St. Landry democrat., 1882-04-01
communicated
TIGER BEND, La, March q, 1882.

lNEh DfND, lLu., NldlCH ~, 1907.
Editor DEMOCRAT:
From every appearance the rains are
not over yet. Rain commenced to fall
about nine o'clock on the evening of the
25th inst. and has continued with but
little lntermission up to the present
hour, ten o'clock a. M, with no pros
poets OF clearing off, lands all flooded,
and prospects for farm work cut short
for week to come, even should it clear
up to-day. True moderate rain was
needed on land that had been planted
to corn and vegetables, but no one was
expectinga flood, while we are inclined
to grumble because of the wet weather,
our lot is far better than that of thous-
ands in the overtlowed districts who
have lost their all and hopes for the fu
ture blighted. The truth is we know
not when we are happy or how to ap-
preciate the many good blessings that
surround us, or to make the best 0f
what we have. The future may be
bright, the rains and floods will pass
away and give us all that could be
wished for, good seasons aud bountiful
haryeStS.
THE LEVEES.
It looks like that everybody has
plan for keeping the waters of the great
rivers in their proper channels. For our
part, should we suggest anything,
would say turn the whole levee business
over to Capt. Eads, and let him work
the problem out. Take the entire engi-
neer corps that have worked up plans
for levees and river Improvement, you
find that hardly two agree on any one
plan, one wants an outlet canal to cary
off the accumulated waters, another to
construct levees sufficiently strong to
keep the waters in their proper chan
nels, and so on to the end. Capt. Eads
is probably the only man able to Crap
pie with the huge question and make a
success Of the work. Well, enough Oh
that point. see that your old cores
pondent p. X. has returned to the col
umns of the Democrat again. No
doubt as he lives in the Switzerland OF
st. Landry, he consoles himself that he
is too utterly high for any flood to reach
him. II it keeps on raining | may have
to hoist sail. In case | do, | shall set
my compass for the Switzerland of st.
Landry and hope to gain that point for
a haven Of rest. Success we say to
Chicot, the Switzerland of old St. Ian
dry.
An item for those who wish to keep
rats and mice out, OF store rooms and
pantries. Make white wash in the usual
way, dissolve copperas and put into
your white wash until it begins to look
brown, then white wash your room
carefully. You will not be troubled
again soon with rats or vermin OF any
sort.
Later. The sun has burst through
the clouds and the sky once more Of
fers to our sight its blue tint, with here
and there a fragment OF cloud flying
across the heavens, giving tokens OF
coming dry weather once again. HE
farmers of Bayou Bpuf will commence
to plant cotton as soon as the land dries
sufficient to do so. From Mr.. l.. Hersch
of Rapides, we learn that considerable
land was planted to cotton last week IN
that parish.
Mr.. r. w. Emerson lately said some
very true words on farming. A few of
his sayings | give for the readers OF the
Democrat to ponder over:
Mr.. Emerson says the farmer ''He has
grave trust contided to him in the great
household of nature. The farmer
stands at the door of the bread room
and weighs to each his loaf. 1t is for
him to say whether men shall marry or
not. Early marriages and the number
of births are indissolubly connected
with abundance of food, or, as Burk
said, "man breeds at the mouth" then
he is the board of quarantine. The
farmer is boarded capitol of health as
the farm is the boarded capitol of
wealth, and it is from him that the
health and power, moral and intellectu-
al, Of the cities come. Farther on ID
the same article Mr. E. says that he
(the farmer) is the continuous benefac-
tor. He who digs a well constructs a
stone fountain, plants a grove OF trust
by the road side, plants an orchard,
builds a durable house, reclaims a
swamp, or so much as puts stone seat
by the wayside, makes the land so far
lovely and desirable makes fortune
which he cannot carry away with him
but which is useful to his country long
afterward. Such, Mr.. Emerson thinks
is the lot Of he who tills the soil for
from the earth our existence comes and
from the farm our greatest and noblest
men and women. Another writer Mr..
Sessions, says a mother should never
say that she hopes her children can live
without work. More should be done
in the home and the school to encour-
age labor, it is the distaste for labor
that makes SO many we'll educated men
and boys mere ciphers in the world.
The same writer thinks the tendency to
hunt soft places and shun hard labor is
daily growing more apparent to every.
one. Now, we must close for to-day
hoping the above will at least interest
some one of the Democrats readers.
Yours, JOHN O'SHANE.