The Opelousas courier. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1852-1910, 1901-08-03


three or four years has been phe-
nomenal. Its population is now
about $4,000 and its cotton re-
ceipts amounted last season to
327, 200 bales, making it one of
the leading cotton markets of the
United States. 1t has electric
an excellent system of sidewalks
and several miles of beautifully
paved streets, the paving used
being vitrifed brick, said to be
more durable and more easily re-
paired than asphalt. 1t has two
fine school buildings, and Il move
ment is now on foot to erect five
more, to cost about $4,000. The
money is to be raised by special
tax. Think of that, We people of
Opelousas and St. Landry.
NOTES.
The crops between here and
Alexandria are as Il rule very
good; throughout North Louis
lana they are as IA rule very poor
some of the corn will not be
worth gathering, and some of the
cotton will not yield one-quarter
Of a bale per acre.
One of the most pleasant incl
dents of the Minden meeting was
the picnic given by the ladies of
that town i'm honor of the Ass0-
citation. An excursion was made
to Long Springs and then to Il
point several miles beyond, on the
new railroad leading to Stamps,
Ark, and on the return at night
fall stop was made at the large
new sawmiII near Minden, where
a sumptuOu3 repast was enjoyed.
This sawmill, owned by the
Minden Lumber Co., composed of
both foreign and local capitalists,
is an immense and quite up-to-
date concern. Through the kind
courtesy Of DR.. Harper, of Min
den, the writer was enabled to in
spect it thoroughly by daylight,
and was duly impressed with its
magnitude and completeness. It's
electric light plant furnishes Min
den with both its arc and incan-
descent lights. The concern is
said to be the largest and most
complete of its kind in the United
States. DR.. Harper was a class
mate of DR.. r. NJ. Littell and an
old friend of Rev. Mr.. Fauntle-
roy, and is fine specimen, So
cially, mentally and physically, of
the North Louisiana gentleman.
In our brief intercourse with
the people of Minden, Ruston and
other points in North Louisiana,
we were further impressed with
the fact, already emphasized in
these columns, that they have al
ready forged and are still forging
ahead of us in the matter of edu-
cation. To the Chautauqua and
to those fine State institutions,
the Normal School at Natchi-
toches and the Industrial Insti-
tute at Ruston, this condition is
in large measure due; but with
the average North Louisiana
farmer the watchword is "Educa-
tom, and the numerous school
houses that dot his native hills are
continually filled-under any and
all circumstances-with the youth
full seekers after that knowledge
which is power. And liberal pro-
visions are ungrudgingly made for
that great object-yide the $780,
900 about to be voted in Shreve-
port for additional school build
ings. ~
Mrs. Julia Rule, of Shreveport,
and Mrs. Ava Snypp, formerly
Hilderbrand, Of Gretna, were
warmly greeted by the older mem
bers of the Association. Both
these ladies have retained all theil
affabllity and attractiveness and
have lost none Of ther push and
energy.
Mr.. J. S. Butler, formerly OF
Opelousas, is now managing the
Saenger Hotel, one of the best in
Shreveport. His mother and sis
ter, Miss Ada, are with him.
Evarv section of the narish has