"-f,- .-^ aV 't^,, '& -^^ x^"^ '^^- aV .p^ ^<>, Co ■■^■^■^^ ,0 o. o ^0O SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA BIOGRAPHICAL AND HISTORICAL EDITED BY WILLIAM HENRY PERRIN I LLUSTRATED NEW ORLEANS THE GULF PUBLISHING COMPANY BlOOKAPHlCAL AND HISTORICAL VVoRKS 1891 NEW ORLEANS: & Son, Printeks, 99, 101, 103, Gravier St. 1891. INDUCED PREFACE, fHIS VOLUME goes forth to our patrons the result of months of arduous and conscientious labor. None so well know as those who have been as- sociated with us the almost insurmountable difficulties to be met with in the preparation of a work of this character. Since the inauguration of the en- terprise a large force has been employed in collecting material. During this time most of the citizens have been called to contribute from their recollections, carefully preserved letters, scraps of manuscript, memoranda, etc. Public records have been searched, newspaper files have been overhauled, and former citizens have been corresponded with for a verification of the information thus obtanied. In the conflicting statements of individuals, and the discrepancies and incompleteness of public documents, we have given preference to the pre- ponderance of authorit^^ While we acknowledge the existence of errors, as are to be found in all books, we claim to have come up to the standard of our promises, and given as accurate a work as the nature of surroundings would permit. The facts incorporated in the biographical sketches have, in most cases, been secured from the persons whom they represent; hence the publishers disclaim anj^ responsibility as to the matter they contain. Whatever may be the verdict of some, we feel assured that all just and thoughtful people will appre- ciate our efforts, and recognize the importance of the undertaking and the great public benefit that has been accomplished in preserving the valuable his- torical matters of the country, and biographies of many of the citizens, that perhaps would otherwise have passed into oblivion. To those who have given us their support and encouragement we acknowledge our gratitude, and can assure them that as years go by the bock will grow in value as a repositor)', not on!}- of pleasing reading matter, but of treasured information of the past that will become an enduring monum'ent. The Publishers. ,]farch, i8gi. CONTENTS. Chapter I. — Introductory — Southwest Louisiana — Its Beauty and Fertility — Geology — Why the Farmer should Understand the Soil he Cultivates — Resources — General Elevation — Climate — Indians — The Attakapas Country— Its Name Derived from a Powerful Tribe of Indians — A Legend of the " Noble Red Man" — Lake Catahoula — The Western Company — Spanish Occupancy — The Settlement Rapidly Increases Under It— Marriage Under the Spanish Veil — A Trip to New Orleans — Incidents of the Voyage — Louisiana Ceded back to France — Summary, etc 7 Chapter II. — Parish of St. Landry — Boundary and Topography — Timber and Soils — Water Courses — Resources, etc. — Crop Statistics — Early Settlement— Something of the Pioneers — The Creoles — Indian Possession — More Pioneer History — Parish Organization — St. Landry as the County of Opelousas — Where the People Voted — Roads and Railroads— Agriculture — Sugar Making — Rice Culture — Churches and Schools — Opelousas — Its Growth and Business — Other Towns of the Parish — The Press — The Bench and Bar- Pioneer Doctors — Scattered Threads— The Military, etc 27 Chapter III. — Parish of St. Martin — Introductory and Descriptive — Early History — Its Teriitory Lopped Off to Form Other Civil Divisions— The Civil War— Soldiers of St. Martin— Dark Days of Reconstruction — Crop Statistics — Resources, etc. — Parish Government — Schools — From iSii to 1S61 — Calamities that. Visited the Town — Manufacturing Statistics — Fire De- partment — Stores, etc. — Catholic Church — The Story of Evangeline — Vigilance Committees — Battle of Queue Tortue — Pioneer Bar of St. Martin — Breaux Bridge, etc 67 Chapter IV. — Parish of Iberia — Geneial Description — Water Courses, etc. — Residences and Plantations — Prairie au Large — Grand Cote and Petit Anse Island — A Pisgah View — The Avery Salt Mines— Indian Relics — Joe Jefferson's Island — Lake Peigneur — A Land Flowing with Milk and Honey — Early Settlers — First Americans — The Acadians — Organization of the Parish — First Court House — Public Improvements — The Medical Profession — Yellow Fever Epidemics — Old '' Felicity" — Lawyers — Educational — New Iberia Laid Out — Industries — The Oil Mill— Churches, Newspapers, etc.- Jeannerette -Other Towns of Smaller Note, etc . 91 Chapter V. — Paris)i of Calcasieu — Introductory — Topography and Descripiion- Settlement — Reese Perkins — His Magisterial Services — An Incident— The Pioneers — Organization ot ihe Parish — The Seat of Justice — Development of Resources — Fruit Culture — Figs — Rice Grow- ing — Lumber Interests — Evening on the Calcasieu — Railroads — The Watkins Road— Churches and Schools — Lake Charles College — Lawyers and Doctors — Lake Charles Settled — Incor- porated — A Go-Ahead Town — Rice Mill— Saw Mills and Lumber — The Piess — Country Towns — The Sulphur Mine — Many Things of Many Kinds, etc 121 Chapter VI. — The Parish of Cameron— Boundaries and Description— The Coast Mar&h— Fu- ture Development of -Cameron — What Railroads Will Do For It — Settlement— Organization of the Parish — Legislative Act for Its Creation — A Correspondent's Impression of the Country and Its Capabilities— Orange Culture — A Fruit Country Unsurpassed — What the People May Make of It — Climate, etc. — The Medical and Legal Professions — Cnurches and Schools — A Parith Well Supplied with Moral Influences, etc 169 6 CONTENTS. Page. Chapter VII. — Parish o£ Latayette — General Detcription — Darby's Opinion— Geologv and Soils— Beau Basin— The Cote Gelee Hills— Products, etc.— Stock Raising— Health of the Parish— Early Settlement— The Moutons- Other Pioneers— A Character— An Incident- Lafayette Parish Created— Characteristics — Lafayette vs. Vermilionville — The .\cadians— Railroads— Schools, etc.— Bench and Bar— District and Parish Judges — Present Bar— Medi- cal Profession--Board of Health — War Record— The Town of Lafayette— Railroad Ship- ments — Carencro — Other Towns — Queue Tortus Section— General Summary, etc iSi Chapter VIII.— Parish of St. Mary— Topography, etc.— Belle Isle— Geological— Lands Over- flowed and not Overflowed — Sketch of Daniel Dennett — Resources of the Parish — Crop Statistics — In the Good Old Times, etc. — Number of Slaves — Rice — Fruit Growing — Straw- berries — Tobacco— Cliinate and Health — Cote Blanche Island — Early Settlement— Moralizing on the Pioneers^Characteristicf — An Incident — Another — Organization of the Parish — Police Jurors—" Nigger " Rule— The Early Courts and Bar— Military— The Town of Frank- lin — Manufacturing Industries — A Port of Entry — Morgan City, etc 207 Chapter IX. — "A Tale of Acadia" — Introductory — A Glance at Acadia Parish — Prairie on Fire — Resources — A Western Editor's Impressions of Southwestern Louisiana — Early Set- tlement — A German Colony — Joseph Fabacher — An Ode to the German Emigrant — Intro- duction of Rice Culture — Making Hay — Organization of the Parish — Act of the Legislature — Incorporation of Parish — Officials — Court Houses and Jails — The Town of Crowlev — Laying Out of Same — Other Towns — Schools and Churches — The Acadia College — Gen- eral Summary, etc 223 Chapter X. — Parish of Vermilion— Topography and Description — Soils and Crops — Agricul- tural Statistics — Fruit Culture — Pecan Island— Shadowy Traditions Concerning It — Ghosts of Dead Men — Opinion of an Ex-Governor — Settlement of the Parish — Act Orgaiiizing It — Town of Abbeville — Change of the Parish Seat — The Catholic Church — .Seat of Justice Finally Located — Abbeville Incorporated — Business Men's Directory — Perry's Bridge — Military History— The War of 1S12 — Soldiers in the Late War— Schools — The Bench and Bar — Benevolent Associations, etc.. 243 Appendix. — Facts of Interest to the Reader — Evangeline — Constitution of the State — The Acadians — Lafitte the Piiate — Lafitte the Patriot — Battle of New Orleans, etc 257 Index (Part II) 3S9 BIOGRAPHICAL ''age. Page. AcAuiA Parish 251 St. Laxurv Parish 3 Calcasieu Parish 137 St. Martin Parish 309 Iberia Parish 93 St. Mary Parish 357 Lafayette Parish 201 Vermilion Parish 277 ILLUSTRATIONS. Page. Page. Anding, H. W. (Part II) 119 McGixley, B. F. (Part II) 51 Broussard, J. T. (Part I; 195 Moore, E. O. (Part II) i Bryan, J. W. (Part I) 127 Opelousas Female Institute, (Part I) 25 DusoN, C. C. (Part I) 229 Smith, J. P. (Part I) 59 Francez, Roman (Part II) 255 Thomp.son, J. J. (Part I) 293 Gray, H. M. (Part II) 1S7 Ware, J\o. M. (Part I). 357 SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA. CHAPTER I. Introduction — Southwest Louisiana — Its Beauty and Fertility — Geo- logical — Why the Farmer Should Understand the Soil He Cultivates — Resources — General Elevations — Climate — The At- TAKAPAS Country — Its Name Derived from a Powerful Indian Tribe — A Legend of the "Noble Redman" — Lake Ca-ta-oula — The Western Company — Spanish Occupancy — The Settlements Rapidly Increase — Marriage Under the Spanish Veil — A Visit TO New Orleans — Incidents of the Tuip — Lolisiaxa Ceded Back to France. .-.i^OUTHWEST LOUISIANA is a beautiful country. No man ought to de- ■^ sire a more lovely or richer country. It possesses everything necessary ^ ' to wealth and the enjoyment of life. No extremes of climate are known here. No burning suns, no frozen snows, no chilling winds a:»e felt. A healthful atmosphere, purified by the gulf breeze, prevails throughout the year. What then does it lack? Nothing but enterprise to properly develop it, and to let the out- side world know what is here. No better description of Southwest Louisiana can be given than that found in Mr. Daniel Dennett's little book, published in 1876; and much of it is used in this work. It was prepared with great care and from personal investigation. •' From the northern boundary of St. Landry to the gulf coast, the distance is about one hundred miles; and from the Belle River, the eastern line of the parish of Iberia, to Lake Arthur, the western limits of the parish of Vermilion, the distance is about eight\^-five miles. The sea marsh on the coast of Attaka- pas has an average width of more than twent}' miles. The southern boundary of these parishes is in latitude twenty-nine and a half degrees. The northern limits of the parish of St. Landry reach latitude thirty one, near the true cotton belt of the Southern States. " The six parishes of St. Landry, St. Martin, St. Mary, Iberia, Vermilion and Lafayette, contain more than 3,000,000 acres of tillable land, most of it of inexhaustible fertility. Even most of the sea marsh and all of the swamp lands may be reclaimed by local levees and proper drainage and may become the most 8 SOUTHWEST L O UISIANA • productive rice and sugar lands in the State. Windmill pumps may relieve the reclaimed marsh lands from surplus water, for the winds blow nlmost constantly near the gulf coast. On the border of the sea marsh of St. Mary and Iberia, extending from a point below Berwick's Bay to and into the parish of Vermilion, ■\ line of forest trees, mostly heavy cypress, stand as the dividing line and wall between the marsh and the tillable land of the Atchafalaxa and the Teche. In places this line of timber is from one to two miles wide. This line of forest extends down to tiie mouth of Bayou Sale on both sides and down both sides of Bayou Cypre-mort. At Petit Anse Island the sea marsh and prairie meet and the chain of timber is broken for a few miles. .On the side of this crooked chain of timber, ne.xt to the plantations, in places, there is a heavy growth of gum, oak, ash, hackberry, and an undergrowth of dogwood, vines, palmetto, haw, etc. These lines of timber, reckoning that on both sides of Bayou Sale and Bayou Cypre-mort is over 125 miles in extent. " In the lower or eastern part of the parish of St. Mary, around Berwick's Bay and the lower Teche, the highest land is about ten feet above the level of the Gulf of Mexico. Near Franklin the highest bank is from twelve to thirteen feet. Near Breaux Bridge, the first bank is twenty-two feet high, and the second bank twenty-seven feet. In the parish of Lafayette, the Cote Gelee Hills, Beau Basin and the banks of the Vermilion are forty feet above the level of the gulf. The general average of St. Landry is about sixty feet above the same level. The parish of Vermilion is about on a level with St. Mary. The highest elevations on Belle Isle, Cote Blanche, Grande Cote and Petit Anse island, are from 160 to 185 feet above tide water." In his preliminar}' report of a Geological Survey of Western Louisiana, Prof. Hilgard says: '* Few sections of the United States, indeed, can offer such inducements to settlers as the prairie region between the Mississippi bot- toms, the Nez Pique and the Mermentau Rivers. Healthier by far than the prairies of the Northwest, fanned by the sea breeze, well watered, the scarcity of wood rendered of less moment b}- the blandness of the climate; and the ex- traordinary rapidit}' with which natural hedges can be grown for fences, while the exuberantly fertile soil produces both sugar cane and cotton in profusion, continuing to do so in many cases after seventy years' exhaustive culture, well may the Teche countr}' be styled by its enthusiastic inhabitants the ' Eden of Louisiana.""" Said the editor of the Chicago Tribune, after visiting Southwest Louisiana : "If, by some supreme effort of nature. Western Louisiana, with its soil, climate and production, could be taken up and transported North, to the latitude of Illinois and Indiana, and be there set down in the pathway of Eastern and Western travel, it would create a commotion that would throw the discovery of gold in California in the -'lade at the time of the greatest excitement. The HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL. » people would rush to it in countless thousands. Eveiy man would be intent on securing a few acres of these wonderfully productive and profitable sugar places. These Teche lands, if in Illinois, would bring from -^300 to $500 per acre." Why Farmers Should L'liderslaiid Their Soils. — The two subjects of supreme importance in all countries are those of soil and cHmate. The corner- stone upon which all of life rests is the farmer. Who then should be so versed as he in the knowledge of the soil ? What other information can be so valuable to him as the mastery of the science of Geology, or at least that much of it as applies to the part of the earth where he casts his fortunes and cultivates the soil? But it is not intended to go into a treatise on Geology. The regular geological survey of the State will give all facts pertaining to the constituent elements of the soil, and what particular soils are best adapted to certain crops. The effects of the soil on people and on animals are as strong and certain as upon the vegetation that springs from it. Where the soil and subjacent rocks are profuse in the bestowal of wealth, and the air is deprived of that invigorat- ing tonic that comes of the winters of the temperate climates, man is indolent and effeminate. Where effort is required to live, he becomes enlightened and virtuous. But when on the sands of the desert, or in the jungles of Africa or Brazil, where he is unable to procure the necessities or comforts of life, he lives a savage. It is told that Prof. Agassiz was once appealed to by some horse breeders in reference to developing a certain strain of horses. He told them it was not a question of equestrianism, but one of rocks. To most men this replv would have been meaningless, yet it was full of wisdom. It signified that certain rock formations that underlie the soil would insure a certain growth of grasses and produce certain water, and the secret of the perfect horse lay here. Then what subject interests the farmer more than the soil he cultivates? Here and there are to be found an intelligent farmer or machinist who un- derslandcthe simple scientific principles that govern their work or occupation. Their knowledge is powei-. In every turn of life they stand upon vantage ground, and their lives are successful in the broad sense of that term. They understand the soil they till, or the implements of industry they are called on to make or use. They kiiovj where ignorance guesses, doubts and fears, and by not know- ing so often fails. The farmer will take his place among earth's noblest and best only when he forces his way there, by the superior intelligence, culture and eloquence with which his mode of life is capable of surrounding itself. Understand your soil and your climate, and master the art of cultivation of those things for wiiich it is best adapted, and at once your business will take rank with the noblest of the professions. Resources. — The natural resources of Southwest Louisiana are scarcely known, for the countrv has never been taxed to its full capacity, even in the 10 so UTH WEST L O UISIA NA : production of the standard crops and fruits. Cotton and cane, for years and years the principal crops raised in this section, until within the last few years have never been cultivated in a manner to bring out the full strength of the soil. Under the old regime in the South, in planting time the top of tiie ground was scratched off — it could hardly be called plowing — and the crops put in. Nature and the slaves were left to do the balance, while the planter, with his family, enjoyed themselves at some Northern watering place. Of course, such farming is not calculated to improve land, or show just what it will produce. There is no sort of question but that Louisiana, with her excellent lands and fine climate, and with judicious farming, will prove among the most valuable in tlie Republic. Some statistics from the different parishes comprised in this work show something of the products of this section. In St. Landrj^ the principal crops, as stated above, were cotton and cane, but of late years, rice, corn, potatoes, melons, pumpkins, ha3s gardens, fruits, etc., are being produced with great profit to the planter. Stock raising, fine stock, is also becoming a profit- able business. In St. Martin, the Teche lands are considered the richest and most valuable in the State, and all the crops grown here are produced in abund- ance. Sugar, cotton, corn, tobacco, indigo, fruits, melons, in fact anj'thing ever grown in the same latitude, no portion of Louisiana can excel St. Martin's parish. In the parish of Lafayette there is considerable fine prairie land, which is extremely productive, and produces all the crops of the surrounding parishes. Some of the most valuable plantations in the parish of Iberia are found along the Bayou Teche. In addition to the usual crops grown elsewhere in southwest Louisiana, a number of very fine orange groves may be seen in tliis parish. The parish of Vermilion produces excellent crops of sugar, cotton, rice, corn, potatoes, etc. It is also valuable for its fine timber. Fruits, and particularly peaches, do well in Vermilion. In St. Mary's parish there is not, it is said, an acre of poor land in the parish.' All crops and fruits that flourish in the Attakapas countr)^ do well in St. Mary. The parish of Calcasieu is orve of the finest rice producing sections in the State. The last census shows that Louisiana produced more rice the past year than all the States put together, and Calcasieu proved the banner parish in rice culture. The lumber interests of Calcasieu, and some others of these parishes, are not the least sources of their wealth. But many other facts of interest, including stock statistics, will be given in the history of the individual parishes. Climate. — The following, on the climate of Soutlivvestern Louisiana, is by one* who lias given mucli stud}' to the matter: " By Southwest Louisiana is meant that portion of tlie State of Louisiana one hundred miles from north to south and one hundred miles from east to west in the southwest corner of the Stale. This favored spot is blessed with a climate * W. II. Clint, of [.:ike Charles. HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL. 11 that is exceptionally fine. While much may be truthfully said favorably of the climate of the entire gulf coast, it is nevertheless true, that this favored spotsur- passes all other portions of the South, and I verily believe any other part of America, in the delightfulness of its climate. Having resided here nearly two years, and having diligently inquired of the old inhabitants, I think I am prepared to discuss this subject intelligently. " And first I ask, why is this particular one hundred miles square more favor- ed than any other section of equal extent in the same latitude? I will give you some of tlie physical causes that, in my judgment, produce this result, i. The Gulf of Mexico reaches its northernmost latitude west of the Mississippi river on the coast of Southwest Louisiana. 2. The inner gulf stream, a stream with a current of two to three miles an hour, flowing parallel with the coast, makes its nearest approach to the land at the mouth of Calcasieu Pass. This brings the warm water of the South to our shores, tempering the atmosphere as it comes in contact with it. 3. Large bodies of water, in the form of lakes, are distributed along the coast from five to fort}' miles inland. These bodies of water, connected with the gulf as they are, tend to modify the atmosphere, cooling it in summer and warming it in winter. And as the sun heats and rarefies the air on land, the air that has become cooled by contact with the water passes inland to fill the vacuum, thus producing a constant succession of delightful breezes, which reach inland about one hundred miles. Then north of this region, which is mostly prairie, stretches avast forest of stately pine, magnificent oak, beautiful pecan and tall hickory, with many shrubs and smaller trees in the intermediate spaces. This forest reaches up through this State and Arkansas to the Missouri line, where it has in its front, as a line of breastworks against the northern bliz- zards, the Ozark mountains. " Whoever has tried the experiment of getting behind a barn for shelter from the cutting wind on a cold moVning in the North, and has then stepped out from behind the barn and felt the keen wind strike him with its biting breath, can understand our situation while sheltered behind the great natural barrier composed of the great forests and mountains; and can understand how it is that we enjoy a better climate than our neighbors who are from behind the shelter. When the blizzard from Minnesota or Dakota starts southward, it meets an obstruction in the Ozark mountains that divides its main force, while the portion that succeeds in passing the mountains is still further obstructed, and modified b}' the forest, so that by the time it reaches Southwest Louisiana, it is hut a cool wave, producing rainfall, but rarely any frost. "The main body of the blizzard being divided, one wing sweeps down through Indian Territory and Texas, and is called a ' Norther,' and is much dreaded even in Southern Texas. The other wing sweeps down the Missisippi vallev, as through a tunnel, producing a prodigious rainfall. Staiistics show 12 .S O I -77/ U 'ES r LOl 7 SI A XA : that while New Orleans Ikis a rainfall of seventy-five inches per annum, Lake Charles, the chief city of Southwest Louisiana, has a rainfall of but fifty inches. "The temperature of this region is more even than it is either east or v/est of us. During the blizzard of January, 1887, ^^ lowest temperature reached here was 25' above zero. At the same time in Houston, Tex., due west, the thermometer reached 18° above zero, while one hundred miles west of Houston it reached ii"" above. At the same time directly east of us one hundred miles and upward, the thermometer marked 23^', 19'^ and 18^ above zero. The higliest temperature reached in Lake Charles (since I came here) is 95° above zero, and the lowest 30" above. The difference in temperature from one month to another is rarely more than 5 to 8', and the difference from noon to midniglit not more than 5'^ to 10''. This makes it very pleasant and healthful. The climate is specially beneficial to those troubled with lung, nasal and throat diseases. The .summers are not so hot and sultr}' as the}- are in the Northwestern States but are much longer. The delightful gulf breezes make it pleasant even in the middle of the summer, except during the middle of the day — from 10 o'clock A. m. to 4 o'clock p. M. —and even then it is pleasant in the shade. The winters are de- lightful. Althougli tiiere is a greater rainfall in winter than in summer, and it is sometimes chilly, damp and disagreeable for from one to three davs at a time, it soon changes when the wind changes to the south, and is so warm and pleas- ant that for weeks at a time we do not light fires in our sitting rooms or parlors, and men work in tiie open air in their shirt sleeves. " We, therefore, claim with confidence that Southwest Louisiana possesses a climate superior to any other portion of the gulf coast, and of California, in these particulars: First, a more even temperature: second, greater freedom from windstorms; third, a more even distribution of rainfall; fourth, cooler in summer and warmer in winter; fifth, healthier. Take it all the year round, I be- lieve our climate is unsurpassed on this green earth." The Atlakapas Country. — The magnificent region known as tlie " Atta- kapas Country " embraces the larger portion of the territory to which this work is devoted. The very interesting historical sketch of it given herewith was written by Col. Felix Voorliies, of St. Martinsville, especialh' for this work. It is as follows : " The vast region known as tlie ' Attakapas District,' under the Spanish and French occupancy of Louisiana, comprised the territor}' now forming the parislies of St. Martin, St. Landr}-, Iberia, Lafayette, Acadia, Vermilion and St. Mar}-. It was bounded on tlie north by the Avoyelles District, on the east by the Atchafalaya River and Grand Lake, on the south by the Gulf of Mexico, and on the west by tlie Mermentau River and the chain of lakes through which it flows. Its name was derived from that of the Attakapas Indians, a powerful tribe which, at one time, possessed the wiiole of this region. lUSrORICAL AA/) BJOGRAPHICAL. 