The Lake Charles echo. [volume] (Lake Charles, Parish of Calcasieu, La.) 1876-1898, 1885-05-30

Winamac Qnd.) Republican.
In my last letter from the South
promised to write something about our
trip to Southwestern Louisiana. We
went over the Morgan Railroad, form,
erly Called the New Orleans and
Brashear City. After leaving the
river the country is mostly cypress
swamp for so miles. Then we came
to the sugar producing district of the
State, and Travelled through it for a
long distance. 1t is the garden spot
of Louisiana and is considered by
some the garden spot of the country.
1t was settled originally by French
people and their descendants occupy
il still. This makes many things about
it seem very odd. A county is called
parish; river is called bayou, and
all these and the towns also have
French names. In most instances if
a lIoosier was to see one of these
names in print he would be no more
likely to call it what the natives do
than he would TO call monkey a
whale. Bayou is pronounced bio;
Lafourche, lah-foorsh; Teche, tesh,
and, worse yet, AtchafaIsys they pro-
nounced shaff-a.liah. Then instead of
saying Lafonrche bayou they put the
cart before the horse and say Bayou
Lafourche, Bayou Teche, etc. But it
is beautiful country, nevertheless.
In the summer time it must be lovely.
The soil is richness itself and one fine
field lays alongside Of another for
miles upon miles. Here and there are
some OF the loycliest live oak shade
trees that eyes ever beheld and many
of the fences are composed of a spe
cies of running rose, pretty even in
mid-winter. All that gives the coun.
try away is its buildings Never very
good, they now have an old, squatty.
dilapidated look. A two-story farm
house, or one freshly painted, is a
great rarity. | asked gentleman
well acquainted there why 1t was so
and be said the people were afraid Of
being called proud. Bah! Those who
read Mr.. Longfellow's beautiful poem
of Eyangeline find in it some exquisite
descriptions of this eountry. 1t was
here that the homeless Acadians found |
refuge. Along these quiet bayous
and over these billowy prairies, dark
eyed Eyangeline followed the ever re
treating footsteps of Gabriel.
Beautiful is the land, with It's praIrtes and |
forests Of fruit trees,
Under the feet garden Of howers, and the |
bluest Of heavens
Bending above, and resting It's dome on the
walls of the forest,
They who dwell there have named It the |
Eden Of Louisiana"
After passing Lafayette formerly
Vermilio1yille), the soil is not quite
50 good. Until recently this part was
not settled and settlements are still
sparse. ID very new part Of the
country we passed q village made up
mostly Of Iowa people. The Northern
aspects Of the places the houses
neatly painted, many Of them two
stories--formed quite contrast with
other villages we had seen. If they
90 not fad the prairies there quite as
productive as those in Iowa they viii |
find the winters SO much shorter that
the change may, after all, be i most
desirable one. We are Informed that
for long distance west Of the Iowa
(Jennipgs), the land run
ming north for nearly 100 miles, still
belongs, largely, TO the United States
and the State of Louisiana. The gov
srnmeut land is for sale at $I.25 per
acre, aud is subject 10 all the home
stead, pre-emption and timber claim
avs prevailing apywhere. The State
and II for sale AZ ~ cents per acre,
md can be taken up op clsims prs.
,isely as government laad. Aud we
were informed also, on she best Of au-
.hority, that any one could there take
W Lands beth from The government
aud the State, thus getting twice ~
much as in other States and Terri