St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1885-10-03
Copyright Secured. An Rights Rescrred.1
Driven From Sea to Sea,
Or, JUST A CAMPIN'.
BY 6. Q. POST.
BY c. o. POST.
PUBLISHED BY PERMISSION OF J. E. DoWREY
& Co, PUBLISHERS, CHICAGO.
CHAPTER YI.--CoNrINuED.

CHAPTER VI.-CoNTINUED.
The first rains, however, wash the
greater portion of the nourishment out
of this dried grass, and although the new
shoots spring up at once, it is difficult,
for time, for stock to get at it through
the heavy coating of old and worthless
growth which falls down over it, and is
not very nourishing when obtained.
A portion of the settlers had a COW
each, but those in whom we are most
interested were without Among those
who were SO fortunate as topossess one,
however, was Richie; and as MIR. Par
sons and Erastus were enabled to give
him needed assistance in the erection OF
his shanty and the cutting OF grass for
his team and cow, it was agreed that
the milk should be divided between the
two families for the next year, Jenny
and Lucy making regular trips for their
share every night and morning.
! The shanty up, and a sufficient
amount of grass secured. the settlers
next turned their attention to the
breaking of the soil, the planting of
trees and vines, and, at the proper
time, of vegetables. For the first year
they expected to live largely upon wild
game and the few provisions which
they had brought with them. The sec
ond year they would get on much bet
ter.
There is no country where the COM
mon domestic fowls, ducks, chickens
and geese, are so easily raised or pay so
well The little attention which they re-
auire as in California; and our friends
were in possession of q sufficient num-
Der of these to enable them to subslst
upon eggs and fowls of their own rails
ing. if need be, by another year; besides
which they would be well supplied with
vegetables, so that the prospect was not
so very gloomy after all, especially as
all were blessed with good health; and
hope, which usually comes with q
healthful body busily employed in its
own service, gave a coloring as OF the
sunrise to the future which was opening
up before them.
Fruit trees were already being
shipped to the coast by way OF the
isthmus, and although they were cost
" and our friends poor, they managed
to ret a few; enough, at least, to fur
nisR gratis for future use. OF peach
pits and apple and pear seeds the care
full housewife who presided over John
Parsons shanty had brought q supply
from the States.
Grape-euttings could be more easily
obtained. More than q century before
the Jesuit priests who penetrated up
ward from Mexico had planted grape
vines brought from Spain, and these,
crossed, perhaps, with other varieties
brouoht from the States, and favored
by the adaptibility of the climate, pro-
duced a fruit far excelling anything
which the Atlantic States can boast OF.
And so when spring came again and
the ram ceaJed, there was quite the ap-
uearance of living in the vicinity OF the
Parsons shanty Some twenty acres Of
the land had been broken, a garden
planted, and many of its products were
lifting their heads to the sunlighti q
balf-hundred fruit trees and a hundred
grape-yines had put forth their leaves,
and were ready to drink in the sunshine
and grow And they grew. Grew
so fast that one could almost fancy
he saw them grow anu stFetcn oleil-
selves.
It has been said that the only thing
which ever distanced a California
grapevine when it once got down 70
fbe business of growing is the bean-yine
of Jack the Giant Killer, known to our
childhood days; the one that Jack
undertook TO climb to the top OF, but
which grew faster than he could climb,
and SO carrying him with it, finally
reached clear up to the giants castle.
And such clusters Of fruit as hang
dependent upon their stems, and grow.
and ripen in the long sunny days OF
September and October, when not Q
cloud mars the blue Of the sky for
weeks and weeks; clusters that look
like pure globes of clear crystal; or that
turn purple and amber-colored where
they hang among the broad, velvety
leaves that seem as If conscious OF the
beauty of the picture which they help to
make; and which turn themselves side