St. Landry clarion. (Opelousas, La.) 1890-1921, 1910-04-30
And u gES, PISS
PRESENT AND III.
TURE.
Delivered before the Louisiana
Farm Land Congress, at
Alexandrla, by DIR. A. j.
Bercier.
Mr. Chairman and Gentlemen Of the
L.nnisiann Eorm LII no.a.Aaa.

Called upon by your Honorable
body to speak TO you of land values
in the past, present and future,
shall confne my remarks principally
20 st. Landry parish, where | am
more thoroughly acquainted with past
and present conditions, and better
able to judge Of the future. We're
to scoop in the entire State, and give
Che reasons fur the vast transforma-
tion that had come upon US, after the
ruin and devastation left BY the Civil
war-When our male population com
prised but few souls, who we're not
the sons Of toll, but who had been
reared with silver spoons in their
mouths, left without means, without
financial assistance, without trans
portation or educational facilities-it
would take volumes. That condition
Of affairs naturally left our fair State
with millions of acres of fertile farm
lands, particularly in Southwest Louis
lana, that were very sparsely inhabit-
ed; and the absence of railways, cou-
Piled with the fact that they we're so
great a distance from nayagible water
ways, then the only means of trans
p~ortation, resulted in these vast and
beautiful prairie lands being used
solely for the public grazing Of cattle
owned BY a few rich ranchmen.
These lands frequently sold at 25c
per acre, and often there were no
bidders at that price. In numerous
instances they were forfeited to the
State for unpaid taxes.
The greater portion Of the inn
proved lands in those days we're adj
jaeent to our waterways Gin the pos
session of which our State ranks
third.) Many thousands Of acres Of
what are today our most productive
lands we're almost ~valueless, on &C.
count Of their susceptibility to over
fiow due to lack Of levy protection.
Our vast timbered area also was with
out value, except in the case of some
cypress lands where owing to loca-
zion it was practicable to float the
timber after it was cut.
Our farmers had very little know
ledge of proper agricultural methods,
or of the value and productiyeness of
their soil, being in most instances
specialists" ii the one crop system
Of either cotton or cane, which were
the only marketable crops grown by
them. AS years rolled by, with no
protection to our sugar, coupled with
the enormous expenses Of its produce
+
tion by the aDtiquated methods en-
ployed, our little ne-horse-sugar-miIl-
planter, who only made brown sugar
and battery syrup, was forced to the
wall and became bankrupt; and when
declined in price TO the low
ebb Of four cents, farm lands suffered
a material loss in value.
In 1880 a branch railroad was CON s
structed from Lafayette to Alexan-
dria, ~traversing st. Landry parish, q
which operated as a branch Of the c
Pacific system, greatly in :
creased our shipping facilities, and to !
some extent increased the value Of
lands adjacent thereto; and it !
was then that the greater portion of
our vast prairie section, which form
orly had no value, was bought up by Y
syndicate Of our own people at <
ranging from 25c to SOC per II
lcre. Shortly thereafter, in 1856, a v
Of our parish was cut off and 81
which was formed the parish of h
this, however, still leaving ii
Landry the second largest parish y
n the State, and the empire parish !,
i Louisiana in quantity and value Of !,
agricultural products. Improved
ands were then selling at from So to
20 per acre, and the unimproved at !
rom SOC to S., according to location; =
ur hardwood timber lands selling at =
rom SOC to So per acre. These o.
prevailed until 1906. o.
This gives you a brief history of t.
be values of our lands in the past; a.
nd while what / have said referred al
articularly 20 the parish Of st. pr
like conditions prevailed to a b
reat extent throughout the State. Al
The present, we are happy 10 say, %
quite different The cloud that in i,
le past hung over our fair State had il
silyerY lining. While it is true that