St. Landry democrat., 1890-11-08
Why We Should be Up and Doing

&
N I'D our pefpgrlnatlnus we have obser
y ed that, other districts of countrv a,
c aroused to consciousness of their c;
: paclty to do something, calculated
n murphy their advantages, socially, re
y Iig'"uSly and intellectually.
lake for example, the little scg,egat
! ea territorial fragment of old St. Ian
9 dry, which is now known az the paris
"f Acadia. Consider What it was f.,
years ago. 1t was thc duck pond of thi
S'eht parish The land was thuuyht al
most entirely worthless, and the occu
pants lived on or, near the little waite
courses that, here and there intersecte,
1t. The wild cattle roamed over anc
oro"z"d upon it, What appearance.
uoes it present to day9 Those marsh,
lands are waved over now by fruitfu
harvest fields. Strangers are almost
daily seeking homes there. The lands
have become valuable, and ere long
must become occupied. The average
condition OF the people is characterized
Ivy ease, industry, peace and plenty
Why is this so? Its because, fer Dey
sons combined, and co operated in the
prosecution Of a common purpose.
III must not be supposed they were
not confronted 10y discouruging obsta-
cles, for they were. The natural ad-
Vautages were not comparable to those.
our people possess, and yet, by energy
and well directed combined effort, those
people have, III Il few short years, left lis
III the rear, and are advancing with
rapid strides to the attainment of all
that industry and frusality can accom-
pl'sh. The llttle town of Crowley was
'ald on about four Years ago, aud it now
"'+Set'ls handsome appearance by til.
comfort aud comundluusnrss of its
rapidly multiplying buildings. 1t has |
h"nilshln% college, which is increasing |
the pumher OF its matricuates con.in-
"aIly. The diversity of studies taught |
IN it, Is already beginning to have d
maiked effect upon the current of
thought. The old duck ponds and tn.
ubiquitous habItats OF the c:ay-f fish,
are already euclosed and the plon ->hare
ulis up the soil for the glor th of
splendid nee crops. From the focus
" h'ch that young town affords the en-
tIpilsc of an harmouluus constituency
= spleudinE III evtIy direction. Iu a
tW yeals, The lands will not sell for less
han the best alluviaI Iauis of the state.
Again, take Lake Chares-a town
hicb, tor time, stOud upon the bur- .
ers OF tue lake III all the dllnuutlve-
ess Of a bOider town. Cum ',iuatlo,,s ;
we're formed-and what Que coulu nnt
%, two or mo,e, Iesolutely assayed III +
very short time, 1t began to grow II r
'Ze and commerce, until it now t,In +
eTs population of about 5000 souls =,
Is wealth IS shown lii its improvements j
MI newly projected enterprises. 1t is y,
'ndlug lumber far and wide, and lay T.
* down iron rails IN the directions of >.
roduce. Soon it will tap the agricul- u
lral resources that now serve to keep -
y Opelousas. ,
Alexandria is also putting forth Her Fl
lleaD effuits to attract commerce. Her !,
en- OF capllal-greut and small-ale n
lttlng their means and their energies h.
gcther, and If they continue doing 50, Il,
Is destined to become ID city of cousd- e1
able magnitude, and tue capital of %
Duisiana. She, like Crowley and Lake .,
Iares and New Iberia, has caught the ae
init ot the times and has placed her IN
II upon plane OF prosperity, which til
thing can obstruct, but a relapse to nc
artia. lo,
The people of Opelousas, in all that te
ates to natural advantages, are bless SO
beyond those of either of these fir,
vns. They are not so heterogeneous. Ca
are far more homogeneous. 1t De
uld appear to Il reasonable view that. Co
$ fact alone should induce them to Of
milne with less hesitation. Many csc
M to think that if they cannot do tri
nethlng great, it were ridiculous to att
empt what appears small things. full
is Is silly conclusion. We are told to
We kluW that 1t often occurs that the
at enterprises fr queDtly result frou, me
y small adventures. There is mucl. ties
mant wealth here. 1t is llorded witt, rio,
cry care, and instead of doing good. its
etarding or, preventing every indus yml
which, it encouraged, would caus. ,irr
saiubrl"ns, fertile aud beau,lfr, ,au
to bud and blossom like the rod OF anu
on. We btseech our men of means If +
ONE ont from their sOlitude-form uef.
citations aud, harness up the iron aud
~ and send him snoring over these he
tes and extended fields to bring in ,ncr
wealth, that Iu a short time, will will
rwise he carried forever from You mor
us have wells. rice mills, oil m.lts ,icst
factories, etc, and thus cause Won, vote
lib to multiply the public advan nl-r
s whilst it increases in volume 70, uo,c
rogr
corr
e ladies cOmmuDicaDt Of the Ban II
Church in Opelousas, gave festi- aanl