The Lake Charles echo. [volume] (Lake Charles, Parish of Calcasieu, La.) 1876-1898, 1885-03-14
- y -. 80 2. "a.

% Farna Journal respecting the resnl
y Fl the Press excursion 10 and over 4
g doinain Of ihis gigantic spterpns
3 y. I CT. has, IN his writings, CIV
Iaany extremely interesting fact
{ sghich hare not been generally know
: here snd abroad, OF the operations an
real objects Of the projectors Of hi
undertaking hence We propose 10 r.
I iteFate here, in more condense
fern, fer the information If our read
err, some Of the NOR iBterestip
characteristics.
in The first place, the section 0
Louisiana and Calcasieu selected b,
AT. Watkins for bis operations, is on
Of the most peculiarly SCENIC, odd auc
admirably adopted 10 successful one
rations Of ibis Eind. and, in fact conf
never be made available in 10 otbe,
way than the one proposed. L. j,
st1PendoHs, aud Of course must Stag.
ger the minds Of the more incredulou,
As 10 the success Of such an under.
taking, in fact equaIing in magnitude
the undertakings Of poverful govern
menis, ii not sezeeling, any we ever
read Or beard Of except, perhaps. the
draining Of the Zlyder lee By HoI-
land and converting its bed-some 40
or 80 feet beiow the sea leret-into
/ productive fields, which to-day in part
furnish bread for the subjects Of that
/ government.
OF course, one must not think that
all Mr. Watkins proposes 10 do in this
matter Of reclamation Of low land. il
only the labor Of day, a week,
month, or even year 1t will take
time and much money and many dis
appointments, as in all undertakings
Of this huge character. before full
and satisfactory result will be at hand
10 gladden. its projectors and the others
Of mankind whom its success will
50 much benefit. II must be borne /
10 mind that this scheme Of rcclama.
ton extends over million and more !
OF acres Of lands, and approaching .
this fact, ii already has incurred an |
OUTLAY Of several hundred thousand
dollars for machinery, 10 even make
fair beginning of operations. Bat a
better appreciation perhaps can be
obtained from -. y. G.'s'' own words /
"A vast principaIity is the domain
purchased in 1889 by Mr.. Watkins
Bat few consider its extent but its
western boundary is the Sabine river
il extends eastward along the Gulf
coast over one hundred miles, and in
land from fourteen to thirty-sir miles,
the northern limit being three to Eve
miles above the railroad. Within this
scope some land has been entered BY
others, but the 0aiaDcc-Beariy all
y a. purchased by Mr. Watkins About
swO-thirds Of it was State land. bought
at l2z cents per acre, and il, or will 4
be made, suitable for rice. while the .
IS adapted 10 2 diversity Of
crop.
Along the Gulf cosst, for about
30 miles of the 100, natural leyee or
'aHd bank has been formed, from one /
lalt mile To one mile in width. aud
sufficiently high, excepting at two ,
points, TO resist the highest tides in
ordinary storms. Penetrated At about
.qaai distances By nayigsbie streams
he Sabine on the west, with fine {
iarbor near It's mouth the CaIcasieu,
30 miles east, with 10 miles Of naviga-
bic water above Lake Charles, and 81
below, including 30 miles Of CAlcasieu
liver, 6 miles through Calcasieu Lake
md miles more down the same river
% the Gulf; with the Mermentau river
30 miles eastward and BayouN ermilion
about the same distance still further
east-aII running parallel from the l
lorth TO the south, and emptying into {
The Gulf Of Mexico. Southwestern {
Louisiana has grand future, now the
more quickly because Of the invest
Dent Of Mr.. Watkins
North Of Mr.. Watkins purchase are {
thousands Of acres Of rich State aud I
United States lands, mostly prairie, +
which can be bought at from Is cents ,
10 sl.25 per acre, or entered under the
homestead, presumption or timber acts. (
These lands are surrounded by all
kinds of timber According to the
testimony Of a Florida gentleman, who
has visited this section, it is as well
adapted TO orange culture as is that
Stata Maps Of any township, show
ing the vacant land, can be had at
either the State Land Office, at Baton I
Rouge, or from the U. S. Registrar,
at New Orleans, for the sum of 81. 90
each. The prairie region extends
about twenty miles above the railroad; 4
perhaps 300, 900 acres are embraced in
The open region above Mr.. Watkins
purchase
There is a large portion Of Mr..
purchase that is not low
Iands at all--on the contrary, most of
Lle lands purchased from the United
States Government are. the highest and
most available and fertile prairie lands
N our parish Here is where, we sup
pose, the timber planting will be done
when the enclosure Of 200 miles of
wire fence will be stretched. One
you'd suppose, at first, that this tree
is slow affair; bpt when we
snow that it only requires--from the
II q. - 49,.