The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1882-08-19
The Old Generation of Ascension.
Dunn loquimur fugerit invida @tas.

I am not quite in tie sere and yellow
leaf, nor altogether lost in the legs of my
pantalcons and sans rything-yet,
knew well the old stock of this parish
who have nearly all passed away to an
other world. 1t makes one sad to cast a
retrospective view ON men and scenes,
and note the changes which have taken
place since as short a time as forty years
ago. All below is vanity, and life but a
fitful dream, and yet, how men will lie,
and cheat, and steal, and murder even.
for money OR position, which they no
sooner clutch than they are swallowed
and whirled away by that dark wave
called Death, which numerically rolls
over kings and sans culottes.
Closing my eyes I feel the presence of
men of other days; opening them see
their property in the hands Of strangers.
Let us take this parish at its upper limit
and we have Chatham plantation, which
was established as sugar place by Gov.
Henry johnson and Col. Key. They are
dead. Ellie, Eloi, Alexandra Landry and
five or six other cotton planters owned
the small tracts from which Chatham
was made. They are all dead. Once
upon a time Henry Clay was guest at
Chatham. The neighbors were invited
to see the great statesman and orator.
Champagne flowed deep enough to float
a man of war. Dear old Harry of the
West, who had rather be right than
President! Chatham was sold to John
r. Thompson, who is dead. It became
the property of the Bank of Louisiana,
not dead, because having no soul to save
it has no business to yield up the ghost.
That splendid plantation which is really
a beautiful place, with its island and
deep sheet of water in front, is now
owned by DR.. Ballard, an old resident
and a successful agriculturist.
The worthy J. B. Craviotto and Jean
Dominique, Italians and brothers-in-law,
settled just below Chatham. They be-
gan life here as caboteurs, vended their
wares from house to honse, started a
river ferry, built the first dirt wharf
known in the parish, kept a wood yard.
extended their commerce far and wide,
and were prosperous, as they deserved to
be. Craviotto died aud bequeathed his
all to his partner who, when he died, left
a large estate to his children, some of
whom still reside at the old homestead.
Next were the residences of Richard
Damas Brand and A1ilien <Babin, both
dead. They were worthy and laborions
men. Following these was the Neville
Melancon tract, Honest old Neville !!
He could make more sugar to the acre
than any other planter; in fact, he would
grind along with his horse mill until he
got tired, and then leave the balance Of
his cane to rot in the field. Every coco
spot OH his place was circumscribed by
deep trenches and circumvallated in war
like fashion; and every wheel and every
hoof which entered his premises were
scraped to keep ct bay the dreaded foe.
He amused himself in his old age with
burying his surplus coins, and some of
them were found long after his death.
His heirs continued for a long while to
turn up the earth in search of more of
the same kind-for the benefit of sue
ceeding crops; thus exemplifying the
fable of "The Husbandman and his
Sons" That the old gentleman ever
read Esop OF Lafontaine is questionable.
During the war Mr.. Melancon sealed
mp lot of greenbacks and mortgage
notes and consigned the bottle to the
keeping of an old stump i'll the swamps
IF Bayou Goula. The great flood Of that
period covered the stump several feet
lnder, but the precious fotsam was
finally rescued from the angry waves
and the ubiquitous Yankee raiders and
bloody buttermilk rangers in blue which
infested these parts. The Melancon tract
low belongs to John Reuss. Sifrin Babin
owned the next place. He is dead. His
widow and her second husband, Omer
Hebert, re..also dead. Emile Babin, the
succeeding owner, died; German Babia,
emigrated. The place now
Belongs to John Reuss and is called Ger
mania. Arsene Hebert was the lower
leighbor. He and wife are dead. The
,rothers Bertin, Theodule and Nemorin
Braux owned the next tract. They are
Ill dead. Mrs. Nemorin is in possession.
Mulberry Grove comes after. It was
ormel by DR.. Ed. Dufel out of num-
oer of small tracts belonging to Eugene
5abin, Evarist Babin, Anselme Landry
md several other persons who after they
sold out, emigrated to the State of New
River. These good, honest Creole people
Ire all dead. The Grove is now owned
~ John Reuss. Unlike the owners of,
The other places, DR.. Dufel survives the
wreck of his possessions. He refuses to
lie and continues to practice the profess
zion he started life with in 1888. He is
'ne of the old landmarks, blazed and
but sturdy yet. Cuba figures
next. Albert, Wade and Butler Gilbert
we're the owners of it. They are dead.
Joseph Picou, Widow Gilbert, the other
owners, are dead. John Reuss holds
Cuba now.
This John Reuss appears to be swal-
lowing the upper portion of the parish,