The true Democrat., 1916-08-12
WEST FELlclANA's CLAIM ON
AUDUBON.


The Sunday fines pleayuHe coutaiH.
ed au article that must have attracted
much attention namely the one by
Mr Stanley Clisby Arthur. State Or.
nahotuglst. entitled Memories of Au-
dubau ia West Fpltciana II is partly
the fruit OF Mr. Ar'hurs recent visit 10
West Feiiclana as guest of Mr. Edv ard
Butter duls recorded la these columns
Nccompanyt ing the article were pictures
ul oakley the present home of the
Matthews family. grandchildren af
Elizabeth pirrie Audubous Arst pupil
In West FcllelaHa the old William
Garrett johnson now lbe Matt Gilmore
place who're Mrs Audubon taught and
in the woods adjacent TO which the
famous naturalist found many bird
studies for his pencil aud brush There
ia 4 cut also af Miss Elizabeth Pirrie
of The Cottage. the old Butler home
built 10 tsii views Of Rg Hayou Sara
at us junction with the Mississippi
River. and ot the Walu street going up
the hlg hill 10 - FfapclsyIlle
IN addition to the local interest At.
tachIbg 90 both text and pictures, there
H. much Of historic value which cannot
fail 20 inform the general public more
fully as ta the great naturalists con.
upctiun with West Fplieiana In fact,
Mr. Arthur shows clearly that Audn
hons greatest inspiration for his lifes
work VAS drawn from West Fellciana
aud its people. always excepting An.
dubon vls, Who stands as synonym
for enlightened, self sacrificing wtfely
devotion
Necessarily Mr. Arthur IN an article
of sueh comparatively small compass,
has omitted much matter, known To
West Fcticiaua people bat this does
not detFaet from the point he makes
that West Fehciana is the logical loea
ton for the next great statue Of
audubon While Audubou belongs to
ait America. yet for the reasons men
toned Ia the foregoing West Felte
iaua's claims are preemineut above all
other possible places as the logical
location for such a statue
Certain persons in the North are in
tetesFed H. the production OF a statue
0f Audubon, and are open ia sHgges
ttunF 80 TO tts location Mr. AFlhurs
forecfu presentation 0f West Fetie
lanas large share IN the memory of the
naturalist is most timely II is Ger
laiuly Appreciated by West Feliciana
people.
However ptnblernatlcal II may be-
whether West Feliciana viii secure the
statue referred 10, II IL mol too much tn
predict that when the parish becomes
more popuIaus and prosperous when
West FelicIana has leisure 10 pause
and take stock of herself ~ 1t were
ways and means sill be found to liuk
with hers IN bronze OF marble the
pfemory of this famous maa Besides
memorial tablets In all the old houses
of the parish, known of a surety as
being the scene ot Auduhnus soiourn
like Oakley beech Grove, Wakefield
and others. there could he no more
Rtttng site for hts statue than at the
top OF the big hill, 81 f'ranelsvlIle IN
the triangle formed by the junction OF
the towns principal streets II indeed
Audubon walked the distance from
llayou Sara to Oakley as one Of hts
ietteFp Indicates, there eat be no doubt
that he paused at this place to rest
after gaining the steep ascent, and IL
vas here that his weary but delighted
eyes must have eaught It's first best
glimpse Of the wooded hills of West
Feiieiana II Was al that point that
the parish must have spoken. through
bird.goiees. In invitation and welcome
TO the great explorations that made