New Iberia enterprise and independent observer. (New Iberia, La.) 1902-1944, 1914-05-09

miles below Myrtle Grove as the
river twisted. He would plant
more corn and seek to raise more
feed for his stock, tune up his
orange and grapefruit groves and
subdivide wherever it was possl
BILE.
IL the Vanguard of Big Planters
lie was no longer the sole own
err of his plantation he was mere
ly the president of company
that had been organized capably
TO finance his liabilities and as
sets. Really he was only man
ager now, and he would have to
accept whatever Judgment was
rendered by the directors con
cerning readjustment plans.
There was something that got
very much preston of this fine
cid gentleman who had been
brought down by food and frost
and the pressure Of business
changes from the dominion of a
lordly plantation owner to the
mere functions of a corporation
president.
He had served his state as a
representative in Congress and
was widely known as Colonel and
the Hon r. S. Wilkinson. The
pride Of ownership had been one
of the strongest props of his self
esteem. He had striven with the
vanguard of big planters to keep
abreast Of the modern procession
until his sugarhouse and improve
ments represented total outlay
of three-quarters of million
three times the assessed value of
his land. Tall, broad shouldered
and still rudy as a boy beneath
his tan, he had reached time
of ife when cores and worries be
come dead weights, to be borne
heoricallv as the finer types of
American manhood know how to
bear them.
In course of our long talk he
did not utter a single complaint
Or offer a suggestion of bite
criticism. He spoke of free SUI
gar as Of some infexible law or
force, just as he spoke of the
pressure upon his industry Of the
Oil Trust, which had put up the
price of fluid fuel until he had
been compelled to use coal. and
Of the Sugar Trust. which had
accomplished economies and eff
fieiencies on a vast and ruthless
scale. Unforeseen forces had
frightened their coils about his
enterprise until his prosperity
cnd wealth had become thing
Of the reminiscent past. or a bare
reclamation possibility Of the flu
ture.
The old plantation home, which
you reached through a long ave
rue of live oaks, was another leaf
torn from the pages Of the pros
porous past. No longer was it
the planters home for occasions
Of festivity and typically South
ern hospitality; instead it was
merely temporary shelter when
the pressure of work called Col
onel Wilkinson and his wife
down from their New Orleans
home to keep cosstant watch on
harvesting.
There was all the old warmth
Of cheer and greeting, the pain
stalking attention that is Of the
true fabric of hospitality, and
such a dinner as must 'linger long
in the memory. There were ducks
and a sugar-cured ham, hominy,
rice and vegetables cooked as
only an artist Of an old p1anta
ton kitchen can cook them, and
pies to meet the highest standard
Of the most adept New England
housewives. Tt was a home-pro-
duets dinner, too-convincing
testimony Of the unlimited re-
sources Of this Mississippi delta
land.
Credit Far From Secure.
The little truck patch back by
the road was marvel Of skillful
cultivation and gave return for
the labor expended that should
glorify the dreams of the most
perfervid little-lander. And
near by was the citrus grove
5000 grapefruit and orange trees
asd little clumps Of kumquats.
The oranges were of a variety
known as the Louisiana Sweets,