The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1886-02-12
BETW ZEN SHOW rs AT BAY
ST. LOUIS.

at Bay st. Louis, was fond OF say
ing 10 every tourist who stopped
at that delightful old village durIO g
our stay, that he liked the charm
ing wav the sun had of Nedsing
itself between showers occasional
ly, making fair promises of settled
weather, and thus decoylng one
out to get a thorough soaking. In
deed, | never saw elsewhere as
much rain, in the same space of
time, as tell on the Mississippi
Coast of the Gulf during the
months of December and January,
18S45. Bat no amount of water
can make mud at Bay st. Louis.
While the rain is falling, earth'S
floor is a puddle; but scarcely has
the windy roar of the shower
ceased, when 10 f! the white sand is
firm aud dry. The wet squalls
come from the southeast as rule,
out of the great blue abyss of sky
and water living over in the direc.
ton of the Buccaneer region; and
they approach with white caps
ahead of them, and whirling clouds
behind, as if.the whole Caribbean
sea were migrating to Mississippi.
Suddenly the wind veers to the
south, then to the west, and falls
to a mere breath. Now look out
for mild torn Of a norther, bring
ing Il thrill of cold, just a hiAt Of
Wisconsin. Within an hour the
clouds are all gone; and such a
sky! The bay welters in the after
swell, like some great, widetdced,
happy child rolling in bath, h,-whist
the prim, bright plnes, over against
the village, stand up like exclama
tion points emphasizing the beau
ties OF the landscape. No sooner
has this change come over things
than the fishing smacks and oyster
boats spread their weatler-browned
wings, aud career away toward the
islands barely visible on The south
ern horizon. Then, too, all the
town turns out to get Il long look
at the broad bay, and to have a
walk or drive. They make hay
while the sun shines, SO to speak,
drifting about like birds in the
balmy, stimulating mir, getting all
OF the enjoyment they can out of the
perfect day. Bay ST. Lonis is nine
miles long and one house wide,
speaking with reference toa genea al
average, and has for its chief thor
oughIare a shell road lying in front
of Its buildings, aud follOwi z the
meanderings of the airy, tree
trinsed Ulufs oT the bay shore. 1t
is, in E,rt, a hong row OF cottages,
built mostly in the plain, roomy,
Southern style, with wide veran-
dahs fIcing the water, and with
long tlrsiles leading out to bathing
houses. From the railroad bridge,
which spans the bay with i stilted
pilings two or three miles long, the
effect of the shore view is very
striking. Imagine, first, waver-
ing saud beach, Overhung by an
almost perpendiculhr bluff, nine
miles long, then clumps aud thin
groves of live oak, cedar aud pine
on the bluff-top, oyer-Shading little
wooden pavilions, whilst just be-
yOnd CLEAN the cottages ia a scat
Iering row, as far as one can see,
with the high, airy little foot
bridges running out TO the pictures
que bath houses. Behind the slim
town rise heavy forests.of oak and
pine. Thls proximity of the pris-
tine woods strikes one as sugges
tive when one comes to think how
old Bay st. Louis is. To say moth
ing Of the fact that the ChOctaw
Indians had these bluffs for sum-
mer resort for centuries. DTber-
vile landed here in 1869, aud Bay
ST. Louis was granted to Madame
de Mezieres soon afterward. Near
|ly ever siuce New Orleans began
to be a city Of importance there
has been a town here on these
breezy bluffs. For years ana years
the sloOps and cat-rIgged oyster
boats have been blown about the
bay from the mouth of Catahonlma
Greek on the north to the low-lying
laurel islands in the south. La
Fftte used to slip in anchor bis
black craft OF Ship Island Wonder.
when the Winds were too wild IN
the oren guilt, or when dangers Of
more imminent aud personal kind /
threatened him aud his crew.
Behind the woods that form the
ine background Of Bay st. Louis
lie the vast salt marshes bordering
the Rlgolets, Chandelier, Bay,
Lakes BOrgne, Catherine. Maare-
pas and pontchartrain, with many
a wild hvo oak swamp thrown Ia b.
WY Of weird accident.
Nv friend aud I, between show
en-, walked up and down TIE whole
s9eet length Of the town. stopping
here aud there TO get hasfg sketches
ol The Characteristic points. Nile
AFTER mile We slr0lIed, IN q hard.
white, winding road with the old
cottages on QUO baud. and the
creamy, brcezy-chpppea bay On the
other. Far out scaWaId big ships
were bowling along under 3 press
81 canrass whilst ueaf1r 10 The
oyslefmon wero 81 work auonE
he saIIou beds bus insI over the
fences were orange trccs. yellow
With frult. md children were swing
ing and Shouting on The oah shaded