The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1907-04-13
THE LOUISIANA EDITORS
Continued from First Page.

world.
Lafayette is right in the middle oil
q circle, whose radius is a thousand
miles-or even more. It is warm here
in winter and cool in summer, rainy
during the dry season and clear and
crisp in wet weather. Clouds are
lined with silver on one side, gold
on the other. The sky comes down
equidistant on all sides. The moon is
full the year round, but shines only on
dark nights, thus providing for the
greatest economic efficiency.
The people OF Lafayette are what
make the town GO. And whenever
they pull all together it goes whizzing.
This curious fact has been observed
by other historians in all ages-that q
long pull, strong pull, and pull all
together will make the boat go; and
1t has been proved afresh by Lafay-
cite. All that is necessary is to bring
out clearly to the community.eon-
seriousness what common goal is to
be reached, and they will reach it.
The most cohesive motive that has in
fuenced the communal activity of La
fayette in the past ten years has been
the cause of education. The three
greatest appropriations the people of
all political groups or factions have
stood for in the time specified, have
been: /. The tax of two mills for
ten years as an inducement to the
state to locate the Industrial Institute
here; 2. The appropriation by the
town council OF $4,000 q year for the
public schools; 3. The voting of $780,
600 OF bonds for the erection of two
new school buildings small one for
SIG, 900 and large one for $50, 900.
No other town Of the same or similar
size and circumstances in the state
can make better showing for educa-
tional interests.
And all these things we have said
about the town refer also to the par
ish-which lies just outside OF the
town. It is a small one in size, but
makes q noise all out of proportion
to its area, which is about $40 square
miles. Its population in 1900 is quo
ted in the census as %, 825. 1t has
two progressive little towns coming
along, Broussard and Carencro, be-
sides the promising villages of Scott,
Youngsville, Duson, Pilette and 9TH
ers. The parish also voted, at the
same time with the town, the two-mill
tax Tor ten years, amounting in all to
over $50, 600, which was given to the
state us an inducement to locate the
Southwestern Industrial Institute
within its borders-this action being
neutrality-suspicious. against offers
OF other parishes in the same district.
Moreover, Lafayette parish was the
first in the state to appropriate as
much as $1,000 year for the salary
OF q parish superintendent and then
offer the position to nonresident
school teacher whose only "pull" was
his professional fitness for the office!
Ii this statement can be gainsaid We
beg to be corrected at once, with par
ticulars; otherwise it goes authorita-
lively into the record and will remain
to the credit of Lafayette parish for
all time.
The parish of Lafayette also has
new wrinkle in school doings that
we wish our brethren of the press to
witness, il 1t can be SO arranged, and
that is what we call 'tthe annual con-
vocation OF the public schools, - which |
brings together 1000 school children
In q joint celebration once year. |
From every school in the parish they |
come in wagons. bringing banquet
IN baskets. They form parade more
than mile long, each school having |
Its banner, singing patriotic songs as
they march. They usually assemble
at the courthouse square and march
TO the grounds of the Industrial Insti-
lutte, where they engage In athletic
contests, in spelling matches and va
rious other helpful riValries, for all of
which generous prizes are awarded By
pnblic-spirited citizens OF the town
and parish. This, too, is feature In
which Lafayette has taken the lead,
and one that is worthy OF general |
adoption throughout the state. It is
1oted that our neighboring parish OF
Vermilion and others are making
'lans to put similar movements into
Eject during the present year. Ttisl
loped that the school childran,s con-
location this year can be held during
me OF the days the press convention
S here. allowing at least time enough
or the members to see the parade
md hear the spelling match, which is
Ilways thing OF breathless interest.
But Lafayette is not planning 10
'us the press convention to school:
his Is only the School Reviews point
4 view as an educational journal. ALL
he usual modes of entertainment are
eing provided by the local comnittee
nd the "press gang will be made to
eel quite at home. So come along,
ne and all: See Lafayette-ani iiyall
Cuba as an Americas State.
Andrew D. White, former United
n a&nc nrx,|.ae~c a.. -. ~ .s