The Llano colonist. [volume] (Llano, Calif.) 191?-1937, 1922-09-09
ID.LENESS


ted. i is in the heart If one If the
most fertile sections Of the parish. Ii
was. Of course. as all other towns Of
this part Of the country, al one time
the location of small saw mill, but
now since the closing Of the mill it has
grown into an agricultural district.
The land is mostly cut-oyer land,
there being some few hundred acres IF
virgin timber still standing on the south.
north and west sides belonging TO the
Long Bell Company, theB largest lurn-
Der company in the South. The soil
is as fertile as any in Western Louisia-
ma and is less rolling than ii is farther
north or west. thus preventing wash
and making a very desirable farming
section. In fact the nature Of the land
has been such that for the past fifty
years or, more the native inhabitants
have lived and raised large family
on from five to twenty-five acres
Of stumpy land with the aid Of the
saw mill. By the aid of the saw mill
! mean this: Until the mill shut down
the men Of the community were able
TO secure work there at almost any
time. They worked a few days on
their farm planting an acre OF corn,
then rested few days. then worked
at the mill week. then planted some
sweet potatoes, then took rest and
then worked at the mill another week.
Thus, as the years have elapsed, they
have lived not in luxury. but in plenty.
Now that the mill has gone, the town
has been reduced to two stores. small
post office, church. dance hall, a
barber-shop. cold-dyink stand, FAR
mers cooperative potato kiln estab-
lished By the northern farmers VINO
have come to that district, and good
consolidated school.
The school has ranked among the
first Of the parish schools the past
few years. A few more acres have
been cultivated by each farmer and
every family is now forced to earn a
living from the soil or some member
leaves home and works.
Each family has always lived close at
home, the young folks marrying and
living near by until the whole neigh
berhood has become related and they
all live as a great family. Very pleas
ant indeed. No one is allowed to sui
fer, not even new settlers, and for cor
diality no people could excel them.
The very simplest Of living is made
from few range COWS, hogs, goats
chickens and horse or two, IN connec-
lion with a few acres of land; yet all
seem to be happy and all seem to have
plenty to sustain life and no more.
AS a general rule the children at
tend school irregularIy until they have
reached the first OF second year OF
high school and then go home and live
for the future to tell the rest. Some
&c the more industrious children finish
high school and take up college work
Some few go away TO nearby city
and take a business course. Others
40 teaching. Others become clerks
mail carriers, mechanics, draymen'
store keepers, or bosses in some one
horse mill; but only occasionally does
one of these young men and women
Graduate from college and become real
factors Of the world. They have no
desire whatever to know what tbs
world outside their particular parish or
state i doing. Whether the taxes they
,av and the votes they cast go 70 make
Eoye miIlionaires OF to better Their
cond;t;ons makes little difference with
them The outside world is as another
nIsnet % their minds. They consld-
i ths world as a place TO eat sleep
and be merry, only working when then
stomachs are empty and Their knees
bare. cold-
AL stand are benches that are never
s,,,,,, mill late al night, tho there are
mo electric lights in town. Fiere tne
men u and boys gather 70 discuss Us the
I Isn murder, the last theft Or fight, the e
fa s girls al The last dance or to tel
a aae, f;itby story. Here on these ben
s S are great holes cut BY pocket
knives held in idle hands; and mo 'ns ~
, we're at first rough boards, they are {
now worn smooth and many . pair .L O
n ,ap have helped in polishing them hem
lo,vn. Here, from early dawn to late
y night you can see from one g :
knife in one hand. a pair Of dice n tn ae
other, ! chew Of tobacco IN one sl Isss q
he mouth and cigarette Il he osnl ll
IT, sroote ascends into their heads'