St. Landry clarion. (Opelousas, La.) 1890-1921, 1910-09-10
UNDERTAKING
LOUISIANA'S
The Eyes Of the UerId Arc On the Pelican
state, ias Logical Polnt for Tie Big
EXposliian

Without doubt che most important
public enterprise that has engaged
the attention Of the men Of this gem
Grafton in Louisiana is the proposed
Worlds Panama Exposition. It is a
work requiring FIVE years Of active
preparation and the expenditure Of
many millions Of dollars in order to
prepare the stage for the great drama
which will be participated in by every
nation Of the civilized world, and by
millions of our own citizens.
During the period of preparation,
and while the Exposition shall be in
progress, the worlds attention will
be focused upon Louisiana to an ex-
tent which it would be impossible to
bring about in any other way; and
the scrutiny Of the State, her resour-
ces and her possibilities cannot fail
to be Of vast permanent benefit.
When the man who is eking out a
bare subsistence upon rocky and
barren farms Of the older States find
out for instance that he can come to
Louisiana and realize twice as much
profit for the same amount of labor
and at one half the investment, mo-
thing is going to be allowed to pre-
vent him from coming here.
He has been kept away by the
wild and sensational stories circulated
by ignorant or malevolent persons
concerning the alleged unhealthful-
ness Of our climate. When he shall
come to understand that the drainage
and cultivation Of the lands destroys
the mosquito; that the mosquito has
been responsible for the yellow fever
malaria and other formsss of disease;
when he shall understand that it was
in New Orleans that the battle was
fought which relegated yellow fever
To the hygeinic junk pile and sounded
the death kneIl Of the pestiferous
mosquito-When he learns all of
of these things, the small farmer on
the thin soils Of the older State whore
men toll and slave half of the year in
order to provide food and clothes to
enable them to keep from starving
and freezing during the remaining half
of the year, will pack his household
goods and come to Louisiana.
And they are going to learn Of all
these things from the publicity that
will result from the Exposition.
Therefore, it is not an exaggeration
to assert that The undertaking which
the people have in hand is the big
gest thing that Louisiana has ever
engaged in during the life Of the
present generation. Does the reader
grasp to the full extent what it
would mean to all the people if Lou
isiana had q population Of ten million,
instead of the less than two million
she now has? If she had even one
city that had q population Of one
million or more, and half d dozen
others ranging in population from
fifty thousand to two hundred fifty
thousand? It would mean active
markets for the products Of farm
and garden, dairy and orchard, pas
ture and field. It would mean a
quickened demand for everything
that one might have to sell, from
tooth picks to flying machines, and
from hickory nuts to original ideas.
IL would mean acadamized roads
all over the State. at a cost which
would not be burdensome because the
expense would be distributed among
millions Of tax payers. 1t would mean
mean the finest technical and schools,
in reach Of every boy and girl in the
State; it would mean good society,
churches opportunities for the intel
~lectual development of everybody and
plenty Of profitable employment fol
all. Are not these things worth
striving for? The prize thatswe are
endeayoring to obtain is aslordly one
well worthy Of such fruitful possibili.
ties all bickoring and strife should
cease, ann the men and women Of
Louisiana should let nothing divert
their efforts from the great task
they have in hand; for it is the 81,
preme opportunity of our entire ca.
reer, as an organized State-an op.
pornuty that We dare not permit IL
pass unimproved.
Il GOOD POSITION
Can be- had by ambitious young