The Opelousas courier., 1894-05-26
The Fire.

A fire, which was discovered at about
1 o'clock Monday morning, destroyed
the old Union Hotel, On Main street,
owned by Julien Claude, at Washing
ton, and occupied by I'D &. krVes.
which was one of the old landmarks OF
Opelousas. The buildingswas insured
for $500 and its contents f0F 5000: The
flames spread to the grocegJ of T. Del
buono, also fronting on Main street. and
to his residence 10 the YEAR, entirely
destroying both. Half of the store and
nearly all the furniture in the residence
ried by Mr.. Delbuono was $1,000 on the
store building. His net loss will amount
to about $4,000. Fortunately the night
was very calm. Had even a slight wind
been blowing the losses might have
been tenfold greater.
The victims are all very worthy peo-
pie and have the sympathxaof the entire
community. H.
Opelousas Fire Co. No. 1, which is
composed mostly Of new members. all
young men recently enlisted, we're put
through a severe ordeal but acquitted
themselves very c%reditably on this their
first encounter with the fire fend, and
deserve much praise for their earnest
ness and public spirit. Their labors were
characterized with a zeal and vim that
demonstrated the fact that Old No. L. is
composed of the sort of stuff of which
good firemen are made, and the town
should see that their equipment and ia
%cilities are in keeping with the require
ments of our growing community. The
absence of an adequate water supply
was severely felt, as usual.
When it was no longer practicable to
work the engine, the boys did yeoman
service as a bucket brigade and were
mainly instrumental in preventing the
spreading of the flames. Several Of the
members of No. l were disabled though
no one was seriously hurt, although our
young friend Henry Pavy made a mar
row escape, being thrown from a lad
der while carrying water to the roof of
a burning building, and was only saved
from serious injury by his fall being
broken by a considerable %bystander who
saw the accident in time and rushed
with o~utstretched arms to his rescue.
1t was a stalwart colored man who in
stantly obeyed the noble impulse to
place his person as a bulwark in the
Imminent and deadly breach" and
though the gallant fellow was promptly
and with considerable emphasis COM
pletely upset and thronght friend
Pavy violently embraced old moth
er earth with all the amplitude OF
his manly proportions. while the
aqueous contents of the bucket
were impartially distributed over both,
the brave and kind act is worthy of high
commentator. Its author should he
sought out and suitably rewarded, for
beneath his dark skin and modest mein
be hides the qualities of which heroes
are made, and the public recognition OF
such qualities, no matter by whom pos
sessed, must have a salusary influence
on the community.
The old Union Hotel, which has long
since dropped it's name. though UMPIRE
tentious in appearance, was a historic
building. Erected nearly three-Quarters
of u century ago, it's walls have re-echo-
ed with the dread alarums" of two
wars, and many incidents of local inter
est-some festive and aglow with pleas
ure. some tragic and heart-rending-
took place within its haliowed precincts
Originally occupied as q hotel by a Mr..
Dumatrait, we believe, it ~successively
passed into the hands OF the Perrault
brothers (~uncles of u present District
Judge), then into those of genial Emile
Claude, then of Frederick Laas, and
later ON was devoted to other 8
In 1858, when the country was aroused
over the vigorous movements of the
vigilance committees, which operated
throughout this section for the suppress.
sion of cattle stealing aud all name OIL
outlawry, B. A.. Martel was district
Judge and Adolphe Olivier was district
attorney, and they resolutely but very
properly set their faces against the
trampling down of the law, even though
there was grave provocation. They ap'
pealed to the governor, Robt. c. Wick
life, who still survives, and who, find
ing that his proclamation calling upoI
the vigilants to dispense was unheeded
came to Opelousas to confer with thu
leaders of the best people in the parishes
of St. Martin, IBERIA Lafayette and st
Landry, who were in open revolt agalns
the law. The conference was held il
the old hotel and the governor securet
pledges that soon restored peace ant
quiet to these disturbed communities
A much better condition of affairs pre-
| vailed afterwards for the storm had pu
rifed the moral atmosphere. 1t was al
SO in the old hotel. in 1880, that u gamb
Ter named Carr mortality wounded by
pistol shot a promising young man from
| New Orleans named Charles GaussOin
and it was there also, many years later
that H. Jagou met his death.
The large dining hall was frequentl.
used as a ball room. and in 1883, whel
the victorious Confederates followed a
the ~retreating Federals after their tenn
porary occupation of this section, it wa
the scene of a brilliant gathering of tn
most beautiful women in the countr
and the highest officers of the Confed
crate army operating in the Trans
Mississippi department, among whom
resplendent in elegant uniforms an
gold lace, were the French Count Poll
gnae. Gen. Major, commanding q Texa
brigade, Col. Zacharie,s of New Orleanl
sc. Among the ladies we recall Mr.
LeBourgeois, Mrs. Wiitz (now Mr.
Jules Perrodin), Miss Corinne Lastra
pes (now Mrs. Jules Debaillon)-a
noted beauties of that day.
Ant now nothing remains OF the oil
building but a heap of ashes. Sic tran,
1t gloria mundi.
nS- o-1r-Al-