The Lake Charles echo. [volume] (Lake Charles, Parish of Calcasieu, La.) 1876-1898, 1885-05-30
LAKE CHARLES CALCASEU PARISH LOUISIANA SATURDAY 1885

TO be wet but it is often the best /
land. These facts are certainly worth
: the attention of all home-seekers.
: We left the cars at Lake Charlie
, 220 miles from New Orleans. 1t
, an old town, but before the railroa
came, five years ago, was small.
) has a most slightly location, on higf
: rolling land, overlooking charmin
! lake of the same name. Being Just a
the lower edge of what many think til
finest body Of pine timber in the SontI
makes its commercial location favora
Bile also. Thirteen saw mills AM
several ship yards are now operated il
or near town and the population ha
taken a sudden jump up to $500.
The lake after which the town i
named, is formed by the sudden widen
ing out Of the Calcasieu river, (pro
nounced cal-ca-shew), and is a perfect
gem with perfect setting. Nearly
round, three and half miles in it,
greatest diameter; clear, pure water
sandy bottom, high, precipitous banks,
with thick growth of all forest trees,
rendered a thousand fold more dense
and impcnetrable by the very heaviest
drapery of Spanish moss, coming right
up to the waters edge almost all the
way round, except just where the
town stands. For the man who wants
to try his hand on making an earthly
paradise, there is his chance. A lovely
bouquet of spring flowers was gathered
for member of our party from under
trees laden with ripe, sweet oranges.
From Lake Charles to the Gulf of
Mexico, by the river, it is 70 miles.
To ride down there, as we did, of a
pleasant, spring afternoon, on the deck
of a daisy Of little steamer, COM
manded by the most obliging of cap
tains, accompanied by tho gayest and
most congenial of friends, provided
with every comfort and almost every
luxury by one whose life, as well as
whose entertainment, strongly resem.
bles a fairy tale-who could ever for
get itl The quiet, peaceful CLEAN OF
that broad, winding river, the rithm
of the splashiDg paddles, the chuck,
chuck of the escaping steam, the
kindly jest, the merry laugh, the
thoughtful kindness the sympathetic
faces will lingcr in memory like chords
of sweet music or scenes of home-life.
1t was our intention to go from the
Calcasieu river around the gulf to the
Sabine river, and up that river so miles
on hunting expedition. But when we
got to the gulf storm was on and we
dared not venture out. We, however,
went out far enough for Mrs. b. and
other members of the party to get sea-
sick. Then we spent part of day |
along the shore gathering up shells,
etc. A party of us went a short dis
tance into the country to large
orange orchard We then had the
satisfaction of pulling all the oranges
we could carry, without money or
price--as freely as any one ever gath
cred apples out of an orchard in the
North. They were also much sweeter
and better than those we buy in the
And we found the hospitable
owner, a Mr.. Wakefield, real hero
besides. He was formerly from Ohio,
and when the war cloud burst upon
The nation had two sons back there at
school. Both of them enlisted in the
Union army and he remained true to
The Union himself. For that reason
be was kept in prison through most
IF the war. But he talked his Union
right out all the same, We
elt it an honor to meet such man.
Next week ! will tell something about
! little farm | have seen out here, and
iomething about the old and new ways
If farming in this part of the country.
.a. i, II. B.