The Opelousas courier., 1893-12-30
Southwestern Louisiana.
Extent and Population.

ICY &6A Gfb6t Va GnS OADtH0 t1tEtS Auuy
be said to constitute the territory which
is called Southwestern Louisiana. 1t
has a population of about 200, 900
souls, and includes within it's confines
the whole of the parishes of Acadia,
Calcasieu. Cameron, Iberia, Lafayette,
st. Landry, st. Maesin and st. Mary,
and the southern portion of the par.
isles of Avoyelles, Rapides and Yer
non.
Typographical and Geographical Charac-
teristics.
The general conformation of the
country is level, except in the north.
westerly portion, where it is somewhat
hilly and contains n of the finest for
ests of pine and the hardwoods to be
found 10 the United States. Here
abound all the varieties of oak, cy-
press, beech, maple. poplar. gum, ash,
sycamore, magnolia, etc. South of this
and onward to the Gulf the land is
prairie, except along its eastern linz
its, where it is swamp. and though of
unsurpassed fertility and Astounding
with q vast expanse Of magnificent
timber, it is subject to overflow from
the freshets of the Mississippi and Red
rivers. This immense tract Of prairie
land is above overflow and stands
generally on what is known geological
" as the bluff formation. 1t is about
40 feet above the overflow waters of
the Mississippi river, and offers the ad-
vantages Of good and healthful homes
III such as desire to cas- their lots in
this favored section of the State. This
prairie region is pot like some of the
great prairies of Texas, and tho West,
almost absolutely devoid Of fuel and
water. 1t is i~nterspersed with streams
of running water along whose banks
timber enough is generally found to
simply the wants of the inhabitant in
improving his lands and affording him
ae~onstant supply of fuel for present
and future consumption. The blend
ing of prairie and woodland through
this section furnishes the eye with
4 ecene of serene and marvellous
beauty, and while the natural arrange
ments of the scenes presented here is
not such as to inspire the mental on
disions of snblimity which one would
experience on being thrown in contact
with lofty mountains. deep canyons.
rushing cataracts, frightful precipices
orsthe vast expanse of ocean as it an
folds itself before our eyes and leads
us I'd the recognition of that infinitnde
OF DoWer which awes the mind with it's
terrible grandeur. and reminds ms that
despite onr great knowledge in the
arts and sciences, we can with our f.
mite faculties. take in but a moiety of
the mysteries of creation, and render
subject to our domination so small n
share Of the rude forces of nature as to
impress us with the impotency of our
strength. Yet there is another class
Of mental conditions which arise from
tile contemplation of natural objects.
Fl is one that imparts serenity to the
sOul and pleasant cOntentment to the
mind. It ID the offspring of a sense
Of repOse, or rest in nature, and pro
llnces q feeling correspondent to the
absence of domestic troubles, or cares.
in d well regulated and prosperous
family. It tends to smooth down the
rugged spots in our natures and gives
10 our feelings that placidity and calm
ness which are inspired by orr sur
r0nndiUgs when nature is in a state Of
repoae, and the earth presents none Of
her ragged and SCARED places. the CT.
eatricea of ancient catastr0phies to OBJ
trude upon our vision or rnfie tht
smooth current of our sensibiiities
Such are the impressions produced or
the mind by the natural phenomena o
eur country as contrasted with TIN
effects of the scenery of some othel
places. Ours is serene, beautiful AMI
blessing. Theirs is awful, sublime
grand and oftimes terror inspiring.
Climate.
Bnt there is another consideration
which weighs heavily in favor of South
western Louisiara as d dwelling place
and TINT Ia the superior advantage
of its soil and climate. Here one j
~noftfonbled Of heat and cold, as in 9th
or more northern and pent in districts
The gentle breezes from nj Mexican
Gulf are not o~betructed by the inter
position of mountain ranges and i'm
menss and impenetrable forests, no
aye The SUMS ray reflected by the rock
100 mountain sides and made converg
spt on the valleys beneath, but health
fsland in~vigorating fresh breezes pro
coed directly up the plains unOpp0set
ia their march inland, dispensing com
fort and vig0r to those who are so for
tnnese as Go have cast their lots in thi
favored cline. The thermometer il
winter bas an average huctuation her
Of irons 40 to 40 degrees /; of course
a sometimes below 40; il sven gOe
beyond the freezing point; but this
the case for only d few days durinI
tls winter, and the rest of this tern
may be said to be free Of frost. ami
lie rs pleasant outdoors, iD fair wealth
81 ALI the winter through. In snmme
fhe mercury ranges from 90 to sc de
&fees, registering the latter tempera
safe but seldom. Such chronicles 9
sunetrOke and death az are being de
1alled by the papers published 10 NeS
xeEk. Chicago. Philadelphia, Louis
vile, SO. Louis and other NortherI
popni0ne centres are things Whic'
never occur, even In New 0~rleans-tha
cagy which Id the popular belief of th
MeEtsaeEn people, is the abode of pesti
ience and disease. On account Q
sna rapid evaporation on The Gulf q
Mexlco, the temperature of the atmos
N1ere - lowered and driven inland b,
atmospheric currents, thereby Felievin.
kAe heated term Offnuch Of the sultri
heae and O-ppressiVeness peculiar to eli