13 " The Attaknpas Indians were much dreaded b)' other Indian tribes. They liad the reputation of eating their prisoners of war, and lience their name, which means ' man eater.' There is a tradition that the Attakapas Nation becoming more and more aggressive, the neighboring tribes- of Chactas (Choctaws), Alibamons, and Opelousas formed a league for the purpose of resisting their aggressions, and to repel their inroads and attacks. A war of extermination ensued. Several severe skirmishes took place. Finally, the liated and bloodthirsty Attakapas Indians were almost annihilated in a great battle, fought on the hills three miles west of the town of St. Martinsville. Now powerless to do harm, the remnant of the once warlike Attakapas was either incorporated in the victorious tribes, or allowed to remain unmolested in the district. Their degenerate descendants may be seen, even at this da}-, at Indian Bend of the Teche, a little above the town of Franklin. From the time of this terrible overthrow the Attakapas ceased to be known and feared as a tribe. " This occurred shortly before the advent of the white man in Louisiana. Tlie conquered territory was divided among the victors. That part of the district which now forms the parish of St. Landry was allotted to the Opelousas, and went by that name until after the cession of Louisiana to the United States. The Alibamons had for their share of the spoils that part of the district which extends from the Vermilion Bayou to the River Mermentau, whilst the Clioctaws took possession of the Teche country. But although thej' located two or three villages on the Teche and Vermilion Bayous, tlie immense Attakapas region was b}- mutual consent reserved as hunting grounds for the three con- federated tribes. An Indian Legend. — " The Teche has its Indian legend, which we deem not unworthy of a space in the historical sketch of the country. It is related tliat in remote days an enormous snake was seen on the banks of the bayou. Its great size, the poisonous stench of its breath, the lashing of its tail when it had become infuriated, disma3-ed the Indians, and spread consternation in the neighborhood. A great body of warriors assembled, but no one dared to ap- proach the monster for some time. Finally, however, it was dispatched with clubs, after it had been repeatedly wounded with arrows. To commemorate this event, the Indians gave the name of Tenchc to the stream, the word Tenche signifying snake. " In connection with this, it may not be amiss to give a passing- notice to lake Cata-oulou, the sacred lake of the Indians. It lies ensconced, as it were, in the deep solitude of the great forest which skirts the Attakapas prairie on the east of the Teche, about nine miles from the town of St. Martinsville, the word Cata-oulou meaning sacrifice. The beauty of its scenery and its picturesque landscapes have probably no equal in the State. Its water has the transparency 14 SOVTHWliST LOUISIANA: of crystal and its depth averages from ninet}' to one hundred feet. The sinuosities of its steep and precipitous banks and its width, which does not exceed 500 yards, lead us to believe that at one time it may have been the bed of some mighty river, perhaps the Mississippi itself. The Indians of the surrounding country repaired to this spot to propitiate, with their offerings and sacrifices, thS Great Spirit, the all powerful Manitou. In its crj^stalline waters they plunged themselves to get cleansed of their moral and physical impurities. In its sacred waters they dipped their amulets and arrows to avert approaching calamities, and as a pro- tection against the devices of the evil spirit. He wlio could not make this pil- grimage felt despondent and unhappy, and his inabilit}' to follow the others iii^ their saintly journey bode him no good. If, whilst performing his immersion in the like, one should happen to drown, his memory was ex'ecrated and his deatli was considered the judgment of the great Manitou in atonement for the crimes committed by him. Tlie lake is still called Cata-oulou, tlie lake of sacrifice, but the great Manitou, like his Indian worshipper, is now a thing of the past. The picturesque and beautiful lake, with its transparent waters, is now a summer resort, wliere the lover of solitude and the people of St. Martinsville and of the adjoining villages in the sultry hours of the dog days seek tiie coolness and shade of the majestic oaks that line its banks. "Toward the middle of tlie last century, St. Martinsville was known as the Poste des Attakapas — tiie civil and military concerns of the whole district were administered there. Even at that remote period the Poste des Attakapas had acquired a certain importance, although it consisted of but a small church without an officiating priest most of the time, an ill-constructed barracks for the pahry garrison under the orders of the commandant, and of a small store where the scattered settlers of the neighborhood traded. " Prior to the occupancy of Louisiana bj^ the Spanish government the At- takapas district had been overlooked most shamefulh' by the colonial government; although picturesque and beautiful, it was ihea a wild region inhabited mostly by Indians and by a few white men, trappers and hunters. Its immense prairies, covered with tall weeds were the commons where herds of cattle and of deer roamed and grazed unmolested save by the hunter or the crouching panther. Such was the region which, by the energy of its first settlers, was transformed into a country teeming with such wealth and plenty as subsequently to deserve the appellation of the 'Eden of Louisiana.' " During that earlj' period no mention is made of the Attakapas district in history. The Attakapas region is mentioned only once in the annals of that time, where we read that in 1757, under the administration of Kerlerec, ' a few French Canadians, deeming it to be the direst of calamities to submit to the Eng- lish yoke, abandoned their homes in Canada to join their countrymen in Louisi- ana.' None of the existing archives of the district fix, however, with certainty HISTORICAL AND niOGRAPIIICAI. i:, the dale ot theii- settlement in the Teche region. As early as 1723. the vast province of Louisiana had been divided into seven districts, each one of which was administered in its civil and military concerns by a commandant and a judf^e. The Attakapas region was included within the territorial limits of the OrU^ans district. '• Louisiana was then under the administration of the Western Companv, chartered by the King of France, and acting under his auspices. Although largely engaged in agriculture on its large plantations established on the river, in proximity of the city of New Orleans, the company had but one object in view': it was that of amassing boundless wealth in the rich mines said to e.\ist in Missouri. Led astray by these mining delusions, the company neglected the only real and true source of the wealth of the colony — the development of its resources by the intelligent husbandry and culture of its soil of unsurpassing richness and fertility. It was for that reason that the remote parts of the Orleans district remained an almost unexplored wilderness, and that the Attakapas region, neglected bj- the company, continued during its administration to be in- habited only by a few trappers and Indians, who found on its immense prairies, where vast herds of cattle roamed at large, and in its lakes and bayous, well stocked with fish and game, a fruitful source of profit and sustenance. " The district officers had their residence in the city of New Orleans, and seldom visited, if at all, the Attakapas region, although easy of access, through the numerous bayous and lakes, outlets of the Mississippi, forming a network of water courses for communication, unrivaled in any other country. Sfanish Occupancy. — " The Attakapas region, which has been immortal- ized by the pen of a great American poet, remained in that state of stagnancy, with its resources undeveloped, until its transfer bj- France to Spain. Its popu- lation at that time, as shown by the census ordered by O'Reilly, amounted to 409 persons, all told. But from that period, A. D. 1770, a new era of prosperity dawned on the Attakapas region. The Spanish government, wiser than its pre- decessor, and having no faith in the idle dreams and mining delusions of the Western Company, understood that the wealth of the colony depended on the development of its agricultural resources, and in the raisingof stock and cattle in its rich pasturage grounds. The fostering of these industries became the fixed policy of the Spanish government, audit spared no pains and neglected nothing to make it a success. For this purpose, military posts were stationed in the dif- ferent districts of the province. The Poste des Attakapas was stationed on the Teche. The posts were given in charge of officers of the ami}-, and certain powers were conferred upon them for the civil and militar}- administration of their respective districts. Their duties in civil matters were alike to those now performed by justices of the peace in the different parishes of the State. Their jurisdiction in civil matters attached whenever the value of the object in dispute K; .so*' 'THWEsr L OUISIANA : did not exceed $20^-in cases of greater impertance, their duty was to receive tlie petitions and answers of tlie litigants, to take down their evidence in writing, and to transmit the whole to headquarters in tlie cit\', for further proceedings. Tliey were tlie executive officers of the district, when a judgment was to be exe- cuted — as notaries, their acts were authentic — as judges the settlement of es- tates was one of their attributes — as military officers, they examined the pass- ports of strangers, and allowed none to settle within their jurisdiction without a permit from the governor. "To the credit of the settlers be it written that the archives show that in those days litigation was exceedingly rare. The colonists were amply provided with the necessaries of life, and plainness and simplicity of manners were their char acteristic virtues. Besides, these commandants were arbiters in all their differ- ences. Their decisions, as a general thing, were so just and equitable that they proved satisfactory to all, and put an end to litigation. In certain cases, these commandants, in the absence of an officiating priest, were authorized to cele- brate marriages, whicli were called marriages fer verba de present/'. This cus- tom was sanctioned by the government for want of spiritual assistance, on con- dition tliat these marriages were to be solemnized before the church on the first opportunity, although a failure of the solemnization did not entail nullity of the marriage. " It may not be amiss to mention here a peculiar marriage ceremony which was sometimes performed. It was termed the marriage 'under the Spanish veil ' {sous le voile espagiiol). It was a ceremony wherein four persons held up a white veil over the parties in front of the priest who was celebrating the mar- riage. "The lands of the district were parceled out or surveyed and granted to the families in quantities to be determined according to their means, and the only conditions imposed on the grantees were: 'that within three j'ears' possession they should make the necessar}' levees to protect the lands from overflows and ditches to drain them, keep the roads running along the levees in good repair: that the roads should be forty feet wide, witli bridges of twelve feet over the ditches crossing the road; and within the three 3'ears" possession that the}' should clear the timber on their lands to a depth of at least three arpents from their front lines.' These conditions were imposed as an incentive to the cultivation of the lands so donated, since, if violated, these lands were to revert to the crown. In certain localities, the land granted measured one square league: and in cases of urgency or necessity a double or rear concession of similar extent was do- nated. " The policy of the government had the desired effect — attracted by the richness of the soil, the beauty and salubrity of the country, settlers, mostly of French origin, came in from every direction. The district of Attakapas HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL. 17 received at that time a most valuable accession to its population by tlie arrival cf Spanish emigrants from the Canary Islands and of Acadian refugees from the British possessions. " These Spanish emigrants, under the order of Don Louis Bouligny, settled where the town of New Iberia now stands, but having failed in their attempt to raise hemp and flax, and being discouraged b}^ their failure, they settled on the lands bordering on Lake Tasse, in the parish of St. Martin. Their descendants, the Romeros, the Lopez, the Leguras, the Viators, occupy still the land gran*-ed to their ancestors. Some of these families are now classed among the ichest in the land. They are noted for their hospitality and for the fervor with which they cling to their friends. Honest and laborious, they constitute one of the best elements of the country. The Acadians. — " These people had come from the barren and desolate shores of Acadia, now Nova Scotia. Several years previous to their emigration to Louisiana, England, which had wrested that province from the possession of France in America, had resolved to exterminate the Acadians, solel)' for their love for their mother country, and of their devotion to the Catholic faith. To carry out this horrible design, ships were dispatched to Acadia and filled with its unfortunate inhabitants, who were kidnapped by ruffians in British unifoi'm. The Acadians were transported to distant regions, and were landed on the sand}- coasts of the Atlantic from Delaware to Maryland, and left penniless to shift for themselves, to die of cold and hunger. They had been robbed of their mone}^ and stripped of all that thej' possessed. This cruelty met with universal repro- bation, and these unfortunates received the kindest treatment wherever they were landed, and the public authorities supplied them liberally. But the Acadians, loathing all connection with those whose language was tliat of their oppressors, determined to seek the land of Louisiana, and breathe once more the air in which floated the spotless banner of France. To achieve their purpose, they had to travel overland more than a thousand miles, through a trackless wilderness. The}' had to overcome obstacles without number, exposed to the attacks of Indians that beset their path. It was a perilous enterprise before which quailed the stoutest heart. But undismayed and nothing daunted by the perils to which they were to be exposed, and the obstacles they had to over- come, they started on this overland pilgrimage from Mar3'land to the Tennessee River, which the}- had finally reached after untold sufferings, the very picture of despair and of dejection. They embarked in boats hastily constructed, and glided down the Tennessee River, until they launched on the turbulent waters of the Mississippi, and floated down that noble stream as far as Bayou Plaquemine, in the county of Iberville. There they landed, freed once more from British rule, among friends who received them wuth open hearts, and who vied with one another in relieving llieir distress, and ministering to their wants. Sliortly IS so urn WEST LOi VSIA NA : afterward, they left for the Attakapas district, wliere lands had been allotted to tliem. They wended their way through dismal swamps and bayous without number before reaching their homes near the Poste des Attakapas. "There, tlie different Acadian lamiHes separated to settle on the lan.Ls donated to them. They were the Leblancs, the Martins, the Broussards, llie Gilbeaux, the Bernards, the Arceneaux, the Babins, the Breaux, the Robicheaux, the Heberts and the Dugas, the Landry's and the Mclancons. Most of these families settled on the Teche, and soon they had cleared their lands and built comfortable homes. Laborious and honest, economical and orderly- in their affairs, the}' lived contented with what little thej' had. The}' soon enriched themselves and became the leading planters and citizens of tlie district. Increase of Pofuhilion. — " The population had largely increased, and tlie district of Attakapas was now highly prosperous. Its commerce had acquired a certain importance, and was carried on mainly with barges through the numer- ous lakes and bayous which led to the Mississippi River. The proprietors of these barges had their own landing places in the coulees that opened in the prairies of the Teche, and which fell in the lakes and bayous, and these landing.s went under the name oi -poi'tages. There were then several of these portages in the district, the principal of which were those of Cypre-mort, the portage Sauvage, and the portage Guidry — at these places travelers going to the city embarked on the barges, already laden with the products of the district. A trip to the city in those days was no small affair, as it required at least six weeks to effect it. The travelers had to provide themselves with whatever was necessary for their comfort diiring the voyage. They had their tents and provisions, their cooks and servants. The captains of the barges assumed no other responsibility than that of conducting their passengers safely to their place of destination. No traveling was done during the night. Toward sunset, the barge was safely moored to the embankment, of the river or lake on which they happened to be, and the tents were pitched, and the long liours of the night were whiled away in the best manner possible; whenever the current was strong the barges were pulled slowly along with ropes, and it required hours of that tedious work to ad- vance a few miles. As may be well imagined, traveling in those days was no little concern, and none but such as belonged to tlie wealthy class could afford the luxury of a trip to the city of New Orleans. " Numerous farms now dotted the right banks of the Teche, as it was con- sidered useless and unsafe to cultivate the lands on its east side, as they were exposedto annual overflows. The lands on the east of the Teche were used solely as pasturage grounds during the low stage of the waters. Indigo, rice, tobacco, corn and cotton were cultivated successfully. The intercourse between the settlers had assumed that feature of politeness and urbanity which character- izes the French people. The advent of several cadets of the noble families of France and of Spain contributed no little toward increasing the sociability in the HISTORH AL AND BIOGRAPNHAL. 1!» colonv bv their good breeding and courtly manners. These cadets had settled in Louisiana to seek, that fortune and distinction to which they could not aspire in tlie mother country, where the first born inherited the estates and dignities of the family. Prominent among them were the Deblancs, the Delalioussayes, the Delacroix, the Devezins, the Declouets, and many others, who took a conspicu- ous part in the affairs of the colony and occupied the first posts in the district. '* The colony was now prospering more than ever under the paternal dominion of Spain. The government granted lands witu a princely Hberality to all that were deserving of the King's bounty, and the administration, with vig- ilant care and by the just and equitable enforcement of the laws, protected its subjects equally in their life and in their property, which now had become val- uable and productive. Such was the prosperous and healthy condition of the district when Louisiana was retroceded to France in 1803, by the treaty of San Ildelonso." Riiilroads and Waterways. — Southwestern Louisiana, and particularly that portion embraced in this volume, is well supplied with navigable streams. This is good as far as it goe«, but it does not go far enough. It is the railroads that make a country. Plenty of railroads through this section tc compete with the waterways would make it one of the richest and most desirable localities in which to live almost in the world. The railroad, in this age of improvement and in- vention, although scarcely known three-quarters of a century ago, has become the greatest single factor in the development of the material and social progress not only of the United States but of other civilized nations of the earth. As late as 1825 the then longest railroad in the United States was from Mauch Chunk coal mines to the Lehigh River in Pennsylvania, and was nine miles in length. So slow, however, was the co struction of railroads ai their beginning that in 1834 the longest railroad in the world extended from Charleston, S. C, to Augusta, Ga., a distance of one hundred and thirty miles. But without tracing its growth the railroad system of the United Stales, now forming a perfect net-work of iron and steel in every portion of the country on which daily and nightl\- continuously run thousands of locomotives, and tens of thousands of freight and passenger cars loaded with the products of the country-, with valuable merchandise from every part of the world, and with thous inds and thousands of human beings, dashing with lightning speed from city to city, and from State to State, from the Atlantic to the Pacific, and from the lakes of the North to the Southern gulf, representing a capital of more than ^5,000,000, is one of the most marvelous achievements of this great country. The Southern Pacific Railwa}-, which has had so great an influence in the development of Southwestern Louisiana, has an interesting history, and without a synopsis of it this work would not, perhaps, be considered complete, and it will be added in this connection. It was compiled by one perfectly familiar with its histor)-. and is substantially correct. It is as follows: 20 soi-r/nvES7' l oi 'i si ax a .- "It was incorporated December 2, 1865, ^o '"" ti'om the peninsula of San Francisco to San Diego via San Jose. It was composed of men who were not identified with the Central Pacific people. It was built to San Jose, and Octo- ber II, 1870, it consolidated with the local companies, and the combined companies went under the name of the Southern Pacific Company, and enlarged its plans to a scheme to construct a road to the Colorado River. Tiie leading spirits of the Central Pacific secured control of it, and had the charter so amended as to change the line from its original course, and extended it from Goshen southward, commencing at the terminus of the Central Pacific. The construction of the road accordingl}' went on without a halt through 1872, 1873 and 1874. 1 he whole southern half of the great basin of California was trav- ersed — the extraordinary feat of penetrating Tehashipi Pass was accomplished, the Mojave Plains were crossed, local lines were secured, and the wonderfulh- fertile country of Los Angeles was reached, 482 miles from San Francisco. "All the lower half of the Stale had been traversed, and the changes which it had worked are almost inconceivable. The great San Joaquin Plains were cleared of cattle and sheep, and at first great grain fields were cultivated, and they have been rapidly yielding to orchards and vineyards. The settlement of the valley increased enormousl}' The country about Los Angeles and the city itself were aroused to wonderful activity. The wealth of the whole half of the State south of Sacramento River increased with unheard-of rapidity, for emigrants were pouring in from the Eastern States, and, according to tlie basis adopted by the census department of the Federal Government, each emigrant added $1000 to the wealth of the State. "The ambition of these tireless railroad builders was not satisfied, and it soon became evident that a southern overland route was in contemplation. The road was pushed southward and eastward, and on the 23d of Ma}% 1877, it struck the Colorado River, at Fort Yuma, 248 miles from Los Angeles, and 731 from San Francisco. This ended the eastern progress of the Southern Pacific Railroad of California; but largely from the ^personnel of that coinpan}- was organized October 7, 1878, the Southern Pacific of Arizona. This company broke ground at Yuma, November 19, 1878, and Casa Grande, 183 miles from Yuma, was reached on tiie 19th of May, 1879. Here there was a pause until January 26, 1880, when the work of pushing eastward was recommenced, and on the i8th of March a train was drawn into Tucson, 978 miles from San Francisco, and, in celebration of the event, Mr. Charles Crocker, the master spirit of the enterprise, was given a grand reception by the citizens. " The Southern Pacific Railroad Company of New Mexico, organized on a basis similar to that of the others, pushed the road into New Mexico, and in December, 1879, a second overland route was established, when the trains of the Southern Pacific rolled into Deming, 1198 miles from San Francisco, and HISTORICAL A.VD BIOGRAPHICAL. 21 made connection with the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe road. This accom- plishment, however, by no means satisfied the ambition or met the final purpose of the railroad builders — a direct line of their own to the Mississippi River was the perfect solution of a southern overland route; and with this end in view the constructors turned their backs on Deming, and on the 19th of Ma}-, 1881, they had the tracks laid into El Paso, Texas, 1287 miles from San Francisco. " By this time the eyes of the whole world were fixed upon the daring men who were conducting their gigantic enterprise. They had crossed the wild deserts of Arizona and New Me.xico — had they means and courage to throw a line across the vast expanse of Texas? On went the work without a lialt or doubt; taming this wild, unsettled country and unlocking it to the world. On the 6th of December, 1881, the road entered Sierra Blanca, 1377 miles from San Francisco, and there made connection with the Te.xas and Pacific Railway. This opened a second and more direct route to the East, but it by no means filled the aims of the builders. New Orleans was the objective point, and it was 1 100 miles away • Without a moment's hesitation the}' assailed the task. " Meanwhile, General Pierce was building the line westward from San An- tonio, Texas, and on Christmas day of 1882 the two lines met at DeviFs River, and connection was established between San Francisco and New Orleans. The Galveston, Harrisburg & San Antonio, the oldest railroad line in Texas, had long been in operation between San Antonio and Houston. The Texas & New Orleans Railroad ran from Houston to Orange on the Sabine River; Orange con- nected with Morgan's Louisiana & Texas Railroad at Lafayette by means of the Louisiana Western Railroad; and Morgan's road connected Lafayette and New Orleans. The distance from El Paso to Houston is 850 miles, and from Houston to New Orleans is 360 miles. By arrangements with the various lines between Houston and New Orleans the Southern overland route from San Francisco to the Mississippi River was established; but the ambition of the California railroad builders was still unsatisfied. They must have the entire line. The Central Pacific people were the prime movers in all companies which were organized to construct the line from San Francisco, but there were stock holders whose interests were confined to one or more companies. The problem was solved by the organization of one great company, which would be composed of the leading share holders of all the companies in interest, and which would lease the several lines and operate them under one comprehensive management. The companies in interest were the Southern Pacific Railroad of California, the Southern Pacific Railroad of Arizona, the Southern Pacific Railroad of New Mexico, and the Central Pacific. Thus the Southern Pacific Company was organized to operate all the lines to New Orleans. These arrangements carried control of Morgan's steamship lines, covering 7276 miles of deep water traffic, and including eighteen iron steamships, besides a river and ferry traffic, equipments,"' etc. 22 SOUTHWEST L OUJSJANA : Such is a brief historical sketch of the Soutliern Pacillc Railroad Company, which includes all the railroads through the parishes embraced in this work, ex- cept the Texas & Pacific road. This road passes through the northeast corner of the parish of St. Landry, with three or four shipping stations in the parish. There are no other railroads in the parishes except some short local roads of but a few miles in length, such as the road from Cade Station on the Southern Pa- cific to St. Martinsville; the road from New Iberia to the Salt Mines, and from Baldwin to Cypre-mort. There are, however, other contemplated roads, the most important of which is, and one already in process of construction, the Watkins, Kansas City & Northern, already graded from Lake Charles to Alexandria, and some of the track laid. More of it further on. In addition to the railroads these eight parishes have a number of navigable streams, lakes and bayous. The principal streams are the Atchafalaya, Calca- sieu and Mermentau Rivers, and the Baj-ou Teche; and Grand Lake, Spanish Lake, Lake Charles, Calcasieu Lake, etc. These, at a light expense, could all be made navigable the year round. Public Schools. — For the development of a country properly, a perfect sys- tem of public schools is required. Whenever a man thinks of emigrating to a new country, his first thought is, "What are the facilities for educating my chil- dren?" This is the one great desideratum in building up a country. One draw- back to the Southern country has always been a lack of educative facilities. Not colleges and academies, but a good system of public schools. The writer is a Southern man, and speaks of what he knows. A lack of a system of public schools has greatly retarded the growth of the South — more than any one cause, and has added much to keep the tide of emigration flowing westward. In the West, the first thing after building a cabin to shelter the family, is the thought of a school house, and often it is the best house in the whole township. A late writer has said; M If he is a benefactor of mankind who causes two blades of grass to grow where one grew before, the language does not furnish a name for him or her who promotes the cause of true education. While the school is established primarily for the good of the children and the preservation of the State, it is a fact patent to all, that the most valuable result of all education is the building up of good characters. This, to speak definitely, is to instil cor- rect principles and train in right habits. Citizens with these ' constitute a State.' Men and women with these are in possession of what best assures rational hap- piness, the end and aim of human life. '' Few questions are, in their bearing upon the future of the countr}-, more vitally important than tliis: " What are the hoys and girls reading f Increased attention needs to be given to the literature of the .schools, and a taste for whole- some reading — history, biograph}', travels, poetry, popular science, etc. — encour- aged, thereby lessenitiJ the demand for dime novels and low fiction. This writer HISlOlilCAL AXD BIOGRAPHICAL. •n has never been in a section of country where dime novel reading is carried to the excess it is here. It shows a depraved taste, and will tell in future years upon the civilization of the State as well as upon the viciousness of tlie general population. Then if you want your country to prosper, and a new element of population infused into it, improve your means of education, until your system is second to none in the land. A country vv^ith plenty of railroad, church and educational facilities is bound to prosper. It can not be kept down. Another great advantage to a country is an enlightened press. It adds much to the civilization, education and refinement of any community. South- west Louisiana lias a press equal to almost an}'^ section of countrj^and it is doing much for the development and progress of it. The press is the great civiHzer of the country, and is a power for good. A criticism of the press is always a sure indication of its power and vigor, and the Texas editor who said that " news- papers are bad only because so manj- bad things [happen," summed up the philosophy of the situation. There are some twenty odd newspapers in this dis- trict of eight parishes, and they should constitute a power for the development of its resources, and should claim the united support of their readers. Dean Stanley, a man illustrious for his wisdom and philosophy, said: "Once archi- tecture was the press, and told great thoughts to the world in stone ; now the press is architecture and is building up the world of ideas and usages." Then every dollar paid to the newspaper is a dollar well invested, for unpretending as the sheet may be, every issue contains something worth the subscription price. — W. II. Perrt'n. '^ CHAPTER II. Parish of St. Landry — Bou.ndary and Topography — Timber and Soil — Water Courses — Resources, Etc. — Crop Statistics — Early Set- tlement So.METHING OF THE PlONEERS ThE CrEOLES InDIAN POS- SESSION — More Pioneer History — P.