St. Landry democrat., 1889-03-16


words notice. In this regard, she is with
out peer in the nation. This distinction
has advantages too great for adequate com
ment. These waterways furnish high
ways for commerce, and are influential (o1
can be made SOY to check excessive rates Of
transportation. They give abundant, anc
even inexhaustible supplies of water fol
stock raising, desideratuns that anyone
who has ever raised stock in an arid coun,
try will highly appreciate. Almost every
stream abounds with fish of very fine
quality. The main streams are unfailing,
fed from far off sources. The Mississippi
river drains almost half the United States
The Arkansas and Red rivers course sew
eral States and Territories, and draw their
| supplies of water vast distance from
their mouths.
So pervading or penetrating is the nav
| liability of many of the streams of Louis
! lana, that at thousands of homes the pas
! senger and his freight can be landed al
most literally at his very door. And there
is open to all such Unlimited opportunities
| for bathing, sailing, boating, etc. The lum-
bermen find in many of these streams the
cheapest and safest of all means of rafting
his timber to the mill, and if he will, of
floating his lumber to markets. On the
smaller streams are unlimited opportu-
mites for fsh-ponds, and one can have the
| option OF catching several species of fish
from the brook, or one or more species
| from the fish pond.
Louisiana abounds in lakes (there are
over three thousand miles of them, many
of them navigable) salt and fresh. In the
former are found oysters, crab and shrimp
(the true cray-tish so dear to Englishmnen).
In the latter are also many choice species of
fish. Many of these lakes are navigable and
beautifully wooded, and some day will be
beautifed with homes cherished as winter
resorts. This aspect of these lakes has
never had the consideration it deserves
| Only few spots have received the atten-
ton their loneliness warrants, and will,
ere long, command. Thousands of lovely
villas will! deck their shores within the
next quarter of century, and they will be
graced with the most aesthetic features
of Horticulture and arboricuIture. The
gaily painted yacht will curtsey on their
waters, and the embellishments of archi
lecture will add it's charms to their shores.
And in these lovely homes, the graces of
domestic life will embellish and heighten
natural attractions, and nature will render
back its inestimable blessings of health,
and the innocent joys of birdsongs, flowers,
balmy airs and glorious skies. Well
might one dilate at large on the large lus-
cious, innocent, soothing narcotism of the
gulf airs, but space forbids. Mr. Joseph
Jefferson, the world renowned actor and
impersonator of Rip Van Wrinkle, places
special emphasis on the bland and heal
ing effects of the climate on overstrung
nerves, and overweight brain, and the
relaxed and overdone business man, at his
winter home near one of these lakes.
There are nearly four thousand miles of
navigable rivers and smaller streams; while
the mileage of brooks is almost incomput-
able.
TIMBER WEALTH.
In her wealth and variety of timber,
Louisiana has no superior, if a peer, in the
United States. In point of species of woods,
there are propably over a hundred, and
their value is unequaled by those of any
State in the Union and their magnifcence
surpassed by none but by few of the giants
of California In ornamental trees, her wide
spreading live oaks have no peer. Their
breadth of foliage, and the deep and cordial
tones of their color are never failing Joy,
to say nothing of their shapeliness. The
magnolia granditlord is another tree of in
comparable beauty, both of form and foil
age, while it's immense, creamy chalice of
bloom overhows almost all summer with
an intensity and pervasion of fragrance,
that is almost uncomfortable to some. But
space forbids much regard to the aesthetic
side of Louisianas flora. The hard woods
many species of oak, several of hickory
(the Reeean among them, ash, ETC., are most
superb in size and fibre. Probably no
State in tAst Union can show such profu-
sion, quality and size of the last three
species as Louisiana.
In cypress, Louisiana is vastly ahead of
any other State in the Union not only in
quantity, but in quality. This wood is
making its way into many uses, and within
few years has met with such general
commendation that it is in great demand.
Many mills in Louisiana run entirely on
its ''cut," and the business is one of the
most expanded industries of the state. In
certain localities is found birdseye cy press
especially in demand for ornamental work.
Of yellow pine, Louisiana has one of the
largest supplies of any State in the Union,
and is claimed by some to surpass any
State. This tree grows only in the South
Of late its lumber has grown into great ia
vor, and according to Mr.. w. r. Howcott,
leading authority. has come into extern
sive use in Idaho, Montana, Colorado, New
Mexico, Arizona, etc. 1t has greatly sup
planted other lumber in many Western
cities. According to this authority, there
are over 240O saw mills in the South, most
of them cutting this lumber; and fifty
millions of dollars have been invested in
Southern pine lands since the last census.
Louisiana has shared largely in these sales,
and millions of acres have been sold to
spectators and lumber manufacturers.
The following compilation from the last
United States census, taken from Mr.. How
colts letter in the Baltimore Manufactur-
ers' Record of January 5. 1889, shows the
status of Louisiana as to yellow pine:
The forestry bulletins of the last censu
of the United States give the following
estimates of long and short leaf yellow
pine standing June LIST. 1880. viz:
Long-leaf, feet. Short-leaf feet
Alabama. 1S.SS50OO,0OO ...... .....
Florida 10 6,615 100000 :, si- 100 coo
........ ............ 41.315, 600, 600 |
Georgia. 16,77s OOo. 900
Louisiana $1,000. rs 5ss oOo,O a1.6a5 600, 900
u Mississippi $3.50. 17,20O, O0OOO 775,OOO,0OO |
North Carolina. 5229 600 900 .....
South Carolina. 5316.000000 26 093. 200, 600 |
Texas ........... 2O,508, 100000 26093. 100000 |
Total. III, 119, COO 600 121 9O1, 100000
SULPHUR.
Near Lake Charles is what is claimed to
be the largest deposit of sulphur in the
world, stratum of crystalized sulphur,
;hree hundred feet thick, of remarkable
purity. There is quite flow of petroleum
hnr Lotto IicrNroro1 ruhi Sc |