The Opelousas courier., 1903-08-29
The Gulf and Grand Lake.

grips at TIC I1OWdiu 11ouee' ivy
concluded to visit their fellow towns
man, Mr.. G. NJ. Richard. first deputy OF
Mr.. Perkins, sheriff of Calcasieu. LII Is
scarcely necessary to say they were
greeted most kindly 10y MIR. Richard
WHO Immediately took, charge of the
party and extended to each and every
one numeasured hospitality. The party
was shown the Jail, then an object OF
special interest, as it held, In his mar
row cell, the murderer, Il: a.. Batsoh'
Some conversation Was held with tne
prisoner, who certainly exhibited moth
eng in his appearance or manners !hdl-
eating the criminal he must have been
10 commit the atrOci0us murders TOT
which he suffered death. The various
CONSTITUENCIES f% both the safety of the
~prisonefs and Ne keepers OF the jan
were shown and explained. What
struck the visitors p~articuIal!y was the
cleanliness OF the jail. Tho Jallor evil
IDENTIFY is a firm believer in the maxim
that "cleanliness is next to goodness"
After this visit The party returned 10
their rooms, paltook of supper, ana
after a pleasant chat with Mr.. c: NJ.
Richard retired for the night. Next
morning we took passage on The steam
boat "ROmeo." Leaving Lake charles
at s q. M, we steamed down the Caica,
sieu ris Ell. One of the pecullarltles oil
that stream is the absence or any per
ceptible current. Every now and then
it widens in what are called lakes or
various sizes and very shallow. we
passed many points of more or less IN
terest, among others a landing in close
proximity to the great sulphur beds
MANY derricks were also seen IN the
distance, indicating the prospecting for
oil. At about 2 p. nj. we reached Grand
Lake, summer resort. After landing
some passengers we proceeded on our
way to Leesburg or Cameron,a landing
about Il mile and a half from the Gut.
| 1t is the parish seat OF Cameron. There
| we left the boat in search of a convey
| ance to take us to the Gulf itself. After
considerable parleying and any amount
of walking, we secured two row boats,
| each able to take five or six passengers.
| The writer was fortunate in leaving on
| the first boat, which reached ifs destl-
nation lust in time to escape d shower.
| Our companions behind us were not AS
fortunate. 1t a. particularly disa-
greeable land incOnvenient to q OF
them-our heavy w~eight-as he was
made to sit on a sack of ice the whole
way. Ere they touched land rain came
on, and the whole party was vet to their
bones by the time they reached the
boarding house. As may be we'll i'm
agined, their language was decidedly
loud and expressive, ii not modest. Our
friend of the sack of ice was particularly
plain in HE denunciation of the trip
and attendant discomfort. Before us
the dashing pillows OF the Gulf We're
visible, with their white caps and roar
ing sound. AS it had rained, and we
could not reach the beach without run
ming tue risk OF getting very vet, the
whole party remained at the boarding
house. They we're soon called to sup
per. A fair meal was before them, and
with appetite sharpened by the fatigue
of the Journey and the exhilarating
breeze of the ocean, every one did full
iustice TO the repast. Then came again
some pretty loud talking, for 10 and be-
holdi there was but one bed with a
MOSQUITO bar, and the mosquitoes were
both numerous and decidedly too anxi-
GUS for O close acquaintance. There
was no remedy, and we had to accom-
modate ourselves to the situation.
The next day oil walked over to the
beach, and after arraying ourselves not
exactly as cupids, but in the style OF
athletes, VIC g%ioriously marched in the
face Of the roaring pillows. The bath,
ing we found perfectly delightful. The
water ia almost lukewarm and very
salty. Below we found a solid bed Of
sand aud shells. The beach is beaIti'
fni and interesting on account OF the
numerous shells cast upon it by the
waves. These shells are of every colol
and shape, and for the most part very
brittle, showing that the shellish Ions
since persisted. The Gulf abOunds il
n-t.=~E III ZI.,la rnrfSapf a ytu rod fsoh
red snappers, speckled trout, Sleeps
head, mullets, etc. We were told a
one haul some fishermen, at about tl.
time we were there, brought out Al rec
fab, besides other fish. After a shor
stay at the Gulf we went to Crane
Lake. This is certainly q lovely resort
and in course Of time is bound to at
tract visitors from all parts Of the State
The lake; which is nothing more thar
an expansion Of the Calcasieu river, il
18 miles long and 10 miles wide. 1t i
not deep. In fact, one can walk 400 ant
500 Yards from shore and the water viii
never go higher than his neck. Bacl
of the lake is q line rolling prairie, dot
ted all over with farms, inhabited b.
c~reoles of the purest type. We doub
whether in any part of the State bette
!, fishing can be found than at Crane
Lake. It is nothing for one to go on
and in a short time to catch, with lib,
line, more speckled trout than be Car
carry home. Red fish, sheepshead ant
red snappears are also plentiful, and a
for crabs and shrimps, they are as nu
merous as the leaves in Valambr0sa
Besides all this, we had the fine health
giving Gulf breezes the whole time W
were at the lake. No one suffered from
the heat, and the nights we're so cool o
; to ~necessitate some covering. Needles
to say, with a superabundance OF fish
vegetables, canteloupes, sweet as sugar
! and everything else needful and neces
! sary to excite an appetite, q visit wa
! all that we could wish.
: One of orr companions, rather timia
and of q fruitful imaginatiou as to dan
gers to ones health (he would not bath
for fear of getting wet), inquired OF th
. old Inhabitants of the Lake II there wa
any sickness about, and whether the
had any physician. The reply was tina
there was no sickness and no doctors
! The question naturally arose was th
: absence of sickness due to the absenc
of doctors or the absence OF doctors
the absence of sickness. We will nc
: answer, as we might give offense to th
J, profession.
We are under many obligations fo
courtesies extended/t n by Mr.. an
( Mrs. G. M. Richard, who have a delight
fnl summer residence at the Lake.
Every member of the party, as he LET
expressed a hope that he might agai
revisit Grand Lake.
Fat All You Want.