St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1881-12-17
fCo1nmunicated.)
TIGER BEND LA, Dec. 18th. 1881

Tiger BEND LA, Dec. 18th. 1881.
Editor DMoCRAT-The past week
gave fine welther just warm and pleas
ant enough for work. The planters
have profitedby the agreeable weather
by scraping ever fields for cotton, and
stray patches Of corn left, gathering
peas &c, this last mentioned crop de-
serves more attention than /; gets at
the hand of most planters. Peas are
strictly speaking the salvation OF the
lands in Louisiana for we harily ever
hear of anything else being used to en-
rich the soil. Why not bestsw more
care on the pea and bring it 1p to all
that can be n de Of it, its exceltnt feed
ing qualities re long and f,vorably
known, then plant and harvest with the
same care you would corn or ally OF the
other crops grown on your farm
GROWING FRUIT.
We happened few days past to be on
Mr.. Walkers farm some five mics from
this point. We call it fam, Mr..
Walker is the owner Of fifteen acres
of land (that is hardly ranked a farm
! in Louisiana.) Now let me tell you
that Mr.. Walker makes more clear
money on his small patch $50 temed in
Louisiana) than many OF you large
and lordly planters do on theii thou
sands Of acres, how does he do i, prln-
cipally on fruits, peaches mOstlF. Mr..
Walker pointed out one small ree to
me, and said, that little tree made me
twelve dollars clear, other trees made
for him larger sums, this gen leman
does his own work except now ami then
hiring hand for few days, he S now
selling turnips and potatoes to his leigh
bors, it is his intention to devGe his
entire plat of ground to fruit andvege-
tables he has good market at lome,
and lives near the line of the n. O..
Pacific Rail Road, Mr.. Walker ma! well
consider that he is Monarch OF Ill he
surveys" true all of our planters can
not go into the fruit business, but the
above is a mere unvarnished ltan to
show what can be done on small farm
that our state would be far more pros,
porous if we had thousands of mall
farmers growing many and varied cops.
Bayou Boeuf is getting low, se'eral
barges have passed up during the last
week, it is reported that through tnins
will run from New Orleans to Alesan-
dria some time this week, the Telegraph
is laid from Washington to Cheneulle,
where it connects with the N. 0. P4ifc
Telegraph line.
Since the barges began to run upthe
Boeuf, freight has droped by way of
the M. L. g. T.. r. r. by all means Keep
the water lines open, it is the only sava-
tion for Opelousas Washington and the
entire country, around our town btsi-
ness is brisk, the Tiger Bend store is
without any exception the largest and
best filled house outside Of New Orleans,
goods are sold wholesale and retail, YOU
can get any and everything the hart
could wish for.
Just now there seems to be bonn
in narrow guage Rail Roads, we noed
something on this last week, we see he
Times Democrat has put the matter in
straightforward terms. Narrow guge
roads are necessity" to keep he
broad guage roads in proper bounls
and reason in freight rates. Illinois has
her narrow guage road from st. Lois
to Cairo, which keeps in check tlat
mamOth monopoly the Illinois Cental
Texas and Colorado fell next in lie
now louisiana begins to talk Marrow
guage road. New Orleans wants two
leading lines of Narrow guage roals
running west of the Mississippi Riv,r
the main line to run up and cross Rcd
River between Marksyille and Alexal-
lria after crossing Red River extend is
main line to Cairo Illinois with brand,
to tap the Narrow guage roads Of TexB
at Texarkana with these lines complet
New Orleans, might with some prih
consider her trade and future prosperity
just beginning for she would in meas
ure hold the key to the balance of trads
in spite Of st. Louis.
Yours, JOHN O'SHANE. i