The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1914-06-06
PRIZE WINNING ESSAY.


South" Submitted by Miss NoeIie
goudreaux In Contest for Inter
state Bank Trophy.
Following is the essay submitted
by Miss Noelie NJ. Boudreaux, Of the
graduating class of the Donaldson
vile High School, in the contest for
the handsome gold medal offered an
nually by the Interstate Trust and
Banking Company of New Orleans
to- the student Of the local school
writing the best composition on the
subject, Immigration in the South,
with Special Reference to Louisiana
and Mississippi" Several Well-pre-
pared papers were submitted in the
contest, that by Miss Boudreaux be-
ing unanimously selected by the com
mittee of three judges as the best
written. 1t Is reproduced herewith
in full:
1t is an incontrovertible fact that
immigration has played an important
part in the great industrial develop.
ment of this country. The rapid rise
to wealth. power and greatness Of our
country was due in great measure to
immigration
AS the wave OF development and
progress of our nation gradually
swept westward, hundreds of thou
sands of foreigners who arrived year
ly joined hands with the natives in
the work of upbuilding our country.
The result of this tide of immigration
hor
into a beautiful and wonderful sec
tion, which helped to raise to wealth
and power the great American nation.
which has never been equalled in the
worlds history.
The south's development, however,
has not been as rapid as that of the
other sections of the country. There
are several reasons for this. The
fact that the south, being . slave
holding section, was entirely given
up to slave labor, has been one OF
the main causes. Immigrants COM
ing to make their future homes in
this country looked for the section
that offered the best advantages.
Naturally they could not afford to
compete with the cheap slave la
Dor of the south, and therefore set
tied in the north, east and west,
where wages were higher.
Another reason why the south has
failed to get its quota of immigrants
is because she has been backward in
making known her greatness and
wonderful advantages, this partly be-
ing due to the Independent spirit OF
the southerners. They have not man
aged to bring themselves together
into one great body, who find their
oWn profit, their own advantage, and
own success in the happiness and
success of their fellow men.
Another cause pf the delay in the
south's Development, held BY many,
has existed mainly in the minds Of
the immigration authorities in other
parts of the country, in order to
prevent the tide Of immigration from
starting southwark, for they are con
yineed that when once the inmI-
grant finds out for himself what the
south holds in store for him, as
compared with other sections of the
country, nothing in the world is go
ing to keep him from coming south.
The south today abounds in neglect
ed opportunities. To bring it abreast
OF the more fully developed sections,
it's need is men. When we look
clearly at the facts, we find in the
older sections that making a living
is becoming more and more difficult,
due to crowded conditions, the effort
of the average man being barely suf-
ficent to assure the absolute neces-
saries of life. Is it not reasonable,
then, to suppose that the south, with
its natural wealth, it's cheap and
fertile lands, should attract the
alien? Cast d pebble in a pool; the
radiating circles are first small, but
following closely one upon another,
they become greater in proportion
Importance. The Investigating peb-
BILE of capital has been cast in the
calm waters Of the south's pool of OF
portunify. and we await with inter
est the circumference OF its CONNER
cial relations. AS welI-knoWn writ
er says, "It is well worth while to in
vestigate with open eyes the facts
in regard to the south, then to act
in accordance with the findings. II
the investigator sees the wealth he
may be sure it is no mirage. II he
does not see it, it will be the oppor-
tunity of the other man to build an
empire
The civil war, however, did away
with the cheap slave labor of the
south, which made it easier to In
duce immigration in that section. 1t
did away with aristocracy and brought
the southern states into closer rela-
tionship.
Since the civil war there has been
sweeping over the south a gradual
tendency to divide into small farms
the large estates that existed prevl-
GUS to that time. Louisiana, never
theless, was the last stronghold of
the big plantations, and it was not
until the recent removal of the sugar
tariff, which did for Louisiana what
the civil war did for the south, what
its plantations are being divided IN
to small farms.
Louisiana, often called the poor
mans paradise, has the best Of lands
to offer, which can be purchased at
a very low price and on satisfactory
terms. Our climate and rainfall per-
nit OF the growing Of crops at practl-
cally all periods Of the year. Our
health conditions compare most IA
yorably with conditions that exist
elsewhere. We have modern eonFe.
niencies and natural waterways to
dispose of products. We have as
good educational facilities TO offer
the children of the immigrant as
those offered by any state Of the