The Lake Charles echo. [volume] (Lake Charles, Parish of Calcasieu, La.) 1876-1898, 1886-12-11
THE TRUTH ABOUT LOUISIANA.
WELSH, CALoAsIEu PARISH, La,
September 10. 1886.

| THE TRUTH ABOUT LOUISIANA.
WELSH, CALoAsIEU PARISH, La, !
September 10, 1885.
In the old country there are fairs
where the multitude will go and at the
entrance of the fair there will be every
kind of article, almost, for sale. Those
who have good articles will not be
very demonstrative for their good arti.
clcs speak for themselves. Right by
them there will be cheap jacks crying
down the good articles, SO that they
can pass their inferior goods.
Concerning Louisiana, Rev. J. A.
Jones and others spoke the truth about
this beautiful prairie in Calcasieu par
irish, but the cheap jacks of Dakota
and Washington Territory cried down
Louisiana, by saying, ''snakes," "black
men," "swamps," ''sour grass" IAN
improper place to live," etc. Allow
me to state that Calcasieu parish is not
all inhabited by colored men, for ac-
cording to the statistics, there arc nine
whites for every one who is coIored.
Acadians are the natives, principally.
They speak French and are very, very
kind people.
True, there are snakes here but the
rattlesnakes are very uncommon. /
have seen none since | came here. 1t
is said that there are some hiding near
the woods. The other snakes will flee
from you and are harmless, otherwise
they would bite the people who go
barefooted. Concerning the swamps,
of course they are here, but there are
no quagmires. There are no bogs her
over which you cannot 60 in carriagt
and | have seen none which could n, q
be dried very easily and converted :
to splended land,
The natives and newcomers th' TX
everything of these swamps, for in
them they grow their excellent ice.
In answer to the reproachful say ing,
that the land is under water mo 4 Of
the year." will say that we dj not
have hardly water enough durir the
last three months. 1t is consi able
dryer here than expected to a it.
In answer to "the sour 6 s." /
might just as well point the n or to
the fable of the "sour grape The
ground produces a good Gro nat.
ural grasses as high as the Sc, and
when the prairie fires are ste ,ed and
the grass moved with a sy b it will
greatly improve its quality; % weeds
will die and the nutritious q ,zon grass
and many colored flowers will grow.
In q word, no one will ever say that
ours is "a sour and starving grass" af-
ter seeing the thousands of cattle with
their sleek hair, which are here dane
ing on the prairie.
at is an unfavorable place to liye,'
it is said, In my opinion there Is no
better place than the burying ground
to test the health Of country. There
is the little town of Welsh, with five
grocery stores, two drug stores and
two saloons, The place was settled
in 1879. The number of graves only
sir. The Iowa people have been quite
healthy since they came here. 1t is
true that some of them had been
affected by thu agne by going bare
footed, and working all day to irrigate
their rice fields. On the other hand
several who were invalids when they
came here are now enjoying good
health. Mrs. Chids had been afflicted
for years with the bronchitis and found
relief here, and her son who was
afflicted with lung disease is now able
to work. Mr., William st, John could
hardly breathe when he first came
here from Dakota on account of the
nasal catarrh, but to-day he enjoys
good health.
There is an old gentleman working
on the railroad who had been tortured |
for four years by rheumatism, and
was unable to walk before he came
here, but he is'now "quite sprightly."
| might go on and make long cat
alogue OF names Of those who have
regained their health since they came
here,
The temperature has been quite
warm here during the last two months.
This summer has been hotter, it is said,
as the last winter has been colder. 1t
has registered 97 once and has been
o6 Q many times. Imight say, with
out missing it much, that 1t had been |
OF on an average during the last
month, and yet there 10 q beautiful,
cool breeze here at night from the
South, reminding me of Williams
poem;
gCome sweet Southern breeze,
And blow me into better paradise ?
Some may think that | am writing
for some sland company in order to
induce immigration to Louisiana, |
assure you that there Is nothing Of the
kind in view. II Is a difficult matter
to induce all TO come into the same
locality, but whoever wants warm
climate for ten months 10 the year this
place will suit them exactly But /
am sorry 70 say that there 70 no great
quantity of government land around
6ers now ia 4 body, yet ! may say
sbafthasa RhD are ne@ segychssg tas
proper place for large Welsh set
tlement may be abIa 10 buy Of Nj
j. b. watkins, vino bought eaisnslFeiy