The Brookhaven leader., 1883-04-19
BROOKHAVEN, MISSISSIPPI THURSDAY, APRIL

Nlllage, At 0TSt dgdiHsJ tHC ChiCi, anu
then against the smallest and most in
significant fishers assistant there. Cos
sip, with her idle tongue, invoked pri-
vate enmity where brotherly love ex-
isted before, and old friends found them
selves separated by some maligning
slanderer. Feuds were created. The
crease and the knife were resorted to,
and the peaceful ST. Malo threatened to
become place of sickening deeds. The
older heads gathered together and dis
cussed this unlooked-for change in the
affairs of the microcosm. The logic of
facts, by very simple induction, point
ed to the woman as the cause, and her
fate was sealed. Traditions differ as to
the means taken to bring about the de-
sired result. One has it that she was
tied out in the marshes to stake for
the mosquitoes to suck out her life
blood; another tells of the short strife
of knife and severing of the bloody
limbs from the headless trunk. 1t mat
ters little which may be true, the re-
set eyes on St. MalO.
The character of these settlers had
been spoken of as most bold and des-
perate, which was skillfully concealed
under a mild, submissive manner when
the eyes of Christian people were upon
them. Exclusive, crafty, superstitious
and daring descendants of the an
thropophagi, it was but natural that ex-
cursionists from New Orleans and the
neighboring country did not take kind
ly to st. MalO as resort in their sum-
mer cruises over our land-locked lakes.
With such before the imagination, it is
pardonable that desire for a solution
of these reported mysteries should be
awakened in the journalistic mind.
The fishing is conducted by COM
panies, each of which is composed of a
| Captain and four or five men. The
Captain is generally the owner of the
seine. They start out i'm fine weather
down the shore of Lake Borgne and
haul the seine until sufficient quantity
is caught to fill their cars. All return
to st. Malo, where the fish are punched
and sold to luggers which ply between
that point and New Orleans. The first
share goes to the seine, and then all take
share and share alike of the proceeds.
Each man, when lucky, clears between
fifteen and eighteen dollars per week.
| They do not care for the cold, and work
winter and summer, although summer
is the best fishing season. The men live
on fish, rice and beans, and once a week
they get meat They are all cOntented
without wives, and seldom have trouble
with one another. When they first
came they built their houses with
ldtdnier (palmetto) leaves and with
straw from the marsh; now they are
built of cypress.
No such thing as awarrant of court,
tax bill, a lawyer, a doctor, or an
election is known there. Their only
| Judges to settle their disputes are arbi-
traitors selected by those who dispute
the property in skiff, a bunch of fish,
or pirOgue. When man gets drunk
on liquors brought on the luggers from
the city, and he gets noisy, he is inn
mediately taken down to a fish car,
which is simply large skiff, some ten
feet long, decked over with open seams
about an inch in width, so that when it
is afloat the water will flow through it
to keep the fish alive. The drunken man
is put in fish car, the sliding door on top
is closed and peg inserted. He is
then safe. If he becomes too obstreper-
Gus the car is pushed out into the water
until it is half filed, the cold bath
effectually quieting the ardor of the
prisoner.
| With Bataille as an interpreter, the
Times Democrat men paid Del Carpio a
visit, and from him learned that the
boat-builder's story was correct. Del
Carpio had been there for thirty-five
years, and formerly was Captain of a
company himself, but he had grown too
the boats now. He raised game chick
ems, which afforded much sport to the
woman there, and passed his days
quietly beneath the dark shadows of his
trees. Under the shed was hung a
string of sliced fish, drying, as if drying
was possible in such humid atmos-
phere. Everything seemed saturated.
Del Carpio had been sailor, but on
reaching this country had left his vessel
and come to st. Malo. He said the
place was selected because the bayou
afforded good harbor, and excellent
| fishing grounds were near. The men
there took no part in the late war, and
were disturbed by neither side. He
would not say that there was no SNUG
Cling through the lines from st. Malo
at that time, but smiled significantly
when the subject was mentioned. When
asked why women were not allowed in
the settlement, he only shrugged his
shoulders and said: Quien Sabe?"
His face was wrinkled, and from be-
meath an overhanging brow two bead
like eyes shone out with all the luster of
youth. His mouth was a good-natured
one, but evinced great firmness. He
was considerably agitated at the visit,
and did not appear at ease until his Wis
itOrs entered their pirogues and padded
off " o. Times-DemOcrdt
Snar;Sh n ;aa,;aa DAT -.-.