The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1900-04-13
THE FRENCH IN LOUISIANA.
The Most HospitsbIe People in the
World.

louisiana Letter In New York Prssa.)
The French In Louisiana are $50 or 200
years away from France, but they make
sxquisits oeffss. One can get a. ins .
cup Of ootfes in French farmhouse In
Acadia or Calcasisu 81 In the beat restau-
rants In New York. Their soup would
bs considered nectar on Olympus. They
get fresh igs and Trash oranges from thsir
orchards. 10 cay nothing Of sprieoss,
psrsimmons mulbsrriss. plans, psaches
and pears. Peach trees are In full pink
bloom early in February.
The French are honest, kindly, polite
and generous. II hays lived IS years in
Louisiana" says man from Indiana.
land through my business relations l
am well acquainted with the population
Of SIX or seven parishes. covering an area
Of more than 1000 square milsa HE
French are BY far the most hospital 10
people l ever saw. IL you stop at a
French farmers house as stranger, you
will not he able to get away In less than
two dsys. II you know some one In some
diGtAnt parish whom thsy know, you are
. welcome guest for . week. II tramp
comes alors and asks for food, they give
supper. lodging aud breakfast 20 him and
al the food he can csrry away"
The French ride as II born on horse
back aad are splendid rifle shots. Any
little girl or boy can man age hslf-wiid
horse. Place stalwsrt American from
kha No~kh h.sta. Al. h-.nah f.rr.ar and
one Is struck BY the fact that the French
men are taller, have superior breadth
Of shoulders. greater thickness Of chest.
and are built far more dramatically.
The French seem also to have larger
amount OF nervous enerHy and 20 be ebie
to concentrate more of that energy witt :
In Q given time. Whenever FreDchman
and an American lift heavy weight
into . wagon the French man . end goes
In tiftt, An ex-siave, who rsmem bere
the confederate regiments that went from
Louisiana TO the war, says that the
French regime Dts were made mp Of taller
asd heavisr men than the native bsttal-
ions. A soldier OF an Illinois regiment
battle of Shiloh and saw the 6ead sol
diers OF Q confederate zousvs regiment ~
ing so th.ok on the ground that he could
Etsp from one body to another. IL had
reel held In reserve in the morning OF
ths nrst day, and then sent in at the
charge In the afternoon and cut to pieces.
The regiment was made mp CT young
Erenchmsn from New Urleaps and there
ahouts. and as they lay dead whsre they
had fallen In the charge they were the
finest looking soldiers he ever saw.
The daughters Of the french farmers
are brought up carefully. II q yeupg
man wishes to dance With one at oouE-
try ball hs first asks permission OF her
metLer. At home and abroad the French
girl alwaysfs in the contrary of mem :
bers OF her family or of ohaperone.
There is no CO SO on r. cord In the French
parishes OF Acadia, st. Landry and Cal
casieu Of q French girl clipping. There
are only two cases OF elopement In the
annals Of these parishes. In each young
Frsnohman ran away with an A merican
Girl from the North and married her.
When q eirl Ia born 1t 10 the custom
among tbs french for the father to give
TO Ter this first calf that IL horn theYeaf-
ter. II the calf IL a bull calf he trades a
heller calf for IL. This calf and all lis
descendants are her personal property.
When she Is old enough TO marry sns
often has herd of IS or 20 cattle.
A French county Wedding IL pretty.
The bride wears white, with wreath Of
orange blossom,, and holds bouquet
The BRIDEGROOM dresses In black. There
are six bridesmaids. In white, all crowned
with orange blossoms, each bearing o
bouquet. The sig grocmsmen are in
black. The Catholic priest ottlcistes.
After the ceremony each of the six men
kiases the bride and the bridesmaids.