The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1913-08-09
SITE FOR cDL0REO SCHOOL.

Location in st. Elmo Offered South
ern University by AlIuviaI Land
Purchase Company = Generally
Regarded as Most Suitable Place,
Geographically and Otherwise.
St. Elmo, the progressive commu-
nifty being developed on the east
bank of the river in the fifth ward
| of this parish, is making an earnest
fight to be selected as the site for
the Southern University, the negro
state school which will be removed
/ from New Orleans to some point in
the country, and the efforts of the
aggressive new toWnsite in this di
rection are heartily approved and
seconded by Donaldsonvil1e, it's big
neighbor, and Ascension parish in
general.
E. P. Brady, president of the Al
luvial Land Purchase Company, own
ers of the st. Elmo property, has
offered to donate as site for the
university the Bocage mansion.
beautiful colonial home that could not
be duplicated for $4,000, and fifty
acres of land adjacent to it; and
| in addition, to give the trustees of
the school an option OIL $50 to $50
acres of fertile land contiguous to
the property donated, all Or any por-
ton of which tract may be pur-
chased within one year at the very
reasonable price of $50 per acre, on
i a. cvy 4nr h.
and the acreage donated can be
taken possession of Immediately,
and Mr.. Brady generously agrees
to allow the school to use WITHOUT
any rental or cost as many acres, in
addition to the tract contained in
the deed Of gift, as they may need
until such time as they choose to ex-
ercise their option on the property
rendered for sale.
ST. Elmo is situated about sixty
miles above New Orleans between
Burnside station on the Mississippi
Valley Railroad and the city of Don
aldsonville on the opposite side of
the river. 1t is connected with the
Mississippi Valley and Frisco roads
by the st. Elmo, Belle Helene and
Louisiana Eastern Railroad, recent
ly constructed by the Alluvial Land
Purchase Company, and is easily ac-
cessible by river and rail.
The property offered as a site for
the school is situated about one
thousand feet from the river, and in
front of it is rapidly making bat
ture. The handsome residence stands
in the center of a beautiful grove of
oak and other shade trees, and in
the neighborhood there are numerous
farms and homes occupied by law
abiding and industrious colored peo-
pie, a negro colony having been es-
tablished at this point by the Allu-
vial Company. This is an important
fact to be considered, since it tends
to preclude any possibility of future
racial troubles or dissatisfaction.
The colored population of Louisi-
ana, including the city of New Or
leans, is centered some distance
south of Baton Rouge. AS the Sou
thern University is established for
the purpose of teaching the colored
race Industrial and agricultural pur-
suits, it is eminently wise and proper
with view to ready accessibility on
the part of present and prospective
students. St. Elmo is most suita-
bic site in this regard. being in the
heart OF a great agricultural and
manufacturing section wherein hun
dreds of thousands of negroes are
employed and have their homes.
Perhaps the greatest argument for
the Ascension site is because the
land is SO well suited for the Guilt
walton of the many and varied crops
raised in Louisiana. There are grow
ing upon it today cane, corn and cot
ton, and portions of the property
are well adapted for the raising of
rice. The fruits grown in the north
ern portion of the state, such as ap-
pies, pears, grapes and peaches, can
be grown here with equal success !;
while as to the products of south
Louisiana, oranges, figs, pecans and
citrus fruits are produced in abund-
ance. All kinds of berries can be
raised, including strawberries.
The st. Elmo site has been in
dorsed by various negro organiza-
tons and leading colored citizens of
this section of the state, and its
adoption has been strongly recon-
mended to the committee appointed
to make the selection, which is COM
posed of State Superintendent Thos
FL. Harris, B. C. Caldwell and Dr.
T. P. Singletary, of Baton Rouge. An
inspection of the site will be made
by this committee tomorrow morning
and Mayor Walter Lemann of Don
aldsonville, who has actively inter-
ested himself in behalf of the Ascen-
sion location, is endeavoring to have
a strong delegation of local business
men go to Burnside to meet the
committee and accompany them on
their trip over the property, and af-
terWard escort them to this city.
The advantageous offer of the own
ers of the estate; the exceptionally
amicable relations existing between
the white and colored people of
Ascension parish; the ideal location
fronting the Mississippi river, with
unexcelled transportation facilities
by river and rail, and the uplifting
and peaceful environments, render
the st. Elmo site by far the most
appropriate and suitable place fo, the
Southern University, and it's estab-
lishment there should be recommend
ed forthwith.
/ july Weather.