The Ouachita telegraph. [volume] (Monroe, La.) 1865-1889, 1889-07-06
The rELEGRApH's REPORTER
Visits New Fields.-le is Well Received
and Favorabiy ImPrcsscd.-Weather
and Crops, etc.


Your correspondent spent last week in
visiting the Bristle Ridge, Colony, Crew
Lake and DeSiard countries. On Bristle
Ridge we found good crops. This fertile
ridge is inhabited principally by an indus
trious class of colored farmers who seem to
be fairly well prosperous and enjoying life.
We reached the Colony OH last Wednes-
day one weok ago and found the crops in
that neishborhood, as in every other, just
simply immense. but suffering consid-
erably for All application of the pillow and
hoe, tho continued rains having given
"Gen. Groom" the coveted opportunity to
get the bulge on the farmers. We called
on Mr.. p. Trouard and inspected and add
mired his beautiful plantation with the
magnificent crops growing thereon. Mr..
Trouard anticipates considerable damage
to tho crops from the continued rains. Dur
ing our sojourn in the Colony we had the
pleasure of partaking of the hospitality of
Messrs. Whitod and McQuillar. Both of
these gentlemon have excellent crops. Mfr.
Whitod seemed to think that he was having
moro rain than any man in tho parish. We
suggested, however. that God was only
causing it to rain on the just aud effected Il
complete consolation in This way.
Wo visited tho plantation Of Messrs. u.
Millsars Il Co. at Crew Lake and found Mr..
G. w. McQuiIIar, the manager, with a fine
crop.
On last Monday evening we enjoyed be-
ing the guest of Mr.. J. w. Cooksey, who is
managing the plantation Of Mr.. Il. T..
Whited at Gordon station OH tho Vicks-
burg, Shreveport ami Pacific Railroad.
Living with Mr.. Cooksey are those two
IN a,,I
A. A. Bate, whose acquaintance you had
tho pleasure of forming in the summer OF
! 1878, during the yellow fever scare, while a
refugee to the mountains west of the Qua
chita. Mr.. Cooksey has an excellent crop
and is getting along finely considering the
| unfavorable condition of the weather and a
| shortage in teams. Whilo there we were
shown by Mr.. Bate through his vegetable
| garden. MIR. Bate is undoubtedly the boss
gardener Of North Louisiana. He has the
greatest and finest variety of vegetables
that we have ever seen. We were shown
| by him onions of tho Silver King variety as
large in rircu feronce an ordinary sat,.
Ger and the finest Irish potatoes that we
remember ever having seen. One of them
weighed . lbs. IL ozs. He also showed us
tomatoes and other vegetables which, in
| our opinion, had reached tho height o
perfection.
AT Gordon (NiiIIhaven) we were surpris
ed to find that the depot had been tori
down and the lumber either hauled away
or burned. Why such a move on the par
of the railroad. which will work such a,
inconv enieuce and hardship on the citizen
living in that neigh borhood, We were una
| BILE to learn. The people are very muc
: provoked Gordon is a station where
! great many people get on and of the trai
: and where more or less shipping and re
I ceiving is done and the railroad should &
/ least erect small waiting room and pla
q form for the accommodation of the trave
/ ing public and shippers and receivers, ],
il be ever so common.
II On Bayou DeSiard the crops of Messr
:. Meyer, Parker and Breard are especial
. fine and in good condition.