The Minneapolis journal., 1906-06-05
0PELQUSlS, / ) A! TIE
L.A||NIl0E' j ARCADIA. /
Rich and Productive Section Of
Louisiana, Which Is Now At
tracing the Attention Of North
5. ern Manufacturers and Farmers,
LAND THERE. Is CHEAP
AND YIELDS LARGE CROP
Excellent Markets Exist for ALI
that Can Be Grown-The De-
lightful Climate of This South
ern Country. H.: II
BYHERBERT VANDERHOOF.

extensive leVee system and for manulac-
ests into marketable products. opelou;,
sas is the county seat of St. Landry, ana
is situated 14o miles northwest of New !
Orleans and fifty miles i:s west be Of faTer Hatom
city is the distributing center for, the
entire south, and its markets are clam
0ng fHr the 1o Of tSs oeay
| With the completion of two railroads
| now under construction Opelousas VIII
have three lines Of communication with
the markets of the s word t nhe roe fro@
Denver to Mexico, and the Opelousas,
| Gulf & Northeastern will open up south 1
west Louisiana. Il
| T should like to point out particularly
small farmerEthe man who has a few
| thousand dollars; and who appreciates
that great plantations are less productive
than the small, well-cared-for properties.
raised in the parish. There is every va
riety of soil-rich alluvial valley land, en-
tirel " protected by the levee system;
mock and clay lands adapted to the cul-
tivation of diversified crops of all kinds.
Tobacco, Irish and sweet potatoes. vege..
ant Sf a appes a"d hrve here The
Southern Nut and Nursery company OF
Kansas City, Mo, has purchased 40
acres five miles east.of opelousas, Wnlen trasa
|
The experts for the corporation made ex-t-
tensive investigation Of pecan growing
sections and concluded" that st. Landry
parish offered the best climate and SOIL =
Land of Delightful Climate.
| A word about the; climate: The. i'm,
preston prevails in the north and vest
Opelousass is almost lin. the tropics. with
the torrid temperature of equatorial coun-
tries. The impression Is utterly erro-
Va ox,f,s hnof nf
which is the hottest! month, does not ex-
ceed 80 degrees. and it is agreeably tenn
pered by the gulf winds, 50 that sun .!n:.
is less than in the northern cities: The
excellent health of the locality is attested
by the fact that yellow fever has not been
known to appear in the PARISH Ta IN eyer eyer
trio light and waterworks plants are
owned by the municipality. and the water
supply comes from artes1an wells sunk
The opportunity for exceptional bar
gains in farm lands: IS passing: Cult1.
waited lands are. worth from $50 to $50,
an aero ebut there are still large areas
Of virgin soil that can be. cleared and
made productive at a. compare lively small
expense. These lands can be bought for
SIS and $40 an acre, and are profitable
either in sugar cane. or in diversified
crops Fertilizers are practically un-
necessary and are rarely used by the
planters of ST.. Landry parish x.c.:1
Profit In Truck Gardening. :.
Truck gardening for the. New Orleans
L and other markets is the avenue OF, great
| profit in the future: There is a de-
l miliar with this work. and A. G. Bercier,
president Of . the, 20pelousas Progressive
Isagpe 5S has ,nha had INQUIRIES from large
| The population Of opelousas is almost
/ entirely Of native birth:.e The influx of
settlers; from the north and west is Just
| beginning and those who have come here
are delighted with the climate, the proAt-
1 able possibilities and the people. In the
adjoining parish of Arcadia are numerous
rice planters from Illinois. Indiana. Mich
igan, Kansas and ~ethos. western states,
who have made comfortable fortunes.
The reunited America is the spirit OF
| Opelousas, and no man need feel that the
slightest, discrimination will be made
lief or the geography Of his previous
/ home. It's people are democratic in their
habits and manners, and. hospitable. te
those Who eoe to
4 or promote manufacturing industries. Nc
| point in the south offers better induce
ments than this town, and ,r ,manufactu nan act
| cloths and sugar refinerieS are particu
| larly desired. :.
| ST. Landry parish wants and invites
! western farmers to come there, buy lands
| live with its people and become part o
II them it wants and invites capitalists ant
1 investors to- come. there and look owe.
| the field and see for themselves what /
has to offer: To the people Of the nort]
ID and easier conditions. for earning fo
En themselves a competence, it says com
81 and be assured Of cordial welcome.
d ?. Fine Live stock Country
81 Live, stock requires but little care, an
81 grass is to be found on the ranges at a
n seasons of the year. The demand fo
H native beef Is constant. and because n
n the flesh-producing qualities of the ten
"a dor grasses of the south this beef is muc
81 sought after in the cities&and IS give
n preference. - a.
n !. TO sum up, St. Landry parish is
E country for the immigrant, and Qpelousa
81 is the city for the manufactured. Th
Ia two have a certain and sure destiny an
n each helpedSby the other, will rise to eini
nencee in wealth, prosperity and industris
u activity. - 81 +:E =. ~
a In the neighborhood of Opelousas th
@ country is gradually filling up, and til
81 prairie that a few years ago supporte
81 only rowing herds of cattle is now mostl
# fenced in and dotted with residences
thcy setted the there IS gTo%n
"a tendency to the diversifcation of farmin
b interests. Fruit culture especially is n
n ceiving attention and promises to be on
H of the great industries of this section.
Ia Apple, plum, peach and pear trees an
# grape vines were observed by the write
81 growing vigorously on many farms
~ QlltcIGuI pOIllOlS VI ftuS pdllSI II
81 Leconte and Keiffer pears seemed to /
# the favorite among fruit trees, and
81 judge by the heavy fruitage on trees on
81 four or five years old in T.. J. Lacy
M Mount Hope nursery, near Washington
"a these trees areaexcellently adapted to II
M soil and climate.
III j. Chickens and eggs are very importar
tE products Of ST. Landry. The shipment
III eggs from Opelousas alone in the mont
tH of March amounted to 1000 cases q
s% thirty dozen each.
# Owing to the comparative proximity
~ Opelousas to Baton Rouge, and pract
ID cally to New Orleans also, the markt
@ gardener, the man who prepares hothous
@ stiff for the early market, will have.
M golden opportunity IN supplying the Ne
II Orleans market, especially ssdNEing lat
#Ewinter and early Spring, assNswF FOrlear
u lis thronged with visitors. at that tim
RA And tho same may be said .Sof Bato
. Rouge, for with the legislature in sessio
i. lin that city also. q sgeod market may. Ii
'es found for dollhouse, stuff. rAnds again.
81 these days of advanced stransportatio ia
81 Eeilitiess fresh garden truck can be, shipne
~ to- Nashville, i Nernphiss Little Rock an
q Dallas without much cost to- the shir
9:rper;s owing to the excellent refrigerato1
o that are now placed son wheels and ser
- throughout the country. q - Z.