The Meridional. (Abbeville, La.) 1856-1906, 1888-07-14
<Abbcrille Weridional.



dated NAY 81. 1888. giving a dis
criptiou Of the country .hrou-h
which he passed between that place
and this:
With the aimabIc photographer,
Mr.. Geo. Z. Petty, for companion
and a t%irclcss horse and a roomy
buggy o. the means Of conveyance,
tho writer quit Lafayette hy,way
of The Pinhook bridge which crosses
Eayon Vcruilion "A noble. iron
structure. aud an honor to tho poo
ple Of Lafavettc-and with Alb
neville as the destination point.
went skimming over the prairie
in that direction. hoping to spend
three or four days TRANQUILITY aEd
pleasantly with the hospitable Alb
0evilliAs in the seaside town on
the bayou's banks. The roads were
hard, dusty and level, very good,
indeed, but the day was threaten
ing in appearance and the fear
of being chokcd to death by the
dust was removed from all contcm.
plation by the near prospect Of
rain, as evidenced by the gather
ing dark clouds overhead. But it
was II mistaken calculation. the day
waa fine throughout.
Whata lovely country! Vistas
shc most enhancing greet the
vision 10 every direction. Far
away on the right is the Bayou
Vcrmilion ,%ortuously winding its
way in the midst Of a heavy. black
fringe of woods to its outlet, the
gulf. Islands of trees, each one
.depo.ing the habitation Of some
thrifty Creole who plows lightly
in this fruitful spot for a happy
subsistence, dot tho landscape aud
intervone all over. Fields Of corn
very tall for tho season, cotton,
potatoes, cane and all vegetable
products are blended in one glori.
>eus perspective by the brilliant
sunbursts which illuminate the land
:as old Sol peeps forth for q brief
momcntffrom behind tho hazy bank
Of opaque clouds which overhangs
and again retreats from Wow.
Snpernal sight! Thousands Of acres
ander cultivation, and thousands
awaiting the thrifty. energetic spirit
OF the newcomers that is to trans.
torn them from vast bare, unculti.
waited areas into earthly paradised
that shall tccm with the zig, the
peach, tho orange. aud the great &C.
reals. Here is the country of coun'
tries, we'll watered, we'll wooded.
Here fat, contcnted cattle innumere.
tile. browse and disport themselves
ut their own sweet, cratic will,
Being,fat they arc corrcspondingly
sassy; the buggy is blocked by
their presence in the road, for they
do not make the slightest attempt to
get out Of tho way not until al
most upon them do they move and
then they dash past in front kicking
up disagreoable eddies Of dust il
ones face, and having reached q SAT,
distance stand quite still and glare
at tho disappearing buggy apparent
ly astonished ct its powers of loco
motion.
Whito.wGshed cabins glisten il
the distance, big. roomy dwelling.
are constantly recurring, and ir
every field it seems there is til.
plowman following his two, trusty
little "creole" horses. Here ant
there that indescribable thing looms
up, the country store. Here WI
pss through: zen route" q private
yard and pay toll to a harcioote(
individual who sports a blouse ant
pair Of short-6tting pantaloons of (
shady blue. Bareheaded he comes
to the gate, admits us and precede!
us to the opposite gate where ",
arc to make Jul exit. "How mucl
is due you ?" is asked in English
He understands and replies il
French. Vingtcinq sous, messieurs.
Kindly, hospitable people they clin1
t%enaciously to that tongue which il
so rapidly becoming absolute IL
Louisiana. Who can blame them
Pity, instead, for their mistaken
estimation Of what the future viii
bring forth for their loved Arcadia
On VIC 60, the toll-kecper having
hidden US "bon yovare" in tn.