St. Landry democrat., 1889-03-09
LOUISIANA.
FOUR YEARS AGO AND NOW.
THE soIL-PRODUCTs-CL
MENTS-ETC.

FUUH 7EAho A0U AMI NUW.
THE soIL-PRODUCTs-CLIM ATE-INDUCE-
MENTs-ETC.
The following extracts are taken from
the Louisiana immigration Bulletin, edited
by T. W. Poole, Commissioner of Immi-
grafton for the State of Louisiana:
The Louisiana of to day is a very differ
ent State from Louisiana of four, or even
! two years ago, with respect to immigra
ton. Within the former period, an area
| in her southwestern border, belt fifty
miles long by twenty or more broad, has
| been utterly TRANSPORTED by such notable
immigration from the west, that it is the
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 continent.
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
! we'll 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 a 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 q
parallel to.
| Only few years ago was felt the first
impress of this progress that has now SO
deeply and durably engraven its fair fea-
lures upon Louisiana,
PERSONS AND PAPERS.
Mr.. S. L. Carey, formerly of Msn-
chester, Iowa, was induced to To-
cate in Calcasieu parish through the in-
portunity of Commissioner Harris. With
a patience sagacitv, 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. D. McFarlain, native, was CO. worker
and joint-owner of this town 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.
Shortly after Col Hillyard's work in the
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 adjacent
country felt the influence of these costly
endeavors, and Lake Charles felt, particu-
larly, 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 and many phases of
public action and marked Identification
with industrial affairs, has, in brief So
journ in Louisiana, made a 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 "a 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
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
times, run for the winter and late autumn
hnu SafIy spring, oeull uouIHIy oACuIo!oAS
in conjunction 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 Is"
This work was issued about the year 1875,
and was chiefly devoted to the 'sAttakapas"
~seI, T -.
noble work, and rather con 0noore, 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
partment of Agriculture, entitled ""The
lana" In this pamphlet, Col. Dennet's |
rate information in reference to the loca-
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 a
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-
guished 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
vogue of late, has received great impetus
within few years, and this business has