The Lake Charles echo. [volume] (Lake Charles, Parish of Calcasieu, La.) 1876-1898, 1882-09-09

the open Prairies teHapering the atmos
Phere at al sansons f.the yyrar. Thi
thsrm0mtter soldem ranges as high a
s6S. rarely above 9oo and is no
often down as low as the freezing point
uhills and fsvers and some malaria
fsveFs prevail at ceftsin seasons of tlas
year, bat yield readily to meiica
treatuent. This class of diseases is
however, mainly confined 10 lumber
men. whose occupation requires then
l'eKposare b The miasusa of the swamps
and marshes. At presentitis a mooted
question ms to whether yellow fever
has ever visited the parish, although
some eases msy hsve been imported
from infected localities during the
period of an epidemic The average
longevity of life among the natives
and acclinated populations may be
placed at abont sixty years, although
many persons hive TO the age of eighty
and even ninety years. If we add 10
the longevity the fact that the inhsbi-
tRnts Of Galeasieu are not annoyed by
any opeof ,thoPestiferous insecticides,
except IN the marshydistricts, one can
scarcely imagine a more delightful
situation in a climatic point of view.
As before stated, the parish is
abundantly supplied with timber, full
~ oBe-half of the entire area of the
parish being more or less hesyily tim
bered witltthe best Of bnildiRg pine on
the uplands, and every conceivable
growth of this latitude in the bottoms,
among which may be named the cy-
press, IN almost iRe1hzustible brakes,
and several valuable Yarities of the
oak. Pine and cypress lumber is ex-
ported In large quantities from the
Sabine Calcasieu and Aermentau rivers
10 Texas and Mexican ports, and sew
eral steam tugs ply on the Caleasisu,
towing sehOoners aud other ssil vessels
with logs for the steam saw mills in
operation in the parish, whose united
capacity is about 200, 900 feetof manu-
featured lumber per day. There are
also five planning mills at and in the vi
entity of Lake Charles. The numerous
saw mills give employment to feet
Of from thirty 10 sixty sebooners, each
with carrying capacity of from TO-
600 to 100000 feet of lumber. Be
sides oak, pine and cypress, the forests
of Caleasisu contain gum, hickory,
maple, mulberry, sassafras, magnolia,
bitter pecan, willow, black walnut,
sycamore, beach, blackberry, linn, dog
wood, persimmon, ironwood and nu-
merous other small trees and shrubs
common to the latitude. Wood is
commonly used for fencing purposes,
but there are some hedges and wire
fences in the parish. 4
The parish includes over 500 miles
of water, safely nsyigabie at all seasons
of the year for vessels of not over FIVE
feet dranght, with an increase of about
oDe-third during high water. The Cal
casieU river flows almost diagonally
through the parish, from northeast 10
southwest, and empties into aCaleasieI
lake near the northern line of Cameron
parish. The MermeBtau river flows
along the eastern boundary of the par
ish, through Grand lake, in Cameron,
and discharges its waters into the gulf |
some fifteen miles to the eastward of
Galeasien Pass. The Caleasieu river
has among its tributaries the West
Fork and the Bayons Indian, Serpent
aud English, all of which are navigable
for small craft. There are also numer-
Gus eoulees and small streams Of water
scattered throughout the parish, the
most of which are abHndantlyq supplied |
with water all the year. Lake Charles |
is q basin of the Caleasieu river, the
channel of the river running along the
west shore. The east, west and south |
sides of the lake are bordered with |
bold bluff banks, in many places deep
y covered with marine shells. The |
ands bordering the lake, like those of
he river and its branches, are not only |
If superior quality, bat seem to be adj
piEably adapted TO the growth Of fruit !
Eees, 50 far as stated. The lake is
nearly two miles broad opposite the
own of Lake Charles, and is two miles
Tide north and south, being almost
circular in fern. Steamboats, and
choeners from the Caleasieu river to
be Mexican Gulf trade across the lake
n All directions, and land at the saw
Mills and WharVes. lntthe more north I
m portion ofthe parish excellent water
3 secured from wells, which are rarely I
nore than twentyfest deep, but cistern
sater is usually preferred for drinking. /.
he water of Lake Charles and the I
iyers is clear aud soft and IS preferred
Or washing purposes. In the pine 4
agioas exist Numerous springs, some
+ which are said to possess valuable
ledieinal qualities. h
gCalcasien is aemphatically q white
lan's parish, the population, as already q
Lsted, numbering about nine white to- Il
person. Itis tothefprmer
lass, therefore, that the parish looks
orfutpre additions to its population,
nd to these it oilers rare opportunities
} open farms and begin at once TO lay II
he foundations forfutnre prosperity
I'D coHlfpTt. The prices paid for logs I
ysthe saw mills range from e5 30 to Z
8 per 1000 feet, whfle the choppers
sceiye 90 cents per log and make
ON 81 Soto % so per day. Rats /
zen get 90 and teaHlsters 81 30 per h
az. Saw mill hands receive from 81 n
J AL 25 per day; carpenters from az
3 to o.; shiPwrights - Agricul-
lral laborers in the upper part Of the
srish get $40 per month, with board
I'D lodging; but in consequence of {
le high wages paid by the mills,
ppds are scarce. The majority Of the
rms being snail are cultivated byI Il