The weekly Iberian. (New Iberia, La.) 1894-1946, 1901-07-27
A RETROSPECTIVE VIEW.

A retrospective view of the ma
terial growth of New iberia during
the past l6 years might serve
good purpose as 1t will undoubted-
ly show, that we have grown steadi
ly along all lines, no abnormal
squirt In one direction, but healthy
development towards maturity of
a City.
Sixteen wears ago a few rains
such az have blessed the land these
last few days, would have made the
streets of New Iberia almost impas-
slble; wagons stalled in the center
of town, was no uncommon sight.
Mark the change, and also note the
need left for further improvement
such as graded aud paved cutters
which may be flushed and kept
clean.
Sixteen years ago there was Lot
a Cooperative concern in New
Iberia, and when it was suggested
TO build an Opera House on the CO.
operative plan, the idea was hooted
at as impossible.
"The people would not cooper
ate" still the Opera House was
built soon after, and while through
mlsmanagement 1t swamped the
first projectors, vet it started the CO.
operative idea.
The only Bank IN New iberia lG
years ago was small affair, barely
able to stand alone; now we have
two National and one State Bank.
all credit to any City of twice our
size.
| Sixteen years ago with the excep-
!, ton of a few private buggles there
was not first class conveyance in
the town-even for a funeral a
covered express wagon was the best
that could be furnished. Now our
streets exhibit as great variety of
public and private conveyances suit
able to the climate as will be found
anywhere.
Sixteen years ago the best hall
of entertainment was a small low
ceiling room over saloon and next
to stable with benches without
backs,-can l ever forget II! Now
We have quite a nice theatre, the
Vendome, and in the near future
/ the Elks will erect S25O00.OO
J structure thoroughly modern in all
J its appointments with frontage of
three stories.
Sixteen years ago our post-office
was on julia street, located IN a
shanty, s 10 feet. Now we have
J no; but we will have a post office
costing $5OO00.OO, secured through
tie efforts of our Congressman.
To 60 on through the long list OF
, what the City didn't have sixteen
years ago and what she has now,
would occupy this whole page, but
we have cited enough to show the
City's gradual awakening, her steady
progress tow;ri the aspects of a
City. One by one Il e old unsightly
, land marks are passing away and
in their place spring modern struct'
E ures.
Still with ali the improvement,
New Iberia, Is not what she should
be.
n If its citizens had gone abou,
? it IN the right way we would have
8 our ship and drainage canal, and
another truLk line railroad, or a,
: least branch tapping one.
u But however slow we have been,
and whatever mistakes we have
: made, there rs still a chance. The
canal is still possibility; we might
say a probability, and by co-opera.
, ton on the point of our business
. men with Crowley we may secure
the proposed road from that city.
We hope that the committee recent.
ly appointed will not let the grass
grow under their feet, but Go some
thing definite, and we feel more
than confident that their efforts
will be backed materially by every
citizen within the corporation.