The Natchitoches enterprise. (Natchitoches, La.) 1888-1965, 1915-08-19

NA4S414 LOSAAISDI q hAC hbbAO lily
on the banks of Cane River in
North Louisiana, has been inhabit.
ed 237 years since some of the fol-
lowers of LaSalle, impressed by the
friendliness of native Indians. decided
to locate there permanently. The
town is probably older than this,
though dates are lost in the shuttle Of
time. At any rate, Natchitoches claims
to be the Oldest town in Louisiana and
the Louisiana Purchase territory.
History, like poetry, art and music,
has its charms, and is delightfully."- re-
freshing to younger minds that have an
opportunity to appreciate it. Blu
there's another Natchitoches, one OF
the same, though of a 1916 model,
with town population Of hustling,
UY1x sae YTfeFsy- securzsA
their neighbors in the country people
who are doing new things and thinking
new things, with new ideals.
Natchitoches was the hometown"
for while, of u. S. Grant, who after
wards became President of the United
S taos. Today the city is headquar-
,rs for brand Of thrift and progress
Jeness that is truly typical of the
New Louisiana" Thus, it is town
u the past and of. the present.
RICH AS VALLEY OF NILE.
Natchitoches is geographically situat-
ed rs miles south of Shreveport and
ll6 miles north of New Orleans, on q
branch Of the Texas & Pacific Railway.
il the center of the richest agricultural
section, not only in the State, but in
the South, The valley of the Cane
aid Red Rivers is recognized as only
lualled by that of the Nile. The par
iii of the same name is the fourth
IA 'gest in the State, and is composed
OF the best uplands and alluvial bot
ms.
Agriculture is the principal industry
Every crop known to North America
EN- be successfully and profitably
grown within its borders, and there is,
,,,rhaps, no parish or country in the
vatire United States of America that
affords to those interested in agricui-
tare, SO great variety of soil as Nat
chitoches Parish. It's soils range from
the thin grades Of the upland sections
ID the rich, alluvial valleys of the
rivers and Bayou Pierre and numerous
other bodies of water.
The agricultural awakening that has
taken place in the whole United States,
and particularly in the South since the
European war began, has brought its
lesson to the citizens of Natchitoches
parish, and today the good people of
that section are in better spirits and
more hopeful than ever before. It
comes about by forcible lesson that
the leaders in thought and economics
have been trying to drive into these
people for years the simple scieuce Of
LIVING AT HOME"
When the war broke out, it left the
Natchitoches section hopelessly de-
pendent upon cotton. There was no
good market for this commodity. 1t
was stored to await developments.
Many Of the people had been born and
reared on the "credit system. BUSH
ness conditions were not satisfactory,
But the natural resources and posi-
bilities were apparent and everybody
went to work with new idea of d.
versifcation. The idea, was not en-
tirely new, for many of the more pro-
gressive farmers, merchants and busi-
ness men had foreseen just such g
situation as the war conditions pre-
scented and had done no little work
along these lines.
Today, we find every farmer with a
garden, with live stock of different
kinds; he has something upon which y
commence operations for the coming
year.
With its magnificent climate, allow
ing of any number and the greatest
diversity Of crops each year; with It's