Lower coast gazette., 1909-04-24
SATURDAY APRIL 24TH, 1909.
Contagious Industry.

simple is a familiar one and most of us know that sheep will follow
a leader to the good or bad, but. such we shall not consider. We
propose to discuss the contagion OF industry and While some may
think that the expressions of human energy that we call industry
is not very contagious, and is on the contrary perhaps rather re-
peHent. yet we have manifestations Of the contagion OF industry IN
this parish that are very striking.
When we refer to industry we don't mean the uninteligent|
ylodding kind that man was condemned to after his short sojourn
in the Garden of Eden, but to that earnest, intelligent industry
that some of US utilize in order to evade, lessen, or remove the
Adanic curse with which man is SO richly endowed. By the sweat
of thy brow thou shalt earn thy daily bread" doesn't seem 80 bad
if we were sure of the daily bread, but thousands Of good people
complain Of the inadequate supply no matter how much they hus-
tie for it. Spasmodic, i'll directed efforts won't bring success, but
earnest, skiNful and persistent industry, utilized in the proper d.
wction ordinarily brings success to him who proceeds along these
lines and in time the example thus given and the success thus rea-
lied develop the contagion that has worked some wonders in this
parish.
The Woodlawn plantation in the parish of PIaquemines, sit
mated on the East bank Of the river about twenty-five miles below
New Orleans, belonged a generation ago to Judge James Bertrand.
The front lands were of Indifferent quality, the back lands low and
stiff and as a sugar plantation as it was, it made no money and
was sold to Messrs. A. Rochereau & Co. who divided it up into
lots and finally sold it all out in small parcels. Solomon Felix, a
country store keeper made the first purchase of two arpents front,
and this purchase was followed by the purchase OF an arpent front
each by two German brothers, John Meyer and Henry Meyer
whose names have since become prominent in the annals of the
parish for the reasons hereinafter given. These two brothers were
coopers while the sugar industry was prospering and they were
largely engaged in making moasses barrels which were OF ex-
celent quality and in active demand. As processes changed and
sugars were shipped in bags, they gradually became cane growers,
but with the knowledge Of gardening that really every German
brought with him from the fatherland they gradually took up that
industry. They planted orange trees, and the less ~perishable
vegetables. such as Irish potatoes, cabbage, etc, and finally as the
facilities for distribution developed and refrigerator cars made
shipments to the Northwest possible and frequently profitable they
went almost altogether into more fugitive kinds Of garden truck,
such as cucumbers, lettuce, ETC., and are now shipping such stuff
by the carload to the most promising markets up in the interior
where home grown stuff Of the same kind only comes along two
months later.
Now ooynoc h n+oroc+;nr fnot,ro nj +bc vop+,ro Wond
lawn plantation and two small tracts along side formed a frontage
on the river of about two miles. These two German brothers We're
pioneers in the gardening industry thereon and only became &C.
/, lively engaged in it about twenty years ago. In the meantime the
whole property had been sold out in lots to Italians and others who
having made some money as wage earners in the sugar industry
and desiring to become land owners themselves, put their earnings
in these lands and generally became cane growers. The ~penchant
of the Italian for gardening is perhaps equal to the German, but
he is generally less we'll informed and is willing to seek knowledge
and advice wherever he can hd it. They saw what the Germans
were doing and emulated their example and that two miles of
river front is now one vast, beautiful garden. It has a population
Of 300 working people and the products of that locality are as we'll
known today in the markets of Chicago as they are in the markets
OF New Orleans. The little leaven leavened the whole mass. The
two Germans set the pace. they and their sons, which latter were
important factors in the problem and one by one the neighbors
followed suit. Twenty thousand bushels of cucumbers were Ship
ped from Their. last year. Cucumbers. and lettuce go out by the
carload daily during the active season and the demand for the
stuff seems unlimited.
This is the contagious industry that has swept as an epidemic
in one locality. Its influence however is wider and has reached
many miles in our tropical parish, or else there have been spas
modic cases of uncertain ~antecedents. Away down on the West
bank at Home Place the whole country has gone into gardening.
Home Place lies in the best orange territory but truck gardening
outstrips orange culture in quick returns and practically certain
profits. 1t requires, however, untnng industry and there is not
always a competent supply Of workers. The garden industry has
gone to Home Place to stay, and for miles above and below the
fine gardens frequently seen show what is coming in that beauti-
full section of our parish in the near future.
There is another phase of the "Contagion of Industry on the
Lower Coast which is just as remarkable. Some fifteen or more
years ago Messrs. Moore and Cameron secured a tract of land on
the West bank, and at the lower line of the Star plantation. They
engaged in orange culture along modern lines and the situation
looked promising. The snow year of 1896 came with its twelve
inches of snow and its finishing freezes and latter 1899 with the
coolest weather in 200 years and presumably every orange tree in
Louisiana was killed to the ground line. Mr.. Cameron retired
from the business, and Nh. Robert Moore continued. He adopted
a plan to defeat the February freezes and it has succeeded. The
trees are killed up above the graft or bud point and now if killed
to the ground only one crop is lost and the industry has become a
comparatively secure one. And now for the contagion. Near by
is ~postodice, Naomi and a colored village, Rushvle, and all the
people ~thereabouts are thriving, coored and white, and from
oranges and vegetables. Some men who never dreamed Of living
off of orange culture twenty years ago are now doing well thereon
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