St. Landry democrat., 1889-04-06

waterways of Louisiana ought to recel .;s,, !
words notice In this regard, she - W. 49,,
out peer in the nation. This dlstlncs ~,
has advantages too great for adeq r Go.l
ment. These waterways furnish n ~
WAYS for commerce, and are influential 1o u
can be made SOY to check excessive rases "
transportation. They give abundant, a sa-
even inexhaustible supplies OF wafer ,oa
stock raising, desiderat,Dna that ANYONE
who has ever raised stock in an aria coun
try will highly appreciate. Almost every
stream abounds with fish of very nno
quality. The main streams are unfaliins.
| fed from far off sources. The MISSISSIPPI
river drains almost half the United STATES
The Arkansas and Red rivers course ses-
efal States and Territories, and ORA" snel
supplies of water a vast distance ifom
their mouths.
So pervading or penetrating is tie nay
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 tnere
is open to all such Unlimited opportuni'le'
for bathing, sailing, boating, ETC. Ihe lulh.
bermen find in many of these streams s. .no
Ct eapest and safest of all means of rafting
his timber to the mill, and If ne Will, "
flos ting his lumber to markets. on tno
smaller streams are unlimited opportu
mites for fish ponds, and one can have tue
option of catching several species OF nsn
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-fsh so dear to Englishmnen):
In the latter are also many choice species Oh
fish. Many of these lakes are navigable, ana
beautifully wooded, and some day will De
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 a century, and they Will DO
graced with the most aesthetic features
of Horticulture and arboriculture. Inc
gaily painted yacht will curtsey on their
waters, and the embellishments of arch1
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 it's 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 peer, in the
United States. In point of species of woods,
there are PROBABLY over 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 grandittor0 is another tree of in
comparable beauty, both of form and foil
age, while it's immense, creamy chalice of
bloom overfows 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 Louisiana's fora The hard woods
many species of oak, several of hickory
(the pecan among them), ash, ETC., are most
superb in size and fibre. Probably no
State in the 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 it's way into many uses, and within
few years has met with such general
commentator that it is in great demand.
Many mills in Louisiana run entirely on
it's ''cut," and the business is one of the
most expanded industries of the state. In
certain localities is found a birdseye cypress
especially in demand Tor 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 it's lumber has grown into great ia
vor, and according to Mr.. w. Fl. 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 2400 saw mills in the South, most
of them cutting this lumber; and fifty
millions of dollars have been invested il
Southern pine lands since the last census
Louisiana has shared largely in these sales
and millions of acres have been sold t
spectators and lumber manufacturers
, The following compilation from the las
United States census, taken from Mr.. How
colts letter in the Baltimore Manufactua'
ers' Record of January 5, 1889, shows tht
: 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 1855, 100000 ...... 49,.
Florida ......... 6,615oooooo q 81: 900 ~
Arkansas .s...... al.3loeuU,UU
Louisiana. s6'5ss 100000 i,6a5, 600, 90
Mississippi. ...... 17,2O00O0.000 6,775,000,O 90
North Carolina. 5.229 100000 ...........
, South Carolina. 5.316. 600, 600 800 200 90
Texas ........... 2o,50s, 100000 26,093. 200, 90
Total. III, 119 100000 1s1. 9o1 ,4oo, 90
SULPHUR.
Near Lake Charles is what Is claimed t;
be the largest deposit of sulphur in the
world, stratum of crystalized sulphur
three hundred feet thick, of remarkable
purity. There is quite flow of petroleum
there, lately discovered, which is fin
lubricant just as it comes from the well
| mi