The Lake Charles echo. [volume] (Lake Charles, Parish of Calcasieu, La.) 1876-1898, 1888-11-30
PR0gRES8TON


Calcasien parish. For years It hal
kept steadily before the people q,
great necessity Of inviting immigra
ton with view 10 farther developing
the county The parish Of Caloasieu
u Isirne, was sparcely settled preEi
ons e the nar FOR many years, baI
VERY little progress, however, was
made until some years after the wal
ended.
The vast piaeriss and facilities for
hauling logo and lumber along the
lakes and TlEsr, eansed the number 81
saEsmiIls % increase, and each to in
crease their capacities from year to
year in order to supply the immense
demand for their lumber. New
capital moved in, and with it came
labor, which added to the business in
the parish. Later on came the South
ern Pacific railroad, which brought
q large increase IN money and p0pn-
latiOn.
When the Southern Pacific reached
this parish It found it in debt, and
jurors and others holding parish paper
where they were not able to hold it.
co0ld only get about so cents on the
dollar. After the road had been CON-
Pleted through the parish and paid
its FIRST years taxes into the treasury,
parish paper was worth dollar for dol-
lar, and has been ever since.
A few years later, 1888, the town
Of Lake Charles and parishes Of Calcs-
sien and Cameron received another
rise through the visitation Of Mr. J.
B, Watkins. After making the pur-
chase Of about one and q quarter mil
lion acres Of land, principally in these
parishes, for the North American
Land and Timber company, M Wat
kins made the town Of Lake Charles
bIs headquarters. He established a
EbiP-yard which, with Caualing, etc,
gave employment 70 a large number of
men. He erected q bank, which was
burned and rebuilt the same year.
Through his influence Profs. Knapp
and Thompson cast their lot here,
and they have invested capital IN
lands and in various enterprises. In
our city they have each built hand
some residences, and PROF Th0mp
son had also a rice mill and ice
factory, which has recently been de.
stroyed by fire. These gentlemen
have done a wonderful work toward
popuIating our parish with good .citi-
zens, and have been the medium
through which a large amount of
capita has found its way INTO the
parish.
We have now reached a point and
a time when we need more capital
There is a scarcity just at this time
of money throughout the parish, and
it is IN the hands of the people TO
bring it or keep it away. God helps
those who help themselves. You
must not look for capital to come IN
bid and lay itself at yonr feet. Right
here the Echo feels disposed to give
a candid opinion to lis readers trough
out the parish You want capital,
and capital is ready to come by the
Thousand, but 1t will not come unbid.
There are hundreds of thousands OF
dollars ready to seek investment here
in thousand ways, and at an early
day, if you will but vote a tax to
build the Kansas City, Watkins d
Gulf railroad. Vote this tax to-day,
and tomorrow the spade will begin
its work to be followed Immediately
by an immense amount of capital, and
the tight money matters of to-day
will be at Al end.
We have in our city q Home
stead and Loan Association. The
experience of other cities proved
that it was a safe investment
to place money in these associations.
A poor man without capital bios off a
Thousand dollars perhaps at a perminm
of 35 per cent. He pays this premium
for the use of this money with which
to build him home. Some, may say
he cannot afford it, that no man can
pay this per cent. for money and live
Yes, but it stands on record to-day a
patent fact that thousands have lived
and by this means have been enabled
to own a home when they eonld moi
procure one otherwise.
Just let us bid this small premium
asked, q mills, for the Kansas City
Watkins O. Gulf railroad, and it will
pan out with even greater results thai
the Homestead Association. Som
argue that they who want the road ar
able to build it, and are going i
build it, let them build It. We hav
no assurance of the fact that the roa'
will be built without the tax is voted
and the risk is 70 great 10 presume o.
II. Let Us rise, and like the peopl
Of Birmingham, Alabama, band t.
geiher as one until we make q gran
country Of Caleasieu.
There Is no mistalIing the fact tbs
q North and South road conneetin
our Southern cline and country vii
that directly north Of us, is whaS "
need at present. Products Of onr SO
i and the mills must 60 east of th
J Mississippi river or west sever
hundred miles into Texas, before the
can strike . northern coarse and |
carried 10 the aharts Of The North an
I Northwest, for the wantof northel
B line nearer The distance either va
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