St. Landry democrat., 1889-01-05
Washington, La, as Ganufae
turing Centre.
ST. LANDRY PARISH, Sept. 6, 1883.

written about, bnt still her claims have
not sufficiently been presented TO peo-
pie abroad in order for them to fully
realize her magnificent advantages in
soil, products, climate ard health. Now
that 8 new impetus has been given i'm
migration by tho organization Of u reg
! leans, Of which The South illustrated ia
| the able official journal. your cores
pendent would ask portion of your
valuable space to present the claims of
Washington, more par t'culariy as IL
mechanical and manufacturing centre.
Few localities. inside or outside nf
the State, are SO favorahy situaIc,i in
all Of those surroundings. which will
bniid up and maintain. for an indeii,
mite period, az many industrial enter
prises. We know of no place that of
fers SO many Inducements to the safe
investment nf capital; where 40 many
paying enterprises coui he established
without q clash of conflicting inter
ests
Washington is situated six miles
from Opelousas. just below the conilu
ence Of the baynu- Corohrie and Buuf,
on the Courtabieau. In age it is coe-
val with the commencement of OpeIon.
Sas, and up to the time of building the
Moigan railroad through to Alexandria
it WAS the main il not the sulc shipping
point of the entire parish. There is
splendid navigation for the largest
steamers for niue noutlls in the wear 10
New Orleans, the route being down the
t,ik.a,, ft,.,,nn 81, r,
laya, tEie' ce into the niout! OF the Red
river t" he Mississippi, requiring ;h,
ty-siX hours to make the entire rnn
from Washington to the Crescent City. |
Sugar, cotton, and other produce were,
drought down the bayous CocoClie and
B9ut IN bargeS ana small steancrs for
reshipmpnt at Washington on he large
boats. But While the gailtmhs have
diverted 81 considerable portion of the |
original commerce, the local trade Of
the surrounding country has steadily |
increased with the growth Of popula. |
tion and the advancing development of
The rich lands envilNning if. The fin
Est agricultural soil in st Landry lies
around Warrington. North, east and
south are bayou lands whose fertility
cannot be surpassed in Southwestern
Louisiana. With ordinary cultivation,
and without the use Of fertilizers, good
crops are the rule ant! not exception.
These lands are inteliigrntly and tho
roughly cultivated and when good sea-
sons prevail from , to 4 hngsheads Of
sugar, from 40 20 GO bushels of corn,
aud from to ! bales of cotton can be
made to the acre. West of the town
lie tie b,oatl pvairits. threaded here
and thelc with woodlands, whose soil
is Int little inferior in fertility to ;he
alluylal lands. The finest crops Of Sn
gar cane, cotton. cuin rice, oats, mil
let, sweet and Irish rntutocs are pro-
iuced on these lands, without irltiIiz-
RS and with ordinary cultivation. In
he way OF fruits. almost all varieties
ire grown. and the Mount Hope nur-
sery, owned by Mr. I. J. Lacy, one
mite south of Washington, is ample
,roof Of what the soil sili do in fruits
slr. Lacy never fats to take first prizes
II nj! tho fairs for fine p"arS, peaches,
grapes, Japanese pe,>immons, ctc t
'igs, black berries, HIii~cidines and {
Wild grapes are SO abundant that they L
ire not yet utilized by drying or can (
ing. Vegetables OF every variety are >
aud gown To perfection. u
Although thu: country is pretty tIl,ckiy g
ettled, yet lands can be had nn r+a =
onabie terms and p,ices-finiu $40 to
I'D per acre, arc"iding to improve
nen's aud proximity To bayon front nI
House rent in town is quite
,w, ranging from IS to $l5 per month.
crording to size of the building Town W
ropelty can also he bought on reason =
bic terms and prices. We have spok. 81
n of The agricultural advantages sur
the place 10 show the solid
ld permanent basis which suu,tnr,s
S prosperity il the future; and now
e propose to point ont It's other mate.
al advantages that give it still greater
whenever capital steps in
18th IFS ''open Sesame ard unlccks
ne hidden wealth of this most favored
cality.
Washington is bnilt on The west side
the tayon Courtas,eau, on Il iiul,
I'd rolling situation which acts rs !,
,tnral water shed in draining it east n
I'd west to the two hayouS that fiank :
limits. Ii has u populntion of about IL
AlO inhabitants, and the health of the
ace Will compare fuvorabIy with all
her sections of the parish. There are
me thirty business establishments oi
lr'"us kinds, inclnd;ng dry goods.
nceiles, drug stores, warehouses;, ba.
rles, confectioners, hotels. saloons,
: house, etc, beside the usual mum
r of barber shops, shor,naker,, black
nth and wagon shops, restaurants,
cry stables, etc. Th,r re is IL bin,i 2;
d sash factory, planning mill, cotton lot
I'd oil mill, sliiuglt, aud saw mill, and Don
oper shop. Clsterns of nii sizes are SOC
% manufactured. There are four =,
'ident physicians and one dental 10y 10y
rgenn. ~, ,oe
There are several churches reprc.
'ting the different Christian denum 9.
ItIoDs, and the Jewisl, citizens have 9.
'lr synagogue. There are several -
FOOLS. public and private, which, are 81
der the direction of competent teach. !
, and whose sessions continue from not
to 10 months in the year, Chief \
ong the educational institutions is d dos
S o'i h'oi CVhVeui, TOT young not
les, whose able management anu pri;
rlcnlnm will compare with any sim
Institution Of learning in the coun-
The Rev. Father Jouan is the mat mat
dSlt priest, an Sble and zealons n ,,sn
=. Ill -, ~ sa' oSsllsohsfeSatioh be
oha'se. bear
: thdtWay OF amnaemesats the town y,
ts2 excellent hS/ abapds, string or or
q, Ahea Phi'lrgaionie and Ora d das'