The weekly Thibodaux sentinel and journal of the 8th Senatorial District. [volume] (Thibodaux, Lna. [i.e. La.]) 1875-1898, 1891-12-19
GALLON ISLAND In 1896.

Each time that | write an article fol
paper, / think 1t rlay be the last. a.
am n" writer, and have not, during 4
long life, forced myself on the commu.
nifty As one. | have always been con.
slder,d. | suppose, better at welding
the 'Hcl. rather than the pen. But
affairs have no. changed. On accou,t
OF my situation and certain intirmities,
am compelled to be idle. According
TO an Old adage, taught me when | was
a boy, fan idle head is the Devils
work s.'op.) If it is not the DEVILS, it
IS some other work shop. If | do not
concoct mischief against my neighbors,
OF some harmless or innocent person,
like some old crone while sitting in
the chimney corner, l do something
which is nearly the same l attract
the attention of the reader to the head
ing Of II column in some
and then coax him through to the end
Of the subject, where he finds only
some tiit1ing incident, or something
that has happened more than half a
century ago, which everybody has for
gotten, and no N cares about know
ing; or some old hackneyed subject.
which every body knows. Of course
when ouch Is the case, one class of
q would pronounce it Il humbug
another class would exclaim :"c'est une
otdga :" another would declare that
b writer had certainly swallowed
some book. But | have to console my
self with the idea that if do no more
mischief than this with my idleness,
l will get off scot free.
1t is my intention here to describe a
Journey to Gallon Island, ffty.iye ,
years agO-and if do not commence
now; tear l will make a prelude of
the whole thing, and have no history
q ! had better commence at once.
A few weeks after my arrival in
houma, an opportunity occurred for
me to take . trip to the ashore.
The offer was made by an old gentle
whose name was Gautier, who
Aved about a mile below Houma. He
md has son were getting ready to 90
TO Gallon Island. Mr.. Gautier was
Canadian by birth ; but he had raised
ms family in this country. His son,
Bartholomew was a boy about NV age.
l wac p.eased to learn that they could
both speak good English, ms l had vet
learned no French. Mr.. Gautier was
glad to take me along MS q compan,on
Ior ms son, and to help pull the oar.
l ass'sted them in packing up and get
ung ready We made an early start ,
next morning. Bartholomew and
composed the crew, and Mr.. Gautier !
vas the captain and pilot. The outfit
of u tent, q sail, bedding. :
provisions, and o jug Of whiskey this !
lsst was the private property of Mr.. :.
1t must be remembered that I
n those times no expedition, enter l
Prise, or voyage was undertaken with '
,nt . full supply of whiskey. Even :
~hOdid not use it, when at home. I
we're certain to take q supply of that =
.rtlcle when they went to tile sea-sLore I
fhe temperance reforr. had MT vet Q
esshed this part Of the country. . g
very man, young and old. was al 1
owed To drink when no pleased. .
Y . learned that fact, l was sur :,
.rised, after had been taaght through u
no about the evils Of drinking, IT. Mt ~
mere were 30 few drunkards in O y
soa 70 the population. / was sur. !"
ffeed not to find the COUNTRY filed !,
nth poverty, crime, and distrrss- q
wh'skey vas only fifty or sixty !, !"
ents . gallon. There was also cos, y
claret. and other French liouors IL
ei9 IN oil tho stsres but it required :
deep pocket to indulge in these 10
rinks. Whiskey was the universal =
a1' and easily procured by all class
J. ! noticed, however, there were -
amy men, though the greater part
ere from other countries, who were
% very particular neither in regard
the quantity nor the quality Of the
qaor they drank. I was one dav ait.
70 IN the store In H0uma, when three
p came IN to purchase sOme goods.
IL wae the custom, when . mar en- -
red . store, and bought no more than r
= cents worth Of goods, he WAS treat
70 . drink, sometimes two or three. 6
these men had completed their
archases, the bottle was handed to =
en-, 90 they could help themselves.
..er tney tool one drink, the first
= ,emarked that it must be riAed
nasxey, and . dead shot q hundred
Fa: en- ; the second a remarked
~ II WAS mean enough to make a l.
.h steal ; the third one said some-
'ns about red eye, and denounced it 2:
Tile lowest kind of terms. These n
1re names and phrases that | had u
heard before, and l thought, Of ~
urse, they were satisfied with one c
OF such mean stuff. But / notic- II
they remained and drank more from Il
Z same bottle ; that after the third l.
INK they did not seem to care a fo