St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1884-09-20
st, Landry Democrat, August, 1880.
BOUNDARIES, AREA, AND MEANS OF
TRANSPORTATION.

ana, we purpose to lay before our
readers and the general public as
precise description of our parish
and as complete a history Of it as
our own personal knowledge will
afford.
The parish Of st. Landry is next
to the largest one in the State. 1t
is bounded on the north by the par
ishes Of Rapides and Avoyelles, on
the east by the last named parish
and the Atchafalaya river, on the
south by bayou Turtle Tail (Which
separates it from the parishes Of
Lafayette, St. Martin and Vermil-
lion) and the bayou Carancro, and
on the west by the Mermentau river
and bayou Nez Pique. These limits
embrace about sixty-fye townships
equal to one million four hundred
and .fue thousand acres Q,405, 1000,
It will be seen that the parish is
mostly surrounded by water, giving
it somewhat the character of an
island. This fact will undoubtedly
have great weight with men Of prac-
teal sense, especially the farmer and
stock-raiser, with whom water is of
prime Importance. Besides its val
ne for the purposes of stock-raising,
there is the greater one, if possible,
of afording the means Of transpor-
tatien. On the east are the bayou
Courtableau and the Atchafalaya
river, connecting with the Missis-
sippi river and thence to New Or
leans; and on the west the Mermen-
tau river opens to us the ports Of
Galveston and New Orleans, gia the
Gulf Of Mexico. With the compile
ton of the Morgan line Of railroad
to Opelousas, direct communities
ton will be established to New Or
leans. This important work will be
accomplished in a very short time,
as working parties are now almost
within sight Of Opelousas. And not
only will direct line be opened to
New Orleans, but one, also, Via the
Louisiana Western Railroad, at the
town Of Vermilionville, to Lake
Charles, in Calcasieu parish, and
thence to Houston and other points
in Texas. The Morgan line, which
is to extend to Alexandria, will bring
us in direct communication with the
great Red River valley.
DIVERSITY OF NATURAL WEALTH.
Perhaps no inland parish is more
bountifuIly provided with the means
and facilities required by the farm
er, stock-raiser, mechanic, and la
borer than the parish Of ST. Landry
when its area and the diversity Of
its natural wealth are taken into
consideration. Our sister parishes
of Lafayette, Vermillion, ST. Martin,
Iberia, Calcasieu, Cameron and st.
Mary possess as rich a soil, and
have also great advantages for
transportation but the quantity Of
land within their borders subject to
overflow, and embraced within the
limits Of the sea marsh and lakes,
comprises the largest portion OF
their area, leaving comparatively a
small portion for cultivation.
The diversity which our parish
presents from the hill to the gently
undulating prairie, from the dense
forest to the grand natural meadow
gives full scope for the many
tastes and pursuits Of man. There
are localities, too, where the scepery
is both pleasing and picturesque.
and where the, tired denizen Of the
city may find rest and peace, and
even solitude, should they desire it
Within the limits thus imperfectly
described there is room for thou
sands Of families, possessing intelli-
gence and Yersed in all the later i'm
provements in agriculture, endowed
with high purposes Of progress, and
who desire to elevate their own con.
dition by well-directed and skillfu.
farming operations. We will vel
come all such with open arms.
THE NORTHWESTERN SECTION.
The northwestern section Of oul
parish is bounded by the bayou Ne,
Pique On the west, the bayou Croco
die on the north and east, and thu
bayou Cane on the south and south