The Rice belt journal. (Welsh, Calcasieu Parish, La.) 1900-19??, 1910-10-28
PARISH DIVISION RALLY At ROANOKE.
Large Attendance and Frequent Ap-
plause From Jennings. Roanoke
Voters Little Interested.

garage Monday night. when the ten 10
fifteen automobiles that brought the
Jennings division boosters over to at
tend a parish division meeting, were
drawn up in a semi-cirCle.
The meeting, which had been called
by the divisiOnists for the Ostensihe
purpose of edifying (?) the Roanoke
ties, was what will doubtless be her
aided in division papers as great
success. There were probably a
hundred or more people present, con-
sisting of some eight or ten auto loads
from Jennings, three auto loads from
Welsh, goodly sprinkling of ladies,
a number of boys and number OF
Roanoke voters, variously estimated
to number from nine to eleven.
The meeting was opened by Rev.
Jas. Ellis, who apologized for assum-
ing the position that seemingly be-
longed to some of the local division
lists, by assuring the audience that
thew we're there, but that they were
bashful Mr.. Ellis, in his customary
pleasing manner, entertained his au-
dience by RECALLING them with reminis-
ences of the trials and struggles of the
early pioneers, 'SOme twenty odd
years ago" Being man Of the
cloth, it is doubtless permissible for
Rev. Ellis to think that the "sins Of
the fathers shall be visited upon the
children" hence the fact that it was
difficult to secure schools and bridges
"some twenty odd years ago." calls
tor division for the parish now, al
though a subsequent speaker eloquent
" assured his hearers that beautiful
school houses were being built all ov-
err these broad prairies" and "in the
piney woods" Mr.. Ellis also assured
his hearers that the proposed division
was "a fair division and a square di.
vision" Rev. Ellis also denounced
the police jury, and doubtless justly,
for squandering s75, 900 in the repair
of the court house, a few years ago.
It was difficult, however, for his au-
dience to understand where the diYi-
sion of the parish would remedy this
condition, as it is we'll known fact
that all the members of that body, but
two, came from outside that earthly
body of Gehenna, Lake Charles, and
that a majority of them came from
territory that would be comprised
within the boundaries of the new par
ishes.
Following Rev. Ellis Hon. Jud>on
Harris took the floor, and after a
brief interlude, in which he recalled
the fact that he used to drive his
"bulls" into Roanoke from the
Grand Mirias," launched out in his
characteristic eloquent style, in a
grand TRADE of condemnation of ev.
ervthing pertaining to, or connected
with Lake Charles. His remarks drew
forth q ringing round of applause
from the jennings portion of the au.
dience, and from the Welsh division.
list, who was there. Among other
things he told his hearers, was, that
should the division of the parish cause
an increase in the rate of taxation, 1t
wouldnot amount to much, as it could
only be increased four mills, which he
solemnly asserted, would amount to
Sl.75 per annum on an average, for
each farmer. But what he failed to
tell them was that it would increase
their taxes just $500 on every $1,000
of their assessment, or 500, 900 on the
reputed SIS, 900, 900 assessment of jeff
Davis parish. he concluded his ad.
dress by pitiful tale of how dear,
old Uncle Williams had to pay $500
to redeem forty" that the assessor
had failed to put on his tax receipt,
which omission Uncle Williams failed
to notice when his receipt was returned
to him. The impression here was
strong, that had the parish seat been
some thirty miles further east, Uncle
Williams would have noted the omis-
sion and Immediately had it corrected.
That tried and always parish div.
sionist, the Hon. H. K. Midkiff, next
took the stand and evoked numerous
and sundry rounds of applause from
his Jennings friends, and the Welsh
divisionist who was there, during a
strong and fervent arrangement of the
parish officials, the police jury, parish
divisionists in general and those of
Welsh in particular, who were demon.
mated as selfish and unwise because
they are obdurate and have thus far,
refused to be herded into line by the
i