The Opelousas courier., 1884-06-28
Parish of st. Landry.
IT'S. VAST AND VARIED RESOURCES
CAPITAL, ENTERPRISE AND
SKILL NEEDED.

st. Landry has al area Of abOnt
1000 square miles. The greatest dis
lance across it from east to west is
about SO miies-from its northern to
itss southern extremity the greatest
distance is about 60. 1t has an area
of about 60 townships, or little
than. j 800, 900 acres. 1t has land
enough for 10, 900 farmers, each having
O farm ofI00 acres. and a great deal to
spare for waste land and water surface.
It has room for an agricultural popula-
ton of 150, 900, and an indefinite num-
Der of manufacturers and mechanics.
1t has a great variety OF prairie and
woodland, hill and valley land, heavi-
~ timbered swamp and rich bottom
lands, much rich and some poor soil
lands and localities adapted to all
kinds Of tastes and circumstances Its
richest lands are in the eastern part OF
the parish it's prairies are chiefly in
the west and south it has some pine
lands ia the northern part.
Prairie Mammou, Prairie Faquetyke.
Hayes, Plaqucanine, M%ermentau, and
Grand Prairie and Prairie des Femmes,
were the old time cattle ranges, where.
vast heards of cattle we're raised for
the New Orleans market fifty and
seventy five years ago, and where
many cattle and horses are now raised
without shelter, hay or salt. The
brand and ear mark of the cattle and
brand Of the horses are the only proofs
Of title. 1t was but q few years ago
that the population of St, Landry was
put down &C about Is, 0O0-at the last
census it was about 10000, of this
number 19, 399 were colored.
a4The German population is increas
st. Landry, and the German
farmers are doing well. There are two
colonies of Germans in the parish, and
other Germans living on farms not
connected with colonies. lie German
immigration were to turn in earnest
in this direction it would take but a
few years to fill the parish with hard
working, thrifty and honest farmers.
The Germans usually live and thrive
by honest industry, close economy and
good calculation, and they crowd out
the thieves and vagabonds where they
settle. They are we'll acquainted with
mixed farming, and usually supply
their tables bountifully with home
made food. The native population of
st. Landry is increasing rapidly.
There has for years been a press
ing demand for lumber in st. Landry
the saw mills cannot supply the de-
mand. There is also a good demand
for mechanics. This shows that they
are making Improvements. It gives
strong proofs of thrift, Cypress lum-
Der now sells at $14 per thousand feet
at the mill.
They are introducing improved
breeds of horses and cattle in st. Lam
dry. The Jerseys are here, as every
where else, the favorite butter and
cream cows. They are crossing better
breeds of horses with the creole breed
of this country.
Wire fences are increasing in st.
Landry and are everywhere taking
the place of the old wooden fences.
Some lands sell in st. Landry as low
as $1.25a an acre the best improved
lands not higher than SO or SIS.
Some farmers from the Western
States and from Pennsylvania have
settled in ST. Landry and there are
prospects of more. The notaries made
% sales of land in q month last year.
Considerable attention is nov given
to the cultivation of rice in this parish.
They get 90 bushels of rough rice to
the acre, andmore than this from their
best lands.
"a rice mill is said to be greatly
needed in Opelousas. They say it
would pay we'll and would greatly
stimulate the production of rice in the
parish.
A central sugar factory is said to be
greatly needed on the Beuf. above
Washington. These bottom lands on
this Bayou are very rich and yield
heavy crops o sugar The Bayou
Beuf in st. Landry is not the same
as the Beuf Of st. Mary.
Sc. Landry abounds in creeks, bay
GUS, coulees and ravines. 1t has but
few lakes. On its numerous streams
OF water it has large quantities of valu-
able timber-oak, ash, gum, hickory,
cypress and all other kinds suitable for
building and fencing materials, cabi-
net work, furniture, carts, plows, bug
gies and WoOdenWare of various kinds.
st. Landry has for years been fa-
nous for its production of chickens
and eggs for the New Orleans market
and home use. That parish is capas
Bile Of producing domestic fowls and
eggs sufficient to supply tile New Or
leans market, il the parish were dense
III populated with farmers.
The Morgan Louisiana and Texas
Railroad.rnns twenty miles west across
the southern portion of ST. Landry,
and the Red River branch extends
through the parish northwest, about
sixty miles, and the influence of the
railroads for good has been felt, not
only in the section through which they
pass, but to some extent all v 3 the
parish.
There is d cotton seed oil factory at
Neutrality-suspicious. down and rebuilt
since last year.
0pelonsas has an admirable location
for a town-high, on rolling ground,
airy and healthy-geod we'll water,
and all the elements OF health but it
has, as 4 am Informed, at the present
time but little over 1900 inhabitants.
With such factories as might be prof.
table it might have ten thousand in
ba bitants. It is impossible to make
thrifty towns out of merchants and
lawyers alone, especially 10 a parish
like this where they have suppressed
crime Of late years. diminished litiga-
tion, and greatly increased the country