St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1880-09-11
Be Up and Doing /:

the trade and population of Opelousas,
and how can it be donee Upon solu-
ton of this question depend all other
particulars that go to build up a town
and trade centre. Located, as Opelou-
sas is, in the centre of farming district
as rich, varied and extensive as can be
found anywhere in the wide world, our
town would, with a little energy and
enterprise, soon become one of the great
distributing centres of the southwest.
Will the business men and property
holders give this important matter a
little serious attention Energy, perse-
verance, and all enlightened and liberal
policy will place Opelousas in the front
rank of the thriving towns of Louisiana;
but, Oh the other hand, Indifference and
pcnuriousness will keep the town just
what it is now, at a dead stand still, for
the next twenty five or thirty years,
and perhaps longer.
The first thing to be done in order to
promote the general good and welfare
of Opelousas, is to secure substantial
roads leading to and from the town, and
the immediate construction Of good, safe
bridges upon them wherever needed.
A ride through the country bordering
Opelousas will convince anyone that
most of the roads are not only bad but
utterly impracticable, and the bridges
even in a worse condition. The prairie
roads are good enough, but where these
roads pass through strips of timbercd
land or swamps they are perfectly
abominable. How the merchants of the
place expect farmers to haul their cotton
and other produce to this market at the
risk Of breaking down their wagons and
using up their teams, is a serious puzzle
to us. Naturally it is to the interest
of the small planter to reach the nearest
market with his produce and at the least
possible expense and risks to himself,
and q very large percentage OF these
would come to Opelousas il they had
good roads and safe bridges to travel
over. But, as matters now stand, and
have been standing for many years past,
| they are driven to the necessity of trad
/ ing at other points that offer them better
| facilities.
The next thing to be done is to forth
with improve the appearance of the
town. We shall have the railroad here
within few days, and people from a
distance will be here looking around
and prospecting. Let us unite our ener-
gies and make some effort to give the
| town as neat and inviting an appearance
as possible. 70 this end, it should be
the duty Of our Town Council to employ
force to cut down the rank weeds
wherever found within our limits, and
fix up the sidewalks and pavements.
| If they have the power to impose taxes
upon the people Of the town, they should
also have the power to compel property
| holders to cut down the rank weeds and
other obnoxious vegetable matter upon
their lots or made to pay for having the
same done. With the exception, per-
haps, of street or two in the business
centre of the town, Opelousas looks like
some old Indian village. This is great
draw back to the prospective prosperity
of the place, and imperatively demands
a change. No stranger would like to
venture permanent settlement i'll a
town possessing so many eye-sofes about
it as Opelousas does. A paltry outlay OF
a few dollars at the present time may
result in great benefit to all, and We
earnestly recommend that something be
done Immediately.
In the third place, and what is Of the
utmost Importance, property holders in
and about town should abandon theil
inflated ideas of asking high and ex.
orbitant prices for their unimproveG
lots, and should put down their rents
of houses and dwellings at the
lowest possible figures. The people who
are most likely to come here from &
distance will be those of moderate
means, unable to pay high prices fol
anything. Do not brighten and drive
them away by demanding higher prices
than they can cay. This would be {
suicidal policy, that would end in thu
ruin of the town.
It requires good deal Of tact ant
foresight to build up the business ani
prosperity of town, and we hope oul
people will at once see the propriety o.
acting in concert in the matter, and al
pull together. In throwing out thess
hints we have no selfish motives tt
crafty. Our aim is to see Opelousa'
merge from the obscurity in which sh'
has too long been kept. The sooner WI
get out of the ruts Of old time fogeyisn
the better it will be for property holder
and all.