St. Landry democrat., 1889-04-06
LOUISIANA
FOUR YEARS AGO AND NOW.
THE sOIL-PRODUCTs-CL IMATE-INDUCE-
MENTS-ETC.

! FOUR YEATS AGU AND NUW.
THE soIL-PRoDUCTs-cL1
MENTs-ETC.
The following extracts are taken from
the Louisiana immigration Bulletin, edited
by T. W. Poole, Commissioner of 1mmi
grafton for the State of Louisiana:
The Louisiana of to day is very differ
| emit State from Louisiana of four, or even
two years ago, with respect to lmmlgra-
| 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
well. to- do Tin not a 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
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 Man
chester, Iowa, was induced to To-
cate in Calcasieu parish through the i'm
portunity of Commissioner Harris. With
a patience, sagacity, industry and man
agement truly remarkable, this pioneer
set to work to populate the area then I'M
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 a nucleus of western men. And MIR.
A D. McFarlain, nativex-'- foworker
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 La tn foundation of
development, and immigrS N PROPAGANDA
which soon afterwards cL acterized 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-
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 a brief So
iourn 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 ir
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 scheme:
to foster immigration, having as Northern
) immigration agent Mr.. s. L. Cary ant
besides special rates for immigrants at al
times, run for the winter and late autumn
and early spring, semi monthly excursions
) IN conjunction with the Illinois Contra
Railroad, at very low rates, with Mr.. Car!
; accompanying them as guide.
The earlier work of commencing Lou
; isiana to the public had great help from
pamphlet from the pen of Col. Danl. Den
) net aforesaid, entitled Louisiana As 1t Is.
This work was issued about the year 1870
: and was chiefly devoted to the ''Attakapas'
parishes of Southwest Louisiana. 1t is
noble work, and rather con Gneore, by on
~ IL ~ h he tonic N,
, greater praises can be accorded it, than t.
say that the United States Government ha
adopted much of it's subject matter in
pamphlet issued by the United States De
partment Of Agriculture, entitled s.Tht
Soils and Products of Southwestern Louis
iana." In this pamphlet, Col. Dennet'
work is thus alluded to: 'sThe most accu
rate information in reference to the loca
ton and distances of the towns, rivers
; lakes, bayous and railroads, is found II
Dement'S description of Southwestern
, Louisiana.
VEGETABLES.
. And as to vegetables and melons, where
can those raised here be surpassed2
The nut bearing trees are worthy of {
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 raiseo
: within the borders of this state.
Mule raising, which has been only ths
vogue of late, has received great impetus
within few years, and this business has
amply demonstrated the superior quality