The Lake Charles echo. [volume] (Lake Charles, Parish of Calcasieu, La.) 1876-1898, 1886-12-11
II our parish At what We caIl low fg.

In our parish az wat we cail low ng
ures.
The conditions here arc easy, and
yet it needs considerable capital tt
start even here. I do not agree ex
actly with Mr.. S. L. Cary on this point
viz: that $500 is as good to start in
Louisiana as $4,000 in Dakota. ! dc
not see that any one can make an
effectual start here without capital
Of 81 500. Everything here is nearly
as dear as in Colorado. l paid one
dollar for bushel of potatoes this
week. Lumber is high, and rather
hard to get at our place, although
there is a large quantity of timber
here, and very precious timber too.
But the demand for lumber is such
from England that the companies do
not pay proper attention to the home
demand. The lumber trade of Loui-
siana is only in its infancy.
The soil is not as rich and product
i've here as in other parts of the State
and yet on account Of its proximity to
the Gulf it is worth more after all, be-
cause there is health in the wings Of
the breeze.
Fruit will be the chief industry here
very soon. They are expecting a can
merry at jennings next year. Fruit
trees will grow here at once, and will
bear abundantly from the pits on the
third year, but corn, oats and potatoes
will not grow the first year, the soil
must be stirred several times first, and
then fertilize little on the ground
and it will grow a magnificent corn
and ,ats aud potatoes. They grow
two crops of Irish potatoes here in one
season. One is planted in February
and the other IN August, do not
believe that all can be satisfied here,
for there are drawbacks here as in any
other new country, and yet there is a
glorious future to this country.
Louisiana is the marsh of the United
States, and some day it will bloom
like Eden. believe it will beat Cali
fornia before long because the atmos-
phere is more humid and balmy, and
SO it will give better flavor to the fruit.
According to Mr., Jones, the water is
better here than in California, although
to my taste it is rather fiat. The dew
here is very heavy and salt, which
makes everything to rust very quick,
The location, of Welsh is about
elcyen miles west of Jennings, on the
Southern Pacific Railroad. The Iowa
people keep coming in constantly.
Parties were here of late looking at
the country from Minnesota and Da-
kota. The three 'were afflicted with
the bronchitis. Mr. G, w. VanDusen,
formerly of Rochester, Minn., said:
awe find ourselves obliged to look for
a more genial climate" They bought
5000 acres near Hammond, mostly
timbered but they have the capital
and will make it nay big IN the end.
Now, it is not ny object to induce
people to come here to fill up the
country, for the country is filling up
quietly while the Welsh are mapping.
| have expressed my opinion of the
country to the public without fearing
the frown nor seeking tho favor of
any one. The country appears very
promising to me, and yet there is much
to be done before we can see it in its
glory. | have seen considerable of
the place, and after weighing and
measuring everything, this is my
choice, Others may think differently,
There are people here representing
different parts If the country, viz
Iowa, Washing n Territory, Oregon,
tt J, Missouri, Illinois,
oh y nd Canada; aud they
are all Of tho ne opinion, that this
is the b, It pl Sc. But yet let no one
take everything on trust, let them try
and prove everything before taking
their final course and then If they
will be disappointed they cannot blame
The best time to commence living
here is December or January. For
further Information let them cores
pond with me privately.
Truly yours,
]. L. RoBERTs.
Translated by Rev, J. A, Jones,
Jennings, La.