\rish Organization — St. Landry AS THE County of Opelousas — Where the People Voted — Roads AND Railroads — Agriculture — Sugar M.\king — Rice Culture — Churches and Schools — Opelousas — 'Its Growth and Business — Other Towns of the Parish — The Press — The Bench .\nd Bar — Pioneer Doctors — Scattered Threads, Etc. (^JT^O gather up the raveled tlireads of the strange stories of the lives of the people ^'^■^ that reclaimed the Attakapas country, and that made it to " rejoice and '^ ''' ' blossom as the rose," to catch their fleeting traditions and fireside histories, and hand them down to posterity, is worth}' the ambition of any man. They were simple and unostentatious, and came here — many of tliem — not from choice, but from a force they could not resist. Sooner or later, by the pen of the wise his- torian, they will take their proper place in the history of their country. That they builded wiser than they knew, is granted. Few, if any of them, ever lealized in the dimmest way the transcendent possibilities that rested upon them. As a rule, perhaps, their lives were aimless and ambitionless, with little more of hope or far-reaching purposes than the savages that were their neighbors. Yet, there stands the fact that they followed their simple impulses, took their lives in tlieir hands, penetrated the desert wilderness, and with a patient energy, reso- lution and self-sacrifice that str.nds alone and unparalleled, they laid the founda- tion on wiiich rests the civilization of the empire lying in the Mississippi \^alle3'. When we contemplate the dangers to whicli they were constantly exposed, with a century and a half standing between them and us, the story seems almost in credible. In tlie pages following in this work it is intended, in an liumble way, to raise a monument to their labors and their memory. To a portion of the Attakapas country now known as the parish of St. Landr\', this chapter will be principally devoted. The original dimensions of the parisli, when it extended to the Sabine River on the west, are more minutely given in the introductory chapter of this volume. As at present circumscribed St. Landry contains not far from sixteen hundred square miles, and nearly 40,- 000 inhabitants. It is bounded on the north by the parishes of Rapides and Avoyelles, on the east by the Atchafalaya River, on the south by the parishes of St. Martin, Lafayette and Acadia, and on the west by the parishes of Calcasieu 2.S SOUTHWEST L O UJSIAXA : and Rapides. The following parishes have been wholl}- or in part created out of the original territory of St. Landry: Lafayette, Acadia, Calcasieu and Cam- eron. Perhaps others drew on it for a portion of their territory. St. Landry is pretty equally divided between prairie and woodland. Much the larger portion of the land is susceptible of grazing and cultivation. It is well watered by numerous bayous, running streams, small lakes, etc. East of Opelousas tlie streams flow to the Atchafalaya River, and west of the town the\' flow to the Vermilion River, thus forming a portage upon whicli Opelousas stand.s. Along the streams is fine timber, and between the belts of timber are natural meadows or prairies, tliose vast treeless plains so common in Southwest Loui.s- iaiia. They sometimes stretch away for miles and miles without a tree in sight. e.xcept the thick forests that bound them as the beach limits the sea, and present all the monotony without the dreariness of the deserts of Africa. Says Mr. Darby, in his work on Louisiana, published in 1817, writing upon the Opelousas prairie : " This vast expanse of natural meadow extends seventy-five miles southwest and northeast, and is twenty-five miles wide, containing more than 1,200,000 acres, exclusive of the numerous points of woods that fringe its margin on all sides. The prairie begins thirteen miles northwest of Opelousas, and, gradually opening to the southward, sends out various branches between the bayous. Here you behold vast herds of cattle, which afford subsistence to the natives and the inhab- itants of New Orleans. It is certainly one of the most agreeable views in nature to behold from a point of elevation tliousands of cattle and horses of all sizes, scattered over the intermediate meadow in wild confusion. The mind feels a glow of corresponding innocent enjoyment with those useful and inoffensive animals, grazing in a sea of plent}'. If the active horsemen that guard them would keep their distance, fancy would transport us backward to the pastoral ages. Allowing an animal to be pioduced for every five acres, more than 220,- 000 could be yearly reared and transported from this prairie alone, which, at an average of ten dollars per head, would amount to two million four hundred thousand dollars." Mr. Darby, at the time he penned the above (in 1817) es- timated the herds of the greatest stock owners of the country, viz : Messrs. Wikoff, in the Calcasieu prairie, Fontenot, in Mamou prairie, and Andrus, in Opelousas prairie, at twenty thousand head. In the upper part of St. Landry the country is somewhat hill}-, and is "cov- ered with a dense forest of pine, oak, ash, walnut and other valuable forest trees. Here also are found some fine mineral springs, which are much resorted to by invalids, and possess great curative qualities. Here are considerable deposits of limestone, from which, for home consumption, is made very excellent lime; and a fine quarryof marble, which is susceptible of a beautiful polish, and is valuable for making into mantels, monuments, etc. * * * T\\^ soil in the middle HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL. 29 and lower portion of the pArish is ex'cellent, resting on a subsoil of tine brown or vhich shows the condition of the company at the time of writing. C.\MP Near Gordonsville, Va., August 2, 1862. Messrs Editors: Knowing that an account of the condition of our com- pany'touM be interesting to the^ good people of ^^ ^^l^^^^^^l^'t^Z, have relatives and friends in the "Opelousas Guards, I send by ^Ir- ™^ who leaves for St. Landry to-morrow, a statement of our present condition, witk • «s»-\^ Vfl^/r ^ nf^^z ^//l^ I HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL. (Il the changes that ha\-e taken place since our first organization, which I hope you may find it convenient to publish in the columns of your paper. By complying in this you will very much oblige, yours, etc., John Taylor, * First Lieutenant "Opelousas Guards." A LIST SHOWING THE ORIGIX.VL ORG.\NIZATION AND PRESENT CONDITION OF THE OPELOUSAS GU.\RDS, COMPANY F, EIGHTH REGIMENT, LOUISIANA VOLUNTEERS. Jas. C. Pratt, captain, not reelected at reorganization of the company. Discharged the service. John Taylor, first lieutenant, present, well. Geo. W. Hudspeth, second lieutenant, not reelected at reorganization of compan}-. Discharged the service. Albert Dejean, second junior lieutenant, elected captain at reorganization of the compan}^ April 24, 1862. First Sergeant Thos. D. Cook, elected second junior lieutL-nant. Jane 14, 1862. Second Sergeant Aaron Prescott, elected lieutenant in an artiller}- com- jiany and transferred. Tiiird Sergeant John P. Offutt, killed while gallantl}' charging the enemj- at Gaines Mills, June 27, 1862. Fourth Sergeant Clint. B. Andrus, private since reorganization of compan\'. Fifth Sergeant Albert G. Moore, elected lieutenant April 24, 1862: fell leading his company on the enemy's batteries at Port Republic, June 9, 1862. First Corporal John Waldrum, transferred to Calhoun batter}-; since died. Second Corporal E. S. Taylor, elected lieutenant April 24, 1862. Third Corporal Karl E. Hoy, discharged honorably. Fourth Corporal John Healey, private since April 24, 1862. Privates Jas. D. Allen, present, well. Albert S. Andrus, absent, sick. Robt. M. Andrus, present, well. Seth Andrus, made fifth sergeant at reorganization. Killed vvliilst bravely fighting at the battle of Port Republic, June 9, 1862. A. K. Anselm, present, well. Geo. Anselm, honorably discharged. W. Abbott, hospital steward, since dead. O. Bourgeat, absent on account of injury received whilst returning to Vir- ginia to rejoin company. F. H. Brilej', detailed as doctor's orderl}'. J. P. Bay, died at Camp Pickens, Manassas Junction, Virginia, last fall. Gilbert H. Cochran, present, well. 62 S0i'7Vn\'ES'r LOUISIANA : BeiinLtt Clark, lionorably discharged. J. E. Clark, present, well. His coat \\as riddled with bullets at the battle (?f Malvern Hill. A. B. Chaciicre, elected ordinance sergeant at reorganization. Sol. S. Cole, honorably discharged. F. C. Carriere, present, well. Louis Carriere, present, well. T. Chachere, first hospital steward: after appointed assistant surgeon. Re- signed on account of ill health. Lucius David, present, well. S. D. Dill, detailed as hospital wagoner well. A. Derosier, present, well. O. Dawson, wounded at the battle of Mah'ern Hill. Jul}' i, whilst gallant- l}- fighting: died since. Jas. A. Demaret, wounded at Malvern Hilh July i, whilst gallanllv light- ing; since died. E. L. Estilette, taken prisoner in the Valle_y. R. Fisette, present, well. L. Fisette, w^as made prisoner at Winchester. G. Fogleman, left sick at Front Royal: captured. J. Fogleman, present, well. E. Fogleman, present, well. T. Fontenot, wounded at the battle of Gaines Mills. Has returned for duty. A. J. Fontenot, detailed as brigade wagoner; well. A. Fremont, captured near Winchester. U. Fruge, present, well. E. Fruge, absent, sick. L. Fruge, absent on account of injury received by being run over by ambulance. O. Forest, absent wiihout leave. W. E. Gay, received appointment as cadet in \'irginia Military Institute, and discharged from the compan}'. E. P. Guidry, wounded severely at the battle of Wincliester. May 25. 1862. In Lynchburg. A. Guillory, detailed as brigade wagoner, well. Aristide Guillorv, detailed as brigade wagoner, well. A. Greffil, present, well. Benj. Henry, present, well. Bernard Henrv, honorablv dischaiged. Chas. S. HoUier, present, well. HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL. 63 Thos. Iligginbotham, present, well. J. P. Hudson, wounded at ihe battle of Port Republic, charging the enemy's batteries. U. Hayes, present, well. R. H. Highlower, honorably discharged. E. P. Jenner, was cut off from the regiment in its retreat up tlie \'alley, and, after dodging the Yanks for nearlv two months, returned safelv. Present, well. Wm. H. Judge, honorablv discharged. Wm. M. Keller, absent, sick. Thos. Kelhs absent at hospital. Wm. H. Lewis, present, well. W. C. Lewis, present, well. C. F. Lutz, absent, sick. Wm. H. Mayo, present, well. Thos. J. Montgomery, present, well. Wm. Montgomerv', present, well. B. Molbach, present, well. B. ]\L Morrow, honorably discharged. T. J. McGinty, detailed as brigade wagoner. J. McBride, died in Richmond last spnng. Wm. O. Moss, honorably discharged. Chas. Moss, absent, sick. Wm. Mitcheltree, present, well. Wm. J. Offutt, made second sergeant at reorganization. Absent, sick. Wm. F. Perrj', present, well. Arthur Perrault, honorably discharged. D. H. Quirk, honorably discharged. VV. P. Quirk, honoral>ly discharged. John O. Richard, elected lieutenant in another company whilst home on furlough. Transferred. Wm. Rhelburg, taken prisoner near Winchester. T. S. Robin, elected lieutenant in Captain Robin's company. Transfeired. R. A. Rowe, present, well. Louis Ro}', present, well. Louis Rousseau, captured in the \^allev. J. W. Sandefer, present, well. T. K. Singleton, present, well. Arthur L. Singleton, honorably discharged. Q. Sayant, present, well. A. J. Smith, present, well. C4 SOUTHWEST L OUISIANA : C. Smith, present, well. D. Smith, taken prisoner in the Vallej'. A. Soileau, honoraby discharged. B. Soileau, honorably discharj^ed. Arist Soileau^ honorably discharged. John Sherwood, taken prisoner in the Valley. Jules Sittig, present, well. Leonce Sandoz, honorably discharged at Camp Moore, June, 1861. Again joined the companj' in the Vallej', in May, 1862, and was captured near Win- chester. H. B. Taj'lor, present, well. J.J.Taylor. J. A. Taylor, was slightly wounded at the battle of Port Republic in the charge on the Yankee batteries. S. H. Taylor, died at Culpeper Courthouse last fall. R. II. Umphries, present, well. T. Vidrine, present, well. John Welsh, detailed as hospital nurse, well. J. West, present, well. H. J. Wynn, absent, sick. RECRUITS ENLISTED IN THE COJIPANY IN THE SPRING OF 1 862. A. T. Andrus, died at hospital in Richmond. B. T. Andrus, present, well. L. L. Boutte, captured at Winchester, paroled. B. A. Boutte, wounded at battle of Port Republic. A. Bertrand, present, well. George Baskin, absent, sick. Thomas Bacon, present, well. J. D. Bernard, absent, sick. Jos. Chachere, home on furlough. L. L. Chanin, killed whilst gallantly charging the enemy's batteries at Port Republic. Jules David, present, well. E. Dardeau, taken prisoner in the Valley. Oran Elliot, absent, sick. Isaac M. Eves, present, well. Denis Fontenot, present, well. Ilorthere Fontenot, absent, sick. Rodolphe Fontenot, taken prisoner in the Valley. Hypolite O. Fontenot, present, well. JIISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL. 05 G. Forrest, absent, sick. D. Guillor}-, absent, sick. O. Guiilor}', accidental!}' shot liimself tiiroiigli tlie hand at New Market; present, well. A. Guillorj-, absent, sick. Wm. H. Harris, was cut off from the Regiment in the \'alley; after seven weeks of adventure among the enenu', escaped and returned to his company; well. M. Hebert, present, well. A. Lavergne, taken prisoner in the X'allev. A. Lague, present, well. A. Lebleu, absent, sick. E. McDaniel, absent, sick. 13. McDaniel, taken prisoner in the Valley. C. A. Morphis, honorably discharged. Robert McLin, was wounded at the battle of Port Republic: recovered and detailed at brigade wagon yard. E* D. Parker, present, well, ^\'as \\ouiided in ihe head at the battle of Malvern Hill. O. D. Raulin, present, well. J. D. Richardson, taken prisoner in the ^'alley. Victor Sittig, present, well. H. Savant, taken prisoner in the Valley. L. Speirer, died at hospital in Richmond. C. C. Swaj-ze, wounded at battle of Gaines' Mills, whilst charging the enemy. L'atel}' returned to the regiment, but is vet until lor duly. C. Saulter, absent, sick. In the next issue of the Courier. October 4, 186^, which is in mourning" for tlie death of its junior editor. Major Wm. H. Spencer, killed at the second battle of Manassas, while gallantly leading his regiment (the roth Loui.-i ma) to the charge, we find the following list of killed and wounded, among the Opelou- sas Guards, in that bloody engagement: the gallant writer of the foregoing- correspondence being himself a victim, having bravely j-ielded up his young life on the field of honor but a few da3's after it was written : Liit of Killed and Wounded in Company F, Slh Louisiana Regiment. — Sherwood, wounded in leg; E. P. Jenner, wounded in spine; Wm. Rhetberg, slightly in the arm : James Conner, slighth' in the arm; Lieut. John Ta3lor, killed, shot in body, lived four da3's, was buried at Buckner hospital, about ten miles from Aldee, Va. : Derosier, killed: Baskin. wounded : Dardeau, wounded; Perry, wounded. Calcasieu Invincibles. — Next is the Calcasieu Invincibles, of which the €6 SOLTJIWJ^ST LOUISIANA. officers, or most ot them, were from St. Laiuliv : Warren W. Johnson, captain ; Jolin A. Spence, first lieutenant; Sims M. Pilhron, second lieutenant; J. W. Wagnon, third lieutenant; R.A.Parker, orderh' sergeant; E. L.Cole, sec- ond sergeant; Zephirin Lebleu, third sergeant; Jacob Seigler, fourth ser- geant; E. R. Seigler, fifth sergeant; H. D. Clark, first corporal; Martin Lebleu, second corporal; John B. Lebleu, third corporal, and Joshua Hug- gins, fourth corporal. Of the St. Landry Volunteers, only the following names were obtained: llenr\' L. Garlind, captain; Charles D. Bullard, first lieutenant; Jacob An- selm, second lieutenant: , and Adolph Debaillon, third lieutenant. Opclousas Volunieeis. — Louis Lastrapes, captain; James G. Ha3's, first lieutenant; Adolph Brpussard, second lieutenant; Willis Prescott, third lieu- tenant; Ferredie Perrodin, first sergeant; William Hall, second sergeant; V. S. Bonoque, third sergeant; William Reeves, fourth sergeant; Rabie Adams, fifth sergeant; Robert Sloan, first corporal; Elphege D. Daigle, second cor- poral; Joseph Higginbotham, third corporal, and Aurelien Richard, fourth corporal. The Confederate States Rangers were organized with the following officers : W. H. Spencer, captain; M. S. Prud'homme, first lieutenant; E. D. Seato.n, second lieutenant; Mat. G. Davis, ensign; A. Perrodin, first sergeant; Joseph Lebleu, second seigeant ; Isaac Ryan, third sergeant; Paul Lambert, fourth sergeant; J. F. Monelle, fifth sergeant; James McKinney, first corporal ; Isaac Reeves, second corporal: Wm. L. Plutchins, third corporal, and Henry Miller, fourth corporal. St. Landry Li^ht Guards — N. Offult, Jr., captain; J. C. Hickman, first lieutenat; H. Bain Ritchie, second lieutenant; S. D. McCauUey, junhjr second lieutenant; A. Desbrest, ensign; L. A. Corinier, orderly sergeant; P. Scott, second sergeant ; J. O. Trainer, third sergeant; A! L. Meterier, fourth ser- geant; C. P. Gordon, fifth sergeant; E. J. Goring, first corporal; E. O'Reil- 1\-, second corporal ; A. Pfeil, third corporal; F. M. Drinkard, fourth corporal ; D. A. Titah, fifth corporal, and A. Winkler, honorary member. So far as could he obtained the foregoing is a list of the commissioned and non-commissioned officers from Opelousas and the parisli of St. Landr}*. It is a prett}^ long list for a single .parish, and shows the patriotism of the people in those times " of war and rumors of war." — Perrin. CHAPTER 111. Parish of St. Martin — I.ntkoductoky and Desctuptive — Early History — Its Territory Lopped Off to Form Other Civil Divisions — The Civil War — Soldiers of St. Martin — Dark Days of Reconstrlctiox — Crop Statistics — Resources, Etc. — Parish^Goverxment Schools from i8ii to i86i — Calamities that Visited the Town — Manufac- turing Statistics — Fire Department — Stores, Etc. — Catholic Church — The Story of Evangeline — Pioneer Bar of St. Martin — .So:me Prominent Lawyers — Breaux Bridge. " Non loin de la, an siid, les villages de St. Maur et St. Martin, sont situes sur les rives dii Teclie. Le pays est admirable avec ses prairies ses foiets d'aibor fruitiers ceux qui I'habitent I'ont nomnie I'Eden de l.i Louisiane, avec son tapis de verdure emailM de fleur^, et son ciel des plus azures qui s'incliije, et dont le dome s'appuie sur les murailles des forets. — Lotigfello-'f s Evangeline. ^- TMMEDL\TELY after the cession of Louisiana to the United States, it was rj or Statistics and /Resources. — -The peoph; of tlie parish of St. Martin were not disheartened by these many reverses and misfortunes, and displayed a remarkable energy under the trying circumst mces. Men who had led the easy life of the gentleman before the war became tillers of the soil. New industries sprang up, and by degrees the parish became once more prosperous and wealthy. Its vast territory of yore has dwindled to the proportions of those of a sm ill parish, and yet its population now numbers 18,381 souls. Its total area is 448,- 000 acres, 183,000 of which were culti\'ated as follows, in 1S90, to-wit: In cane, 6000; in cotton, 30,000; in corn, 55,ooo;in rice, 700; in oats, 500; in liav, 9000; in sweet potatoes, 6000; in Irish potatoes, 1000. The \ield has been: sugar. 7,000,000; pounds; molasses, 168,000 gallons; cotton. 14.000 bales: corn, 500,000 bushels; hay 20,000 bales; sweet potatoes, 250,000 bar- rels; Irish potatoes, 6000 bushels; rice, 30,000 barrels. Its commerce in eggs and poultry is also important. Seventj'-five thousand acres of its tillable lands remained uncultivated in 1890, whilst its 264,800 of swamp lands, out of which thousands of trees were floated, have produced an enormous revenue to their owners. IIISIORRAL AXl) lUOGRAPniCAL. 6!) The parish of vSt. Martin is one of the alluvial parishes of tlie Stale, beint;- situated in the Atchafalaya basin. The lands on the banks of the rivers and bayous are generally high lands that slope gently toward the back lands, which are several feet lower. The soil is of unsurpassed fertilitj-, and its timbered lands are classed among tRe most valuable of the State. The Teche runs through the parish from north to south. It lakes its source near the Courtableau, in tiie parish of St. Landry, and is the main channel through which the products of the land are shipped to the New Orleans market. It is navigable the year round to St. Martins\ille, and during the high stage of the waters is navigable for small boats as far up as LeonvilJe, sixty miles further up. Its banks average from sixteen to twenty feet above low water mark, but are not steep or precipitous, sloping gently to the water's edge. Stately oaks and gi-aceful magnolias line its bank, and the green foliage and snowy blossoms of the latter add their fresh- ness to the beauty of its scenerj- and landscapes. Although quite narrow at St. Martinsville, its width not exceeding eighty feet when low, it widens by degrees until it becomes a noble stream from Franklin to Pattersonville, where it loses itself in the Atchafalaya River. The parish is washed on the east by a chain of lakes, some of which by their size and depth are small inland seas. Parish Government. — The parish of St. Martin is administered by a Police Jury composed of one member from each one of its five wards, and which is a political corporation with powers clearly defined by the Legislature. The or- dinances are enforced by the courts when they do not clash with the provisions of the State laws. Their police powers are extensive. The raising of the parish tax is a part of their attributes and .duties, but the collection of the tax is made by (he sheriff, who is ex officio the State tax collector. When the tax is collected the amount is turned over to the parish for disbursement under the orders of the Police Jur}'. Police Jurors receive as emoluments of office $5 a da}', besides mileage, whilst they are holdiug their sessions. Police Juries throughout the State are constituted boards of revision to revise and correct the assessment lists of State parish assessors. Public Scliooh. — Our system of public schools, remai kable for its simplicity, has given an impetus to education in Louisiana which has been productive of the best results. There is a marked amelioration in the organization of our schools and in the manner of conducting them. The selection of teachers has been most happy, and the school facilities afforded to the people for the diffusion of knowledge among them and for the enlightenment and cultivation of their minds are greater now than the}' have ever been in the State. The State Board of Education is composed of the Governor, the Lieutenant Governor, the Secretary of State, the Attorney General, the State Superintend- ent of Public Education, and two citizens of the United States who have resided two years in the State. The Governor appoints the two citizens. Thus constituted, 70 S0C77IWES7' L O UJSI. YNA : tlie State Scliool Board is a practical corporation possessing all the rights, pie- rogatives and powers which are the attributes of such corporations. It makes all needful rules and regulatiDns for the government of free public schools, and for the examination and employment of teachers. It selects, chooses and recommends series of text books and apparatus, which shall be used in the schools. It prescribes forms for all statistical reports of an}'^ kind required of officers connected with the administration of the free public schools; appoints parish School Boards, to be composed of five and not more than nine members. The parish School Boards are political corporations, with the right of select- ing their own presidents, and to appoint parish school superintendents, which are ex ojficio secretaries of the boards. Their duty is to divide the parishes into school districts, and to apportion the schoolfunds among the several districts in propor- tion to the number of children between the ages of six and eighteen 3-ears. To require from each member a quarterly report to the board of the actual condition, prospects and needs of the schools of the ward in which he resides. To appoint committees to examine personally all candidates for teacherships in the schools. To i^rovide school houses, furniture and apparatus for the schools. To adjust and fix the salaries of teachers. To dismiss any pupils from the free public schools for gross immorality, or persistent violation of the regulations of the school. To appoint all the teachers of the public schools, and lastlj^ to make to the State a yearly report containing a full and complete statement of the con- dition of the scliools, and the number of pupils in attendance during the }'ear. The general exercises in the public schools are conducted in the English language, and also the elementary branches taught therein. The school fund consists of (i) an annual poll tax of one dollar per capita upon every male in- liabitant in the State over twenty-one j^ears. (2) The interest on the proceeds of all public lands heretofore granted by the United States for school purposes, or (3) which may be granted, bequeathed or donated hereafter for that purpose. (4) All funds or property other than unimproved lands bequeathed or granted to the State, not designated for other purposes. (5) The proceeds of vacant estates falling under the law to tlie State of -Louisiana. (6) A certain amount set apart frcun the amount of State taxes collected; besides (7) a certain amount set apart from the amount of parish taxes collected. The number of schools in the parisli is as follows: white schools, twelve; colored schools, twelve. There are no mixed schools in the parish. St. Martinsville from iSii to 1S61. — St. Martinsville, the seat of justice, had followed in the wake of the prosperity of the parish. From the obscure Poste des Attakapas it had grown to be a town of some importance in 181 1. Its population increased steadily until the year 1S43, when it was incorporated. Its situation at the head of na\'igation on the Teche made it the commercial mart, not HISTORICAL AXD BIOGRAPHICAL. 