St. Landry clarion. (Opelousas, La.) 1890-1921, 1906-11-10
PICTURESQUE
old OPELOUsAs.
The Impressions Of A Stranger On His
First Visit Here.
ITS PARTERRES AND VERDAHT TREES
Its Streets and Public Utilities an Eye.Balm
to Strangers-akot Like other
4 Old Towns.

/ Mr.. 3. A. Burgineres, of New Or
ileans, member of the wel-known
Burgineres Sugar Co., one of the
largest concerns Of the kind in this
country, was visitor to 0pelousas
several days last week, and took oc-
casion to drive over the city.
! This was Mr.. Burgineres' first visit
TO the beautiful city of Southwest
Louisiana, and his impressions of her
people, her business, her public utili-
ties, her residences. etc, can not be
but strikingly interesting and pleas
ling to our people.
why, you have a most beautiful
little city here / did not expect to
| find anything like this. I have heard
lit somewhere that yours was, like
most old towns, old in its habits and
appearance. find here instead
thriving little city, beautiful to look
at, modern in public utilities, it's
streets as excellent driyeways as it
has ever been my pleasure to see out
side of paved towns, and it's resi-
dences handsome, with that pictures
que appearance which is always
pleasing to the eye said Mr.. Bur
gineres.
| The gentleman was particularly
struck with condition which exists
in few towns or cities the extensive
and well distributed condition Of its
business places and residences. In
most places these are set apart in
selected localities; one or more
streets being congested with business
iplaces, while the fine residences are
located in another portion, then the
smaller and less pretentious houses.
then the cottages for rent, etc. But
here says the gentleman, You may
| find a beautiful residence, with its
Well-kept front yard and other ey-
licences of taste and thrift, located in
| the most remote as well as the most
central portions of the city. It is
not uncommon to see classic resi-
dence next door to q large business
establishment.
Speaking Of Well-kept parterres
and premises continued the visitor,
IT may say that know OF no place
where they are better and more taste
fully and artistieally kept than in
this pretty little city. Every street
one turns into is a charming view of
| flowers, shrubbery and eyergreens-
| it seems that every street is a sweet
swelling avenue of roses
The giant, foliage-laden trees of
old 0pelousas did not escape the
observation of our visitor. Such ex-
pressions as I would give a hundred
dollars to have that tree in my yard.
What a shame to have cut down
any of these trees, even for such
good cause as public improvements
etc, Wonld be spoken in eetasies of
irresistible admiration.
Indeed, it takes a stranger to re-
alize the grandeur Of our old city.
We can not. We live in it. The
stranger can, because he is not ac-
customed to it, and the sight is 50
exhiliarating that he is transported
with admiration. It is nothing new
to hear these pleasing comments on
,,0pelousas. This paper is not filled
with them every week, because we
would rather the stranger see for him
self than to be told Of it, and because
our purpose would be attributed to
booming the town. The town can
boom itself. It is attracting the eye
of strangers. They are coming TO
lsee for themselves. And to see 0pe-
lonsas is to be transformed into an
admirer Of its beauty, its pictures
queness, and, more than All, the
substantially Of its commercial life.