St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1881-11-26

There IL, perhaps, no better standard by
| which the intelligence and prosperity of
! State or milton may be measured than by the
| uroportion which its miles of railroad bear to
| It's nrcn. True, it is not an absolute standard;
| II mart of II state like Maine may be almost I'M
| inhubituble, Or canals may serve II Tree ma
tinn like the Netherlands, better than rail
roads; or mountain ranges may forbid rapid
| construction as in some of our western Ter
,itoric4; vet, after making all Al o" ances,thc
standard Is n good one; and now am promo
! 10 show this chart. My own native state OLD
massachusetts, in spitc OF her sterile s"ii, IN
spite OF her Berkshire Mountains ana her
rocky hills. notwithstanding she could not
board herself for IL week on years prOauct
of grain, Yet possesses the most adequate
railway system of any state III the world:
Mark how the long lines OF adequate railway
/ service follow the footsteps OF free conu1llpns
or OF the common school; after making all
necessary qualihcati0ns n0tc thc sHluchGc-
massachusetts, England, Belgium, New Jer-
sew. Connecticut, Rhode Island, ohio, Illinois,
! pennsyIynnin, De aware Saved, however,
/ only by her position, lndi',n" New lamp
ny j have said that there is no better SINCE
standard than tie roportion OF railroads t"
| the square mic OF territory OF any STATE, .y
of the people. ask You: gentlemen ct
Georgia, if YOU will lag behind. ask you,
-, men OF the South, what you will DO III this
mat,er: You say to me. perhaps, Massachu-
sctts Is d small state, close to the SEA BOARD,
and NAV therefore attribute the excess OF her
| illinois, Iowa; consider these lines WHICH
represent the propoltionatc mileage OF all
the great States OF the West; shall they lead
YOU much longer: You have the larger part
/ To do OF what we may call very big job,
which must be done before this century Is
ended. .
mills in Massachusetts, but the capital of our
railroads is more than hundred millions;
savings banks of our working people, OF our
servants of our school -mi>tresses, OF our op.
nj ministers
those who are not rich. but who mostly work
for wages to earn their daily bread. Is more
! than 1928, 600 600 more than the whole capital
Of all out cotton mills and our railroads com
bined told you last year you needed the
savings bank more than any other business
institution there is a vast unused capital III
+ your southern states in the hOrds OF the work.
/ ing people waiting for use, but there Is one
condition precedent even to the sarings bank.
When Mr. kimhall asked me how TO provide
ayar s. fire in the exhibition, tod him that
after lie had all his pumps, pipes and hydrants
in place he must put in SOME pau, ana then
and then add some more pals and a few
buckets: then put i'll some buckets and add
| some pals, and when he had enough double
| the number. Now, if you would protectyour-
selves against the wastcful and consuming
| fire of poverty and ignorance, you must setup
schools: first some primary, then some gram
mar, then some high; then ada some more
/ primary, double the grammarS, and keep up
! with the high and when you have enough be-
GIN again and establish some more.
! the hills OF Georgia, from the mountains of the
CarolinaS and Tennessee, aye, tromthe North
Cumberland Valley, from the French Broad
! River. even from that great blue grass coun.
try of Kentucky, where are your diaries?
May venture to suggest that there Is a more
profitable legend than that which is some,
/ times called bourbon and sometimes called
"lnoonshine." The cow that Yields that liquor
whisks no tail, but does whisk key which
/ had better be turned on the inside.
! There are other potentialties in the future
/ of your Southern land which have us yet been
hardly touched. The world has heretofore
depended on wild products and on barbarops
Or semi barbarous methods in respect to very
/ many of the most necessary articles used. In
our own country, our principal supply OF beet
at the present time comes from almost wild
cattle which range over the broad plains OF
the West; but it is clear that other methods
| must be adopted, and that we can no longer
| rely, upon this rough and semi -barbarous
method. The heavy steers pastured continue
ously within a limited, although wide area,
are tieading out the grasses. The buffalo
caused no such effect. They ranged freely,
| passing from one section to another, accord
ing to the season 1t is well Established fact
that the great plains are now fairly, if not
/ fully stocked; and no great increase of food
/ can be expected from there. But here what
/ may be called the civilized method comes in
just in the nick of time. You have in this ex-
| green corn called "ensiage," packing away
green corn stalks, cowpeas, clover and other
/ succulent food in pits. have examined this
method as far as it is possible Tor one not en-
! gagged in agriculture to study it, and it seems
! to NE clearly established tact that it will
/ restore the farming of New Engla to its
| pristine prosperity; that it will make it posi-
| BILE for US to grow own cattle cheapert han
We can bring them frCan anywhere else, and
that it is a revolu' ion i'll the methods of aSri-
! culture of the North.
! There is little doubt that the great swamp
/ of Florida, which has lately been purchased
j by Mr. Disston OF Philadelphia, and which is
| to be drained, will prove suitable for the Gull
| tivation of the India rubber tree.
In this exhibition you will also find another
! example of a wild product: the wild silk Of
| North China, sometimes called TuSsah, Pom
! gee or Cheefoo, the latter being the name of
! the district in which it is principally found.
/ The worm which produces this silk, in lati-
j tude ~ degrees, in climate which is very
/ cold in winter, feeds upon the oak tree. The
t silk is full of tannin and can not be readily
| dyed; the goods as sold are of their natural
! color, and exceedingly strong and durable.
Capt. Arthur. of the British Navy attache of
F.! the legation in this country, lately informed
/ me that he thought he had seen the variety Of
/ oak on which this worm feeds in Southwest
| Virginia. and as you have in your section
j three-fourths of all the known varieties of
| oak. there is no doubt but what the sl>worm
can be naturalized among you. Prof. Riley
| tells me there is not much to be expected
from this. however. 5...
According to Turkish papers, the
! Sultan has given orders to restore the