The weekly Thibodaux sentinel and journal of the 8th Senatorial District. [volume] (Thibodaux, Lna. [i.e. La.]) 1875-1898, 1880-07-03

land, some nine miles long and
about one mile wide. The Grand
Isle Hotel property is near the
centre of the Island, and has &C
commodation for several hundred
people. Cabins are erected con
tanning four rooms or less as faml
lies may desire.
Abundance of cistern water can
be had, and everything appears
comfortable and neat.
A mile farther east is another
Hotel in which are accommOda
tions for Il limited number of boar
ders. Two rows of trees here ex
tend across the Island, which
have the appearance Of being a
century old, and once furnished a
drive from the dwelling OH the
Bay to the Beach on the Gulf.
Grand Isle was in ante bellum
times cultivated in sugar cane.
Wood for the manufacture of
sugar was picked up on the
beach, where it fioatea from other
lands and found Il resting place.
There is now a great quantity Of
timber Icing along the beach.
but is apparently Of but little &C
count.
Some years before the war the
proprietor, thinking that he
could improve upon nature, cut
large bitches across the Island
from bay to Gulf, to facilitate
drainage and thus admitted salt
water that so impregnated the
land with saline matter that tile
sugar made subsequently was too
salty tor u>e. Tradition says that
the great profit of this Island
plantation was found in the cheap
ness Of the labor with which it
WAS cultivated. Vessels from off
the coast of Africa, landed their
cargoes of negroes, on this island
and found ready purchasers ct
what would hove been considered
low figures a couple of hundred
miles in the rear.
These new emigrants were
made to work Oh tue Island until
they obtained IA little knowledge
OF the languages OF the country
when they were carried off grad
ual'y into the rear districts and
sold for much more than the orr
ginal cost.
AS watering place, it is doubt
full IT Grand Isle can be exceeded.
We have visited Coney Island
and Rockaway beach near New
York which are often visited hy
100000 people in. one day, and
have no hesitation in asserting
that neither of those famous pla
ces can compare with Grand Isle
III natural advantages for Il sum
Mer: watering resort.
1t has the disadvantage howev
er Of being too far from New Or
leans to- be visited in one day, and
a railroad to the island is impos
sibie.
Bat with it's natural advanta
GEES it can be made Que of the
most pleasant and agreeable re.
sorts in the American continent.
The Watchman Of the Hotel, in
his anxiety to be punctual in
arousing us at 3 O'Clock had us
out at LAD tor which the excur
sionists, each, individually and
collectively felt an impulse Of gen
crosby sufficiently powerful to
reward him with all impress of
his boot, bat after lartaking ola
cup Of good coffee, good nature
got the better OF tLem, and adni
ring bis pnnctnality embarked on
tue Joe Wehre and waved him a
long farewell.
At day break the ropes. were
'oosene,l and the steamer steered
for Fort Livingston.
This Fort stands on a point of
Grand Terre, between which and
Grand Isle is. the Grand Pass.
through which the waters of the
Bays find an outlet in the Gulf.
with a depth OF 35 o. 10 feet.
The Light house stands near
the water, and rs we were pass
ing the aged keeper came down
to the waters edge to bid us good
morning, the long white hairs
floating about his head indicating
him to have arrived at the age
OF the Patriarchs.
Near by is the ruins of an old
Fort built by the famous Laftte.
who from being a notorious Snug
Ter in the earlier days of this cen
tury has gained the reputation of
a bloody pirate.
Lafitte once ran his boats and
lngssers through the bays to the
Mississippi river loaded with
smnssied goods. Many has been
the load that his bold Sailors have
brought up Bayou Lafourche,
and by way of Berwick's Bay,
Lake Palourde, Lake Verret, and
the Attakapas Canal others have
found egreSs into the LafourcIle
at NapoleonvilIp, where the mer
chandlse they carried has been
sold to the citizens whilst they
snapped their fingers at the Gus
tom House officers.
EahulouS SIMS of lnnniar ara