St. Landry democrat., 1890-11-22
ADDRESS
Delivered by Judge G. A Fournet,
Oct. 20, 1890, on the Occasion
of the Laying of the Corner
Stone Of the New
Court House.
Ladies and Gentlemen:

Court House.
Ladies and Gentlemen: >,
There can be no filter occasion than the
present to recall the changes that nave
brought about the necessity of erecting
the new court house, the cornerstone Oh
which is now being laid.
Without having recourse to STATISTICS,
which trust you will dispense me from
quoting to you, I will simply state that
within the life and recollection OF the
Youngest among you the population of the
nsrish of Calcasieu was the smallest in the
State of Louisiana Although the largest
in territory, it was the last opened to set
Element. Its immense, prairies travelled
by no roadway, save here and there the
tracksof the huntsman and the stock
eatherer, had not yet been startled by the
Shrek of the 10 connective or the roar OF the
railroad train. The tasselated corn. the
ripping wave of the sugar cane and the
loaded crests of the mellow rice field were
unknown from the Mermenteau river to
the Sabine swamp. Our wealth and tim
Der. the finest and the best in the world
pine unequaled in usefulness and cypress
unrivaled in durability, inviting the
wants of mankind and counting the indus
try of man, covered OUT virgin forests
with giants of their kind. from the ooth
parallel to the limits of Rapides ana
Vernon.
Age, winds and storms alone tumbled
their giant frames, while the steel dis
tined to fell them laid as yet entombed
in the bowels of the earth, undiscovered
and unforged.
We had then neither cities nor incor-
porated towns. This very city, of which
you are all so proud, | am sure, which
now rests so gracefully basklng in the
glory of our own Southern sun, like
ching of "beauty and of life" on the edge
of this, the loveliest and most picturesque
lake that ever greeted the eye OF man, was
nothing but mere hamlet.
Jennings, Esterly, Welsh, Iowa City,
Westlake, twin sister of Lake Charles.
Sulphur City. Edgerly, Vinton, Jackson
vile, Crown Point and Lakeside, all grow
ing and promising towns, were not even
on the maps, and had not yet drawn the
breath of activity and life.
In few short years the magic hand of
progress has accomplished the wonderful
transformation, in the aspects of nature
and works of industry and art we contem-
plate to day.
busting and prosperous young city, teem-
ing with busy population of over 4OOo
inhabitants of all classes and of all trades
and professions. Thriving towns, with
their bright and comfortable residences
and business houses, ell places where only
two or three years since there was nothing
Int the wilderness of uncurbed nature,
upbroken and unframed to meet the wants
and bend itself to the commands of civ
ilized society.
Numberless farms now dot the land
scape where there was no object within
the SCOPE of vision in the measureless
waste, except the Towering immensely of
the prairie meeting with the boundless
azure of the sky in the distant horizon.
Hither have come the sturdy yoemen
from the South, fleeing before overfows
and the competition of an inferior race
and hither have come the farmers from
the Northwest, driven from their inhOs-
pitable plains by the scorching drought of
summer and the snow mantled blizzard of
winter, to seek refuge in the solitude of
our prairies; and they have made our
empty places smile with pleasant homes
and pregnant fields.
These, ladies and gentlemen. are the
ish within my own recollection, and it is
now lust eleven years that moved from
the romantic banks of the Teche to trust
my fortune and my hopes in life with the
people of Calcasieu. in this predestined
spot of Gods green earth. Within these
eleven years the population of this parish
has risen from II, 900 to 10000.
The value of property ON our assessment
rolls has increased from $500. 900 to
$4,000, 600, in the same space of time.
Commerce. agriculture, manufactures
and industries of all sorts have advanced
in the like proportion.
The rapid and steady increase in popu-
lation, wealth and diversified industries
has created new wants, new demands, new
necessities.
The business capacity of our people has
been enlarged to such degree that it re-
ouires much greater room to- day for the
display of it's energies. In consequence,
the duties and attribulations of the judge,
of the clerk, of the sheriff and of other
officers in the parish, have taken such
proportions that the old court house, once
amply suited to the necessities of the time
when it was erected, has become made
quate for the purpose of its destination.
The urgency of the work of building
new court house is apparent.
The law imposes upon the Police Jury
the duty of providing good and sufficient
court house, with proper rooms and &C
commodations for the public service.
Right here, my fellow parishioners, let
me say that it is sourse of qualification
to us and to those that will come after us,
that the present excellent financial condi-
ton of the parish has enabled the parish |
authorities to procure the erection of a
large and commodious court house, with
out drawing upon the future for the funds
necessary to pay for it.
We are now assured that in a few |
months from to-day the parish of Calca- |
sieu will boast of such building that |
hope will be both an ornament to the seat |
of Justice of the parish, monument of |
the intelligence and character of the pres
sent generation, and q source of admira-
ton and pride to those that are to come |
after us.
1t is certainly no disadvantage that we
are able to construct an edi6ce which, in |
point of elegance, taste and architectural
design, will be inferior to none in the
State, without be compelled to resort to
the public credit.
Other parishes, whenever necessity |
called to make such heavy expenditures as
a new court house will cost, have not hes. |
itated to issue bonds and obligations in |
order to meet present demand but, am |
proud to say, the parish of Calcasieu has !
sufficient revenue in excess of its ordinary |
expenditures to meet every dollar of the !
$40, 600 that this court house will cost,
and to pay cash for the good work as it