The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1921-11-10
A Pleasure Trip to Bodcau.

Emmett Wilson for fishing trip to
good old BOdcau, we arrived ut his
residence. some two miles from Ivan,
about $50 O'Clock and, after bounti-
full supper and recounting all changes
that had been made in that immediate
section during the recollection Of Mr..
and Mrs. Wilson, your reporter sup
piled the data hack for forty five years,
the first knowledge he had of all that
section of Ward Five, when Bellevue
was the metropolis of Bossier. After Il
good nights rest, and one Of those good
old country breakfasts, where the high
price of eggs and good ribbon cane mo-
lasses did not diminish the supply on
the table, Mr.. Wilson took ME in his
buggy about one mile farther on the
read toward Ivan, where i met and,
with the drivers permission, boarded
one of the two transportation wagons,
each loaded to the guards with rollick-
ing. red-cheeked children, bound for the
Ivan School. These school wagons had
come from near the old place where 1.
had made my home forty-five years
ago. and where there was then three
white children within three miles Of my
home These recollections are not
without their value In the. future PLAN
ming Of schools, and teaches lesson.
One of the first schools for white
children In that lower section was
taught in an old cabin, then owned by
Mr.. w. Il. Hall, father of the present
w. Z. Hall, by an old Frenchman by
the name of Chalfant, the term lasting
one month. Settlers came in slowly
and in few years it was possible to
have, if everything worked just right,
three-month term. Three months, re-
member, was then the limit of a coun-
try school. The Parish did not then
contribute one cent to the school fund
and all the revenue for the School
Board was obtained from the State.
As matter of fact this school was
moved four times within a circle of
one and half miles, in order to get an
average Of ten pupils. Miss Willie
Head, now Mrs. w. L. Young, Of BOs-
sier City, was the second teacher; Miss
Mona Griffin. afterwards Mrs. Luther
McDade. now deceased, was the third;
Miss Florence Tooke. of Homer, was
fourth: Miss Carrie Rabb, who married
Mr.. Sam Boggs, long since deceased:
Miss corrie Cornell, now Mrs. Eugene
Hamiter. of Shreveport. Mr.. John NJ.
Scanland now DIR. J. NJ. Scanland, of
Warm Springs. Montana, was also one
of the teachers. as was Mr.. Lucian
Wallace, and later Mr.. Lee Swor, now
travelling agent for the Shreveport
Journal.
After reaching the Ivan School,
which is a commodious two-story build
ing, with Mrs. Robert Wilmington as
principal and Misses Cheshire and Lay
assistants, and getting my bearings, I
headed for the home of my old friend,
| Mr.. Jesse Campbell. who had fished
with thirty five years ago. Arriving ut
his home, his good wife informed me
he was away for the day and, also,
would have to be away the following
day. remembered promise made
years ago to seek out the champion
white perch fisherman, an old friend
Of long standing. Mr.. G. B. Coker, and
a two-mile hike found me at his door
An answering shout of welcome
assured HE l had made no mistake in
locating his residence, though it had
been many years since l had seen it
After partakin, of one of those good
/ old fashion dinners, in which chicken
played an important part, served IL
stew and fry. and many other good
things, we were soon on our way to ole
Bodcau. After supplying ourselves
with sinners in a nearby slough, W.
started to the fishing stream. Sool
after arriving there Mr.. Coker helpei
me rig up tackle and. by his generous
aid, made the first catch, white
| perch. He soon joined me, placing him
self just to my right. soon saw hi
reason for thus placing me, for it wa
evident he wanted to test my old abilit.
to dodge. Well, he soon had tn
speckled beauties coming my way, ant
frequently they We're too close AM
would find me in the way. Well, TO
the first days sport he only caugh
three times as many as did. Ate
the sun sank low in the west, "
wendell our way to his home, where hi
good wife had us a regular fish supper
and, to one who had not eaten Bodca
fish in twenty years, it was meal
fit food for any one.
Well, after partaking of such goo
meal cares were cast aside and fol
gotten and. with just little encourage
ment. all the laughable occurrence
that had happened in that section dul
ing the past forty years We're r.
hearsed. as all who know Mr.. Coke
will vouch, lie never forgets thin
that contains a laugh.
Early Friday morning, after goo
nights sleep and partaking Of a goo
! breakfast. we repeated our prepa
4 atoms for another try at the finn
tribe. We secured a supply Of sinner
: and began fishing at the bridge at Ca
E cote Distinguishing now from
e small skiff. Mr.. coker led off and ha
u no difficulty in keeping In the lead unit
I finally hooked an immense bass an
: with the advice of Mr.. Cocker, it W;
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