St. Landry clarion. (Opelousas, La.) 1890-1921, 1909-01-23


D. j. Sullivan as LIST Viee-P President;
Henry Lastrapes, ST.. as End Vice
President, and Or. Bercier as
Secretary, The st. Landry Truck
Growers Association was organized
at a meeting held for that purpose at
the courthouse in 0pelousas on last
Monday evening.
The object is the encouraging and
protection Of truck growing.
a goodly number of business men
and farmers were at the courthouse
at the appointed hour, 8 D. hi, and
there was no trouble experienced IN
having all present come into the
movement.
DT. a. il Bercier, representing the
E0pel0usas Progressive League, made
a strong and pointed talk on opening
The meeting ne was followed hy
lCoi. j. W. Jordan, General Freight.
land Passenger Agent of the Opelou-
sas, Gulf & Northeastern Railroad,
and by Mr.. Thos. Fl. Lewis.
ALI speakers urged the diYersifca-
tion of crops as the surest and only
way Of combating the boil weeViI.
In fact it was agreed that even leav-
ling aside the visitation Of the de-
structiye bug, diversiiieation was nee
essary for this country.
DE-. Bercier read an article BIZ
Port Gibson, Miss, correspondent Of
the Times-Democrat, in which the
writer said that hope, confidence and
courage were returning to the people
Of the cotton growing sections.
Tt appears that on the first adj
vance Of this dread insect invasion
the people concerned we're over
whelmed by the general conviction
that it involved a common ruinous
calamity from which there could be
no escape, said the correspondent.
They seem to forget that the FULL
visitation of the pest had been over
every part Of Texas FOR the past
dozen years, and that over III the
Lone Star State there we're about
four million people still eating full
and regular meals, still wearing the
necessary clothing for decency and
comfort, still producing enormous
crops of cotton and corn ZOO, goo.
GOO bushels Of the latter last year,
still growing great droves Of cattle,
herds of swine and hocks OF sheer,
sowing wheat in the northern coan-
ties, raising cane from the Rio
Grande to the Brazos river and rice
along their eastern Gulf coast; still
engaged in lucrative business in their
leading cities and towns, reading
their daily and weekly papers and
running their libraries, schools, col
leges and churches. all on larger
scale than they did before the MI
grafton Of the first venturesome cot
ton boIl weeyiI from the far borders
Of Mexico into our great Southern
cotton belt.
Mr. Jordan was called upon by Dr.
Barcier. Ia his talk he said be fore
saw the neccessity for such an organ
ization last year, and he was glad it
was about to be consummated. He
assured the hearty cooperation BIZ
bis road, reading from the rate book
of bis company freight rates on Yege-
tables the same as were accorded
Alexandra, and other points On the
main line. These rates call for 30
cents per hundred pounds 10 most Of
the principal markets Of the United
States. On an average Of 10000
pounds was carload, which would
make $50 per carload. He assured
the farmers that they would ind no.
trouble in disposing Of their Eege-
tables: chat they could either sell
through their association or buyers
would come to their depots and buy
-sheir stuff. He had made inquiries on
this line, and was in a position to assure
them that they would find no trouble
ID reaching markets When the
people prosper, we prosper, said the
veteran railroad man, and you can