71 only of the parish, but also of the adjoining parishes, which then did not possess the railroad facilities of to-day. Tiie refinement of its people, their politeness and sociabilit}-, had won for it the name of " Le petit Paris," by wliich it was known throueld in common. The diffusion of this pernicious doctrine among them produced the most disastrous effects. They began to look with distrust and jealousy on their more wealthy neighbors. They familiarized them- selves, by degrees, to the idea that they were justified in taking their neighbor's property, provided they could avoid detection. Between so flattering a theory and the carrjdng it out, there is but a step, an imaginar}- line. This line was soon obliterated. .Small marauding parties were formed — the thieving was carried out on a small scale at fiist — a few cattle were stolen at niglit and either slain or sold to parties HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL. 73 residing in the neighboring parishes. But, as the marauders grew bolder by success,' tiie thefts and robberies increased rapidly in number and magnitude. Other marauding parties were formed, their membership increased steadily, until b^' consolidating themselves together, they created an organization, whose ramifications extended over the whole Attakapas region. It was, in fact, a mili- tary organization, with its grand chief and subordinate officers. Thus equipped and disciplined, the marauders became more daring and aggressive. Although thev prowled at night like wolves, sweeping the Attakapas prairies, they took no measures to avoid detection — whole herds of cattle were corraled, and driven to the market in broad daylight. Tlie people of the district became alarmed at this state of affairs. Tlie law had become powerless to check the evil, and things had assumed a most threat- ening aspect. Marauders detected in the act, and prosecuted criminally, had been acquitted by the jury, although the evidence of their guilt had been estab-' lished be3-ond peradventure. The following anecdotes are illustrative of the sit- uation in the district at that period: A planter came suddenly upon a thief, a neighbor of his, who had slain a cow, and who was in the act of carrying away the meat. "Tills is m}' cow."' said the planter, " I shall prosecute you for larceny."' " Pshaw! " said the thief, "3-ou are too intelligent to do that." " Too intelligent! Whj', do you mean to say this is not my cow?" •• It may have been once," answered the neighbor, " but it is mine now." '• What," said the planter, " this is j'our cow?" " Certainly it is; you have sold her to me, and I have paid you the price, in the presence of witnesses." " Monstrous ! Your witnesses will swear to a lie I You know that this cow belongs to me! I will prosecute all the same." " Do just as you please,"' said the neiglibor, shrugging his shoulders, as he went away with the meat. He was prosecuted, but true to his word, he produced in court seven witnesses, who swore tliat he had purchased the cow and h id paid the price in their presence. He was acquitted. The favorite cow of a planter missing one morning, he walked over the prai- rie surrounding his farm, in quest of her. Having gone as far as a little store kept by a Frenchman on the highway four or five miles distant from his planta- tion, to his great surprise he found the hide of the cow, freshly skinned hanging on the fence. " Where did 3'ou get that hide?" said he to the merchant. " I have just bought it." "From whom? It is the hide of my cow that was stolen last night." " Had you come a little sooner, you would have seen j-ourself the person who sold it to me; he has just left, but I can not give his name." 74 SOTTHWEST L OUISIAXA : " Be careful," said the planter. " The hide is in your possession. This is a pretty strong presumption that you have stolen tliat cow; the more so that 3'ou refuse to give the name of him that sold the hide to you." " I can not give his name," repeated the merchant. " Very well," said the planter, " the grand jury will investigate this matter." The Frenchman was indicted for larcenj'. He was warned by his attorney to disclose tlie name of the thief, to avoid being convicted. He stubbornly refused to speak. The case was tried, the evidence was direct and conclusive, and 3'et he was acquitted. During the whole trial he had sho\\n no nervousness, and his acquittal seemed to be no matter of surprise to him. Being asked by his counsel to explain how the jury could have rendered such a verdict, he smiled and said: " I can speak now, although I will give no names. The man that sold me the hide was on that jury, and there was, besides him, five others who belong ' to his gang. I was sure of an acquittal. Had I given his name, my store would now be a mass of ashes, and I would probabh' be dead. I thought it more prudent to take mj' chances." These two anecdotes, well authenticated, serve to show the exact state of affairs in the Teche region in 1859- The courts, although presided over by honest and able judges, were powerless to reach the violators of the law, pro- tected as they were by perjured witnesses and corrupt jurors, and crime, parad- ing its ugliness in broad daylight, went unwhipped of justice. The people, to tlieir great disma}^, had found that they were encompassed b}^ an organization composed of bandits of the worst type, extending over the five Attakapas par- islies, and having affiliations even in the ranks of the best societv. This state of affairs demanded immediate and energetic action — unless checked, this grow- ing evil might pervade the whole body, politic and social, and be productive of the most disastrous results. In this emergency tlie people did not hesitate, but rose in a bodj' for self-protection, as well as to wage a merciless war upon the bandits who had thrown the gauntlet to society. They decided that henceforth no violator should be subjected to the judicial farce of a criminal trial before the State courts, but that these trials should be carried before the tribunals of the sovereign people. A code of laws, as short and almost as severe as the Dra- conean code, was adopted. Its provisions were easy of interpretation, and tlie penalties provided for, of easj- application. Tlie lash I Exile ! The rope I The people had now organized as vigilance committees, to carr}- out their plan, and issued the following proclamation, in which their objects and purposes are concisely and clearl}' set forth. We translate from the original documents in our possession : PROCLAMATION. Fellow Citizens! Having organized ourselves as vigilance committees, that is, having constituted ourselves as a tribunal, entirely independent of the other \ HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL. lb tribunals created by the law, we owe it to ourselves, as well as to 3'ou, to give tlie reasons that have driven us into the revolutionary movement that we have inauf- urated. We address ourselves to the honest people of the State, our peers in integril\', and who, hke us, bow in sweet reverence to the laws enacted for the protection of society. We would blush to give any explanation either to the bandits who infest this district or to their frieads and accomplices. We incline ourselves before that justice — that saintly justice that shields the innocent and strikes the yuilty; we look in her face .without fear, fellow citizens, because we have violated none of those duties that society imposes on its members. This being premised, we veil her statue so often insulted and spat upon bj- the bandits, and we sa}- to those, who, like us, have at heart the prosperity of their native State: Fellow citizens, we have been subjected to a system of rapine and plunder without parallel in the history of this country; our property is destroyed daily and hourly; our houses are burglarized and rifled of their contents; crime has its army in our midst, with its generals, officers and soldiers. We will tell }ou bluntly how it is that crime holds its high carnival in our midst. The jury has failed most miserabh" in its mission. It has been guilty in the face of God and of society of the abominable crime of perjury — for when jurors acquit those whose guilt is established beyond peradventure they commit the crime of perjur\-, and place themselves on a level with those they have acquitted. Is it not to 3'our knowledge, fellow citizens, thatsucli verdicts are of daily occurrence in our courts of justice? If t1ais criminal indulgence of the jury had no other effect than tiiat of saving a few miscreants from the penitentiary, we wDuld qualify it merelv as a weakness without a name. But verdicts rendered con- trar}' to tlie most convincing evidence find an echo in the hearts of the corrupt people of the district; the acquittal of a bandit is a premium for the encourage- ment of vice, and opens a new field for the perpetration of crime. •' He that sows the wind shall reap the whirlwind," says tlie Scripture. Our district is an eloquent proof of this. As soon as the law became powerless for the repres- sion- of crime, what have we seen? The boldest robberies committed at night; in the daytime, everywhere and at all times. We have seen tlie assassin and the incendiary following in the footsteps of the thief and of the robber; we have seen corruption festering in our midst and extending its pestilential stench to the very core of society. Do we exaggerate, fellow citizens? The bandits have a numerous and intelligent army, with chieftains, shrouded in the dark, but issuing orders that are obeyed without hesitation b}^ the soldiers. It is a mixing of whites and blacks, a confused mass of thieves and assassins, standing shoulder to shoulder in their programme of rapine, of plunder and of incen- diarism, each one concurring to the ultimate success of the organization — crops, cattle, everything in fact that constitutes the riches and welfare of our laborious population is exposed to the depredations of these bandits. 7(; SOUTHWEST L OUISIAXA : In this cruel emergenc}' were we to await supinely for the action of the courts to check this growing evil, when every one knows that our courts are powerless to protect us with jurors who acquit the worst criminals, although there be superabundance of proof of their guilt? No! We have banded together for self-protection, and the law of self-protection is supreme —and armed henceforth with the sword of justice, we have organized temporarih' as a tribunal for the trial of bandits and of violators of the law. We have called ourselves vigilance committees, and our. programme contains but one word: chastisement. The lash and the rope shall be our arms — both terrible and dishonorable chastisements. Our organization is that of honest}' against dis- honesty, of society against crime, and we fear neither the censure of men nor the wrath of our enemies. Now, fellow citizens, if you still hope to save from rapine and plunder that which j'ou have earned by your labor, if you wish to restore our corrupt society to a healthy standard bj' branding with the infamy of exile or of the lash the men whose presence in our midst is an insult to public morality and a danger to our families, follow our example; fellow citizens, join us in our holy crusade against vice and immorality, against rapine and incendiarism, and let us, with the lash, print on the back of those wretches a catalogue of their crimes. ]\Iarch i6, iSjg. By the Executive Committee. The effect produced by the issuance of this proclamation was immense, and it created a stir in the whole State. The action of these men was discussed by the whole press, which went wild on the question. The vigilants found warm supporters in the city press and to a large extent in the country press, but heeding neither friends nor foes they did not allow themselves to be deterred from the object they had in view. The proclamation struck terror in the ranks of the organized banditti, and many of them, without awaiting the action of tlie vigilants, sought their safety in flight. The step taken by the people was a bold one, and savored of revolution, but they must not be judged too harshly and with too much levity — a revolution, whether on a small or on a large scale, has alwa3's a parent cause, and that parent was certainly set forth in the proclamation issued by the vigilants. The investigations made by them developed startling facts, on which our restricted space does not allow us to comment. Enough of evidence was collected, however, to trace the disastrous fire that swept awa}- the business portion of St. Martinsville in 1855, ^"^ ^" which fourteen persons perished miserably, to the parties who subsequently assumed the names of anti-viyalants. Vigilance committees were organized, not onlj^ in the parishes of St. Mar- tin and of Lafayette, but also in Vermilion, St. Landry and Calcasieu. The uprising was so great, that the organization could marshal from three to four HISTORICAL AXn B IOC, KAPlflCAL. 77 thousand men, well armed and disciplined. The most prominent citizens in those parishes took the lead in the movement, and the work of regeneration progressed rapidly. Many of the marauders underwent the penalty of the lash ; others were driven away into exile, and during six months the whole Teche re- gion was on a war footing and in a state of feverish excitement. The bandits were demoralized, but the indiscreet zeal of certain officials, and the interference of the Governor of the State, infused new life in their ranks; a quasi civil war ensued, which might have been productive of the most serious results had not the, bandits lacked in manhood what the}' possessed in low and degrading instincts. On the 28th of Ma}', 1859, the following procla- mation was issued by the Governor of Louisiana : PROCLAMATION. Whereas, oflicial information has been conveyed to us by tlie District Attor- ney of the Fourteentli Judicial District of Louisiana, that a certain number of persons of the parishes of Vermilion and of St. Martin, organized as vigilance committees, have in violation of the law committed sundry outrages on persons, and have been guilty of depredations on the property of citizens of these parishes, and have resisted the officers of the law who have attempted to put a stop to their illgal proceedings; and Whereas, it appears that the officers of courts of justice have been unable to bring these violators of the law before the courts, with the means within their reach. Now, therefore, I have thought proper to issue this my proclamation to invite these committees to disband and disperse, and I call on all the good citi- zens of the State to lend their assistance for the arrest and prosecution of these violators of the law. Gi\'en under our signature and the seal of the State at Baton Rouge, this 28th dav of May, A. D. 1859, and the eighty-third year of the independence of the United States of America. By the Governor: Andrew S. Herron, Secretary of State. Robert C. Wickliffe. TJie people heeded not this proclamation, wliich had, however, a most disas- trous effect on that class of people who were in opposition to the vigilance com- mittees. It was received by them with applause aud rejoicings. Imagining that the Governor was preparing to advance to their rescue with' the State militia, they threw aside all reserve, and banding themselves together as anti-vigilants, prepared openly for an aggressive campaign against the vigilants. For this purpose, they collected a large quantity of arms and ammunition on the farm ot one Emilien Lagrange on Bavou Queue Tortue in the parish of St. Landry, this being also the place assigned for their rendezvous. Over eighteen hundred anii-vigilants, well armed and equipped, assembled tlie're on the 3d of Septem- ber. 1859, ft^-'dy tor their onward march to the town of Lafayette, which was to 78 SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA : be burnt to ashes after having been abandomed to pillage and to all the hor- rors of a captured town in time of war. But while the antis were thus caressing fondly their dream of vengeance, the vigilants had been on the alert, and had watched their movements closel}'. On the third of September the \igilants, five hundred strong, sallied out of the town of Lafaj'ette in three columns, under the leadership of Alfred Mouton, a graduate of West Point, he who subsequentl}- died so gloriously on the battje field of Mansfield. They had with them a twenty-four brass pounder and one hundred rounds of ammunition. This little army \\'as composed of detachments from the various companies of the organization, the chiefs having decided that this force was sufficient for the emergenc}'. This gallant little band had sallied out before day, and had received orders to advance with the least possible noise, to avoid detection, as the plan was to take the antis by surprise. On its way it was reinforced by two hundred men from St. Landry, and the whole force now numbered seven hundred men. Owing to unavoidable delavs on the road, it was broad da3light when Bajou Queue Tortue was reached, the antis, drawn up in battle array, seemingly ready to withstand the assault of their eneni}-. A deadly silence prevailed and a battle was imminent, when, for the purpose of avoiding a useless effusion of blood, Governor Alexander Mouton proposed to hold a parle}' with the chiefs of the antis. This was. acceded to, and Governor Mouton, with Major St. Julien, Captain Valmont Richard and Lieutenant Steak, advanced toward the antis, walking up to the fence which enclosed Lagrange's house. This was a one-story house, surrounded by a shed. It was " cat and claj-ed," and pierced with loop holes. The shining barrels of guns could be seen pointed toward the new comers, read\' to be fired at any morrient. La- grange and Jones, two anti chieftains, came to the fence — " What do )^ou wish, gentlemen?" said Lagrange. "We have come," said the Governor, '-to find out the object of j'our meeting." "It is nothing but a political meeting," answered Lagrange. "A political meeting! Wh}', we have no elections this year. But I see that j'ou are armed to the teeth. Political meetings are generally held without guns. It may be that you have cannons also? " "We are too poor to buy cannons," answered Jones; " we meet here to-da\' because we have a constitutional right to do so." "Very well," said the Governor, " but you liave among you * * * * men that have received orders to leave the State ; men that we intend to chastise severely for their disobedience to our orders." "We know not these men," answered Jones. "Then you refuse to deliver them up?" Lagrange answered evasively. " Governor," said St. Julien, " what is the use of parleying with these men. HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL. 7» since they refuse to deliver tlieir friends; let us return to our post and open fire at once.'" " Lagrange," said the Governor, " it were well that you should send away the women and children I see in your yard; we have come to fight men, and not children: '" and then he added, " the responsibility of what follows is yours, not ours."" The Governor and his escort returned to their posts, the little army was deployed for action, the cannon was unmasked, and when the lighted match was about to be applied to it there followed in the camp of the antis a scene of con- fusion which beggars description. Panic stricken the antis fied in every direc- tion ; their army had melted away in the air ; the sight of the cannon had produced that most unexpected result. The battle had been won without shedding a drop of blood. Then a helter-skelter race took place in the prairie, in the wood, along the bayou, between the panic stricken antis and the vigilants, who captured over two hundred prisoners, and over a thousand small arms, guns and revolvers. The battle was over, and excepting eight}' prisoners, the balance of the antis were released and allowed to return to their homes. Tlie prisoners were closely examined separately and the testimony of each one of them coincided with that of the others, and, being condensed, established the fact that their plan was to overrun the parish of Lafayette, to incite the ne- groes to revolt against their masters, to burn and sack all the plantations on their way to Lafaj'ette, and plunder the safes of Alexander Mouton, Emile Mouton, "V. A. Martin, Gerassin Bernard, Alexandre Latcolais, Camille Doucet, Francois D'Aigle and others, all of whom were doomed, besides, to a cruel death; and lastly to plunder the town of Lafayette and reduce it to ashes after having aban- doned it to all the horrors of a town taken by assault. The vigilants, not wishing to use extreme measures against deluded men who had made a clean breast of their guilt, condemned them to the penalty of the lash, and then ordered them to leave the State. The battle of Queue Tortue, as this battle of the spurs is called, was a de- cisive blow to the pretensions of the antis, and secured forever the supremacy of the law in the Teche region. The end aimed at by the vigilance committees had been attained ; the bandit organization had been scattered to the four winds : peace and quiet had been restored: life and property were now protected, and these men, who had spurned the interference of the Governor in this crusade of virtue against crime, disbanded ot their own accord. Manufacturing Induslries. — Its oil mill and refinery of St. Martin is the largest in the state outside of the citj' of New Orleans. It runs da}' and night during eight months of the year and presses daily thirty five barrels of cotton seed oil, which are immediately clarified, whilst an immense quantity of oilcake and cotton seed meal is shipped to Liverpool and other foreign markets. There is also a steam so S O UTII WES T LO UISIA NA : cotton gin and a steam mill in successful operation in the town. The fire de partment is well organized and effective. There are three volunteer fire com- panies, and the the town possesses a first-class fire engine, "Evangeline." The town council is composed of five trustees, elected yearly by the people. The meetings are presided over by the mayor. The mayor has judicial powers and sits as a magistrate on the trial of all police matters, and of violations of the town laws and ordinances. There are four practising physicians in the town. Travelers find neces- sary accomodations in its three large and commodious hoteb. There are four churches in the town — a Catholic church, an Episcopalian church, these two belonging to white congregations, and a colored Methodist and a colored Baptist church. Brcaitx Bridge. — Breaux Bridge, the one other town of importance in the parish of St. Martin, is situated on the banks of the Teche, fifteen miles above St. Martinsville. Since the war it has increased rapidly in population and wealth. It is located in a highlj' cultivated and productive section of the parish, and is noted for the energy, politeness and hospitality of its inhabitants, who are mostly of French origin. Its school facilities are good, and the fondness of its people for theatrical performances and social gatherings bespeaks their refine- ment and sociability. There are two dramatic and literar}' associations in the town, each one possessing a large and capacious hall, with an elegant stage for the performance of their amateur theatricals. Its race track attracts sportsmen from the surrounding parishes, and a vast concourse of people assembles there to witness the races which take place several times during the 3ear. The commerce of Breau.x Bridge is extensive, and its merchants are noted for tlieir enterprise and steadmess in business. Its municipal affairs are administered by trustees elected by the people. The ma3-or exercises powers similar to those of the mayor of St. Martinsville. There are four practising ]ih\-sicians living in the town. A wooden bridge spans the Teche, which is not navigable at this point during the low stage of the water. This is a -great drawback to the prosperity of the town. There is, however, a scheme on foot to build locks at some points lower down the Teche for the purpose of im- proing its navigation. It is claimed that a system of locks would maintain five feet of water in the bayou tlie whole year round. Should this plan be carried out successfully, it would have the effect of enhancing greatly the value of the lands on the upper Teche, by affording great shipping facilities. Although the population amounts now to only 800 inhabitants, there is a bright future in store for this neat and thriving little town. The Catholic Church. — This is one of the oldest in the State. It was estab- lished in 1765 b\' Rev. Jean Frangois, aCapuchin priest and missionary. We read HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL. 81 in the American state papers that the land on whicli the church was built had been donated by one Dauterive as his share or portion of the contribution for tiie construction and edification of the church and priest's house. Tlie land donated was situated on both sides of the Teche and had a front six arpents by a depth of forty arpents. From 1765 to 1794 the following is a list of the names of the officiatingpriests : 1765, Jean Frangois; 1782, Rev. Gcneveau.x; 1783, Rev. Gcfrotain ; 1787, Joseph Antoine ; 17S8, Bernard de Deva; 1789, Gjorge Murphy; 1794. Father Viel. Father Viel, whose family name was D irby, was born in St. Martin, and was a lilteraleur of the first order. His translation of Fenelon's masterpiece, Telemachus, in Latin verse, places him at tlie head of modern Latin poets. His verse has the sweetness and melody of that of Virgil, and Louisiana may indeed be proud of Viel, her gifted son, for he certainly was a man of genius. lie died at Paris in the early part of this century. From 1794 to 1836 the following were the officiating priests of the St. Mar- tin ciiurch : 1795, Rev. Barriere ; 1804, Rev. Isabey, a Dominican, whose mem- or\- was long cherished in the colony; 1823, Rev. Marcel Borella. The church now standing owes its existence to his liberality. He willed the whole of his for- tune to be used in its construction. His tomb, long neglected, has lately been transferred into the church, where his remains now rest in the chancel in front of the main altar. From 1836 the officiating priests were : 1836, Rev. Jean Brasseur; 1840, Henri de St. Aubin ; 1842, Rev. Martin, who consecrated the new church building; 1844, Rev. R. L. Lucas; 1845, Rev. L. Dufour, a most talented orator; 1848, Rev. Jacques F"onbonne; 1851, Rev. Felix A. i\L Jan. During the thirty-six years of his ministry, his many virtues and sterling qualities endeared him to the people, who venerated him as their spiritual father. After his death, to commemorate his virtues, and as a testimony of the love which they bore him, his parishioners have raised a bronze statue, which now graces the green in front of the church and which is an ornament to the town. His successor. Rev. Barthelemy Langlois, is a worthy priest and a man of scientific attainments. He is reputed to be the best botanist of America. In 1765 and in the succeeding 3'ears the burial ground at the Poste des Att ak- apas was adjoining to the little church built by Rev. Jean Francois. There is hardly any vestige left of the old graves, and almost nothing remains of the old burial ground except the sweet memor}- of Evangeline, wliose earthly remains were there entombed. Her modest grave under the large oak tree is no more seen, having been leveled with the ground by the hand of time. Who Evan- geline was we may learn from the lips of one who knew her; who wept over her when dea'.h had closed her eyes, and who kept her grave green until she herself fell in turn under the scythe of relentless death. We here give in full the story of Evangeline as related bv Mrs. Bordat, an Acadian exile, to her grand- 82 SOrjV/Jl'EST LOriSlAXA : children. We quote, and in her own words, from the " Reminiscences of ;in Old Acadian." The Story of Eniinclinc (Evaii^xline) Labiche. — " Emmeline Labiche, petiots, was an orphan girl, whose parents had died when she was quite a child. I had taken her to my house and raised her as my own daughter. How sweet tem- pered ! how loving she was ! She had grown to womanhood with all the attractions of her sex, and although not a beauty, in the sense usually given to this word, she ■was looked upon as the handsomest girl of St. Gabriel. Her fine, transparent hazel eyes mirrored faithfull}' her pure thoughts. Her bewitching smile ; her dark brown hair waved in graceful undulations on her intelligent forehead and fell in ringlets on her shoulders ; her symmetrical shape, all contrived to make her an attractive picture of maiden's loveliness. " Emmeline had just completed her sixteenth year and was on the eve of marr3-ing a deserving, laborious and well-to-do young man of St. Gabriel, named Louis Arceneaux. Their mutual love dated back to their earliest years and was concealed from no one. All agreed that Providence willed their union as man and wife — she the fairest young maiden, he the most deserving youth of St. Gabriel. Their bans had been published in the village church; ihe nuptial da)- was fixed and their long love dream was about to be realized when the barbarous scattering of our colony took place. Our oppressors had driven us toward the seashore, where their ships rode at anchor, and Louis, resisting with rage and despair, was wounded by them. Emmeline witnessed the whole scene. Her lover was carried on board of one of the ships; the anchor was weighed and a stiff breeze soon drove the ship out of sight. '•Emmeline, tearless and speechless, stood fixed to the spot, motionless as a statue ; and when the white sails vanished in the distance she uttered a wild and piercing shriek and fell fainting to the ground. When she recovered her senses she clasped me in her arms, and in an agon}' of grief she sobbed piteously. 