The Meridional. (Abbeville, La.) 1856-1906, 1889-06-29
Freight, Statistics, Produce and
Commerce Committee Report.

we, your SoiuLllttSo VII ioiSu',
Statistics, Produce and Commerce
beg leave to. render the following |
report
The staple products Of Vermilion
parish consists of sugar, molasses,
cotton and corn, the annual product
of which is as follows:
Sugar, 5000 hogsheads; molasses,
1000 barrels; cotton, 5000 bales.
No estimate is made Of corn, but
there is large amount shipped an
nually to Lake Charles, Galveston,
aud other points in exchange tor
lumber and shingles.
The freights on eggs, poultry,
hides, wool and rice will exceed that
of sugar, molasses and cotton. Quite
large amount of all this stuff is
shipped via Rayne, Lafayette, New
Iberia, and other railroad points.
The incoming freights, such as
general merchandise, plantation sup
plies and lumber amount annually
to about 100000. This does not
represent, by any means, the business
Of the parish. Many Of our planters
20 to New Iberia, Lafayette and
Rayne for their supplies. The mer'
chants Of those places have the
advantage over ours of cheap trans
portation.
We have in Vermilion parish 20
cotton gins, 20 grist mills, Is sugar
mills and 2 refneries.
Several thousand head Of cattle
and ponies are driven and shipped
out of the parish annually.
| Sweet potatoes and hogs to no
|inconsiderable amount are exchanged
for lumber and shingles.
Our parish treasury is in a healthy
CONDITION. There is now in the hands
of our treasurer, to the credit of the
courthouse fund, $4,000. There
is surplus fund Of $4,000; public
school fund, $500.
We have in the parish 25 public
schools, open 10 months of the year;
teachers are paid monthly, spot cash.
| Our police jury are building a
| $4,000 courthouse. When finished
the money will be in hands of proper
parties to pay for it. The above
showing does not include the taxes
for 1859, which have not been col
lected.
Real estate is increasing in value
rapidly. Wild prairie lands that
were bought ten years ago at 81. 81
per acre can not be had to day fol
less than S. per acre. Improved
lands have increascdint the same ratio
The health of the parish is excel
. lent. and we have the soil and eli
mate to produce almost everything
. needed by the human family. The
high rolling prairie is suitable fol
. cotton, corn, oats, sweet pota
. toes and fruits; the low lands fol
rice and winter range for cattle: th'
rich loamy bayou land for cane, corr
Q and cotton, fruits and vegetables.
( Aloug our wafer courses and th
A whole southern border OF the parls
I. abound an abundance Of timber
's such as hickory, necan, gum, cypfes;
I and I'LL Of the OAK family.
g. The principal town Of the paris
81 is AbbeyiIlc, the paliri, seat, locate
IL upon tue east bank OF Bayou Vel
= million, about 30 miles from it
y month-contains Il general stores
2 drug stores, 9 hotels, 2 butche
shops, / tin shop, 2 printing Offices
4 blacksmith shops, 5 schools, 2 fir
,. companies, 8 livery stables, 2 SUI
ycyors, / SaddIery shop, 2 bake, les,
cotton Gin and corn mill, | art ga
y lerv, 1 doctors, 6 lawyers, 2 chnrcE
i ca (wllite.) and 3 coIored, | MasonI
: lodge, / Knights Of Honor lodge,
brick yard, ] lumber yard, and abou
1900 Inhabitants.
Perry is another thriving v'llag
:, foar miles south Of AbhevIlle, o
the west side of the bayou; ha
Al 9 general stores, drug store,
s. meat market, ! saddIery shop,
;; blacksmith shop. 2 lumber yards,
public school, doctor, cotto
y gin. capacity, - bales per da,
b. which capacity is to be doubled fc
2; this wears crop. There are nome
10 Gus plantation and country stores