St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1890-08-02
The Picnic at Wilson's Saw Mill.

Inc R1Cn1C at Wilson'S saw Mill.
The citizens of Old Grand Prairie
held q very pleasant meeting O. Wilson's
saw mill on the Bayou Cocodrie on Sat.
urday last. The Farmers Alliance oil
that vicinity engaged in it, in the spirit
aud with the understanding. They be.
s,an to conglegate about the honr of
Il. M, and as the sun rose to the zontl
they had multiplied ia numbers to about
800 Some who were present estimated
item at about 500. As usual. whenever
any really desirable object is sought,
the ladies were there in beautiful array
and made themselves rs useful as their
appearance made them charming. The
spot selected for tho speaking, was n
deeply shaded grove of forest trees
standing in all their sylvan grandeur.
at the hour of II exactly, Mr.. Carroll,
the master Of ceremonies tOr the occa
sion, called the assemblage to order and
without further ado introduced orr fell
low-townsman, Judge L. North Cullom,
DIS the first orator of the day.
Without unnecessary decentralization,
he took up the topics OF greet interest
10 the Alliance ard to the producers and
tailoring classes generally, and gave
some statistical data which, willie in
structive, was to many quite startling.
During the hour Ii spoke the closest
attention was bestowed
Tue next speaker was our io.ial aud
fluent friend Laurent Duple. Tie COM
7nanded attention for 80 minutes during
which he spoke in French. giving the
crowd sound suggestions well seasoned
with the spice OF mirth. His remarks
wcro brief but pithy and had the effect
of placing his audience in Il fine hnmor
with itself.
Judge Eli Clatk OF Pine piuille vas
7he third to speak. and night well did
Ie acquit himself. Mr.. Clark has never
@njoycd the advantages of even fair
country school education. but he talks
as one inspired by his subject and who
lelles more upon the fitness of his
Heart, than upon the inventions of his
brain He made a speech that touched
4he chords OF sympathy among Tie au-
dience, and which left lasting good
effect
The fourth aud last speaker Wis, Mr.
Hardesty from Washington. He in
dulged in some pleasing flights Of fancy
1n the proem Of bis speech. then settled
down upon lucid explanation OF the
proposed sub-treasury. He went direct
iy to his point and made himself fully
understood. So far his effort was enter
tanning, aud ia part instructive. He
wound up with some remarks on the
Louisiana State Lottery, which however
correct in the conception, in the judy
ment of many OF his auditors, were
thought by some TO be iii timed They
thought the Alliance had given the pic
mic for purposes immediately couccrn-
aug the specialties OF their organization.
His speech was we'll received Ivy the
audience and was in reality a praise
worthy effort. Mr. Carroll wound up
the anteprandul exercises, with an cx-
hortation well worthy of an old fash
Toned Methodist class leader. He was
earnest, terse and impressive. The
baskets were opened and they we're
found to contain n wonderful quantity
of we'll prepared good things for the
of the inner man. These were
soon spread out and arranged on
quadrangular table of spacious size.
The utmost good order and gentle
manly decorum were observed through 4.
out the day. The ladies were frat
and afterward the gentlemen.
The abundance of food left, after all
were sumptuously served, reminds us of !
one Of the miracles of line New Tesla /
meDt. i
L. Dupre, Esq. was called 10 the .
stand in short time after the feast
and made pleasing little speech in
in which he recalled 10 tho
minds of his audience aud more patti.
cularly Of the Alliance, tie memorable
career of Cincinnatus, who was called
from his plow, to save his country.
BY this time the young folks began
: to tip tho light fantastic toe" to the
music of an artistically handled har-
monicon. How long this vas kept mp
ge are not able 10 say, as our reporter
soon after left for home aRhin." The
good people Of Old Grand Prairie may
DO we'll proud of their picnic. We hope
hey will, in the course OF the season,
get up another, OF, by way Of reciproci-
y, induce their neighbors to try their
land. These entertainments bring the
PEOPLE togetlier-lead TO better acauain-
ance and result in good.
Man to man the world DER
Should brother DO, for all that
we fclicitate the Old Grand Prairie {
Alliance, and the fair ladies and noble /,
lcn of that neighborhood.
YARDLEY.--"I suppose that married Q
fe is really more happy than the life of