'Mother, mother,' said she, in broken words, 'he is gone; they have killed him; what will become of me?' I soothed her. grief with caresses and endearing names until she wept freely, which relieved her anguish. By degrees the violence of her grief subsided, but the sadness of her countenance betokened the sorrow that preyed on her heart. Henceforward she lived a quiet and retired life, mingling no more with her young companions, and taking no part in their amusements. The remembrance of her lost love remained enshrined in her heart, never to be contaminated by her love for another. Thus she lived in our midst, always sweet tempered, with such sadness depicted on her countenance and with smiles so sorrowful that we had come to look upon her as not of this earth, but rather as our guardian angel, and it was for this that we called her no longer Emmeline, but Evangeline, or God's little angel. The sequel of her I HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL. 83 story is not gay, petiots, and my poor old heart breaks whenever I recall the misery of her fate; and while our grandmother spoke thus her whole figure was tremulous with emotion. " Emmeline, petiots, had been exiled to Maryland with us. She was, as I have tokl you, my adopted child, and I loved her with a mother's love. She dwelt with me and followed me in my long, weary overland route from Maryland to Louisiana. Wlien we reached the Teche country, at the Paste dcs Attakupcti,, we found the whole population congregated there to welcome us. As we landed from the boat, Emmeline walked by my side, but seemed not to admire the beautiful landscape extending on all sides. Alas ! it was of no moment to her, \\hether she strolled on tlie poetical banks of the Teche or rambled in the pic- turesque sites of hospitable Mar\lr.nd. She lived in the past, and her soul was absorbed in her mournful regrets. For her, the universe had lost the prestige of its beauties, of its splendor, of its freshness. The radiancy of her dreams was dimmed, and she breathed in an atmosphere of darkness and of desolation. She walked beside me with a measured step and grave countenance. Suddenly she grasped my hand, and, as if fascinated by a vision, she stood rooted to the spot. Her very heart's blood suffused her cheek with a crimson flush, and then, with the silvery tones of a voice vibrating with jo\' : 'Mother, mother,' she cried, 'it is he, it is Louis !' pointing to the tall figure of a man reclining be- neath a large oak. That man was Louis Arceneaux. With the rapidity of lightning sheflew to his side, and, in an ecstacy of joy and love, cried : 'Louis, Louis, I am your Emmeline, your long lost Emmeline. Have you forgotten me?' Louis turned ashy pale and hung down his head, without uttering a word. " 'Louis,' she said, painfully impressed by her lover's silence and coldness, ' why do you turn your eyes away from mine? I am still your Emmeline, your tjethrothed, and have kept pure and unsullied my plighted faith to you! Not a word of welcome, Louis,' she said, as the tears started to her ej'es, 'tell me, do tell me, that you love me still, and that joy and surprise at meeting me have overcome you and stopped your utterance." Louis Arceneaux, with quivering lips and trembling voice, answered: 'Emmeline, speak not so kindh^ to me, for I am unworthy of 3'ou. I can love you no longer ; I have pledged mv faith to another. Tear from your heart the remembrance of the past, and forgive me.' With a quick step he walked away and disappeared in the forest. " Poor Emmeline stood trembling like an aspen leaf. I took her hand; it was icy cold ; a deadly pallor had overspread her countenance and her eye had a vacant stare. Emmeline, mj' dear girl, come, said I; and she followed me like a child without resistance. I clasped her in my arms and I wept bitterly: 'Em- meline, my dear child, be comforted ; there may 3'et be happiness in store for _\()U.' ' Emmeline, Emmeline,' she muttered in an undertone, as if to recall that name : then, looking in m\' face with fearfully shining e3'es that made me shudder. S4 SOUTHWEST LOriSlANA : she said in ii strange, unnatural voice: 'Who are you?' and turned away from me. Her mind was unhinged. This last shock had been too much for her bioken heart; she was hopelessly insane. " Ah, petiots, how strange that beings like Emmeline, so pure and celestial, should be the sport of fate and be thus exposed to the shafts of adversity. Is it true, then, that the beloved of God are always visited by sore trials? Was it tliat our Evangeline was too ethereal a being for the world, and that God would liave her in His sweet paradise.' "Emmeline never recovered her reason, and deep melinchol}- possessed her. Her beautiful countenance was fitfully lighted by a sad smile, which made lier all the fairer. She never recognized any one but me, and, nestling in my arms like a spoiled child, she would bestow on me the most endearing names and fondle me lovingly. As sweet and amiable as ever, everybod}' loved and pitied her. When she strolled on the banks of the Teche, plucking the wild flowers that strewed her pathway, singing in an undertone some Acadian song, those that met her wondered wh}" a being so fair and gentle should have been visited with God's wrath . " She spoke of Acadia and of Louis in such loving tones that one could not listen to her words without shedding tears. She fancied herself to be still the sweet girl of sixteen, on the eve of marrying her chosen one, whom she loved with so much devotion and constancy, and listened with emotion to the tolling of the marriage bells from the village church tower, her countenance brighten- ing and her frame trembling with ecstatic joy. In a sudden transition from joy to despair her countenance changed; she trembled convulsivel}', gasping and struggling for utterance, and pointing her finger at some invisible object; in shrill and piercing accents of agony, she would crj' out, ' Mother, he is gone; they have killed him; what will become of me?' and, uttering a wild and unnatural shriek, she would fall senseless in my arms. Sinking at last under the ravages of her mental disease, she e.xpired in my arms without a struggle, and with an angelic smile on her lips. She sleeps in her quiet grave, shadowed by the tall oak near the little [church at the Poste des Attakapas, and that grave his been kept green as long as your grandmother has been able to visit it. Ah ! petiots, how sad was the fate of ' Evangeline, God's little angel?' and grandmother buried her face in her hands and wept and sobbed bitterly. Our hearts, too, swelled with emotion, and sympathetic tears rolled down our cheeks — we crept softly away, and left dear old grandmother alone, to think of and weep for her Evangeline, God's little angel." Pioneer Members of the Bar. — Prior to the adoption of the Louisian i Code of iSoS, the practice of the law, although somewhat complicated, offered no material difficult)' to tiie practitioner, who had a long string of precedents on HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL. 85 whicli to rely for the solution of the most knotty questions. After the cession of Louisiana to Spain, the Spanish law had superseded the French law, but had caused no inconvenience in the colon}', as the onl}- change brought about by its introduction related almost exclusively to municipal arrangements and to the titles to real estate. Contracts of a social nature, being more or less interwoven with the customs of the people and modified by them, were, to a certain extent, still governed 1)}' the French laws. Besides, the Spanish and French laws had a com- mon origin, the R >man law. The rules governing matrimonial rights and the settlement of estates, whether testamentary or otherwise, were alike, and the transition from the French to the Spanish law had hardl}' been felt in the colon\-. But the change operated in the practice of the law by the adoption of the Louisiana Code of 1808 was most material. It had been to a large extent copied almost verbatim from the Napoleon Code, but lately promulgated in France, and which had abrogated its droit coiitumier (law of customs) for the purpose of har- monizing its wiiole system of laws by a code of positive or written laws. The Louisiana Code of 1808, better known as "a digest of ilie civil laws of the territory of Orleans, with alterations and amendmints adapted to the present govenmient,'" had been prepared with the idea of simplif3-ing all legal proceed- ings by divesting them of unnecessary proli.xity, and in this wise to save costs to the litigants ; liut it failed of its purpose and had the contrary effect. It repealed none of the laws that did not conflict with its provisions, and most of the laws and customs contained in the Spanish Partidas, Recopilaciones, Huero viejo, etc., remained in full force in the State. The contusion resulting from the blending of the two S3-stems of law together may be better imagined than explained. The uncertainty of the law served to complicate legal mattei-s, as the organization and working of the courts of justice under that system were faulty and cumbersome in the extreme. Judge Martin, speaking of the Superior Court of the territory of Orleans, of which he was one of tlie judges, saj's in the preface to the first volume of his reporls dated- October 30, A. D. 1811 : " No one could more earnestl)' deplore, forno one felt more distressing!}- the inconvenience of our judicial system. From the smallness of the number of judges of the Superior Court, the remoteness of the places where it sits and the multiplicity of business, it has become indispensable to allow a quorum to consist of a single judge, who often finds himself compelled, alone and unaided, to determine the most intricate and important questions, both of law and fact, in cases of greater magnitude as to the object in dispute than are generally known in the State courts. While from the jurisprudence of this newly acquired territory, possessed at different periods by different nations, a number of foreign laws are to be examined and compared, and their compatibility with the general constitution and laws ascertained — an arduous task anywhere, but rendered extremely so here from the scarcity of works of foreign jurists." 86 SO urn WEST LO UISIA NA : As remarked by Judge Martin, the jurisprudence of the newly acquired ter- riiory, possessed as it had been at different periods by different nations ; the number of foreign laws to be examined and compared, with a scarcity of the text books of these laws; the stud)' necessary to reconcile seeming contradictions, all of this opened a wide field for the speculations and researches of the law3^er. To seek the spirit of those laws he had to grope his way in a maze of conflicting questions without a precedent as guide for their solution. These had to be reconciled; rules of practice for the future determination of cases similar or analogous to those that were being passed upon had to be fixed to serve as beacon I'ghts to the practitioners at the bar; in fact, the entire jurisprudence of the State was to be created. The amount of labor, of study, of researches required to attain this result was simply appalling, and such was the task imposed on our pioneer bar and judiciary; in the early days of Louisiana. This evil called for a corrective, and the Civil Code, promulgated in 1825, was adopted for tliat purpose. It abro- gated in a sweejiing manner all the civil laws in force in Louisiana before its promulgation. But this abrogation, sweeping as it was meant to be, repealed none but the positive and written statutes of France and Spain, and left intact those principles of law which had been ingrafted on our jurisprudence by the decisions of our courts.* It followed from this that the decisions of our courts were the rules by which the bar was to be governed in the interpretation and application of the laws, and that, in the absence of a judicial decision, the courts and the practitioners were to rely solely on the general principles of the civil law. It is true, also, that shortly afterward a Code of Practice, remarkable for its simplicity and clearness, had been promulgated, but this did not, neverthe- less, simplify the law questions which, for the reasons given by Judge Martin, remained unusualh^ difficult and important. NotVy-ithstanding the promulgation of the Code of Practice in 1825, grave and complicated litigation continued in our courts, where the practice bristled with difficulties without precedents to ex- plain them away. It required the judicious labors of the judges of the Superior Court to brush off the law quibbles and fallacies which are the necessarj- result of this state of things. It required incessant work and stud}' to harmonize our system of laws, to elucidate what appeared obscure in the body of those laws, and to rear bj- degrees the noble structure of the jurisprudence which remains an imperishable monument of the talents, learning and integrity of our Supreme judges. Their decisions are complete commentaries on almost every article of the Civil Code and Code of Practice ; and the questions of law which arise in the practice are now easily solved, as precedents are not wanting in our law books. *Tliiiteenlli Louisi:>na Reports vp. 123). HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL. 87 Our pioneer lawyers were active participants in the good results effected by the judicious labors of our Superior Court. To their disquisitions on the law, to their researches, industry and talents, are due the solution of the important questions which have been settled with so much distinction b}' our pioneer judges. The St. Martin bar, at that early period, was composed of men eminent for their learning and \vlio enjoyed a widespread reputation. Prominent among its members we must mention Alexander Porter. He was a native of Ireland, and was born near Omagh, county Tyrone, in 1786. In 1801 he emigrated to the United States, and settled in the Tcche region in 1810, having previously been admitted to the bar in Tennessee. lie was a scholar, and had that ready wit which characterizes the Irish people. With a glowing imagination, graceful ■diction and learned eloquence, he soon attained high eminence in his profession and was reputed the best lawyer of the St. Martin bar. He Was promoted to the Supreme judgeship in 1821, and held that position during twelve years, when he resigned, having been elected to the United States Senate. He died in 1844. As a judge, Alexander Porter has had no superior in Louisiana. His decisions are remarkable for their clearness, depth of reasoning, and for purity and beaut}- ■of style. They have been several times quoted by the highest tribunal of France as authority in civil matters. It is related of him that, W'hile he was a practising member of the St. Martin bar, his services were retained b}' a prisoner charged with passing coun- terfeited bank notes. 'J'lie party accused was well educated, and his manners and good breeding were those of one who seemed to have moved in the high circles of society. His story, as related by himself, was touching, and, withal, so truthful apparently, that Judge Porter was convinced of his innocence. The case was tried before a jury and he was acquitted. The prisoner wept for joy, and, as a mark of his gratitude for the valuable services of his attorney, he begged of him to accept $500 instead of the $250 that had been agreed upon for a fee. The amount was paid and the discharged prisoner left for his home in Texas. A few weeks afterward Judge Porter went to the cit}- of New Orleans, his purse well stocked with the bank notes of his friend, the Texan. Having pur- chased some merchandise in a store on Chartres street, he handed over to the merchant one of these bank notes. The merchant, discovering that the bank note was a counterfeit, called in a police officer, who arrested Judge Porter for passmg counterfeit bills. Despite his protests, he had to follow the officer to the station, where his incarceration lasted only a few minutes. Having ascer- tained that all the bank notes he had received from his client were counterfeit, he related his experience with the Te.xan to the great merriment of the by- standers. 88 SOUT/nVEST LOUISIANA : Edward Simon and Cornelius Voorhies became members of the St. Martin bar a few years after the promotion of Alexander Porter to the Supreme bench. ]Mr. Simon was a native of Belgium, and settled in the Teche region when quite a youth. He was well educated, of prepossessing appearance. He mastered the English language, and was no sooner admitted to the bar than he became one of its leading members. His eloquence, added to his profound knowledge of the law, made him a powerful debater, and no one knew better than he how to address and capture a jury. He was appointed judge of the Supreme Court, and maintained in that high position the reputation he had acquired at the bar. His decisions are noted for clearness and for soundness of reasoning. Cornelius Voorhies had to contend in his youth with the disadvantages of an insufficient education. By dint of study he oveFcame all difficulties, and his grasping mind had soon mastered, not only the English language, his vernacu- lar, but also the French language, which he spoke elegantly and with a pure accent. His knowledge of the civil law was profound, and his eloquence was of that kind which sways the masses. His practice was very lucrative. He was exceedingly popular, and never experienced a defeat whenever he consented to become a candidate before the people. He was successively elected district attorney, district judge, and finally one of the judges of the Supreme Court under the Constitution of 1852. He was succeeded on the bench by his son, Albert Voorhies. His decisions denote great learning, and his style is elegant and simple. Iskac E. Morse, another member of that earl}' bar, became Attorney Gen- eral of the State of Louisiana, and filled that position with honor to himself and to the State. He once had a suit pending before the Supreme Court, It was a case of some importance, and had attracted a good deal of attention in the dis- trict. Judge Cornelius Voorhies was the adverse counsel. On the da}' of the trial Mr. Morse rose from his seat to address the court, when Judge Martin remarked: " Mr. Morse it is unnecessary ; the court is with 3'ou. We will hear the adverse counsel." Mr. Morse bowed graciously to the court and resumed his seat, with a beam of complacenc}' on his countenance. Nothing daunted by the opinion expressed so freel}' and openly by the court. Judge Voorhies argued his case with great fervor, ability and eloquence. To the great dismay of Attorne\' General Morse the court the next day brought in a decision in favor of Judge Voorhies' client. The year after, being about to argue one of his cases in the Supreme Court, he was again interrupted by the court, Judge Martin again remarking; '• Mr. Morse, it is unnecessarj^; the court is with 5'ou."" " Please the court,"' answered Mr. Morse, " last year the court was with me in the Broussard case, and the decision went against my client. I •^refer to aryue mv case if the court will allow it."" This retort excited the HISTORICAL AXD BIOGRAPHICAL. 89 merriment of the bar in-attendance. He was allowed to proceed witli his argu- ment, and this time the court decided in his favor. John Bronson was a civilian of no mean oider, and accumulated great wealth as a lawyer. He was a leading attorney in all land suits, which were then of grant importaoce by the frequent recurrence of disputed claims. Most of the land owners held their titles from the Spanish government, and errors of location occasioned a great deal of litigation. William Brent, also one of the pioneer lawyers of the St. Martin bar, was a man of great ability and withal a powerful logician. His practice was large and lucrative, and he lived in affluence. He was a native of Maryland and had set- tled in the Teche region, which presented then a fine opening to the lawyer and a wide field for success. He descended from the Brent family that had ex tended such a generous and noble hospitality to the poor Acadian exiles cast away on the shores of Maryland by their British oppressors, and who had subse- quently emigrated to Louisiana. These Acadians had always felt the deepest gratitude for the kindness of the Brent family, and the name of Brent had been kept in particular veneration and esteem b}' their descendants. No wonder that the popularity of William Brent should have been so great with the Acadian population of the Teche Bayou. Edward Heard, Alexander Derbes, Joseph Parrot of tiie firm of Brent & Parrot, Augustus Magill, Thomas C. Nichols and Cesare Delahoussaye were also pioneer members of the St. Martin bar, and men of ability, coping with dis- tinguished honor with the several members of the bar of whom passing notice has been given. Tht-y were mostly men of means who relied not on their pro- fession for a living. The St. Martin bar ha? held a dislinguished rank in the legal fraternity of tlie State, and five of its membeis have successively occupied the Supreme Bench of Louisiana, to-wit: Alexander Porter, Edward Simon, Sr., Cornelius Voorhies, Albert Voorhies and Alcibiades DeBlanc. The St. Martin bar is now composed of C. H. Mouton, Edward Simon, Jr., Felix Voorhies, Robert Martin, Raphael DeBlanc, Dan. W. Voorhies, Louis J. Voorhies, James Simon and James E. Mouton, who is now the judge of the district. — Felix Voorhies. l^^^^^W^ CHAPTER IV. Parish of Iberia — Generai. Description — Water Courses, Etc. — Resi- dences AND PLANT.VriONS PrAIRIE AU LaRGE GrAND Co'IT. AND Petit Anse Islands — A Pisgah View — The Avery Salt Mines — Indian Relics — Joe Jefferson's Island — Lake Peigneur — A Land Flowing with Milk .\nd Honkv — Early Settlers — First Aimericans — The Acadians — Organiz.\tion of Parish — First Court Housf — Public Improvement.s — The Medical Profession — Yellow Fever Epidemics — (Jld "Felicity" — Lawyers — Educational — Public Schools — New Iberia Laid Out — Maxuf.-vcturing Industries — The Oil Mill — Churches, Neavsp.\pers, Etc. — Military — Jeannerette AND Other Towns of Smaller Note, Etc., Etc. "Away back in the by-gone times, _ Lost 'mid the rubbish of forgotten things." HISTORICALLY, Iberia parish is a paft of the A..ttakapas distiiet. It is .^ ^ an ohl settled parish. Of those who first saw it in its primitive beautv, o'^ tiie young men have grown old, and the old are in their graves. The country is still beautiful, though its virgin beaut}' iias been despoiled bv the hand of the husbandman. The parish of Iberia is rather rough and ragged in its geographical bound- aries. It may be called a gulf parish, though the parish proper lies some distance from the gulf, but Marsh Island, which belongs lo Iberia, is on the gulf coast. The parish of Iberia is bounded on the north b.y St. Martin's parish, on the east by Assumption parish, on the south by St. Mary's parish and Cote Blanche Bay, and on the west by Vermilion parish. Much of its eastern portion is water and cypress swamp. The tillable land along the west side of the Southern Pacific Railroad and the Teche, from the parish line below Jeannerette to New Iberia, called the "Prairie au Large," has a vvidtli of about si.x miles, and it is a little wider above, between the railroad and Lake Peigneur: the land, from the line where the railroad enters the parish below Jeannerette to the line where it leaves it west of Lake Tasse, is about twenty miles in extent. All the land is tillable between Lake Peigneur and Lake Tasse, and in the great bend of the Teche northeast of New Iberia. And there is some fine tillable and grazing land south of Lake Peigneur. The Teche is lined with plantations nearly the entire distance from its entrance into the parish east of Lake Tasse to the line where it leaves the parish below Jeannerette. The portion of the parish that borders on Grand Lake is 92 .S- O Uril J I 'ES T L O CIS I A XA : a dense cypress swamp, and bordering on this swamp there is a growtli of gum, ash, oak and other timber. Around the great bend of the bayou, called Fausse Pointe, the tillable land has a width of several miles. The lands of the parish are'all rich. On the west side of the bayou there is a scarcit}- of woodland; on the east side there is an abundance of fine cypress and wood for sugar making. " From the point where the Teche enters the parish, about five miles below St. Martinsville bj' its winding course, the distance to New Iberia is about twenty- five miles. Tiie scenery here is extremely beautiful and picturesque. The banks are generally about eighteen feet above the water and they slope gentlj'to it at an angle of less than thirty degrees. The bayou around the bend, in the low water season is about ninety feet wide and hss a depth on its most shallow bars of about 3J^ feet. Forest trees and water willows line both banks most of the distance. There are many live oaks, pecans and other noble forest trees grow- ing on both banks of the ba30u, and "Over tlieir luads the towering and tenebrous boughs * * * Meet in a dusky arch, and trailing mosses in inid air . Wave like banners that hang on the walls of ancient cathedrals." The houses of the planters and small farmers are generally situated not a hundred yards from the edge of the bayou. " Most of tlie houses are plain but coiufortable, and the improvements are plain, but the proprietors are quite inde- pendent. Below New Iberia the Teche is broader and deeper than above, the plantations are larger, the houses and improvements finer, and there are fewer trees growing on its banks. Here are palatial residences, grand sugar houses with chimneys towering skyward, plantation villages called 'the quarters,' orange groves, groves of the mespilus, flower gardens and beautiful shrubber}', floating bridges, and the general paraphernalia of wealth and lordly possessions."