The Osceola times., 1886-12-11
LOUISIANA 'CAlJANS-
Remnant OF the Arcadians Who Were
ldealized by Longfellow.


ldeallzed by Longfellow.
''The Louisiana 'Caijans," said
Southerner to a reporter. 'are pecu.
liar class. They were originally French.
coming to this country long years ago
and settling in what was then called
Arcadia, in Nova Scotia and in Upper
Canada. They were driven out b. tho
British and were afterward immortalis-
ed by Longfellow in his 'Evangelne.'
Gaunt, yellow and back-haired, they
are at all times distinguishablc from the
other residents of the Mississippi re-
gons in Louisiana, where they havs
lived since their expulsion from the
North.
They DO not seem clannish. They
generally manage TO have an acre or
two OF land with a little shantv. Oc-
cas.onally one becomes the manager of
small store where the negroes get
their tobacco and drink. There is much
affinity between 'Caijan and a negro.
Neither is satisfied without dog, but
think negro treats his dog better than
the 'Caijan does. Neither of them
will do any more work than is alb
solutely necessary for substance, while
both of them place great faith in the
river as n provider.
''ln the spring the 'Caian first mends
his nets and lines, then cleans his gun,
and then, If he has time between fish
ing and hunting, looks after his crop.
Rice is all he cares to raise. The grain
Is sent to the nearest MILL where it is
ground at the rate of three for one.
As he has only to sow his rice broad
cast in the spring and wait for it to
ripen. his agricultural labors are not
eNhausting. The most labor.ous time
is when the blackbirds get at the rice.
The large planters employ regular forces
CT men and boys TO kill or frighten them
of. ! know of one man who last year
paid sl,700 for services and ammuni-
ton in keeping the riccbirds and black.
birds out OF his fields. The 'Caiian
manages better than this. As his field
is small he does the work himself, and
the birds he kills serve as food for him
self and family. He takes his pos ton
in fence-corner and sits there all dav,
them. He uses less than thinbleful
OF powder and about twenty-five shot
With this load he will bring down a
bird at every shot, and sometimes two
or three.
'The bird season having ended, he
turns his attention TO the 'sardines' that
begin TO run in the river. These, with
the addition of crawiish and a little
game, keep the pot boiling till the crop
is ripe, on the proceeds of VIII ch the
'Caijan lives out the winter, only to
go over the same routine the following
year. II he raises colt it is sold to
some steamboat man, who, in return,
brings up calico or cloth nc from the
city and retails it at about double its
cost.
"lf the 'Caiian goes to church at all,
il is TO one OF the many little Catholic
churches that line the banks of the
Mississippi all through Louisiana.
"rhe 'Caiian's horse is always
small one. He rides in a long lope,
and spreads his feet at every jump in a
manner that has made current the
phrase rides like 'Caiian. The ami
NAL is never fat and never clean-two
characteristics in VIII ch he closely re-
sembles the rider. Like his master he
is the personiication of endurance.
"The language of the class is
French patois, and rs ungrammaticsl
as is a negro's Engl sh. In spite of
poverty. filth, idleness and the ever
present fever and ague, they are con-
tented and peaceable. y Chicago News.