St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1891-06-06
The Louisiana Press Association.
VISIT TO ALEXANDRIA, SHREVEPORT,
RUSTON, MONROE AND THE LOUISE
ANA CHAUTAUQUA.

- ANA Una AhCVOA'
d On Saturday night, 23d ult., in CON
,, pany with the editor of the Courier, "
n left Opelousas to attend the elevent
:, annual meeting Of the State Press Az
IL sociation at Ruston, Lincoln parish
newspaper men bound like us for th
then Mecca of the fraternity, viz.
John Mccormick, of the Lake Charlie
Commercial; F. Samoan, of the Thibo
daux Sentinel: : O. A. Alpha, of the La
fayette Vindicator A. Bienvenu, o
the St. Martin Messenger; A. F. Chan
freau, of the Houma Courier; j. B
Taylor, of the Lafourche Comet; ant
J O. A. Simpson, of the Acadia Sentinel
On the train was also Mr.. F. M. Welch
Of the live Alexandria real estate firm
of Wrlch & Marye, who" engaged the
company of the newspaper men for {
carriage ride the next day, and on theil
arrival and during their stay in the
Future Great" showed them every
attention.
Shortly before noon on the following
day, the party, reinforced by Mr.. Marye,
Mr.. WolsoD, an entertaining talker, and
Messrs. Chaplain and Bryant,o the local
press, entered carriages and were driven
around "the horse sboe," a distance of
some 10 miles, through very pretty
part Of the famous Bayou Rapides and
| Bayou Robert country, past many
handsome residences and some of the
finest crops of cotton, corn, oats and
cane that we ever saw anywhere at this
season. Our western neighbor from
Lake Charles grew enthusiastic over
the sight, and even our staid friend
Chanfreau, of Houma, reluctantly ad-
mitted that the crops he saw were
"hard to beat"
Alexandria is evidently on a boom.
Besides the two railroads it now has,
two more are in course of construction,
the Kansas City, Watkins g. Gulf and
the Houston, Central Arkansas g. North
ern, both of which will be completed this
fall; and the town is bound to grow and
expand, and now offers a lucrative field
for Investments in real estate. Besides
a cotton compress, artesian we'll, street
cars, ice factory street lamps, &C., Alex
andtia, has several important industri-
al enterprises which pay handsome div
idends.
1t was nearly midnight on Sunday |
when the chief city of North Louisiana,
was reached; and as the
train for Ruston left the next morning
shortly after7 o'clock, no opportunity
was afforded us Of seeing much of the |
city. Evidences that it was growing
and prospering were, however. visible
On every hand. 1t has excellent systems
Of street cars, water works and electric
lights, several important manufacture
ng industries and numerous frst-class
educational institutions. Its hotels and
business houses, many of them, are
unite elegant and have all the modern
improvements, while it has numerous
stylish residences, among them the pa
atial mansion of the banker Jacobs,
Which would he an ornament to any
,ity in the country.
Ruston was reached on Monday morn
ng shortly after 10 o'clock, and Presi-
lent Jastremski called the State Press
to order in the college
building about an hour later. Hon. E.
). Kidd, Of Jackson, made the opening
ddress, extending "cordial North
louisiana welcome" to the assembled
nights of the quill, which was fttingly
to by our worthy President.
The afternoon session was devoted to
outline business, some eight or ten new
nembers being admitted. Several more
7ere admitted the next day. At night
concert was given for the benefit Of
he Chautauqua Society, when the au-
ience were regaled by several fine
lusical and vocal selections and reci- ,
atoms by the local amateurs, and Mrs. |
,urant Daponte and Miss Flo Field, of
lew Orleans, made beautiful recita-
Ons.
On Tuesday number Of interesting 5
apers were read, and at 4:30 p. m. a
oecial train was boarded for Monroe, ,
le beautiful "Queen of the Ouachita {
alley" On our arrival, after a !
leasant run of As miutes, carriages were
,und in waiting, and the entire party :
as driven through the pretty little I
ty and its suburbs, along the banks of |
le limpid Ouachita and between long q
mes of beautiful shade trees, the like t
I which probably no other town in the f
outh can boast, until the slanting rays {
! the descending sun admonished us
lat night was about to set in. Being q
eposited on terra .f,ma iE the business 7
Drtion Of the city, near DR.. Aby's drug =
ore, our attention was attracted to the 7
!. s. Court House and Postofice in j
,urse of erection near by, and thither 7
e directed our steps. Although the i
for this building was
ade prior to that for ours, and was a
5000 in excess of that for ours, it is q
ot near so far advanced towards COM e
elton, and appears to be very much of q
e same style and about the same size. c
ike ours, it is being bnilt of pressed e
'icks with stone trimmings, and the !
'incipal difference that we detected 4
as that instead of large arch and q
at the front entrance. it had 9
rec smaller ones.