The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-11-14

It takes but a short five minutes to wander across the long bridge back into the old town. Through It's irregular, narrow street one finds from early in spring till late in the year workable garden of flowers-houses covered with roses, long trellises of roses, rows or round topped chinaberry trees with their pale lavender blossoms filling the air with perfume, jasmine, magnolia and tulip trees There are quaint old houses with Iron railed balconies reminding one l of the French quarter in New Orleans, 1 the upper gallery often extending over | the sidewalk.
 Should you enter one of thees ante bellum structures the long hall might be wide and dark, but through the open door at the further end you would catch glimpses of light and color. Odors from hundreds of roses would be waited to your nostrils, great pinlSish lilies would nod and bend, and against the servants quarters perhaps a tall fig tree would spread it's branches, or giant pecan un- der which the children play.
 The front yard, save in winter, is mass of bloom and fragrance. Pebble edged walks overrun with sweet Vioiets lead around to the long kitchen in the rear The front and side balconies are often screened with vines, and in this shady retreat the family gather to lounge or embroider or read. Here they receive their friends, refreshing them with cool ing drinks or sip of wine.
 Below, fin the quiet street, an oc- easional long-horned Texas COW wan ders. tinkling her bell muscally. Or, if it be Saturday, oven, five and six yokes, plod along in the sand with great loads of cypress logs for the mill.
 This is essentially Catholic town. and the people mostly of French extraction. There Is large parochial school and a convent, and adjoining the cathedral is the home of the bishop and his assistants. All during the month of May-the month of the Virgin-the air is filled with the chime of bells, and white-robed, nower- laden children, escorted by black-robed nuns file in and out of the old church until one is reminded of France.
 This country has often been called ''the land of yesterday" A drive through 1t reveals sights strange to northern eyes quaint cabins with mud chimneys and win | dows guiltless of glass. In winter the l occupant is protected by wooden shutters; l fin summer, light, air and winged pests have the same free access.
 | Back of the cabins the negro quar- | ters of Natchftoches, one strikes the | piney woods, which are filled with heal-h-
 
 l 1estic, similar to those in the canyons of l Colorado Tn winter droves of cattle are | fattened beenath, being fed from troughs 1 and filled with cotton seed
 1 Should you strike out in early spriug 1 through the wandering, woodsy road l toward old Camp Salubrity, you would 1 see variety of trees, cypress and pine, 1 dogwood, white with blossoms, and great l live oaks, their branches covered with @F ,fnl, I1p.,1 1c l branch out like the tributaries of a | strea mtoward roomy plantation homes. l High above the ground, they promise 1 little of comfort when the days of late | winter appear Seen in their setting of 1 whitewashed cabins, they present pie ture of old-time comfort and hospitality
 Deep in the woods Is a spring of icy water and a muddy little lake encircled 1 by bushes. The surface seems calm, but
 ailigators are apt to be lurking beneath.
 half dozen simple. rustic cottages
 cluster high above the spring. and these form a resort for few families during the heated term and a refuge should
 there be scare from yellow fever.
 Farther on at the foot of the long slope almost hidden by bushes, is the site of
 the bath house built by Grant and his men somewhere between 1840 and 1S46. Here the soldiers were stationed to pro
 tect the inhabitants from both Indians
 and Mexfcans. Around a messy spring is a square, stone enclosure now roofless and ivy grown. suggesting the tower of
 a castle. It was used as cooling house for wines and boasts of 200 years service
 to the thirsty planters.
 The young officers of Camp salubrlty
 were welcome guests at the neghborine
 plantations They Joined in many frolic
 and festiyity at the Isle auv Watches
 plantation, with It's hundreds of slaves and open-handed hospitality Here, tra-
 dition says, the man who was to be ! President wooed pretty Mary Campbell
 daughter by adoption But there was l nothing about the young officer to give
 promise of future greatness, and Mary
 married a carpenter instead. Few peo-
 rla imapdua as they meet Q pleasant-