* Prairie an Large. — This is the beautiful body of land lying south and west of the town of New Iberia. It is as fine prairie land as can be found any- v\'hefe. The following sketch of it was compiled by Mr. Dennett some twentj'- five years ago: "This prairie has natural drains, which, by being opened a little, would relieve the whole country from surface water after rains. Leading natural ditches penetrate parts of the prairie, and into these the ravines may be opened at small expense. This fertile prairie must, at no distant day, be put in a high stale of cultivation by small farmers. Though there are many thrifty little fields now under fence, we doubt if a tenth part of the prairie is cultivated. Small tracts from forty to two hundred acres can be bought for ten dollars per acre, and even less. Large planters can not come into this prairie and put up new and expensive inachiner\^ with an}'^ show of success. A small farmer can start with cheap improvements, tuake ten, twenty, or fifty hogsheads of sugar ^-^^^ble oaks, its ash and cypres?, its fields of blooming cotton and waving cane — all inspire the most pleasant emotions in the breast of any beholder who loves to look on nature when she puts on her finest robes and appears in her most bewitching mood. The plantation known as Weeks p'aiitation, under aliigh state of cultivation on this island, has on it all the buildings and improvements common to the largest and most successful sugar estates in Attakapas; a large brick sugar house, slate roof and powerful engine and sugar mill, capacity for taking off and saving six or eight hundred hogsheads of sugar j-early; the plantation is in fine condition, the soil is of unsurpassed fertility, and the estate has always been one of the most productive and successful in this section of Louisiana. Petit Ai/se Island. — This island has a vaiiety of names, and is one of the interesting spots in Iberia parish. It is called, besides the name at the head of this paragraph, Avery's Island, Salt Island, etc., as suits the person's taste who speaks of it or writes about it. It contains about twentj'-two hundred arpents of upland and twelve hundred arpents of timber, cypress, gum, magnolia, oak, etc. It is about ten miles in diameter, and, like Grand Cote, is nearly round. It is composed of hills, valleys, ravines, ponds, woodlands, open fields and pas^tures, the whole surrounded on all sides by sea marsh, which, in the distance, has the appearance of dry, level prairie. In an article written for Harper's Magazine (Februar_y number, 1887), en titled " The Acadian Land," Mr. Charles Dudley Warner thus particularizes Iberia parish : •'From New Iberia southward toward Vermilion Bay stretches a vast prai- rie ; if it is not absolutely flat, if it resembles the ocean, it is the ocean when its long swells have settled nearly to a calm. This prairie would be monotonous were ' it not dotted with small round ponds, like hand-mirrors for the flitting birds and sailing clouds, were its expanse not spotted with herds of cattle scattered or clus tered like fishing boats on a green sea, were it not for a cabin here and there, afield of cane or cotton, a garden plot, and were it not for the forests which break the horizon line and send out dark capes into the verdant plains. On a gray day, or when storms and fogs roll in from the gulf, it might be a gloomy HISTORICAL AXD BIOGRAPHICAL. 97 region, but under the sunlight and in the spring it is full of life and color; it has an air of refinement and repose that is very welcome. Besides tlie uplift of the spirit that a wide horizon is apt to give, one is conscious here of tlie neighbor- hood of the sea, and the possibilities of romantic adventure in a coast intersected by ba3'ous and the presence of novel forms of animaland vegetable life, and of a people with habits foreign and strange. There is also a grateful sense of free- dom and expansion. The Salt Mine. — " Soon, over the plain, is seen on the horizon, ten miles from New Iberia, the dark foliage of Petit Anse, on Averj-'s Island. Tliis unexpected upheaval from the marsh, bounded by the narrow circling Petit Anse Bayou, rises into the sky one hundred and eighty feet, and has the effect in the flat expanse of a veritable mountain, comparatively a surprise, like Pike's Peak seen from the elevation of Denver. Perhaps nowhere else would a hill of one hundred and eighty feet make such an impression on ihe mind. Crossing the baj'ou, where alligators sun themselves and eye with affection the colored people angling at the bridge, and passing a long causewaj- over the marsh, the firm land of the island is reached. This island, which is a sort o^ geological puzzle, has a very uneven surface, and is some two and a half miles long by one mile broad. It is a pretty little kingdom in itself, capable of producing in its soil and adjacent waters nearh' ever\thing one desires of the necessaries of life. A portion of the island is devoted to a cane plantation and sugar works; a part of it is covered with forests ; and on the lowlands and gentle slopes, besides thickets of palmetto, are gigantic live-oaks, moss-draped trees monstrous in girth, and towering into the sky with a vast spread of branches. Scarcely anywhere else will one see a nobler growth of these stately trees. In a depression is the famous salt mine, unique in qualit}' and situation. Here is grown and put up the Tobasco pepper; here amid fields of clover and flowers a large apiary flourishes. Stones of some value for ornament are found. Indeed I should not be surprised at anj'thing turning up there, for I am told that good kaoline has been discovered ; and aboiit the residences of the hospitable proprietors roses bloom in abundance, the china tree blossoms sweetly, and the mocking bird sings all the day long. " But better than all these things I think I like the view from the broad cottage piazzas, and I like it best when the salt breeze is strong enough to sweep away the coast mosquitoes — a most undesirable variet}'. I do not know another view of its kind for extent and color comparable to that from this hill over the waters seaward. The expanse of luxuriant grass, brown, golden, reddish, in patches, is interested by a net-work of bayous, which gleam like silver in the sun, or trail like dark fabulous serpents under a cloudy sk}'. The scene is limited only by power of the eye to meet the sky line. Vast and level, it is constantly chang- ing, almost in motion with life; the lone crrass and weeds run like waves when 08 SO UTH 1 1 'ES T LO UIS7A XA : the wind blows, great shadows of clouds pass on its surface, alternating masses with vivid ones of sunlight; fishing boats and the masts of schooners creep along the threads of water; when the sun goes down, a red globe of fire in the gulf mists, all the expanse is warm and rudd}', and the waters sparkle like jewels ; and at night under the great field of stars marsh fires here and there give a sort of lurid splendor to the scene. In the winter it is a temperate spot, and at all times of the year it is blessed by an invigorating sea breeze. Those who have enjoyed the charming social life and the unbounded hospitalit}' of the fam- ily who inhabits this island may envy them their paradise, but they would be able to select none others so worthy to enjoy it. " It is said the Attakapas Indians are shy of this island, ;having a legend that it was the scene of a great catastrophe to their race. Whether tliis catastrophe has any connection with the upheaval of the salt mountain I do not know. Many stories are current in this region in regard to the discovery of this deposit. A little over a quarter of a centur}- ago it was unsuspected. The presence of salt in the water of a small spring led somebody to dig in the place, and at a depth of sixteen feet below the surface, solid salt was struck. In stripping awa}' the soil several relics of human workmanship came to light, among them stone imple- ments and a woven basket, exactly such as the Attakapas make now. This basket, found at the depth of sixteen feet, lay upon the salt rock, and was in a perfect preservation. Half of it can now be seen in the Smithsonian Institution. At the beginning of the late war great quantities of salt wei-e taken from this mine for the use of the Confederacy. But this supply was cut off by the Unionists, who at first sent gun-boats up the bayou within shelling distance, and at length occupied it with troops. "The ascertained area of the mine is several acres; the depth of the deposit is unknown. The first shaft was sunk a hundred feet ;'below this a shaft of seventy feet fails to find any limit to the salt. The excavation is already large. Descending, the visitor enters vast cathedral-like chambers; the sides are solid salt, sparkling with crj'stals; the floor is solid salt; the roof is solid salt, supported on pillars of salt, left by the excavators, forty or perhaps sixty feet square. When the interior is lighted by dynamite the effect is superbly weird and grotesque. The salt is blasted by dynamite, loaded into cars, which run on rails to the elevator, hoisted and distributed into the crushers, and from the crushers directly into the bags for shipment. No bleaching or cleansing process is needed ; the salt is almost absolutely pure. Large blocks of it are sent to the western plains for ' cattle licks.' The mine is connected by rail with the main line of the Southern Pacific at New Iberia." In addition to the relics found at the salt mine mentioned in the foregoing article, the miners have found others that have attracted the attention of scientists. The bones of the mastadon, have been found there, and scientists agree, that IIISrORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL. 91) tlie mastadon disappeared from ihe earlli many centuries ago. How long these bones and relics have been lying side by side in the salt formation of Petit Anse Island is unknown, and can only be conjectured by the geologist from a geological standpoint. Some of these scientific gentlemen have reckoned that the mastadon, or mammoth, was here witli the mound builders, and tliese peculiar people, of wiiom we know nothing, but conjecture a great deal, from the relics found in the mounds they heaped up, must have passed away a thousand years or more ago. That the mastadon and mound builder were here contemporaneously has been demonstrated by finding pipes and pottery ware in the mounds with images of the mastadon engraved upon them. As the mound builders had no written language, they could know nothing from having read of the mastadon but must have gained their information from a personal acquaintance with his majesty. And, as touching the mound bi ilders, the Indians had not the faintest tradition of them, or the mounds they erected in a continuous line from •our northern lakes down the Mississippi Valley into Mexico, and thence into South America. Oroiige Island. — This beautiful island is on a line with Petit Anse, Grand Cote and- Cote Blanche Islands, and each is separated from the neighboring island b}' a distance'of about si.x miles. Orange IsUind rises above Lake Peigneur and the surrounding prairie as the other islands rise above and overlook the sur- rounding sea marsh. The island is about eight3'-four feet above the level of the gulf. It has hills, valleys, level and inclined planes, and from its bluff banks in places the branches of the trees hang out over the waters of Lake Peigneur. A constant sea breeze renders the spot healthy and delightful as a place of residence. Tliere were, j-ears ago, some six thousand orange trees on this island, bear- ing an immense crop of oranges yearly. Most of them are still in fine condition, some of them having bodies more than a foot in diameter. There were two thousand bearing pecan trees, a large number of the better kinds of cherries, and some fig, peach, quince, lemon and palm trees; several avenues of live-oak and other growth, and a grove of stately magnolias. Seen from the summit of the bluff, Lake Peigneur spreads out almost beneath the feet of the observer, while the gleam of the silvery surface closes the vista of the principal avenues leading from the house. The owner of this beautiful and valuable pro,)erty is Mr. Joseph Jefferson, the great and world-renowned actor, the hero of Rip Van Winkle. He has spent large sums of money in improving, until it is one of the most beautiful and valuable estates in Southwest Louisiana. Mr. Jefferson frequently visits it and remains weeks and months in fishing and enjo3'ing a quiet vacation. 100 SOrTIIWESJ' LOUISIAXA : Lake Peigncur. — Tliis beautiful lake, sometimes called Lake Simonette, is one of ihe finest sheets of water in the Attakapas countiy, or in the State, for that matter. It is about nine miles west of New Iberia, about ten miles north of Vermilion Bay and about six miles from the salt mines on Petit Anse Island. It is about three miles long and one mile wide, and its greatest depth thirty-two feet. It is fed by numerous springs that break out of the ground around the margin of the lake. Fish of all kinds found in the waters of this region of the country abound in Lake Peigneur, and nni}- be caught in profusion any season of the year. The supply is inexhaustible. Tlie country around this lake is verj' beauti- ful and picturesque. Lake Tasse, or Spanish Lake, more commonly called by tlie latter mme among the people, lies within two miles of the town of- New Iberia. It is some five miles long and nearl}- oval in shape. Its greatest depth is about twenty feet; its margin mostly fringed with grass and water lilies. This lake, like Lake Peigneur, swarms with fishes of every kind found an\'where in this region, from the sardine to trout and perch. Some of the trout are said to be two and a half feet long. The lake is fed b^- springs that break out around the margin. There is a large boiling spring in the middle of the lake that is supposed, from its boil- ing proclivity, to come directly up from "sheol," as its depth has never been readied. The Teclie is ab jut seven hundred yards from Lake Tasse at the nearest point, and its surface is about eight feet above the level of the ba\ou. The Planter's Banner thus describes a trip of its editor made in 1S69 through Iberia parisii. Though it was more than twenty years ago, it illustrates the resources of the country as well as if made last year. " In company with Dr. Shaw we called atthe sugarhouse of Ducleon Bonin, across tlie bayou, twelve miles from New Iberia. The sugar house was made of pieux and rough plank, dirt floor, everything rough and cheap. The sugar house and mill house cost $650; tlie mill, second-hand, 32-inch cylinder, cost$5oo; the kettles, capacity for two hogsheads in twenty-four houi\s, cost $i.SO, second-hand ; the whole cost of all, $1200. They will make forty-five hogsheads of sugar and sixty barrels of molasses, worth over $5000. They have made two hogsheads to the acre from stubble cane; they make si.\ hundred barrels of corn. " The three Bonin brothers were raised in Fausse Pointe, served through the civil war in the Confederate arm}', lost all their slaves and nearly all their other property but one hundred and seventy acres of land, where they now live. Last year they went into the swamp, cut the timber and floated it out with their ownhands, made their pieux, and, tenora dozen neighboring Creoles joining them, they put up tlieir pieux sugar house in one daj'. The sugar house entire cost no money, except for a keg of nails ; the house has a dirt floor ; the molasses drains so as to catch it in an old sugar kettle, and from this it is barreled for market. These three brothers will this vear make thirty hogsheads of sugar. They are HISTORICAL AXD BIOGRAPHICAL. 101 now making two liogsheads to the acre, and they will have two hundred barrels of corn to sell. They cultivated their crop with Creole horses of tlieir own. This is a sami>le of what white Creole labor can do in the cultivation of sugar." From all tliese flattering descriptions of the lands of Iberia parish, it is a fact evident to any one that if the Garden of Eden was not here, there was a mistake in the place of its location, for certainly these are the lands, of which the poets sings — "Tneir rocks and hills and brooks and vales With milk and honey flow." Well, it is a fin? country, there is no gainsaying that, if rich lands, favorabl}^ located, and having a salubrious and healthful climate, make a fine country. A man who would not be satisfied with it, would not be satisfied with a section of the "Promised Land." Appropriate to the above is an extract from Hon. Charles Gayarre's "Poetr}' of theHistory of Louisiana." Speaking of the title of liis book, he says: "I am prepared to sliow that her history is full of poetry of the highest order, and of the most varied nature. I have studied the subject con ciniorc, and with such reverential enthusiasm, and I may saj' with sucli filial piety, that it has grown upon my heart, as well as upon my mind. To support tlie assertion tliat the history of Louisiana is eminently p3etical, it will be suffi- cient to give sliort, graphical descriptions of tliose interesting events which con- stitute her annals. Bright gems they are, enriching her brow, diadem-like, and worth}- of that star which has sprung from her forehead to enrich the American constellation in llie firmament of liberty." Early Settlements. — The early settlements in the parish of Iberi.i date back as far as in St. Landry or St. Martin. Tiie first settlers were Spaniards. Among them were the Seguras, the Romeros, the Viators, Miguez, Domi- niques, etc. Next came the Acadians, descendants of the French, who had long before settled in the peninsula of Nova Scotia. These were the Decuirs, Brous- sards, Breaux, Moutons and others. The story of their expulsion from Nova Scotia by the English is already told in the chapters on St. Landr}' and St. Martin parishes. The\' were exiled to different sections on the Atlantic border for hundreds of miles, from whence many of them sought the wilds of Louis- iana undei" tiie guidance of Father Marquette, down the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers. A large number of them drifted down the Atlantic coast as far as Maryland and Charleston, South Carolina, and then made their waj' across the countrj' to Louisiana. They plunged into the wilderness, with their faces turned westward, and they did not burn the bridges behind them, because there were none to burn. The}' were of that hardy race of men and women to whom tlie perils of the wilderness was as nothing, if a home — a home free and untram- meled — stood at the end of their journe}-, \Yhere the}' could " worship God 102 SO UTH WEST LO UISIA XA : according to the dictates of their own conscience." witli none " to molest or make them afraid." Among the early settlers of Iberia who came directly from France were the DeBlancs, the Delahoussayes, the Gonsoulins — one of the original surveyors of the country — the Devezins, the Oliviers, the St. Clairs and the Declouets. There are still to be found in this and the surrounding country descendants of these old aristocratic families, manj' of them with the blood of the Frencli no- bility in their veins. Their settlement in what is now the parish of Iberia, was long the nucleus, and great spot of attraction of French emigrants. During the French occupancy of Louisiana, DeBlanc, the ancestor of this distinguished family in America, was the commandant of Western Louisiana. The first American settlers came here soon after the battle of New Orleans, an event that seemed to open up this rich countrj^ to settlement from the States. The most prominent of these were John G. Wilkins, Governor Baker, and the Smiths and Youngs. Wilkins was from ^"il•ginia. He was ver}- wealthy, and brought a number of slaves here with him, and became an extensive sugar planter. He reared a large famil}', and has many descendants in the State. Governor Baker was a prominent man, and after the close of the war of 1812 he was appointed Military Governor of Louisiana. The Smiths and Youngs came from Maryland, and have scores of descendants still living to perpetuate tliese good old American names. A few Irish followed about this time, promi- nent among whom vvas Judge Alexander Porter. He was a judge of the Supreme Court, and elected from the bench, upon which he had served twelve years, to the United States Senate, where he was a compeer of Clay and Webster and Calhoun. He is flatteringly noticed in the St. Martinsville pioneer bar by one who knew him well. The Pioneers. — Dr. Alfred Duperier, in a newspaper article written a few vears ago, saj-s of tlie pioneers: " We see as early as 1788 the census shows the coljny of Ibenato number one hundred and ninet)' souls. The different nationalities not being detailed in the census referred to, it is difhcult to determine who were the pioneers of this immediate post or settlement. Whilst the majority of them were, no doubt, Spaniards, they must have been preceded, if not by the French colonists under St. Denys and Bernard de la Harpe, who settled Natchitoches and Alex- andria from 1715 to 1719, by the Acadian French, who flocked to Louisiana after the treaty of Aix la Chapelle in 1759. The writer inclines to the belief that the pioneer settlers of this section were originally from France. That they ac- companied the grantees to lands, made under the regime of Bienville, isjconfirm- ed by names transmitted to the present generation. Among the descendants of the original French we find at Opelousas tlie Lastrapes, the Louailliers, the Martels; at the Cote Gelee, where one of the earliest trading posts was estab- HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL. 103 lished at the present site of Broiissardville, we find the Lassalles and the Si. Juliens; at this place (New Iberia) and at St. Martins we find tlie DeBhincs, De)- ahoussayes, Declouets and Fusehers. One of the earhest among tlie Frencii commandants was the Chevaher DeBlanc. Of the first Acadians we have the INIoutons, Dupres, Guidrys, Broussards, Dugas, Breaux, Bernards and Decuirs." The Aciidiaui. — Tliese people, perliaps, outnumbered any other one brancli of the earl}' settlers of Iberia parisJi; therefore everytliing pertairing to them will be found of interest to the general reader. The following newspaper article contains some interesting historical facts of the early Acadians: " The province of Acadia, in the peninsula of Nova Scotia, was ceded b}' France to England in 1713. The inhabitants, however, continued to expect and desire reunion with France. In 1755 an expedition was fitted out in Massachu- setts, and sailed for Nova Scotia, May 20 of that year, under the command of Gen. Moncton, and landed in JBne, and soon conquered the whole of the pen- insula. The Acadians doubtless sympathized with their countrj^men of French descent, and gained thereby the enemity of the British governor, who required every one of them to take the oath of allegiance to the British crown, and at the same time renounce allegiance to France. This the Acadians refused to •do. The British general then ordered them to instantly' go on board the British ships and be transported to other climes. They were driven at the point of the bayonet from their homes, and transported in British ships to Louisiana, which then belonged to France, settled along the coast, the bayous, -rivers and lakes of Sjuthwest Louisiana. In the hurrj^ of embarkation, friends and relatives were separated, and never saw each other again until they found each other in their new home; and perhaps some were never united again on earth. " The story of 'Evangeline,' by Longfellow, was true as to its main fea- tures. Last summer we were shown the tree under which Evangeline is said to have rested while she was engaged in hunting for her lover. It stands upon Jhe banks of the beautiful Teche, and forms part of a picturesque grove of live-oaks. " The Acadians, who were brouglit to this country against their wills, were descendants of French people, who emigrated from France in the seventeenth century. Their education, opinions and principles where provincial rather than French, by reason of their long absence from the Mother country. Hence thev brought with them to Louisiana ideas and habits formed after the provin- cial pattern. Being so different in many respects from those inhabitants of Louisiana who came to this country direct from France, they did not mingle with tiiem to any considerable extent, but formed communities of their own, and lived a quiet, peaceful, and uneventful life. The name Acadians, by vvjiich they w'ere first known, was soon contracted or corrupted into the term 104 SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA : ' Cajan," by which tliey are frequently known. For some reason unknown to us many of these people object to tlie name Cajan. There is certainly no disgrace in being a descendant of the innocent people who were driven from their iiomes in Acadia and settled in this coutitry; and we can see no reason for being ashamed of the name, or of its contracted form, Cajan. The Aca- dians who are still in this region are a quiet, hospitable and accommodating people. They are entirely' distinct from the descendants of those who came to this country directly from France; but they haVe some of the Franch character- istics, among which are politeness, vivacity, hospitality, etc. Their educational opportunities being v^ery meagre, many of them are uneducated; but they show commendable zeal in availing themselves of the improved and increasing facili- ties for educational advantages. They also readily adopt the new methods and nev/ machinery introduced bj' the Nortliern immigration of the last few years, and are rapidly accumulating wealth and increasing in intelligence. The pioneer histor\' of Iberia parish is somewhat short, on account of the 3'oulhfulness of the parish, which as a municipality dates back to iS6S only. Thus, much that pertains to the earh' settlement here is given in St. Martin. and St. Mary parishes. This was unavoidable. When the fii-st settlements were made in what is now Iberia, and for long j-ears afterward, it- was a part of St. Martin parisli. Another reason of its abridged pioneer history is its small dimensions. On the State maps it is not much larger than a man's thumb nail. Though small, it is ver}' ricli, on the principle, perhaps, that "fine goods are put up in small packages." All these together contribute to curtail the pioneer historj' of Iberia parisli. Orgcniization of Parish. — Iberia was established as a parish by an act of the Legislature, approved October 30, 1868. The act is as follows : Section i. Be it enacted b}' the Senate and House of Representatives of the State of Louisiana, in General Assembly convened. That from and after the passage of this act, there shall be a new parish formed from a portion of the south part of the parish of St. Martin and from a portion of the north part of St. Mary, to be called and known b}' the name of the parish of Iberia. Skc. 2. Be it further enacted. That the following shall be the boundaries of the parish of Iberia, viz: Beginning on the Gulf of Mexico at the entrance to the southwest or Vermilion Pass; thence along the middle of the main chan- nel of said pass to the entrance to Vermilion Bay ; thence in a direct line to the mouth of Petit Anse Baj'ou; thence in a direct line to the western shore of Lake Peigneui'; thence along the western shore of said lake, and along the line dividing the parishes of St. Martin, Vermilion and Lafayette, to a point intersected by a line running east and west two and a half miles north of the township line between townships 11 and 12 south, in range 5 east; thence due east HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL. 105 to the township line between ranges 5 and 6 east; thence southeast to the upper Hne of lands now belonging to S. M. Darby (originally confirmed to J. Fontenot, commonly represented as number 59); thence northeastward along said upper line to Lake Tasse ; thence southeastward through the middle of said lake in a direct line to the upper line of lands now owned by Jno. F. Wyche, following said upper line to the depth of forty arpents: thence following the rerfr conces- sion of lands lying south of J. F. Wyche, and fronting Bayou Teche at a dis- tance of forty arpents from said bayou to the south line of Onezephore Dela- houssaye ; thence circumscribing the lands of said Onezephore Delahoussaye to Coulee Porlage, following said coulee to Baj'ou Portage ; thence along the middle of said bayou to Lake Fausse Point, and through the middle of said lake to a point intersected by tlie township line between townships 11 and 12 south; thence east along said line to the eastern limits of the parish of St. Martin on Grand River; thence southward!