St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1880-11-06
An Old Printer Gone.

nected with this office till the day OF
his death. He was first-class practi-
cal printer, good and ready writer,
and a critical scholar. He wrote and
spoke French as well as he did English.
We know nothing Of him except what
we learned from himself. He was
born and raised at Monroe, parish of
Ouachita in this State, and would have
been sixty-six years old during this
month. He, Lumsden and Kendall
worked in the Bee Office, New Orleans,
before the PicayuDe was started, and
set up the first type for the latter paper.
He was afterwards in the Picayune
Office. Before the war he published and
edited paper at Monroe since then he
has been employed in many printing
offices in the South and West, both as
printer and editor. Few men ever had
combined in them the two-practical
printer and accomplished writer and
editor-in as high a degree as he had.
He was man Of fine address, brilliant
in conversation-when drawn out-and
particularly interesting when describ-
/ ing what lie had seen. He had travelled
much, and his MUD was well stored
with such knowledge as can only he
obtained by travelling. He was SOL
dier in the Mexican war, and his des-
| criptions Of what he had seen there were
highly entertaining. He was also q
soldier in the Confederate army. In
addition to his thorough knowledge of
English and French, he spoke Spanish
and Choctaw to a limited extent. We
| know how excellent he was as printer,
especially in setting lawyers briefs,
! which are sorely trying to the ignorant
and unskillful tie selections and clip
pings, which lave appeared in this
paper for several months past show his
knowledge and tact as an editor, and
many of its editorials show his ability
and versatility as a writer. AS printer,
editor, and writer, he was an honor to
the craft and to journalism. Such men
as lie was, in these respects, are very
rare. In other respects, though like all
the sons of Adam he had his shortcom-
ings, he had many good qualities; and
the writer Of this, who knew him better
than anyone else here, and whose ac-
auaintance with him dated back but a
few months, had acquired for him the
most kindly sympathy and feelings.
But the old printer is gone, and the
cart preservative Of all arts" has lost
one Of its oldest, ablest and most ac-
complished veterans. He died in a
strange land-not among his relatives
and the friends of his younger days
and was laid in strangers grave. He
seemed to have no tie to keep him here,
aud we doubt if, in the supreme hour
of dissolution, he regretted to lay down
the burden of life. May he find hap
pier existence in the world beyond the
grave.
The election in this parish passed of
very quietly; we have not heard of a
single disturbance. The people gen
orally took very little interest in it. Not
half the usual vote was polled and not
half, by four or five hundred, of those
registered voted. The spirit that seems
to have prevailed up North, did not
reach this country. We doubt if the
average voter here, be he Democrat OF
Republican, cares who is President
Hancock OF Garfield. Dy having the
State and parochial elections al {. differ
ent time from the Presidential and Con-
gressional ones, there will always be a
small vote polled at the latter, and the
Democracy may lose one or more Con
gressmen on that account. At any rate
the separation Of these elections is the
cause of the small vote that was polled
here last Tuesday; and our Democra-
tic managers, who made the arrange.
ment, cannot he congratulated on the
result. We give the returns Of the
election, by precinct, in another column
At one precinct there was no vote at all
The engine Of Opelousas Fire Co. No
1, has been condemned as worthless
and they want a BabcOck Fire Extin-
guisher. The town caunot buy one fol
them, because the recent special rail
road tax is as much as the people will pay
in one year in addition to their regular
tax. The town has appointed com.
mittee to solicit subscriptions to buy thu
engine, and to issue certificates for the
amounts subscribed; these certificate:
are to be redeemed by the town by
special tax or special appropriation, al
soon as the financial condition of tht
town will allow it. This town is mainly
wooden buildings aud should have {
good fire department; that cannot bt
without an engine, and the property
owners should furnish one. The rail
road has come, new buildings are going
up, and the danger Of being without /;
good fire engine is daily becoming mor'
imminent. Gail at once on Mr.. Juliel
Claude, one of the committee, talk the
matter oyer with him and subscribe a
much as you can afford for new fir
engine.
We have no cut of chicken cock il
this office; and il we had, we woult
have no use for it this election. Thu
recent hosting and the sudden hauling
down of that flag in front Of the Court