St. Landry democrat., 1889-03-16
LOUISIANA.
FOUR YEARS AGO AND NOW.
THE sOIL-PRODUCTs-CLI
MENTS-ETC.

bue Loul-1hIld Hill STaVlOu bUUStJU, eulbSt
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
in her southwestern border, belt fit,
miles long by twenty or more broad, ha
! been utterly transfgured by such notable
! immigration from the west, that it is tn,
most distinctively Anglo. Saxon migration
ever known to the South since the settle
ment 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
It's people are law abiding, intelligent
thrifty, industrious, in large proportion
well to do lin not a few cases wealthy, anC
| 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 a DO
sition of competency, so that, as body
they constitute such an aggregation OF
| landowners, free from indie btedness thai
no part of the United States furnishes q
parallel to.
Only few years ago was felt the first
impress of this progress that has now SC
deeply and durably engraven it's fair fea.
lures UPON Louisiana.
! PERSONS AND PAPERS.
Mr.. S. i. Carey, formerly of Man.
chester, Iowa, was induced to To-
cate in Calcasieu parish through the i'm,
portunity Of Commissioner Harris. With
patience, sagacity industry and man
agement truly remarkable, this pioneer
set to work to populate the area then IN.
known 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. ID. McFarlain, native, was CO. worker
and joint-owner of this town. A little
later Mr.. J. B. Watkins secured an i'm
mense area-a million and half acres or
more, and soon laid the foundation of
those prodigious and expensive plans of
development, and immigration propaganda
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, a 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-
coded by the people of this State, and the
country at large.
Times Democrat, Mr.. J. B. Watkins began
to print The american at Lake Charles,
La, and to commence that large and lib
eral system of development of his lands,
and advertising them. The whole ad AGENT
country felt the influence of these costly
endeavors, and Lake Charles felt, particu-
larry, the work, which is written in pro-
gress of larger character than any town in
Southwest Louisf~ha, 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 and many phases of
public action and marked Identification
with industrial affairs, has, in brief So
journ 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 brother
in-law of this gentleman Ia civil engineer)
has had the practical oversight and execu-
ton of many schemes of Mr.. Watkins and
his own, and some in connection with Pro
fessor 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 Injunction with the Illinois Central
Railroad, at very low rates, with Mr.. Cary
accompanying them as guide.
The earlier work of commencing Lou
isiana to the public had great help from
pamphlet from the pen of Col Dan'l Den
net aforesaid, entitled Louisiana As 1t Isl
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 Gmore, 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,
pamphlet issued by the United States De-
partment of Agriculture, entitled "The
Soils and Products of Southwestern Louis
ana" In this pamphlet, Col. Dennet's
work is thus alluded to: 'The most accu-
.ate information in reference to the loca-
ion and distances of the towns, rivers,
axes, bayous and railroads, is found in
Dement'S description of Southwestern
Louisiana"
VEGETABLES.
And as to vegetables and melons, where
AN those raised here be surpassed?
The nut bearing trees are worthy of a
hapter.
The flowers are beyond our pen, and
'beggar praise"
LIVE STOCK AND GRASSES.
The topics of live stock and grasses de-
erve far more consideration than we can
4ccord them. Some of the most distin-
,uished thoroughbred horses the world
has ever known, have been born and raised
within the borders of this state
Mule raising, which has been only the
'ogue of late, has received great impetus
within few years, and this business has
IMPLY demonstrated the superior quality
f the home bred and home-raised mules.
Long ago cattle raising was marked
eature of the States adaptation to the
usiness. In few States of this Union was