The Lake Charles echo. [volume] (Lake Charles, Parish of Calcasieu, La.) 1876-1898, 1882-03-18

LAKE CHARLEs, Ia, 1882.

LAKE CHARLES, LA, 1882.
Editors Lake Charles Echo:
Persons being familiar with every
days objects, sights and pursuits are
not generally prepared to fully realize
their beauties or their hideousness to
that extent that they would when first
presented. In view of this fact it has
been a wonder, to your correspondent,
to know if the good citizens of the
g." Lake City" realize to its fullest ex-
tent the beauties that nature has spread
before them.
The location of their pleasant little
town, upon the banks of the "gem" of
all Louisiana's multitude of lakes-a
lake, being so peacefully and calmly
beneath their very feet-sheltered be-
meath the evergreen forests upon one
side, and with the ceaseless murmurs
washing its "shelT' bound banks upon
the other, being protected from the
outside storms that so often devastate
more exposed situations. Having a
climate unsurpassed in its health-giving
principles, are advantages that need
but little stretch of the imagination
to picture the future of Lake Charles,
if its citizens, with no great outlay of
expense, would only assist in develop
ing in ''long pull, a strong pull, and
a pull all together in what nature has
kindly given them.
Your correspondent, after writing
the above, sitting at the open window
enjoying the beautiful view of the
lake, watching the sailing crafts that
spread their sails and fitted past like
monster birds of passage; while the
balmy air, laden with the perfumes OF
the orange blossoms and other semi
tropical flowers, was soon lost to all
consciousness to the present. time, and
dreamed that he had wandered far
away in other lands, and had at last
been permitted, after years of travel,
to return again to Lake Charles And
oh what change. Strains of ecstatiC
music came from the courthouse
square. The unsigbtly objects that
once marred its beauty had all beer
removed. A beautifulfen surround
ed it, a carpet of grass, green and
soft as velvet, beneath a canopy Of
shade trees, with shell-lined walks upor
which the children of the town trun
died their hoops or rode their veloci
pedes. Flowers of all colors and vari
cites bordered the walks, while upon
a stand in the center the Lake Charles
brass band discoursed the sweetest
music. The old Jail had disappeared
and as the liquor saloons had all beer
banished from their midst, the jai
was no longer needed, and in front o.
it was a neat market-lOuse with city
hall above it.
A boulevard had been built along
the lake shore where, in the coo
shadows of the orange, at the day.
decline, "turn outs" with their fail
occupants, could be seen fittling past
The streets had all been graded, ant
all that had any tendency to induc'
maIariaI diseases and feyers had beer
removed. Steam and sail yachts glidet
over the lake; substantial dock hat
been made in front Of the city wher'
ingress and egress toithe growing com
merce was made commodious; ''thou
sand and one" other improvement
passed his imagination, when he awoke
with the full expectation that in q few
short years such or similar improve
ments will be found in the future LAKE
City. EEAsTus.