St. Landry democrat., 1883-01-27
BAYoE CHIcoT, la, Jan. Is, 1888.

BAYoE CHIcoT, la, Jan. 10, 1888.
Editor DEMOCRAT:
Time flies here. We are half way
through the first month OF the New
Year with the music of the holidays
still ringing in our ears and but little OF
what should be done accomplished.
However. guess It's so everywhere. On
Friday last Your correspondent mount
ed that sine qai Ron,n a creole poney,
and Travelled over tile road hence TO
Capt. Joe Ford's Landing on Bayou
Cocodlie. The bright sunshine, the
good road (thanks to overseer Foreman
aud the carol of the birds made the
ride most pleasant, but on our arrival a
more pleasant sight than we had yet
seen burst upon our gaze, to-Wlt Ihe
handsome new barge, Martha. We
found that sterling gentleman and ex-
perienced navigator, Capt. Joe Ford,
placing and trimming the last. few
bales Of his blue ribbon trip consisting
of nearly two hundred bales OF cotton
and slaves to equal another hundred.
The cotton was shipped by our wide
awake and enterprising merchant, Capt.
sam Haas. Like Il thing OF life the
barge sat upon the placid waters OF the
Cocodrie, onesf the lovl1est bayous in
he State 0rout of it, After the COM
pletion OF her loading the rousters were
idly lounging on the cotton, and Capt
Joe, with a satisfied smile, was indeed
happy. LET 60 your head line" soon
came in stentorian notes from the Capt,
and the Martha backed out on the
Z mile current for Washington and all
way landings. Here Oh this lovely
bayou are as fine lands as the State can
boast with the best natural drainage of
esfx fln "a In
abundance and with a little aid from
the National Government, navigation
for small steamers could be secured for
six months in the year. All along this
beautiful river are small farms cultlva
ted by white men who own them raising
from five to twenty-five bales of cotton
according to number in family. In the
near future we expect to see this coun-
try settled to its fullest capacity by a
class Of self-sustaining farmers who
will have steam navigation at their
doors it is necessity that must be met.
Again we have wandered DER many a
land, and being a devout disciple of
Isaac Walton have cast many a line to
the finny tribes. We must say few have
eaualled, none have surpassed Cocodrie
in the catch. White perch, Dream, Cog
gle eyes, trout and all the varieties of
cat, while we have hard-shell turtle in
abundance as well as Baptists of both
shells. Here could be established one
of the grandest and to my Csind most
ture, and general wooden ware manu-
factories in the world. Here is every
variety OF timber needed for the finest
and most common work, easy of ac-
cess to all markets by barge navigation
TO Washington, thence by steamers or
r. r. to any part of the Union. The
factory once established, steamboats,
would soon find their way up this at
present almost unknown bayou. We
understand there is prospect of an
earthenWare factory being established
near MS soon. God speed the day when
st. Landry shall manufacture every
needed article within her own borders.
Then we shall not only be the banner
parish, but the most independant peo-
people of any cline. Well, we have a
weakness for the beautiful Cocodrie and
her llospitable deniZens, and have said
nothing but what is true. Don't think
it forgetfulness that we have been
Baton Rouge. We have only been TAX
ing big breath to shout grand hur-
rah with hip and three rousing cheers
with tiger for Hon. E. L. Lewis, the
peoples choice for Congress from the |
sixth district. Let every man see that
his majority is no halfway doings. Old
st. Landry expects every man to vote
for her favored son on the 18th of Feb |
ruary. Another deluge of rain Satur-
day followed by freeze at night, and |
a.lovely, bright Sabbath. Rev. Parker
preached here Saturday to small con-
gregation. We need a frst-class school