The Meridional. (Abbeville, La.) 1856-1906, 1885-10-31
ABBEv1LLE. La. Oct. rs, 1885.

1LA0} A1ASs
Mr.. Editor IL would like to
speak a few words through the me.
dunn of your columns to the good
people of Abbeville and vicinity, in
regard to the school at this place
and other matters also.
In the first place I would Ike if
you could wake the people up in re-
gard to the school. Why isit that
there is so much apathy in regard to
pa.ronizing the public school I The
mere fact Of its being paid for by the
parish does not preclude the posi-
bility Of it's being we'll taught. do
not know however that | have any
cause to complain for | have taught
but ten days, and 80 far have enroll
ed sixteen, which is more than some
expected ; but there ought to be al
the least double that number. Surely
there are children enough in this
vicinity to make up a school Of fifty
or sixty pupils and that too Of PEG.
pie who ought to take advantage Of
the opportunity offered by the pub
lie school. | have nothing to say
against any other school. Would
be glad to see them all prosper, and
every one ought to rejoice in the
prosperity Of all the schools Tor there
is not a surer index to the prosperity
Of a place than to see the schools
aourisbing. And as We go along a
word to the commercial portisu Of
the community may not be amiss, if
we could succeed in building up a
good boarding school here, (and
what is to hinder. Don't you know
that the substantial planters in the
parish and other parishes would send
their children here 10 preference to
(sending to schools hundreds Of miles
of !? aud more, do you not know
that many would move here for the
advantage Of the school, and in con.
sequence your real estate would be
in demand, aud the business 10 your
stores would be greatly augmented.
Well, the way to have q good
school is to make it. Your School
Board have built the house and en-.
ployed q teacher and now ask you
to send in your boys aud girls too
and We promise you that all shall be
properly controlled, and If the school
will only increase sufficiently to al.
low it, 20 doubt the commissioners
will secure the services Of a lady
fully qualified in all departments as
assistant teacher. Abbeville ought
not to be content to stay in the back
GROUND always and the prospects
are that it will 5000 come out Of the
wilderness.
Our sister town Lafayette, sppre-
ciating the richness of .his garden
spot Of the world lying 70 aud down
this bayou is clamoring for q rail.
road to run thence to this place, and
then you are i'll the world at on.
Jump. For when you reach Lafa-
yette you strike the great Hunting
tou system of roads which extends
in its mighty sweep from the Pacific
to the Atlantic, the only gap now
being the SO miles from Lafayette to
Baton Rouge, and which the end oil
sc, will see crowned by the iron
way and then in q few hours after
leaving home you can be landed in
the Capital Of your State, or you
can 60 to the mighty cities Of. the
east or west as your fancy, or bust
ness may lead you. Verify there
can be no country uhder the sun
for which nature has done more, the
soil is fertile. the climate salabrious
and healthy, is neither too cold 10
winter nor too hot in summer as in
regions further north, aud all the
country wants is the thorough going
yeomanry Of the north aud west
who will turn over the coil and gath,
er therefrom immense crops Of cot
ton, grain and sugar aud erect the
many factories of which the country
stands in need. For instance why
may not some enterprising yankee
come here erect q cotton factory
take your cotton in the seed, make
it into cloth aud thread and return
it to you cheaper than when it it
shipped to New York or Boston aud
brought back, and surely we could
make as nice land out of the cotton
seed, here as at any other place il
the world. As I am only a strange,
here, / hope the good folks will no,
say that I am meddliug too much il
their affairs, for you know I am in
terested in the success of the schoo
at least, and every . ought to, i
he does not, do his level best 70,