St. Landry clarion. (Opelousas, La.) 1890-1921, 1912-11-16
By A. ]. BERCIER, D. D. S.,
0PELOUSAs. La.

gresslVe League for a number o
years, until recently | felt brok
down in my labors for the publ
good, coupled with active profes
sional duties, and was forced Il
temporarily retire from actiy,
! work in the league. and left th,
good work to be continued in the
hands OF active and younger men.
In thinking over what the league
mad accomplished during my ad.
mlnistration, and particularly il
the past four years, when such 8
cry of hard times and boil weeVil
confronted US, calling forth eV-
cry available effort and force oil
energy to brave the cold winds
and the heated summers, and
dark clouds of adVersity ever
forging to the front, with smiles
and energy holding aloft and
waving the flag of prosperity
with a brave and fearless heart
crying to our countrymen to have
courage and lend a helping hand
to row on. That prosperity and
plenty were in sight. and that as
brave Louisianians we dare not
falter; we agitated the building
of railroads and now have three
instead Of one, and the manner
In which they traverse the city
makes them equal to six, the
Southern Pacific running north
and south; the 0peIousas Gulf &
Northeastern, east and south
west; and the mighty Frisco.
southeast and west, which ought
to make this city a great central
shipping point These roads
now furnish ten passenger trains
per day. We organized a Truck
Growers Association and began
the cultivation of Irish and sweet
potatoes, and car loads Of each
have been yearly moving from
this city to other markets. We
organized the Opelousas Civic /
League, and the boys corn club, /
with 100 members each. We or
ganized a Sugar Cane Growers
Association, and began the culti-
vation of this plant, until it was
so extensively cultivated that
eight derricks could not handle
the amount produced within a ra-
dius of six miles Of the city, prin-
,ipally on account OF a lack of
supply of cars. Then we agitat-
I'd the question of a sugar refin-
cry, and this year we have in op-
grafton an eight hundred ton mill, &
md a one hundred and fifty ton
syrup mill, and still all
he derricks are in service and +
axed to their limit to handle the
surplus, thus creating a demand
or a central sugar refinery, and
S stated above. the way our rail-
Dads traverse this section Woufsf
heapen and simplify the hand
lng Of cane. Tie hay crop IS
normous this year, principally
with a great sarplus to t
e shipped Our mamoatss irri-
alton canal, the largest in the I
outh, began operation this year, :
nd the planting OF rice along its :
orders yielded handsomely We Q
ave one small rice mill In. oper- a
ton, but next year weare prom
led that the canal will be able to :
Irnish water many miles furth- :
{, and in consequence many j
lore acres have already been p
.ased, and a more extensive cul-
vation of this plant, creating d z z
amand for more and larger rice
ills and a paper mill We have a
ectric lights and water works Il
Fned by the municipality, our
ell is three hundred and twen- ),
five feet deep, comes from a
'avel bed, and is safely free Fl
ON any possible contamina- t.
III. unlimited supply, and is
.onounced by Prot. Metz. as = :,
,od pure drinking water. Our
E plant is unequalled. we have
felve miles of concrete side q
alks. we have an up-to-date :, :
werage system in course of n,
Instruction and nearing com ii
s b . N.E -