The Meridional. (Abbeville, La.) 1856-1906, 1889-04-06
Letter from Grand Prairie.


in its unceasing round Of years is
new again. In the fulness of its
green, how like a morning cordial
does it inspire US. l imagine that
we look upon it each succeeding
spring, with spirit Of admiration,
akin to that with which Adam must
have beheld it, in the day when man
child he sprang ont of nothingness,
and when the world was young.
How wakeful of pleasant reveries!
of childish loves! Natures true
affinity, unfraught with sordid aims!
How lift the new born hopes Hopes
that weakened through the summer,
pined through the fall, and withered
meath the frosts of winter; but hope
never dies, save if the spirit dies
when loosening its hold on Earth, it
swings itself into Eternity, grapples
with the mysteries of Death, fastens
its hands on the skies and meets new
harbingers. All! what q world we
have-it mother of the aspiring
soul, that ever and anew, sends its
incense upwards.
This is seed time and everywhere
the farmer is seen plodding his
weary way. He is laying in his
treasure for the morrow. The teath,
cred songsters have timed their
coming, and now watch the farmer
dropping his seeds of corn. The
pilfering. lark, hops through the
stubble, as he shouts dipl dip! dip!
His rival, the black bird, from some
neighboring fence post, answers:
three for me! Well do they know
their harvests begin when man be.
gins to SOW.
Well, l was to say something Of
Grand Prairie, | am not certain
whether "de sun do move" or not,
but do know that Grand Prairie
is moving forward to take her place
among the galaxies of Progress"
One Of her enterprising citizens,
tired Of the slow contentment that
character;zes his people, bas invented
andisgradually periecting a corn plan
ter, and what not; that is to surpass
in engenuity any of its predecessors.
Like all the others of its kind, it
opens, covers and rolls: drops no
corn on the turn.row. he thinks if
he does not get out Of iron or raw.
hide, that by fall he will have it so
perfected that with it he will be able
to gather and crib his corn at a
minimum cost. 1t consists of one
wheel or rotary, one shuttle and
two crank movements. He says he
thought of putting another crank,
but was afraid the machine might
60 cranky"
There are numerous attachments
of wire and rawhide; the latter,
while it serves useful purposes, isl
also intended as a Trade Mark.
and he proposes to issue the usual
injunction to restrain wouldbe coun.
terfeiters. In its construction he !
consumed, in addition to much waste
iron, three buggy tyres. one buggy |
axle, one handspike, the arm Of an
old vice, also one gun barrel. The
latter was to operate so as to keep |
the birds from pulling up the corr. /
He says that he had some hesitation
about this particular appendage, for
fear it might accidentIy 60 Off aud
hurt something. He believes, how
ever, that he has about mastered the
difficulty; and if he can spare piece
of his anvil it will be about com.
plete-I mean the machine.
Some neighbors have been hunting
plovers by torchlight, and few
nights ago Mr.. Simeon Breaux bag.
ged twenty.six birds of variety.
Our public school is working slowly
its mission. Young minds are being
pointed to help shape the destinies
of the future; and while the scholars
are as a unit Creoles, it is creditable
to know that the regularity in at
tendance can not possibly be sur,
passed by any school in the parish,
save it be a boarding school. Il.
Mra Mortnn's danphtarc u,odo n