New Iberia enterprise and independent observer. (New Iberia, La.) 1902-1944, 1907-05-04

a range | much prefer to hav
: them at closer quarters.
"When | was in Peoria som
; time since, | attended a banque
: where there were 700 gentlemen a
! the tables. After the proceeding
were partly over there filed in be
, tween the tables 600 fair ladies an,
+, the spirit that prevailed thereafte
was noticeably better. | am glaC
TO see that here, way down in th
South are adopting that custom.
1.-The theme assigned to me is
very attractive one, that of our be
loved State. | thought | knew {
great deal about Louisiana but
find that something new is coming
to me every day"
The Governor then told Of &
truck farmer who had - acres OF
! ground and who sold $4,000 worth
Of vegetables from it for his first
crop. He had disposed of his sec
ond crop but had not yet received
his returns and he had a third crop
growing. His profit from the first
crop was about SIS 600 and from the
other two crops it would amount
to several thousand dollars more,
in all perhaps about 10 or II thous-
and dollars. Aud all from only
10 acres Of Louisiana pine land
soil. If that was the case there
how much more profit could be
made from the soil Of the valley of
the Teche.
These things, the Governor said
could be multiplied over and over
again right down here in South west
Louisiana, perhaps the most favor
ed part Of the State. He also re-
ferred to the minerals found in
large and paying commercial guam
titles in the State, the salt mines,
the sulphur, mines, the oil fields
and he dwelt upon the great gas
well that has been burning for
years and whose product is being
piped into shreveport. Naturalgas,
he said was one of our greatest of
products when developed.
"The truth is" he said, "we
don't know what we have here in
Louisiana. We are making rapid
strides and we know and believe
that nothing is too good for l. mis-
lana" He closed happily by say
ing that when he was in Congress
whenever members speech was
too long or prosy some kind mem
Der moved that he "be given leave
to Print"
One of the most pleasing replies
to toasts in the evening was that of
State Superintendent of Schools j.
b. Aswell who spoke on the topic
of Education. He opened with a
bit of humor that set everybody
agog for more and closed amid
burst Of applause that almost
drowned the music of the band.
He told Of the disconnected angels
who had to be cabined because they
wanted to get back home and said
that was the way with those who
left this part Of the State. They
almost had to be chained TO keep
them away for they all had an in
tense desired to "get back home"
81 am glad to see," he SAID,
"that the Board Of Trade realizes
that there is something else as i'm
portaut as commercialism in the
upbuildlng Of the City, the crea-
ton of educational facilities for
the young and growing generation.
The whole question of advance
ment rests upon the development
Of the mind of what there is in it.
Unless there is a fertilized brain
Ill our wealth will lie dormant as
t has for centuries. Education
means the raising of the average
nan to point where he can take
advantage of the bouuteousness.
Dur efforts therefore should be d.
'ected to the raising of the average
nan and not to the creation of
eaders"
He told Of the conception of a
eader as one who was at the head
# brass band Then he branched
'ut on what had been accomplished s
q the way of education in this
tate and told what the figures |
neant. He told of the Increase in
eaehers and of schools and Of the $
improvements under way ard said I
nat there was more being done q
ow In Louisiana than in auy other 2
tate i'm the union for the cause of o
ducation. b
In referring to the two new y
,hools here he said that New he a
a had but just begun its work. L
You have bravely begun" Re said q
but you should not stop" then be p
with a referance to Mr.. "
'elch, who he said chad landed G
IRE to build railroad. a
The next toast was to have been
-.