}' with said limits to the line between townships 12 and 13 south; thence westwardly in a direct line to the northwest corner of the lands of Charles Grevenberg; thence southeastwardly across the Bayou Teche along the upper line of said lands of Charles Grevenberg, and in a direct line to the sea marsh ; thence through said sea marsh, midwa\' between the liighlands of Cypre- mortand Grand Cote to Vermilion Bay; thence through said bay to the southeast l^ass of Cote Blanche Buy, and thence along the coast of the Gulf of Mexico to the point of beginning, including Petit Anse Island. Sec. 3. Be it further enacted. That it shall be the duly of the Governor immediately after the passage of this act, to nominate, and by and with the ad- vice and consent of the Senate, to appoint for the said parish a judge, a sheriff, a recorder, and all other officers that may be necessary therefor, etc. There are several other sections, but they are not material to this sketch. The act is signed by Charles W. Lowell, Speaker of the House of Representa- tives, Oscar J. Dunn, Lieutenant Governor and President of the Senate, and H. C. Warmoth, Governor; attested by George E. Brown, Secretary of State. The requisite parish officers were appointed as required in the act, and the parish was formally organized, and started on its way in the full tide of successful ex- periments. The first court house after the parish was organized was a temporary build- ing used for the purpose, which was burned in 1870. Otiier temporary build- ings were used until a spirit of enterprise infected the good people of the town and parish, and they determined to have a court house that none would be ashamed of, and so thej'went to work while the fever was on lest if it cooled the project would drop. Mr. Dominique Ulger Broussard was the moving spirit, and but for his enterprise they probably would still be without a court house. The beautiful building that now graces the public square of New Iberia was built at a cost of $22,000, and finished in 1884. The people are justly proud of 106 SOUTHWEST LOUISIAXA : it, as it is entire!}- the result of home production and enterprise. It is built of brick and is two stories high, besides the mansard roof. The internal arrange- ments of the building are as excellent as the exterior is comely to the eye. The parish offices 'are on the first floor, the court room, a very tasty and handsome one, is in the second story, while in the third story, under the; man- sard roof, is tlie armory, where the three local military companies keep their arms and equipments. In the northeast corner of the square is the jail, a sub- stantial two-story brick building. On the first floor of the court house in the center hall is a beautiful memo- rial tablet of polished marble placed in the wall, upon which is inscribed the following: " In memory of Dominique Ulger Broussard, born August 4, 1838, died Jatmary 28, 1885. Erected by Iberia parish in grateful recognition of his unselfish and distinguished public service."" Public Improzcmciits. — Iberia parish has few public improvements besides railroads and a few bridges, outside of the parish capital. The main line of the Southern Pacific Railroad traverses the parish through the eastern side, a little west of north. A histor}- of this great road is given elsewhere. A branch extends from New Iberia to the salt mines, and another bianch will be built during the coming j-ear from New Iberia to Abbeville, the capital of Vermilion parish. When it is finished it will make New Iberia quite a railroad center, and having excellent navigation by means of Ba\ou Teche, Iberia parish is well provided with means of travel and transportation. On the subject of the improvement of water vva^s, Dr. Dupericr said in an article written in 1887 and published in The Sugar Bowl: "Since the closing of the Bayou Plaquemine there has been an increased demand for cheap water transportation to carry the agricultural products of the Teche to our nearest home markets. The arbitrary closing of the Bayou Plaquemine, the natural river inlet and outlet to and from the Mississippi River, was allowed without protest or injunction from the only proper tribunal — the United States Courts. Those interested (the people at large) have supinely waited, are still waiting, and will continue to wait, until congressional legislation orders the opening, deepening and locking of Bayou Plaquemine. When will that be? What have the mer- chants of Galveston, Texas, done? Can't the New Orleans and the entire Teche trade do as much for themselves? Until such time as the Bayou Plaquemine is opened, deepened and made permanently navigable by congressional enact- ment, or by an order from the United States Court, obtained by a chartered com- pany, organized for works of public improvements, can not, I say, the merchants of New Orleans, the Teche planters and merchants by combined action, do. what the Galveston merchants have done to secure the growing and immense traffic of the Teche?" HISTORICAL AXD BlOGRArillCAL. 107 In another article written for the same paper. Dr. Duperier says further of liis pet scheine of improved water transportation: "The first commercial impetus given to New Iberia was the introduction in the waters of the Teche, in 1840, by Capt. Gillet, a yankee sea captain, of the steam propeller, Tomachichi. The arrival of this vessel was an eventful day, and the result of tliis venture brought the following j-ear the John Morrisett, a steamer of much larger proportions, to take the place of the Tomachichi. The success of Capt. Gillet, aroused tlie ambition and induced Capt. Cheney Johnson, of Franklin, to build, in quick suc- cession, three side-wheel sea-going vessels of large carrj-ing capacity, and adapted to the trade — the Belle of Attakapas, the Agricole Fuselier, and the Mamie Burt. The business management which characterized the enterprise contributed largely to its succes'^. In addition to the cargoes brought by this line of steamers to New Iberia for distribution, it was the terminus of naviga- tion for such sailing craft as came from the gulf and Atlantic ports. New Ibe- ria was made the entrepot for the lumber trade of Pensacola and Mobile. Strange to say, at that time not a smgle saw-mill was to be found on the banks of the Teclie or lower Alchafalaya, the nearest and only saw-mill' in operation being that of Capt. Curry, on Baj'ou Portage, leading to Lake Fausse Pointe. The first saw-mill erected on the lower Atchafa!a3'a was owned by Joseph Gall. Schooners coming from the Atlantic ports would bring lime, cement, fire bricks, potatoes, onions, codfish, oak staves, etc. The return car- goes of these vessels to New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Charleston, Savan- nah and Mobile consisted in sugar, molasses, hides, horns, bones, all of which was consigned to merchants in those cities, or bought by agents representing firms doing business at the different seaports." It is a fact, patent to every business man, that water ways and water trans- portation are greatly beneficial to any agricultural community, but it does not follow, no difference how complete and extensive they are, that they relieve the necessity for railroads. The railroad has become a necessity, and a country without railroads, in this age of enterprise, is almost without civilization. The more a countr}' has of both water and railroad transportation, the better it is for that country and its people. The competiiion between them prevents monopoly and gives to the shipper much more favorable freight rates for his products or his goods. The Medical Profession. — One of the early physicians of what is now Iberia parish, was Dr. Solenge. a native of Province Dauphine, France. He was a man of generous impulses, humane and charitable; a man of letters and an accomplished and highly educated ph3^sician. He married a rich heiress, amiable but an invalid. Her name was Pellerin, and among other possessions she inherited a large number of slaves, many of whom were natives of Afric a 108 SOL'VVflVEST L OV/SIAXA : and with devotion cliaracteristic of the African race when they set tlieir lieart, upon an3-thing, tliey adored their youn¥ I I HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL. 129 ed.c;e of this, the loveliest and most picturesque hike that ever c^reeted the eve ot man, was nothing but a mere hamlet. Jennings, Esterly, Welsh, Iowa City, Westlake, twin sister of Lake Charles Sulphur C:ty, Edgerly, Vinton, Jacksonville, Crown Point and Lakeside all growmg and promising towns, were not even on the maps, and had not yet dr'awn he breath o activity and life. In a few short years the magic hand of progress has accomplished the wonderful transfiguration in the aspects of nature and works of mdustry and art we contemplate to-day. We have now before us and around us a busthng and prosperous young city, teeming with a busy population of over tour thousand inhabitants of all classes and of all trades and professions Thnvmg towns, with the bright and comfortable residences and business houses! hll places where only two or three years since there was nothing but the wilder- ness of uncurbed nature, unbroken and untrained to meet the wants and bend itselt to the commands of civilized society. Numberless farms now dot the landscape where there was no object within the scope of vision in the measureless waste, except the flowering immensitv of the praine meeting with the boundless azure of the sky in the distant horizon. Hither have come the sturdy yeomen from the South, fleeing from overflows and ^e competition of an inferior race, and hither have come the farmers from the Northwest driven from their inhospitable plains by the scorching drought of sum- mer and the snow-mantled blizzard of winter, to seek refugeln the solitude of our prairies ; and they have made our empty places smile with pleasant homes and pregnant nelds. Orgamzation of Parish. -\^\^^\^ settlements were not made so eariy in the pans^ of Calcasieu as in some other portions of Southwest Louisiana, we have seen that white People came here about 1815 and formed settlements along the Calcasieu River. We have followed that little settlement until we find it spread out over a large section of country, and the people began to think of bein<. organized into a parish to themselves. .They had been for years going to Opet lousas to attend court and vote, if they voted at all, and they determined on t':tiirr:et:""^- ^'^^ --'''' - ^- -^-^^ -• ^ -- ^--^ -^er An act to create a new parish, to be called the parish of Calcasieu the stt^rr '■ • ^^ " ^"T^ ^^ ''" ^^"'^^ ^"^ "°"^^ °f Representatives of Passt'eof h ;" n' ? ""' Assembly convened, That from and after the fovv nfh ." ' ' "' '"'■"'"'■^ ^" '^^ P^"^^ °^ St. Landry, within thefol- ouing boundaries, to-wit: Commencing at the mouth of the River Mermentau hence up said rwer to the mouth of the Bayou Nez Pique, thence up said bavou to the mouth of Cedar Creek, thence due north to the dividing line between'the ^30 SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA : parishes of St. Landry and Kapides, thence along said line to the Sabine River thente down the said river to the mouth, thence along the sea coast to the place of beginning, shall form and constitute a new parish, to be called the pansh of Calcasieu Calcasieu. . , ,111 The act contains eighteen other sections, all of whicli it takes to egalU consltie the parish an! provide for its legal machinery, and place it on foot as iZZnZl municipalUv. The act, when it finally reaches the end, is s,gnea bvWilL Debuvs, Speaker of the House of Representatives; Fehx Gaicia, Seulenr Governo'r, Tnd President of the Senate, and A. B. Roman Gover on It is approved March 24, 1840. The necessary steps were taken at once and the new parish set to work. The Seat of Justice. -^\^^ first seat of justice or court house was some six n.ilesf.-oniLak-e Charles on an air line, but about twenty-f^ve by way of the CakaieTRiver. It was called Marion, but was a small place and had been used a; a stopping o. resting place for drovers passing wUh ^1-^^-^ ^j ^^"^^ from Texas to the New Orleans market. It is now known as Old Town, and bTfoT th name no one would suspect its being a town at all, or of ever having be nth parish seat. After a few years (about X85X-52) the Pa-h -at - moved to Lake Charles, and the glory of Marion departed as " a tale that is told The finger of time has written " Ichabod " above her gates and like Ancient Rome "the spider weaves its web in her palaces, the owl sings his ltd Ing in her towers." The court house and Pil were moved from Ma to Lake Qiarles in 1852 by Jacob Ryan and Samuel A. Ku-by ^ ^^72 a new court house was built by Mr. Ryan, a two-story frame, which ,s stil doing dutj Tacurt house, but a new onef a handsome brick, to cost $20,000 is in process of construction and will be finished during the year, ^he P-ent b -^ Pd standing in the corner of the pubhc square next the lake was built m 187. '"' At fhe faying of the corner-stone of the new court house in October, 1890 Hon GeorceH Wells, in an address delivered on that occasion, said. Our "res;nt poUce jury was the first to take any practical action toward furnishing our pa ish with thfs new court house, the first to advertise tor plans and sp cifi- Ii::: for the bunding, the first to advertise forbids and -ntract or its consU-uc tion,and the first to appropriate *« ^^^ ^^^^^ ^^Ht^ilnd it nec'ess^^r3 t^^ evidence of Calcasieu parish, that our pohce jury f f "°' ^^^'//^^.'^^^^^^^ey lew 1 special tax for the construction of the new court house, and that the monej eouired'lor hat purpose will come from the general and ordmary --enues of theTa is Indeed the parish tax of the present year ( 1890) levied on the p. p- er y of non-residents, though equal and uniform with parish tax e-ed « h .ame kind of property owned by residents of the par.sh, is consideiabh moie HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL. 131 than enough to defray the expenses of the construction of our new court house." The following figures show pretty clearly the growth of the parish since 1S40, the time of its organization: The first record book opened in the parish was in 1840, a very small book, and which contained all the transactions of the parish up to 1862. Four deeds of land from 1840 to 1863. Book B commenced 1862 and closed in 1868. Book C closes in 1873. Book E closes in 1876. Book F closed in 1880. The books all the time getting larger, containing more pages and deeds. G closed in 1882, with over 600 deeds. H closed in 1S83, running 508 days, with a record of 492 deeds. I closed in April, 1855, with 651 deeds in 503 days. J runs until December, n;885, with a record of 428 deeds in 226 days. K numbers 523 in 189 days and closes. L closes in January, 1SS7, 431 deeds in 206 days. M records 462 in 197 days. N goes 462 in 171 days and closes. O ends May, 1888, making a record of 521 deeds in 107 days. P ends October, 3, 1888, 123 days and 556 deeds. Q ends March 21, 18S9, with a record of 531 deeds in 167 days. R goes 550 deeds in 166 days, ending September 3, 1889. S ended January 16. 1890, making a record of 589 deeds in 134 days. This is genuine, solid growth. Development and Resources. — The resources of Calcasieu parish probably interest more people than anything else that could be written in this book. It is but proper that it should be so. Naturally every man likes to see that country he calls his own flourish above all other countries. With proper energy and enterprise exercised by the people of Calcasieu, there is nothing with the vast capabilities of the parish to prevent it from becoming the very garden spot of Louisiana. The American, of Lake Charles, has spent much time in investigating -the resources of Calcasieu, and has carefully compiled some statistics as the result of its investigations, which may be here given as matter of interest to the gen- eral reader. There is no guess work about it, but they are compiled from prac- tical observation and personal investigation: Time and the turn of things have established beyond a doubt that this is one of the finest sections of country in the South for farming, stock raising and fruit growing. There are few places where as large herds can be wintered with as little expense as in this section. Cattle may be raised here and carried through the short winters without feeding on hay or grain, although it is better to provide a small amount of hay to be used during the latter part of the winter. There never was, perhaps, a more promising outlook for any country. Sugar cane, rice, corn, oats, grasses, fruits and vegetables of almost endless variety may be produced here in quantity. In whatever locality the settler has broken the soil, planted seeds and cultivated them, nature has done her part in the beauty of growth and fruitage. 132 SO UTH WE ST LO UISIA NA : Tlie situation here is unsurpassed. We have all the characteristics neces- sary to produce a good country. Climate, soil and water. The climate, the most even on the Southern border of the Union ; the soil rich ; and the rain about rightly distributed. No blizzards in winter, nor droughts in summer to contend with. Here we can distance our more northerly neiglibors in placing fruits and vegetables in the Northern markets earlier. There are hundreds of ways in which we possess advantages over others, while we have the consolation of knowing that none can go south of us and reap an advantage over us in early production. The warm gulf water in winter and the invigorating gulf breeze in summer makes it a delightful place to live, and thus we can make money and enjoy health at the same time. With all the advantages this country possesses by nature we have it a hundred, yea, a thousand fold, increased by the building of the Kansas City, Watkins & Gulf Railwaj'. The building of this road makes it possible for this country to become one vast garden spot in a few years' time. The natural course of exchange of products is North and South. From here we can send daily train loads of lumber, sugar, rice, hay, fruits and vege- tables and bring back in return, coal, marble, stone, corn, flour, etc. The rice industry is at present in the lead, although it is in its infanc}-. From thirty to- sixty bushels per acre may be easily grown and it is a cash crop, every bushel of which is needed and will find its way to the Northern markets by way of the North and South road. The sugar industry has not as yet come prominent!}' to the front for the reasons that it requires a greater outlay of capital for seed and machinery with which to make the juice into sugar. The fact has been ascertained, however, that cane makes an excellent growth here and a superior quality of sugar, and it is only a question of time when the central sugar factory will be established, and then almost every other industry will give place to this industry. It has been demonstrated that $200 per acre can be made by manu- facturing into syrup on the small evaporators. The shipment of fruits and vegetables, it is believed, will, at no distant day, occupy a large space; indeed it is now commanding the attention of many who are planting and preparing for the future. When we view our country with all its bright prospects, with a flow of immigration from the North, not equaled any- where in the South, it is no wonder we are proud of it. The parish of Calcasieu has an area of nearly four thousand square miles, about 2,500,000 acres. In climate, resources and all things that lead to the high- est material prosperity, it possesses advantages far superior to any portion of the North, Over two-thirds of this area is timber, mostly long-leaved yellow pine of superb quality. This is one of the most valuable woods known. li is not the common hard pine known to the commerce of the North, but a finer grainedr I HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL. 133 harder and more durable variety. The soil upon which it grows is like oak, maple and beech soil, and all that prevents the growth of these trees everj^where is the fires. The long-leaved pine tree is immensely tall, straight, of nearly uni- form size from bottom to top and with but few limbs, just at the top ; no under- brush. This tall, thin shade enables the grass to grow abundantly, affording the best of grazing for stock. It is but little labor to bring this land into cultivation, as compared with ordinary timber lands. Many claim that it is more productive than the prairie. Certainly, excellent crops of cotton and corn are raised upon it. The trees do not mature like the pine forests of the North, where, when cut, the land is a waste for many j^ears. Here the timber matures a portion at a time. In good timber from ten to twelve thousand feet of mature trees can be cut per acre. In ten years as much more can be cut, and so on, possibly in per- petuity. The present selling price is one dollar per thousand for stumpage. With more railroads and a better knowledge of the value of this timber by the markets of the world, stumpage will just as readily bring four to five dollars per thousand. It is not difficult from this statement, which can be easily verified, to deter- mine the value of this timber as an investment. It is advancing every week, and still it is very low. Fine tracts can be purchased at five dollars per acre. Equally good tracts, with not quite so much ripe timber, can be bought for three dollars per acre. In addition to the pine there are large quantities of oak, c}'- press, gum, ash, beech and magnolia, all valuable woods. The southern border of the parish is prairie. A magnificent expanse of land, fringed upon the north by stately forests and bordered upon the south by the blue waters of the gulf, fertile, traversed everywhere by navigable streams and fanned by cooling breezes of the purest air, tempering and mellowing the climate to the perfection of comfort and spreading over mankind the benison of health. It is unique and seductive, and when once enjoyed allows of no com parisons. Here agriculture thrives, the cereals and fruits come to perfection; here the stock demand nothing but the carpeted earth and the vaulted heavens. The most gorgeous foliage, the most lovely flowers, with the delicate tints and the richest perfumes, the sunniest daj's, the superb and glorious evenings, and the most refreshing slumbers are among the common enjoyments of a contented people. Coming to the practical matters of life, production is varied and abun- dant. Here and there the tame grasses have taken hold, showing that clover, red top, orchard grass, timothy and blue grass will ultimately be produced in abundance. Horses, mules, cattle, sheep and swine do well. At the Hawkeye ranch good butter has been made all summer. It was golden yellow without coloring, and stood firmly, though made without ice. Mr. Langley, just north of Bayou Serpent, raised eighty-five husliels of oats 134 SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA: per acre last spring. This was machine measure, by weight there were nearly one hundred bushels. James Maund, of Jennings, raised this season as good corn as we ever saw at any fair. Abner Cole last season produced in the pine woods six barrels of syrup and sugar from one-half acre of cane. It was crushed in a common cane mill and made in open potash kettles. Mr. Nelson, east of Lake Charles, has a crop of tobacco that will make four thousand pounds per acre. Thomas Walton, from prairie land, sold his Irish potatoes at the rate of one hundred and fift}^ dollars per acre. Mr. Clark produced last year one hun- dred and fift}' barrels of sweet potatoes per acre, and Mr. Adams one hundred and fifty-seven barrels. Five thousand cabbages have been produced by a gar- dener in Lake Charles on one acre, and four other crops of vegetables on the same land in that }'ear. The farmers are cutting one ton and a half of hay per acre on the prairie. The average crop of rice per acre is from ten to twenty barrels, worth from three to four dollars per barrel in the rough; and it costs to produce it no more than wheat. No warm country has so few insects. All through the pine woods a mosquito bar is not used. Flies are rarely troublesome. For stock in this particular a most favorable comparison may be drawn with the best grazing districts in the world. The woods are filled with game, and the coast marshes and bayous are everywhere fringed with a motley gathering of the feathered tribes. The streams abound with fish, and the coast furnishes the best of oysters. This coast prairie is destined in a short time to become densely populous by reason of its subterraneous wealth. Ai^ery's Island, near New Iberia, covers a quarry of solid rock-salt as white as marble, containing more than ninetj'-nine one-hundredths of sodium chloride, and hence is almost absolutely pure salt. The deposit is supposed to be inexhaustible. The mining of this salt is in suc- cessful operation. Ten miles west of Lake Charles is a bed of pure sulphur sixty feet thick. A wealtliy company commenced mining operations and dis- continued, but it is rumored they will soon resume operations. [They have alread)' commenced operations again with a large force and are pushing ahead with great energy. — Ed.] In boring for the sulphur, petroleum of excellent quality for lubricating was struck in large quantities. The oil region extends over more than two hundred thousand acres of land. On the coast some thirty miles from the sulphur borings, petroleum is poured out upon the gulf waters in quantities suflicient to cover several square miles. On the subject of stock raising, the Lake Charles Echo had this to say of some of the ranches of this parish : Among the largest ranclies of Calcasieu are those of Aladin Vincent, Oscar, David, Malachi and Madison Lyons, in the western portion of the parish. Mr. Aladin Vincent says he has turned three-year-old steers into the market, weigh- ing from eight to nine hundred pounds, which he considered all profit to him, HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL. 13& except the expense of branding and gatliering for market. Tlie Perr3-s also, in this section, are large cattle owners. The most of these are also raising horses,, some merely for their own use, others for the market. North of these may be found other large cattle owners ; perhaps the largest north of the Southern Pa- cific Railroad are the Hon. Wm. M. Perkins, Mr. W. E. Gill and the lies. Coming east of the Calcasieu River, we find Watkins" ranch. This ranch embraces several ranches of bygone days. His purchase in 1884 for the English syndicate embraced a large tract of land on which several ranchmen kept large herds of cattle and ponies. After the purchase was made, the ranchmen either sold out bodily to Mr. Watkins or moved their stock to other fields. Besides these are a number of smaller ranches, such as the Hawkeye ranch north of Welsh. There are also quite a number in various portions of the parish engaged in sheep raising, and report their flocks in healthy condition. One gentleman from Waxeyland, in Texas, saj's this section has largely the advantage over Waxe3'land for sheep raising, as the land here has sufficient sand in it to keep the dirt from accumulating around the feet, thereby causing foot rot. Fruit in Calcasieu. — The following on fruit culture is drawn from the editorials of The American : Much has been written and talked about fruit raising in this countr}^, and yet we are convinced that not one-half the citizens of this region, nor one-twentieth of the people of the United States, even dream of the wonderful possibilities we hope to see realized in the near future. Tlie climate of Southwest Louisiana is well adapted to all semi-tropical fruits, and to most of tiiose of the temperate zones. Oranges, figs and pome- granates do splendidly here and yield large returns. Olives will thrive and yield enormous incomes for a lifetime. For peaches, pears, plums, grapes, blackber- ries, dewberries and strawberries, this climate can not be excelled on the conti- nent. Apples, especially of the summer and fall varieties, when grafted on quince, mayhaw or Leconte roots, do as well as they do in any country. . Mr. Derouen, on the Lacasine, has as fine success with apples as any one can wish, and there are many other examples of success in raising apples in this region^ We are convinced that it will pay to plant apples largely, but would advise that they be grafted on quince, mayhaw or Leconte roots. We think it a good plan to graft pears of all kinds on the same roots. The mayhaw, which is itself a valuable fruit, gives us one of the best stocks for grafting that we have. Horti- culturists are beginning to discover the value of the mayhaw in this respect, and we expect to see it more largely used in the futue than in the past. Trees bear very young in this climate. Peaches will bear the second year from the seed; plums about the same. Apples will bear the third year from the grafting. Figs sometimes produce ripe fruit the first year from cuttings. Oranges bear in about four years from grafts. 