The Opelousas courier., 1885-11-07
Area and Physical Character Of
ST. Landry Parish, Louisiana,
with Inducements il offers
Trnnaigranfs.

The parish being in the south west
ern portion of the State, lying between
~parallel lines of ATTITUDES 80 and 81 de-
crees. Embracing q territory from 40
70 so miles in length from North to
South, and the same distance from
East to West. 1t ID one Of the largest
parishes in the State, and its popnla-
tion is Al ,O00-with q predominance OF
whites The voting population is over
5000. The parish contains about one
million three hundred and fifty thou
sand acres, equally divided between
wood land and prairie. About ( of the
land is well adapted to planting and
grazing purposes. 1t is intersected by
rivers and numerous water courses, af-
fordiDg ample facilities for manufactur-
ing purposes. The streams are nearly
all clothed with fine timber, in many
places over a mile wide. The land
generally lies we'll for cultivation. Be-
tween the timbered streams fine nat
uraI meadows are spread out and
densely covered with a fine and luxn-
RANT grass which affords pasturage for
immense herds of horses and cattle the
year round.
More than one half of the white DO
pnlation are engaged strictly in agricul-
tural pursuits, and are as robust and
healthy as aDysimilar number offarmer.
The soil is rich and productive, with
d salubrious climate, and lands can be
purchased very cheap; uuimproyed
land can BIO bought at from So to $5
per acre, and improved land from $5 to
400 per acre. The extreme eastern
portion of the parish is principally bot
tom land, and generally heavily tim
bered. The soil is inexhaustible, and
produces as fine corn, cotton and cane
AZ D in the State. The timber Is an
surpassed for building purposes, and
making hogsheads and barrels for sugar
~Ulanters. The Atchafalaya river on
Tie east, connects this parish by steam
boat navigation with New Orleans.
Bayou Courtableau, formed by the juno
ticn of Cocodrie and Benf. affords ma
yigation TO Washington.
The route is down the Courtableau to
the Atchafalaya. thence up the latter
10 the Mississippi, and thence to- New
Orleans. Until the late advent Of the
railroads bayou Beuf was the channeI
Of transportation for the planter, by
means of barges to Washington. Bayou
CocOdrie affords means Of transpoita-
lion to the lumbermen. The Plaque
nine Brnlee, The Mallet, the Came and
Nex-Piqu6 are fue streams, but not
Rayigable.
The Mermentau, formed by the Nez-
PiQuG, Came aud Piaguemine Brulee,
is fms navigable stream. Vessels as
cend IL some 40 miles for lumber, which
Is taken to Texas, Havana and the Mex
lean ports.
! Upon some of these streams are good
locations for orange orchards, and large
bodies of timber are found suitable for
all the purposes of building and fencing.
aud they afford nj nufailing supply tf
water for stock. The parish has 23O
miles IF navigable streams. The sur.
face cultivated ID st. Landry yearly
amounts TO about one hundred thou
sand acres. The crops. fruits and gar
dens of the parish are less troubled BY
insects and vermin, and less liable TO
disease than they are in higher haiti
tudes in other parts of the IInited
States. The sugar yield mas generally
been magnificent. Cotton also has been
very good. Our parish is penetrated by
three railroads. One running 90 miles
through the eastern portion of the par
ish, one 25 miles through the southern
portion, and one IS miles through the
centre. aifording convenient travel and
transportation. With our rivers and
railroads, the parish presents advan-
tages second to no other portion Of our
country. Our parish has q healthy 10
cation, with a pure and in~vigorating
climate, and 4 fine body off farming
land and offers unsurpassed induce
sments to immigrants and capitalists.
III ships annually from $4,000 to 49,
O00 bales of cotton to- New Orleans.