
Pacific has now passed into tile hands OF
capitalists having the means and the energy
to complete it to Marshall, Texas. That they
Will complete II, and within the next eighteen
months OF TWO years. snow confidently believed.
This road will enter ST. Landry near Church
VILE Oh the Atcilafalaya, and Will ran diagon-
ally across the northeast part Of the parish.
region of the parish. Tiic nearest point from
ope!oIsas TO this road will be about nine or
tel miles.
The early completion of the roads must opcn
up q great future to st. Landry. Heretofore
we lave been during the fall months almost
cut OFT from the outside world by sand bars and
low water. During the winter months when
We had navigation our reads were generally i'll
such condition as to deter strangers from visi-
ting and seeing the magnificent resources of
Our parish. Tic consequence is we live in a
IfSI. I,.,,.
almost terra incognita.
All this is about to change These railroads
will bring HIS into ready communication aud
almost Immediate proXillty with all parts Of
the Union.
The day is not far distant, when party may
leave opel and 60 by rail to San Francisc0
point III tlle east. north Or Wusr he lhav :.esirc
to visit. He viii l.c almost able to 90 to New
Iorl Iii he time it required t3 90 TO New Or
leans twelve months ago.
But when contemplating what tEn pncrr,
OF man is about TO do for us hv
constructing these great highways Of trade and
through the heart OF our
country. We should bear in mind ;ha1 l.;,tr;rc
has done more than her share for VS. The
Dayo's and rivers which skirt or penetrate st.
Landry a1lord every access alike to the Misss-
expended would give Us us magnificent a syf;-
TEN OF inland navigation IT'S is possessed by
any people III the Union. Our climate cooled
dni1hg the summer months by the hreezes OF
heavens, Our winters SO mild as to excite the
OF all who visit us froIn a more
northern cline Our lands ara unsurpassed
for tl:eir fertility and adoption to the growth
OF ali the great staples, corn. cotton sugar
rice. and so cheap as to be within the means of
atl 10 purchase. Onr great prairies with their
health giving hrecZes need only cai,it.l and
atlol olt1onal population to make thani the veri-
tiDle paradise OF the farmer aud the stock
raiser.
Ru, wi,o outside our own community knows
wit Iii Il,
lavlshed its hounties on this favored region of
country! Who can doubt il they were properly
known. hut that the tide OF emigration would |
be at once directed here, and that III Il few
years The population Of st. Landry would be
doubled, perhaps thrilled! But how are tiesr
'AlhSs 10 pc made known to the outside world
ana the tide turned hitherwafd. We answer
fhat the first step nllSI be taken by our local
papers. They should begin at once to call at
tchton 10 the great resources OF oHr parish to
urge upon our people the formation of nlmi-
grafton societies; to publish statistics, giving
the prices OF lands, the productions thereof |
costs or production OF cation. corn, rice sugar
per acre !; tho facilities for TRANSFORMATION of
produce 80 market the atlapyahity and fitness |
Of the country for stock RAISING, i'll fact anything
ana everything TO attract the attention of |
strangers to our parish.
IN conclusion, hope, Mr. Editor, that not !
only your own valuable paper, but your |
c0nfIcre the Courier, VIII 1T once proceed to |
act upon the suggestion l have thrown ont in |
this communication. ana hencefurth devote |
portion OF every issue to letting the world at |
arGe know something OF the great Inducements |
st. Landry offers to Immigrants seeking homes |
III hef midst PLANTER.