St. Landry democrat., 1882-10-21
A Pheasant Surprise.

Pheasant Surprise.
On Sunday last while at the Metho-
dist church we were approached by a
iovial friend who told us that L. Stump
ter Taylor wanted to see us imme-
diately. Knowing the sportive dis
position of this legal limb, as he was,
and from the fact that our good health
Iron Tonic would not better our condi-
ton, we failed to give the fat druggist
a call, and was proceeding hOmeward
on the opposite side of the street when
hailed by him. We approached slowly,
telling him that he could not "get in
q sell" on us, and found that instead of
being sold out in a little way, there was
an invitation and a buggy to cary as
ont in grand style to the Camp Hamil
tom plantation, now SO ably presided
over by that prince Of managers, Mr..
Arthur Generes. Although we had
previously been invited to dine with
the head clerk of the "Golden Text
Grocery" we considered that short
ride was better than any kind of a walk,
and consequently accepted the last in
vitation. Getting into buggy which
was pulled by one of Mr.. G.'s fast-time
travellers, we were soon in sight Of our
long ago home, which, not having been
for a few years visited by us, we found
wonderfully changed and improved.
Although the site of everything in the
way of improvement except the sugar
house, has been changed, we recognized
many of the old landmarks still. Yea,
the very trees as they waved toand fro
reminded us of by-gone days, and
we almost unconsciously whispered to
ourselves the language of favorite
poet:
II hear the rlstins of the breeze
That longago heard
The gentle voice, the whispered prayer,
The kindly spoken word.
see the grassy plots OF green,
Where oft my form cast.
A weared child amid my play, ,
Too innocent 10 last.
The past is gone which once was mine.
Its form is buried low.
But Oft before my earnest gaze
Its loved ones come and 90.
The present has its golden charms.
More bright the future seems,
But dearer is the past to me
Which holds my boyhooa's Dreams
On our arrival at the house, the bug
sy was dispatched back to town for
Mr.. Taylor, who in short order put in
an appearance, and under the invigo-
rating influences of Browns /. t. and
fast drive, showed us the improved
method for getting away with Il first
class dinner to which we were then
called, and were loath to leave.
We, however, did it justice before
quitting.
After dinner, and while the horses
were being saddled, we went out to in
spect the sugar-house which, under Mr..
G.'s superior direction, has been refur-
nished and excellently fitted up with
the magnificent machinery latterly
owned and run by J.J. Thompson, Esq,
on the old Swayze plantation. He has
also supplied it with number of new
kettles and everything new and con-
viently arranged for his cane grinding
which will commence next week. This
done, we proceeded to look at several
cuts of cane Immediately around the
house and sugar house, which in COM
parison to others we had seen else
where, were magnificent !; but when we
mounted horses already waiting and
inspected what to eyes unaccustomed
to such sights seemed world Of cane,
we realized that we had seen nothing
in our lives that could compare with it
as to quality and quantity, andn ex-
pected to again. Every part of his
place in cultivation is free Of grass and
weeds, and the roads or avenues lead
ing through the cane are of regularity
Of size and straightness that facilitate
perfect view of his whole cane crop
which we are informed is about two
hundred and twenty-five acres. Not
withstanding the fact that before Mr..
Generes took charge of the place a
great portion of it was too poor to
grow peas,-and few of our
capitalists said to "sprout" them-we
put him down for three hundred hogs
heads, rode back to the house, and
after seeing his abundant supply of
corn and forage housed we left for
town fully convinced that we had ne~er
before formed any correct idea OF what
good farmer could Dc or how s,Oeetly
man could talk unless we went to see