The Opelousas courier., 1885-11-14
The stock Men In Council.

Last Saturday the st. Landry Live
Stock Association met at the Court
House, and notwithstanding that the
roads were almost in an impossible
condition from the effects of the severe
storm of the night previous, there was
fair attendance, and considerable i'm
portant business was transacted There
were several new names added TO the
membership of the Association, and
notably among others, our enterprisiug
young friend and excellent business
manager, Alphonse Levy, junior mem
Der of the firm of j. Meyers u Co., whose
whole heart and soul ia wrapt up in the
good cause which the Association is
engaged in.
The gentlemen composing this Asso-
citation are among our NEST wealthy and
influential citizens, and are pushing on
with zeal and ardor in the good work
in which they are engaged that will GER
Iainly crown their efforts with success.
They know no such word as fail, and
already have achieved success almost
unparalleled in breaking up the thiev-
ing rings and intimidating the scoun.
drels who have for years been preylng
upon and driving away their stock and
beef cattle.
That the public may know something
of the history of this organization, We
may be pardoned for giving a brief
statement of the inception and begin
ming of this Association.
During the summer of last year, five
gentlemen of Bellevue, who bad lost
heavily III cattle aud horses from these
thieves, had an informal meeting and
sent out invitations to men OF known
probity of character, to meet them at
the honse of john M. Ware on tue first
Saturday of August, to consult as to tue
best means to stop this stealing and II
possible to detect the thieves. They
then aud there organized tile Central
/ ST. Landry Stock Association, with n
full corps Of officers. Although the re
suit has not been as successful as some
of the most sanguine and hot-blooded
had anticipated, yet from that time to
/ the present it has had a steady and
/ strengthening growth, and now num-
1 bers some forty OF fifty members, com
posed of the very best men interested IN
stock, from Opelousas, Bellevue, Cou-
l lee CrocLe and Plaquemlne Brulee.
Some of these gentlemen had lost
from ten TO fifteen head of stock yearly I;
and, III show the good which had been
accomplished since the beginning OF
/ this organization, tho question was put
! to every individual, 1T the last meeting,
nHow many cattle have you lost by
thieves, this year r. aud every individ-
ual member answered, sNoue!T In
fact, the traps have been set with such
skill that it is alniost impossible for q
thief To get away with any OF their
stock without t.ing caught
These gentlemen have, 1t their last
meetiOg. taken the fences under their
protection. Ard nov ihes propose 10
protect their stock and fences also
B They pro,loae to look after these ARABS,
who own cattle aud no land, aud who
have been in the habit of tearing down
the fences enclosing large fields, 80 that
their cattle may obtain winter pastur-
age iii these fields, sheltered by timber ;
aud also they propose to look after the
Villains who destroy fences for mischief
or because tire ieiict seems to be ID their
way. They propose 70 show these lsli-
maelites that somebody l,als some rights
to The lands they possess, aud are de.
termiued to maintain them al Whatever
cost.
At tue next meeting, on the first
Thursday of February, at tho residence
Of John M. Ware of Bellevue, there will
be Il discussion On the respective merits
or rather profits of stock raising and
cotton culture. Our FREUD Levy il APP
pointed to open the debate 10 favor q
stock raising but Ne doubt veiy much
If he will be allowed to bear away the
aaurels, (or the hurus r.tIaer,) without
come effort on the part OF our cotton
planters to show up the merits OF the
isfeecy staple