The weekly Iberian. (New Iberia, La.) 1894-1946, 1905-09-30

''i''J "a WV 'S'''y y 'H''i s>''''
breeding and courtly manners
These Cadets were seeking in
Louisiana that fortune and distin
elton to which they could not as
,pire in their mother country.
where, by right Of primo geniture,
the first born inherited the estates
and dignities of the family-Prom
inent among these were the De
+ The policy of the government
had the desired effect. Attracted
by the richness of the soil and
the beauty and saliublity of the
country, settlers mostly of French
origin, tlocked % it as to the
promised land-The region, at
that time, received a most va,n
able accession to It's population by
the arrival of Spanish emgrants
from the Canary Islands and of
Acadian refugees from the Brit
ish Canadian possessions.
These Spanish emigrants, under
the guidance and orders of Don
Louis Bouligny, settled where the
Dtown of New Iberia now stands
They called it Nueya Iberia in
honor of Span their country, as
Iberia is the ancient name of
Spain Having failed in their at
tempt to raise hemp and flax and
being discouraged by their failure
they settled on the lands border
ing on Lake Tasse in the parish of
st. Martin, which is even now
known as Spanish lake or luc Is
poQnOl-their descendants, the
ROmeros, the Lopez, the Seguras,
the Miguez, Viators etc, still oc
cupy the lands granted to their
ancesto1s-Some of these families
have accumulated great wealth,
and are noted for their hospitality
and for the fervor with which they
cling to their friends-Honest and
laborious, they constitute one of
the best elements of the ountry.
The Acadlans had come to
Louisiana from the barren and
ldesOlate shores of Acadia, now
Nova Scotia. Several years pre-
vious to their emigration to LOuisi
ana and elsewhere, England which
had wrested that province from
France. had resolved to exile the
Acadians, solely because of theil
love for their mother country, and
of their devotion to the Catholic
faith. TO carry out this horrible
; Hesign, ships were dispatched t'
:, Acadia and filled with it's unfOl
tunate inhabitants by healtles'
Insulting soldiery-The Acadials
were transported to distant
:, regions, and were cast on thu
sandy coasts of the Atlantic, from
Delaware even to South CarOlln;
where they were left penniless, tt
shift for themselves after they
had been robbed of their money
!, and stripped of all they possessed
. This cruelty of the British
people met with universal repre-
baton, and these uhfOrtunates r.
ceiyed the kindest treatmen
wherever they were abandoned a
castaways, and in some instance
were literally supplied by tn
authorities. But the Acadians il
Maryland loathing all connection
with those whose language wa
that of their oppressors, dete
mined to emigrate to Louisiana, t
breathe once more the air in whic
Aoated the spotless banner Q
" France. To achieve this purpose
J they had to travel overland NOR
70 than q thousand miles through
. trackless wilderness; they had t
'e overcome obstacles without nul
10 Der, exposed to the attacks Of I'll
IL Indians that beset their path.
10 was a perilOus attempt an
% enough to quail the stoutest heal
But undismayed and nOthin
'e daunted, by the perils that ava
q ed them, they started on the
If overland journey from Marylar
" to the Tennessee River which the
N finally reached after untold suffe
IS ings, the very picture of despa
af and detection. They embark'
vi on boats hastily constructed, al
~ drjfted down the Tennessee Riv
at until 1t emptles into the turbule