The Lake Charles echo. [volume] (Lake Charles, Parish of Calcasieu, La.) 1876-1898, 1885-10-24
PARISH, LOUISIANA. sATURDAY, OCTOBER n 1885.
Southwestern Louisiana hts
Mining Prospects.
iberia Sugar Bowl.

Iberia Sugar Bowl.
Our esteemed and energetic fellow
citizen, Mr.. John NJ. Avery, of Ayery's
Island, has applied to the Department
of the Interior, at Washington, to have
the geological survey, now being made
of North Louisiana, extended to this
Southwestern district, with a view to
developing our mineral resources, and
giving, to whatever is discovered, the
important stamp Of government recog-
milton, through its chosen experts.
This is an important step toward the
material advancement of our section,
and it is one from which every citizen,
land owner or toiler, cannot but reap
some commensurate benefit.
In the parish of St. Landry there
are beds Of marble and limestone in
Calcasieu, large deposits of almost
pure sulphur, whilst Iberia is known
to contain the purest body of rock
sat in the world; also, brown coal,
sandstone and many valuable varieties
of clay. The limestone, sulphur and
salt are within fifty miles distant from
each other. The salt mines are already
in successful operation, and it is only
necessary to develop the sulphur and
limestone beds to make our section
rich in chemical manufactures. The
United States yearly sends abroad near
twenty millions of dollars to foreign
manufacturers for chemicals obtained
principally from salt, sulphur and
limestone. Why should not this
money be kept at home, and largo
portion of it distributed directly in our
midst?
Capital is needed to develop these
deposits and erect these factories
Confidence must be established before
capital can be obtained, and this,
in great measure, will be accom-
plshed through the report of the gov
ernment experts.
Nature, in its economy, makes its
own provisions, and who knows but
that our prairie farmers are freezing as
it were, Immediately over fuel enough
to supply warmth to the nation3 In
the vast prairies of the West, miles
distant from any semblance of forest
growth, large coal fields have been
discovered, and the hum of machinery
has long since drowned the ba2z of
the beetle over the low sage grass.
From out of its sands cities have
arisen, as if by magic, and the buffalo
trail of yesterday is tracked by the
iron horse Of to-day. Nature may
have made the same economic pro-
vision here, where "the rich are poor,
and the poorest live in abundance"
and is smiling at the comfort of our
people, clssped in her rich, warm en-
brace, too careless, too content, to
reach forth and gather farther fruit.
Mr.. Avery does not only propose to
have the mineral deposits already
known examined and reported upon,
but that a thorough and exhaustive
examination be made into the mineral
resources of Southwestern Louisiana
In furtherance of this proposition, he
has received the support of our worthy
Senator, the Hon. Randall L. Gibson,
and our ever-yigilant Representative,
the Hon. Ewd. j. Gay, will extend to
him his every assistance. Let the
country press take this matter in hand
and push forward the good work. He
who stops to sing whilst others work,
will stop to weep when others sing.
He's left,