The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1885-07-10
THE CAJUNS.
The descendants of the People
Celebrated in "Evangeline."
New Haven Palladium.

ANACDlfNlGd III wan CltAANs
New Haven Palladium.
Commissioner Harris, OF LOuisi
ana, showed me several pieces o
homespnn cotton goods which 1t
says we're made by the "Cajuns.f
"NYho are they ~ | asked. The
word, he replied, is a corruption o.
Arcadians, and is applied to the
descendants OF that people whose
settlement in Louisiana was im'
mortalized in LongfellOw's "Evan
geliuc.n Then, turning to the map.
he showed me where the "CaiunS'
live, and gave an account of their
homes and their simplicity Of lile'
In plain words he verided the words
of Basil, the blacksmith, as to the
beauty of the country, the fertility
of the soil and the ease in which
they lived. They are almost like
the s'lillies OF the field' in their
freedom from toll. In a little patch
around their houses they cultivate
what cotton they need for their
wearing apparel and such vegeta-
Gles as they use.
When the spring rains cease they
go out upon the prairie and exam
inc the depres6ions, from one to
five acres III extent, which are then
ponds OF water, aud if found to be
not more than eighteen inches deep
they prepare to SOW their flee.
First they soak their seed thorough
~, then scatter it broadcast over
the pond from the backs OF horses,
The weight of the soaked rice eau.
SEES it to sink, and they have no
further care for their crop until the
harvest time comes. Should a
drought prevail in the spring they
then scatter the seed upon the dry
ground. To prevent the birds OF
the air from dcvouring it, the Goa
Jun" looks out over the prairie
where his herds are, and riding to
the nearest he drives the cattle
back and forth and over the seed
until it has been trodden into the
soil.
Then putting up the light fence
around his Iice plantation he goes
homo satisfied. In July his crop is
ready for harvesting. For this he
uses Il sickle, tossing the sheaves
as they fall into his cart. This Is Il
cumbrOas affair of wood, even tu
the wheels and aNlcs. No iron is
used in ITS construction, The oxen
are not yoked, bat the tongue is
made fast to loops fastened TO their
horuS. The sheayps are spread out
upon the prairie and the grain is
trampled out by oxen, as it used to
be when the ediCt went forth,
''rhOu shalt net muZzle the OK that
treadeth out the Corn.' the grain
is swept together, sacked, carried
home and emptied into u bin.
When any is needed for a meal the
housewife takes IA Suficiency, puts
it into Il wooden hHndmiIl OF simple
CulNli uCtlOH, IuoN Vl thN nuns az a.
few minutes, winnows il IN Il sieve,
and soon has it cooking.
The Commissioner showed on the
map Il place where, for six miles,
the chief crop OF the "Oaiana' is
gathered from the orange trees
In selling this crop a singular Gus
tom prevails. When the trees are
blooming, ii buyer, the "diego'
(whO so.called no one seems to
know, appears among them. After
Il week Of conference, during which
ho and they have had repeated
whiting matches, a bargain is
struck for the seasons crop, one
half is paid down in cash and Sc
given for the balance, and
then the "Cajuns1 enjoy heir dolce
far %nientc, with from $500 to
1000 in hand for every head of
the family and as much secured for
the future. Basil, the blacksmith,
did not err when he told Evangel-
inc of the wealth of these teeming
lOwlandS.