The Meridional. (Abbeville, La.) 1856-1906, 1888-10-13
a T'Esrp te. Cow Eskanss.


| Editor Ab1eV He Ncri1io4alI
| Nimtod has Just returned from a
| trip to Cow. Island and adjacent
country, n this rambling letter he
proposes to give q partial description
Of the country, its present, and un-
developed resources; its people and
their characteristics, aud its great
future possibilities. =.
| We set out, S. and /, in a
| road cart from Abbaville, bent upon
an energetic and thorough canvass
OF tho country; and while making
the trip profitable, financially, we
could not help but profit, both men,
tally and physically. Long before
sunrise We were far out on the prai-
RE, west of Abheville. The morning
was superb, the road in splendid
!, condition for travelling, the air hrac-
ing and fresh. Here and there q
little blue wreath Of smoke curle1
upward from the chimney Of farm
| house. Elocks of rice birds circling
about in the distance, in search Of
some rngnarded rice patch; lunches
Of fat cattle and ponies grazing on
| the rich dew favored grass, all com
oined to make the scene quite pas,
| togaI. Now old Sol" begins to
/ peep over the distant tree-tops that
fringe ) the borders Of Bayou Yer,
million. His big, rsd face seems to
smile With geniality as he looks
! westward upon this quiet scene. All
the earth is balhed in his generous
glow, save few coves of on the
edge OF the timber, about which still
fingers the chill gray mists CT de.
parting night Everywhere the
toliage Of the china trees, and grass,
looks fresh, and green, AID lovely.
All nature is roused from slumber,
radiant, vigorous, joyous. -,
We have now left the road. The
steady and regular swish, swish OF
our horses hoofs in the long grass,
as We ride on, and On, over The yer
0ant biij0"s that .oIj $pafai,ng and
shimmerjng in the early sunlight tor
| miles upon miles to the westward, is
| the only sound that breaks the sur.
rounding silence. Everywhere, beau
ty, bloom and, ftagranee,ss Every
where an air Of, contentment, hap!
| piness and tranquility. .,,. wa
|, We drive on, now stopping, at
| every house Oh our way, plying our
oesiness,i and noting the character.
i-lics Of the people as We go. With
few ezccptiols, the Inhabitants are
native Creoles. The older, settlers,
/ fgeneraiiy, appear well TO DO. " Their
homes, always scrupuionsly clean,
ana surrounded by good outhoases
and substantial pieux fences, are
invariably to be found nesting amid
beautiful groves Of china trees. They
are social, polite. and hospita bic to
a fault; and though generally litter
ate themselves, seem aaIiousrt to have
their children educated. The i'm
pression has somehow got. abroad
that the native Creole is naturally
lazy, eu, such is not the case, There
are some, as il all nationali,ies, who
are fboru ti,ed;"' bnt as q rule,
where there. is an incentive to toll,
such as renuaerat!Te prices sior their
products; a near market, ETC., they
can compete favonbly with auy one.
UnFortpnateiy, under the present
condition OF, affairs, thev have none
but o local market. Until of late
their cotton would nat bring more
than $l8 per N, aud as for corn
there is bat very little demand for
It a. all, as every one, raises enough
for home consumption. Is it 10 be
! wondered az, then. that tue Creole
| plants his little pond of rice, cult:
Yates his little patch Of corn and
cotton. end takes good care of his
favorite pony the balance Of the
time! | .thlnk not. The prime cause
Of this apparent inertia IS present
TO all thinking man. The one great
need Of these broad and beautiful
Iprairies, whose soil, fertile as the
| famed and far off banks Of tie Nile,
and specially adapted 10 the culture
Of an endless variety Of fruits and
vegetables, to say nothing of sogar,
cotton, corn and the cereals, is a
railroad. With the sll'iek ana rash
oE LIZ lnnc..nn., = 70 ~. q 4