St. Landry democrat., 1889-03-23
LOUISIANA.
FOUR YEARS AGO AND NOW.

FOUR YEARS AGO AND NOW.
| THE soIL-PRODUCTs-CLI MATE-INDUCE
MBNTs-ETC.
The following extracts are taken from
tie Louisiana immigration Bulletin, editee
by T. w. Poole, Commissioner of Immi
grafton for the State of Louisiana:
The Louisiana of to day lisa very differ
ent State from Louisiana of four, or ever
Two years ago, with respect to immigra
ton. Within the former period, an ares
n her southwestern border, belt fifty
miles long by twenty or more broad, has
been utterly TRANSPORTED by such a notable
Immigration from the west; that it is the
most distinctively Anglo Saxon migration
over known to the South since the settle
rnent of jamestown Va, in the early his.
tory of our civilization of this continen.
The character or quality of this immigra.
ton is, beyond praise, viewed as mass.
1t blends instantly in fraternal conference
with our people in enduring homogeneity.
Its people are law abiding, intelligent,
thrifty, industrious, in large proportion
well to do lin not few cases wealthy and
thoroughly in accord with the spirit of
American liberty. In almost every in
stance they pay cash for the land they
purchase. In the cases where the earlier
settlers of more moderate means have pur-
chased or taken homesteads, the great in
crease in value of their holdings has
placed them with few exceptions, in po-
sition of competency, SO that, as body,
they constitute such an aggregation of
landowners, free from Indebtedness that
no part of the United States furnishes a
parallel TO.
Only few years ago was felt the first
impress of this progress that has now so
deeply and durably engraven it's fair fea-
lures UPON Louisiana.
PERSONS AND PAPERS.
,Ir. S. L. Carey, formerly of Man
| chester, Iowa, was induced to To-
cate in Cacasieu parish through the i'm
portunity of Commissioner Harris. With
patience, sagacity, industry and man
! agement truly remarkable, this pioneer
ct to work to populate the area then IN
know, to the foot of the western immi,
| grant. He secured some land, prevailed
on his kindred to settle from the West !;
laid off the town of Jennings, and soon
had nucleus of western men. And Mr..
A D. McFarlain, native, was a f{p ~ worker
and joint-owner of this t. ,,.-,,s,- - little
later, Mr. J. B. Watkins secured an i'm.
nlense area-a million at half acres or
more, and soon laid se Reorganization of
those prodigious and e1s,ens y plans of
development, and immigration%gopag
| which soon afterwards characterized his
efforts, and which are still in force.
Early in the year 1886, the Times Demo-
crat, one of the leading papers of the
South, journal of great authority, of
New Orleans, Louisiana, secured the
services of Col. M. B. Hillyard. This
gentleman travelled over much of South
west Louisiana, and wrote many letters
about that area.
His letters were widely republished in
the West, and were reproduced in num-
Der of journals in England. These letters
contributed much to the development of
Southwest Louisiana, as is generally con-
ceded by the people of this State, and the
country at large.
Shortly after Col Hillyard's work in the
Times. Democrat, Mr.. ]. B. Watkins began
to print The american at Lake Charles,
La, and to commence that large and lib
pral system of development of his lands,
and advertising them. The whole adjacent
country felt the influence of these costly
endeavors, and Lake Charles felt, particu-
lsrly, the work, which is written in pro-
gress of larger character than any town in
Southwest Louisiana, or, perhaps the
State. AS an assistant in this work, he
had Professor S. A. Knapp, formerly pres
dent of the Iowa Agricultural College, who
by tongue and pen ami many phases of
public action and marked Identification
with industrial affairs, has, in brief So
ourn in Louisiana, made reputation here
second only to that of the great distinction
he achieved in Iowa. The other great
assistant of Mr.. Watkins was Professor A.
Thomson, formerly of Iowa, and a brother
in law of this gentleman Ia civil engineer)
has had the practical oversight and execu-
ton of many schemes of Mr.. Watkins and
bis own, and some in connection with Pro
lessor Knapp in their own interests.
A steady and liberal co-worker in
the development of Southwest Louisiana
has been the Southern Pacific Railroad.
The country so greatly developed, of
which we have been speaking, is situated
on their line. They have devised schemes
to foster immigration, having as Northern
immigration agent Mr.. S. L. Cary and
besides special rates for immigrants at all
times, run for the winter and late autumn
and early spring, semi monthly excursions
in conjunction with the Illinois Central
Railroad, at very low rates. with Mr.. Cary
accompanying them as guide.
The earlier work of commencing Lou
isana to the public had great help from a
pamphlet from the pen of Col. Dan'l. Den
net aforesaid, entitled Louisiana AS 1t Is. u
This work was issued about the year 1875,
and was chiefly devoted to the ''Attakapas
parishes of Southwest Louisiana. 1t is a
noble work, and rather con 0naore, by one
thoroughly conversant with the topic. No
greater praises can be accorded it, than to
say that the United States Government has
| adopted much of it's subject matter in a
pamphlet issued by the United States De-
partment of Agriculture, entitled s'The
Soils and Products of Southwestern Louis
lana" In this pamphlet, Col. Dennet's
work is thus alluded to: "The most accu-
rate information in reference to the loca-
ton and distances of the towns, rivers,
lakes, bayous and railroads, is found in
Dement'S description of Southwestern
Louisiana.
VEGETABLES.
And as to vegetables and melons, where
can those raised here be surpassed?
The nut, bearing trees are worthy of q
chapter.
The flowers are beyond our pen, and
"beggar praise"
LIVE STOCK AND GRASSES.
The topics of live stock and grasses de-
serve far more consideration than we can
accord them. Some of the most distin-