The weekly Thibodaux sentinel and journal of the 8th Senatorial District. [volume] (Thibodaux, Lna. [i.e. La.]) 1875-1898, 1897-06-05
FIFTY A AGO.
1847--No. 1851.
By S. T. GRIsAMoRE.

Ii the senate, quiet citizen of bayou
Lafonrche of this year Of our Lord
1897 We're by some act of legerder
main picked mp, and dropped back on
the banks of that stream, fifty years
ago. in 1S47, he would scratch his
head and begin to inquire, AS the
statesman Of Texas did SOME wears
ago, where am / at ?" French was
almost universally spoken, except in
The vicinity of Dnnaldsonville where
Spanish shared the honors with the
language OF France. The Few Ameri-
cans, by which title were designated
all those residents from other states,
tand they were more numerous then
than they are now were compelled, in
self defense to learn to speak French.
At the same period many French
descendants were speaking the English
language or learning it.
The manner i'll which both languages
were coollV and Observation-Disclosures
was wonderful. and would have given
the authors Of French and English
dictionaries q stroke Of apoplexy had
they venfnred here.
The bayou has changed none in its
course or its peculiarities. In those
days it became low IN summer aud
rose high in winter and spring, AMI
occasionally would show its power aud
strength by bursting through the
l%evees, or what the citizen Of the
present time would facetiously de-
nominate a levee. These artificial
embellishments were in some places
tour or five feet in height. An ordi-
nary man could step over ohe Of them
without fear or accident.
Two mon, riding along the public
roads, D on each side of the bayou,
could converse very readily and east
~. Yet when a crevasse would occur
and let out a little more water than
the bitches could carry away, it crea-
ted as grand a commotion as one of
those breaks does to-day.
Every land owner was held respon-
s;ble for the rebuilding of his levee,
after he had u ava in his front.
II he was unable to perform that work
the Parish took charge Of it. aud sold
the land 70 pay the expenses at least
as far as the price obtained would 90.
Great Efforts were often made 20 close
the breaks. which were generally sue
cessful. and very often led to serious
disputes among the citizens adjacent
aud sometimes made enemies of neigh
bors. The planter OF 1897 will send
his enslre force OF lahorers to assist in
securing levees for whose time lie paws
cash, much more willingly and cheer
tally thar did the planter of 1917 fnr-
nisli his slaves for such purposes. One
great objection was adduced, that the
owner Of the slaves could not risk
having ~ OF them dro vned.
The people were full of life and
animation times We're prosperous.
wages were good and labor, especially
skilled, always IN demand. Overseers
were obtaining from five hundred to
twenty five hundred dollars per an
mum engineers were receiving from
two to five bundled dollars for taking
OH q crop Of sugar. whilst sugar boil
ers Jared equally as well carpenters
earned from two to four dollars per
Gay brlcklayers about the same /;
uay-laoorers generally were paid from
HtO Vents VI one uOtlaf ana II
half per day.
But few white men worked in the
helds on sugar plantations. but found
employment on the small farms or in
job work.
In the making season., how
ever, many of them found renumera
i've employment on the large sugar
plantations by day and night.
At that date nearly all the engi-
neers. carpenters and laborers about
the sugar kettles. coopers, masons and
were white men. In fact
but few slaves we're worked outside
the fields they cid most Of the wood
chopping, as stone coal was not in use
that time along the bayou except
blacksmith's work. The cutting
and hauling of a sufficient quantity OF
to manufacture the sugar cane
into sugar and supply the dwellings
and kitchen was no small affair annual
~. All the main and leading bitches
carrying the surface water into the
swamps We're cut by Irishmen, Of
whom there were many hundreds on
the Lafourche.
A contractor would engage to cut a
or canal of a certain length,
width and depth, who would engage
ditchers. These were no light iobs