The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-04-05
MANY OPPORTUNITIES FOR
NEW BLOOD AND CAPITAL
Climate Is Healthful and Pleas
ant, While the Cost Of Living
Is Far Below the Prevailing
Rates in the North.
BY HERBERT vANDERHooF.

S~&'
the opportunities for profitable investment
are numerous and diversified. In the Sec
ton of which Opelousas Is the natural
business and commercial center the field
may be truthfully described as virgin
able timber, such as the long leaf pine
pecan oak, hickory, walnut and other
hard woods for which there Is an ever in
creasing market. On the lands which have
been cleared mammoth crops, Of cotton
rice and sugar cane are readily produced
without the aid Of fertilizers and with
the minimum of labor. This part Of the
state has never been exploited, and as a
But the tide Of immigration has set In, and
in comparatively short time the open
ingss, which now present themselves will
be lost. L. m
- Features Of the Climate. =
mate In this part Of Louisiana is far from
unpleasant. There Is virtually no win
ter, and live stock is at pasture the year
round. Even in the middle Of the summer
perature In August-which is the hottest
month-will range about rs degrees, there
is always a cool breeze from the gulf,
especially toward nightfall This is one
north comment upon. A salesman from
New York who was assigned to this terri.
tory for the first time last summer told
me that he was most agreeably surprised
of apprehension and dread" he said, but
my experience has been such that
would not care to swelter through an
other summer in the east. have not only
been comfortable as concerns my phys
ical welfare, but have done good busi-
ness and made money both for my firm
and myself: I am today writing the house
that would like to make my permanent
headquarters here. There is no. sickness
to speak of, the comforts Of life are at
ones door. and the, cost Of living, which
salaried men know. is here a nominal
feature. It is a matter Of constant sur
prise to me that no concerted effort Is
made to advise northern people as to the
- ... Good Field for Factories.
A few days ago met Mr.. A. +. Bucier,
talk obtained many facts Of great im
Rorttanes to who may be seeking
suppose. said NJ. Bucier. THAT What
northern people know about this part Of
the. country should pertain mostly to our
sKs e pan esoa t. inquire ae
satisfy himself as to the wonderful fer
tility of the soil, the ease with which
large crops may be raised, the advantages
fruit farming and live stock ranching, and
the fortunes to be found In our eprimeval
forests. --.. g. IT II
fa'"ro my mind, however, there Is still
more attractive field for enterprising men
Instance with fnexhaustibie forests Of
hard woods at our very DOORS we buy all
our furniture wagons, buggies, farming
ern producers. If factories Tor the m man IN
ufacture Of articles of this nature were
established here they could not only sup
ply Wua tie be- Wn ct rea S53a pr9
of the great west. The two important
items Of raw. material and labor may be
had here at the minimum OF expense, and
st. LOUIS Ransaa c eH and ahicas so IS
por port There Is Certainly no more In
v1ting field for modest capital than may
s g. found in southwestern Louisiana sian" to-
| Louisiana People Have Money. -
MY personal observations corroborate
the assertions of Mr.. Bucier. OF course
by the agricultural possibilities. This
could not we'll be otherwise in, country
where the land is 50 fertile, the climate
So benign n;, and the opportunities 50 diver
rice, sugar and timber as the principal
products, have found that fruits of all
kinds, vegetables, tobacco and live stock
are largely pT1 +ha ,rn n
sheep and hog ranches. here tell me that
owing to the luxuriant pasture and the
mild winters the cost Of producing a ma
ture. animal Is about one-half what It IL
In the north and northwest, which Is In
itself a handsome profit.
There is a widespread impression that
southern people are poor. This does not
cotton $50 sold from 81. Landry parish IN
1904 brought in money enough to average
$50 for each resident OF the parish, and
this from one crop, only. In this connec-
ton it might be well to say that this busy
progressive little city offers a good site
for q modern cotton factory, as It is the
largest market for this staple in the state
7e,474 bales were ginned here in one year
opelousas Growing Town.
opelousas Is q place Of about $500 PEG.
pie and is growing fast. It has never had
occasion to put on metropolitan airs, but
is beginning to wake up and take notice
good water. supply, electric light plant,
schools and churches, and is now expend-
Ing 100000 in sidewalks. It has three
banks, with aggregate capital and sur
Ieral cotton gins and q cotton seed oil
mill. Just now the residents are inter-
Iested mainly in the extension Of the rail
way facilities. Hitherto opelousa,s ,. has hia
M, l. & T. r. r. & Steamship company
This, Of course, was a grinding monopoly
| in the opinion Of the natives, and they
advantage adss that now the Frisco system mis- i
building through the town with its
| through line from Denver to New Or
leans The Opelousas, Gulf & Northeast
ern, which is to connect with the Texas &
Pacific, is also constructing its road, or
which Opelousas is to be one Of the
principal stations.
| With the completion Of the new rail-
| way facilities, southwestern Louisians
will become an important factor In truck
gardening the conditions being highly ia
| vorable for the economical raising o.
early vegetables and fruits. and con.
/ siderable acreage is now being cleared
with this purpose in view.
Truck farming Is bound to develop init
| a large and lucrative business down here
! Not only is the ground especially adapted
! to it, because Of it's rich and mellow ma.
/ ture. but the farmer has a climatic ad
vantage that other sections do not enjoy
All kinds Of vegetables and berries, fol
| instance, can be grown here and ripene6
for the market six weeks or two months
ahead Of the north. With the railway ex.
tensions that are now under way dufol
j and cheap communication will be given tt
northern markets, and this at Just The
] time when prices are highest and produce
in urgent demand. These Inducements
with the low prices at which
iland can be acquired, undoubtedly vii
greatly stimulate the business of trucl
& farming here. Labor also. which Is al
I important factor in truck farming, can b,
. obtained In plentiful supply and at I
reasonable rate of vage4