The Meridional. (Abbeville, La.) 1856-1906, 1899-07-22
.ABBEV1LLE FORTY YEARS AGO.

While cleaning out our desk a lew
days ago we.came across an old copy
Of The MER1D1oSAL Of May Z, 1859.
The paper was Of it's present size, was
owned and edited by f. !. Guegnon,
and published every Saturday at 30
a wear cash in advance or 81 at the
end of six months. Forty years IS
quite a stretch of time and we think
it NAV interest our readers to know
lust what changes it has wrought
here. Alex. L9g4, ST., was sherff
and Andrew j. Kearney clerk OF
court; John G. White was president
of the Police Jury. In their pub
lished proceedings we read that Chas.
Primeaux. father OF. Robert Primeaux
Of this ward, was appointed keeper OF
the public ferry at Ahbeville, at a
salary of S250s year; Louis Ourhln
was allowed further time to finish his
work on the Jail. Leonce Perret was
appointed captain of the patrolm the
4tb ward: Geo. Root was appointed
road oyerseer for the road from the
school house on Grand Cheniere to
Halls ferry. The town council was
composed of DR.. H. O. Read, mayor
and Henry Blanc, Alpine Costa, /.
Ourblin and Nicholas Vignapd. alder
men. OF these only MI. Vignaud is
living and he has only recently re-
turned here after an absence OF more
than SO years. Pierre Brun was
secretary and treasurer Of the cor
poration and Thertule Broussard con-
) stable. Evidently the towns fnan-
cial condition vas poor, we note that
the public market house on Madeleine
{ square had been seized by the sheriff
} and was to be sold to satisfy 8 claim
of James Shannon against the town.
} Dapid Frank q leading merchant
: advertised liberaily-nearly a column
$ in both French and English. Simeon
Belden and Daniel O'Bryan are tn
only Abbeville lawyers whose cards
appear, William Mouton of Lafayette
Edward Simon and Martin VOORHEES,
Of ST. Martin, also have law cards
John J%astremski, now superintendent
Z of the State Deaf and Dumb Institut
at Baton Rouge, announces that b
has just opened a new drug store
which by the way was in a buildin;
located where now stands N Q
? Isaac Wise's brick stores.
James A. Lee, the veteran Me-
: Iberia druggist also has a card, offer
ing a splendid assortment of drugs
U oils, glass, fancy articles, perfumer
K and books at New Orleans prices
/ shows that he was then as now
hustler for trade.
DR.. Abadie, (Hypolite) has q car
offering his services. J. Bite. I
Bernard, notary public, adyertises b
services.
Vermilion parish was then in th
"a 14th judicial district. Edward Simo
and Fergus Fuselier of St. Marti
were announced as Candidates for .di;
rs trict Judge, while L. j. Gary and [
% O'Bryan were out for district attol
ney. John Fl. Overton of Opelouss
: announced himself for Congress.
70 Legal business in those days "
1T Judge was very good, as We find
y columns of legal sales and about
:. column and a half of succession ma
- tiers, applications for administrato
ship, homologation of tableaux, etc
j and by the way the printer was pal
y a decent price for his work in tho:
days-one dollar o square of ten lint
of solid small plea.
There is considerable domestic ar
~ foreign news, among which is the a
I'd count of the explosion of the steam
at boat st. Nicholas, which occurre
!. April 20, 1859 on the .Mississip