136 SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA : As to profits it is hard to over-estimate. Peaches will j-ield $1000 worth of fruit per acre three years after planting tlie budded trees, if well cultivated and cared for. Oranges will do still better when they come into full bearing, which they do in about six or seven years after setting out. Pears have produced at the rate of $2500 per acre when the tree was seven years old. There is no telling what an acre of large fig trees well cared for will produce, but it will be enormous. Fortunes can be made, as soon as we have communication north by rail, raising dewberries, blackberries and strawberries. In order to succeed in raising fruits, however, the ground must be prepared for the trees. It must be thoroughly drained, and should be fertilized to secure the best results, although a measure of success may be obtained without. There is no need of irrigation here. In this respect we have the advantage of Cali- fornia, and in our opinion we will soon eclipse the famed Southern California region in fruit. We undoubtedl}' have a grand future before us. * -* * After reading this article you will certainly be impressed with the idea that this section of country is particularly adapted to fruits. There are no great ex- tremes of heat or cold, and the rainfall is just about what it should be for suc- cessful fruit growing. The trees grow to enormous size when properly cared for, and the fruits are delicious. Varieties of pears that are considered in some sections as hardly third rate, when grown here are considered first class. The flavor of the peach is considered as good here as those grown in any part of the United States. Plums of various kinds, including the Japan plum, ripening usu- ally in Februar}', grow to great perfection. This is the home of the fig, and the profits likely to accrue in a few years from fig culture will be large ; indeed, by the evaporating process it is possible to make enormous profits out of this indus- tr}-. There are many others, but we will only notice the orange. If the oranges grown by the natives here for many years past are a success, what can we say of the Oonshiu under intelligent cultivation? Every variety of Japanese fruits that has been tried here succeeds remarkably well. The horticulturists of Japan of all others lead the world. The}- have arrived nearer to perfection in the fruit industry there, perhaps, than in any other place on the habitable globe. They have schools of horticulture, in which the natives receive the highest training in tree culture. Persons attending the world's fair at Paris report seeing pine and cedar trees one hundred and fifty years old, and mere box plants; apple and pear trees more than a hundred years old, two feet high and laden with fruit. It is here that the Oonshiu orange has been improved on for ages, until it is now next to perfection. The orange in its natural or wild state was full of thorns, the fruit was of a bitter sour, full of seed, and the pulp and rind clinging closely together. After ages of study and toil a tree has been perfected without thorns, a fruit without seed, with pulp and rind parting readily, and of a most delicate HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL. 137 taste. After all these excellent qualities had been perfected, they succeeded in bringing it into bearing pretty fair crops at the age of three years. Finally they brought it up, by a slow process of grading, until it could be successfully grown in a climate of six months winter. This is the celebrated Oonshiu orange, said to be the most perfect orange now in cultivation. But few have as yet been introduced into our country, but, like the other fruits of Japan, it has shown itself true to name. One writer says it stood the cold with him where barrels of water were frozen to soHd ice, and where the thermometer must have gone to ten degrees below zero. It is reported that a number of trees passed through the cold in Texas with the thermometer as low as zero. Horticulturists in Texas have come to the conclusion that they can make this fruit a success almost all over the State. This being the case, what will it be in our section of country, where it is peculiarly suited and where we alread}' grow such perfect fruit out of the old native varieties? • With lands here now at five to ten dollars per acre, a north and south railway from here to Kansas Cit)% and the possibility of shipping this fruit in September and October (as it ripens earlier than other varieties), where, we ask, is there a better place to drive down a stake for a home in the beautiful, delightful Sunny South ? , * * The Fig. — We regard the fig as one of the most valuable fruits of this or any other country. In their fresh state, when fully ripe, there is no other fruit that we know of that is so delicious and at the same time so healthful. There is no other fruit we know of upon which human beings can live so well without any other food. A person can not onl\- live, but will grow fat upon a diet composed exclusively of fresh figs. There is another thing about figs different from most other fruits, and that is, that the more a person uses them the more he wants. The first time a person unaccustomed to figs tastes them he may not relish them very well, but let him continue to eat them a few days and he will soon get so he will prefer them to any other fruit. They are not only a first-class food fruit, but also possess med- ical virtue. We verilj' believe that there is not much danger of sickness to any one who will eat all the fresh, ripe figs they can every day, and will be prudent in other things. But figs are not onlj- \aluable in their fresh state, but can be prepared in various ways for food. The}' are excellent canned in self-sealing glass jars. The}' make splendid preserves. They are delicious when prepared by drying and pressed into boxes. But perhaps the cheapest way in which figs can be prepared for keeping is by drying them by means of an evaporator. They can be pre- pared in this way cheaply and speedily, and make the most delicious dried fruit in existence. In preparing them in this way they should not be kept in the 138 SOUTHWEST L OUISIANA : evaporator too long, but when partially dry should be pressed into boxes or buckets and permitted to go through a kind of sweat, when they are ready for use. Southwestern Louisiana is especially adapted to figs. Perhaps no country in the world can excel us in the production of this valuable fruit, and but few can equal us We had the pleasure of showing a Californian around a few days ago and among other things we examined the fig trees, loaded with their enormous crop of young figs. Our California friend said, " You can undoubtedly beat us in figs." Perhaps there is no other fruit that will produce as many barrels of fruit per acre as figs, and there is nothing in the fruit line more easily raised than fig trees. All tliat is necessary is to cut limbs from the trees and stick them mto the ground where you want your trees, and they will nearly every one grow. By planting the different varieties it is possible to have an abundance of this lus- cious fruit from the latter part of June until December. We verily believe that one acre of fig trees five years old will make a com- fortable support for an ordinary family. We believe an acre of figs will pro- duce more food for man, beast or fowl than an acre of almost any other produce grown. Let us plant figs and plant them largely. This is the home of the fig. There is no place in the South where they grow to greater perfection than in Southwestern Louisiana. The question has often been asked: " What will you do with them after you raise them, as they will not bear transportation to any great distance?" Some have recommended canning, but the last and seemingly the best is to evaporate them. Mr. C. G. Pageot, of our city, conceived the idea last summer that with an evaporator he could in a few hours' time produce a fig equal to the dried figs put up in other sections. He made the experiment and showed us the fig after it had been through the evaporator. We thought then, as he did, that it was a success. He pressed these figs in two-pound boxes and put them away, and they are keeping as perfectly as when they were put up. These figs were dried without any sugar added. The family now who has a fig orchard can, without an outlay for an evaporator, put up their own figs, which will certainly be very profitable. Rice Culture.— li is reported by the last census that Louisiana raised 500,000 pounds of rice; South Carolina, 100,000 pounds: Georgia, 50,000; North Carolina, 41,500; and Alabama, Florida, Mississippi and Texas, all told, 285 000 Thus it will be seen that Louisiana produces more rice than all the other States of the Union put together. This is doubtless true, or the census would not say so. It is a truthful body (unless it be in regard to the population of large cities), and its statistical facts may be regarded as substantially correct. Calcasieu is the banner parish of Louisiana in the cultivation of rice. Much of its lands are specially adapted to rice. HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL. 139 The editor of the Jennings Reporter gives some figures on the acreage of nee planted in that part of the parish. He estimates that between Lake Arthur on the south to China post-office north of Jennings, and between the Mermentau River, the Nezpique and Grand Marias, there will be about nine thousand acres planted in rice, which, at ten barrels per acre, will give 90,000 barrels of rice, and of this amount he expects 60,000 barrels at least or about four hundred car loads to be shipped from Jennings. Two years ago only twenty-six car loads were shipped from Jennings ; last year, one hundred car loads. All this rice, should Jennings not get a rice mill, would eventually find its way to Lake Charles and be shipped northward on the Kansas City, Watkins & Gulf Rail- way. This is only a small portion of the rice acreage of this parish, and everv bushel raised in the parish should be hulled on mills here instead of beino- shipped to the New Orleans mills. "^ Says the American on the same subject : There is, perhaps, no section of country better adapted to rice culture than the lands of Calcasieu. Rice culture is now attracting more attention than any other field crop. The cultiva- tion is simple, consisting principally of planting and flooding, and the profits are large. Had we the space, we could give numerous instances of persons making enormous profits. Mr. R. Hall, of Cherokee, Iowa, purchased one hundred and sixty acres of land for $800. Paid out for improvements about $450. Total cost of land and improvements, $1250. He rented the land for one-third, which was planted in rice, and reahzed for his third of the rice $1500. J. W. Rosteet reports on twenty-one acres of land planted in rice. He gives the expense of ditching, levees, fencing, planting and harvesting at $457.68. He sold his rice for $860, leaving a balance of $462.32. We give these two instances, not that they are exceptions, for there are in- stances where much greater profits have been made, but because Mr. Rosteet is a native of this parish, and Mr. Hall a resident of Cherokee, Iowa, and a gen- tleman well known in many States in the North. * * The American has from its beginning told of the possibilities of Calcasieu parish as a rice growing country, and of the great profits to the farmer to be de- rived therefrom. It has furthermore shown that there is great wealth in sugar, fruits and many other products of the farm. It is now beginning to realize°thJ fulfilment of its dreams. For years it was the universal opinion that rice could not be harvested by machinery; four years ago a rice machine was brought to the parish and tried with success. It is only three years since William Deering & Co. started to improve their harvesters to adapt them to the rice farmer's use. At that time Mr. E. S. Center advised his firm to enter this field, but they said to him,«'You might as well send cotton presses to Manitoba as harvesters to Louis- 140 SO UTHWEST L O UTS I AX A : iana." Not discouraged, however, he persevered until he was successful, and now he says he can cut rice in eighteen inches of mud, and to back up his guar- antee he has shipped into Southwest Louisiana a train load of the William Deer- ing harvesters; a train load of twenty-two cars containing three hundred ma- chines. This is a grand demonstration of the development of Southwest Louis- iana during the past three years. The train left Chicago on the 8th inst., and was beautifull}' decorated with flags and flowers, and it is said to be the most beautiful freight train that ever entered the Southern States. At every station along the route it was met by large crowds, who hailed it with cheers and speeches of welcome. Among these crowds the representative of The American looked for the old croaker, who always said, "You can't make a living on a farm in this country," "but where, oh where was he?" " gone where the woodbine twineth," or dead with throat disease Irom overmuch croaking. When the train arrived at Lake Charles, over a thousand people were at the depot to welcome the representatives of the Deering Company and the representatives of the press. Prof. Knapp, of Lake Charles, and Mr. Carj-, of Jennings, made short addresses to the people on behalf of the Deering Companj-. which was followed by three rousing cheers for the compan}'. Mr. H. C. Drew read an invitation from the citizens of Lake Charles to the representatives of the company and the press inviting them to a banquet to be given at the Hotel Howard in honor of the occasion. Since this train left Chicago, another consignment of the machines has been shipped and is on its way to Southwest Louisiana, and the agents are now receiv- ing orders ever\' Aay. This, we will add, is the work of only one company. The Osborne Company is also in the field, and while we do not know the amount of their sales they have no doubt been large. So that not less than five or six hundred machines will be sold this year. The estimated crop of Calcasieu par- ish is 600,000 barrels, and if the increase next year should be as circumstances now indicate she will ship one million and a half barrels next ^"ear. Lumber Interests. — Upon the lumber interests of the South, and which seem to center in Calcasieu parish. The American has this to say: Lumber is now one of the South's greatest resources, and stands very prominent in Southwest Lou- isiana. We have time and again treated on this subject, but an industry of such vast possibilities, making such a rapid progress, can not be laid before the peo- ple too often. We have in the South a greater variety of timbers than the North, and the advantages of manufacturing are far superior to those of the North. These facts have been recognized long ago, and the timber lands have largelj^ increased in value in the last few years. The timber here is adapted to almost every HISl^ORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL. 141 branch of manufacture into which wood enters. For buildincr material our Southern timber stands par excellent. Car building, furniture, ship building, railroad ties and bridge timbers, and lastly for paving. It is claimed that there are more than two hundred varieties possessing valu- able qualities. Among the many varieties stands the famous yellow pine, the cheapest, the most abundant and best known of all the woods. The Calcasieu yellow pine has found its way to the Northwest, South America, Europe, and large quantities are shipped to Me.xico, and its superiority is admitted by all. Next to the yellow pine is our cypress, which is>sed now principally for shin- gles and cistern building. The curly pine of this section, with one variety of cypress, makes the finest finishing material for inside work.' When we come to consider the number of valuable timbers which can be handled so cheaply in the South, it is not to be wondered at, the extent to which the industry has been developed within the past few years. The wonder is that it did not come sooner. The first shipment of yellow pine to the Chicago mar- ket was considered coarse and was not desirable. The Northern lumbermen, however, recognizing its value, began about ten years ago to invest in yellow pine lands, smce which time they have obtained about ten million acres from the government and perhaps as much more from private parties. In some in- stances the investments have been made for speculative purposes ; in others it has been developed and has added largely to the weahh of the South. Here in C'alcasieu the industry has so developed that we now produce more lumber than the entire State did about ten years ago, and we are sadly in need of the opening of Calcasieu Pass, that our mills may be enabled to fill the orders for millions of feet that are wanted annually in South America. Mr. A. G. Van Shack, editor of the "Mississippi Valley Lumberman," published at Minneapolis, Minn., after a three weeks' tour through the lumber regions of the South, went home and wrote as follows of what he had seen : " The South presents better opportunities for making money in the lumber lines than any other section. I have just returned from a three weeks' trip through the principal lumber regions and am greatly surprised at the rapid im- provements that have taken place the last three 3-ears. The cotton crop brings the Southerners in a large amount of money, as the bulk is exported. The money is being spent on improvements and new buildings are to be seen in process of" erection on every hand. The consumption of lumber there is very large, but the export trade is greater than few have any idea of. We made a thorough examina- tion of the timber lands and the management and workings of the saw mills at all the leading points. The Southern mill men have a better market for their common lumber than the Northern mills and make a larger profit on it. At the same time, however the Southerners do not get as high a figure for their good lumber as we do. After we get out of good lumber the situation will change. 142 SOUTHWEST L O UISIANA : and the Southern mills will have a chance to sell their good lumber to better ad- vantage. The common lumber will not bring as much profit as now. Northern logs that cost four dollars in the tree do not produce as much as Southern logs that cost fifty cents per one thousand feet more at the mill than it does in the North. Northern lumbermen would be fools to invest in pine lands in the North at four dollars an acre when they can buy land that is as good in the South for one-tenth the price. Southern lumber cuts out two and one-half per cent, below merchantable, while Northern logs cut seven to ten per cent. " Let me show }ou the difference between the Southern and the Northern prices at mill. Three inch joist, sixteen feet in length, are sold in lots of 500,- 000 to 1,000,000 feet for export to load in vessels at $10 at the mill. The same retails here at $12.50, or at $9 net at the mills in Michigan. Common inch sells at $8 to $10, while the same only brings $7.50 at Manistee. "The Southern lumbermen have all the advantages of the Northern lumber- men. They can profit by the rapid development of the country by railroads, which enable tjjiem to market their product very rapidly. They have a demand for it which the Michigan men did not have in the early da3-s. In the way of machinery, they have the advantage of the great improvements made during the past fifty years. More money will be made in lumber in the South than there ever was in the North, there being about double the amount of timber that there was in the States of Michigan, Wisconsin and Minnesota fift}' years ago. It does not cost more to handle logs in the South. White men and negroes work side by side. A strong point in favor of the Southern mills is that they can cut more lumber in the same space of time with their circular saws, and cut it as good as any mill in the North. For instance, they will cut 60,000 feet a day of eleven hours with a single circular, while we can not cut 45,000 to 50,000 in ten hours. The South is the coming lumber countr}-." With all these advantages of climate, resources of so many kinds, from a toothsome fig and a luscious orange to a pine log and the Chinaman's favorite dish (rice), it would seem that Calcasieu parish is the land of the blest. So enraptured became the editor of the Lake Charles Echo that he tuned his harp one beautiful September day, in the year of grace 18SS, and throwing himself back on an inverted n;iil keg, which he dubbed his editorial chair, he sung as follows to an EVENING ON THE CALCASIEU. Tlie day is done; The setting sun, Growing red, sinks out of view; The lowing lierds And twitt'ring birds — I hear them on the Calcasieu. HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL. 143 The old saw mill As death is still, Save sundry hissings now and then; 'Neath the sky blue Gathers the dew, Glittering in the sunlight sheen. The Calcasieu Reflects the blue And beauteous sky that bows above, And from afar A little star, Reflected, seems to speak of love. What is that? Hush! I hear a slush! I look; I see a little boat; A maiden fair, With golden hair, Sweetly, softly sings afloat! She glides along; I hear her song. It dies away upon the river; Soft, rippling waves Behind she leaves, That make the shadows dance and quiver! 'Neath starry beam. On down the stream. The lovely maiden fades away; The zephyrs sigh For her gone by ; — I bid farewell her gentle lay. 'Tis calm once more; The days of yore Crowd past me with their wondrous store; And, ere we knew, I wonder who Dwelt on this beauteous Calcasieu? Perhaps this mound Upon the ground Was built by some old chieftain who. With his Red Men Made his bed then Upon the banks of Calcasieu! Those Indian men No doubt have been Often on our river's sheen — The rough canoe And arrow true Borne on our lovely Calcasieu. 144 SOUTHWEST L O LTSIANA : But what, unseen, The mirrored sheen. Breaks into nnyriad ripples, bright? The zephyrs stir, I think of her. Who passed away into the night! The pine's weird voice, That low, sweet noise, It makes me sad, yet I rejoice! The wild winds swell And break the spell — I rise to go; sweet scene, farewell! Railroads. — Calcasieu, until the building of the Louisiana Western Rail- road, now a link in the Southern Pacific system, was without railroads, and was dependent entirely on water transportation. But the railroad has given it an importance abroad that it did not before possess. The completion of the Kansas City, Watkins & Gulf Railway now being constructed from Lake Charles north to Alexandria, where it will make most advantageous northern connection, will give Calcasieu parish railroad facilities not excelled by any parish in the State. The road is already graded to Alexandria, and track-laying has com- menced. Thus, it will be seen, it is only a question of a short time when the products of Kansas and the great Northwest will find their way to the. markets of the world through this deep-water port. For when the improvements are made already ordered by the Congress of the United States of deepening Cal- casieu Pass, then Lake Charles becomes one of the safest and most important seaports on the Gulf of Mexico. Mr. J. B. Watkins, of what is known as the Watkins Syndicate, is doing a great thing for this country in building this new railroad. The American says very truly of it and the great benefit it will be to this section : The Kansas City, Watkins & Gulf Railway, now being built from this city in a northerly direction, is progressing as rapidly as could be expected. The winter has been very favorable for railroad building, and the contractors, Messrs. Kennedy and Stone, have made excellent headwa}'. The building of this road will do more for this section of country than anything else. Already the coun- try along the line is fast being settled by the thrifty Northern and Western farm- ers, who know that with the completion of this North and South road this will be one of the most inviting sections of country in the South for the fruit grow-er. We are informed by a reliable gentleman that the lands along the line and near it are being taken up very fast, all seeing the great future of this country in fruits. This gentleman says there are excellent rice lands and fruit lands along the line for some distance, but his opinion is the}' will not last long, as they mean money to every one who owns them. HISTORICAL AXD BIOGRAPHICAL. Uh Mr. J'lhn Speer. writing to the Daily Globe, Council Bluff, Iowa, thus expresses !iis opinion of the Calcasieu Pass as a deep water seaport and as a terminal point for a railroad from the Northwestern States: Two railroads are already projected between Kansas City and that point, and one of them, the Kansas City, Watkins & Gulf road, is alread\^ constructed lor about sixty miles. The route from Kansas City passes over an almost level country, with an average decline of about one foot to the mile. On this route is the best forest of timber for two hundred and fift}- miles to be found in the United States. Much of the land is subject to pre-emption and settlement. The timber consists largely of the long leaf pine, so marked in its superiority that it is known at Galveston and New Orleans as the Calcasieu pine, and is used for ornamental work, such as wainscoting, car finishing, etc. The other varieties are cypress, ash. all kinds of oak, hickory, pecan, white gum, magnolia, etc. Coal, iron and other mineral abound. In fact it is rich in all that will go to build up a countr\' and sustain railroads. The land is suitable for corn^ cotton, rice, oats, potatoes, apples, peaches, pears, plums, and everywhere small fruits. The advantages of this route are six hundred rniles less railroad haul tlirough an almost level country, avoiding the resistance of nature in crossing the divides of the continent, including the Allegheny and Cumberland Mountains. To this mav be added that most important factor, competition between marts of business on the gulf and the Atlantic. The new negotiations- now pending in tlie congress of all American nations are destined to afford opportunities for trade unparalleled in the history of tlie countr}-. Blaine, Carlisle and other statesmen fully appreciate it. These States are in the direct line of it and have but to seize the opportunity to secure it. The farmeis of Iowa do not want to know how to raise more corn and wheat, but how to get rid of them, as of other productions. The saving of the cost of transpor- tation, as well as the advantages of competition, is the remedy. The Sitlphiir Mine. — Sulphur and petroleum have been found in Calcasieu, some twelve miles from Lake Charles. Soon after the close of the war a com- pany was formed, who commenced boring in search of oil, where for years it had appeared at the surface. Petroleum has never been found in paying quan- tities, but sulphur was discovered, and in sufhcienllv large quantities to pav for working. The otficial report of the boring: Soil, two feet; solid cla}-, intercepted with two strata of quicksand twent3--two and fifteen feet thick, one hundred and sixt}-- three feet; quicksand, one hundred and seventy-nine feet: crumbling marl, two and one half feet; calcareous sand, 303^ feet; calcareous marl with pebbles, 4 feet; hard, compact, calcareous stem, 5 feet; pure, white, saccharoid, calcareous 10 14G SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA: substance, 42 feet; sulphur (77 per cent, pure sulphur), 112 feet; total, 540 feet,. and g}psum, 700 feet, entire total 1240 feet. The writer, in company with Capt. Bryan, of Lake Chailes, visited the sul- phur mine last winter, but learned little beyond what he could see for himself, as the superintendent seemed a little reticent as to the intentions of the company However, he seems to be making extensive preparations for something — proba- bly for working the mines. Churches and Schools. — The Baptists were the pioneers of religion in Cal- casieu. They established their first church on the Calcasieu River in the midst of the earliest settlement. It was called Antioch church, and some years after it was removed to the Big Woods, about ten miles from the original site. It is still used as a church, and still bears the name of Antioch. Since its removal to Big Woods, a number of the members withdrew and formed a church, in the imme- diate vicinity, of the Freewill Baptist or Hardshell persuasion. Ne.xt after the Baptists came the Methodists. Their first church was called Ryan's Chapel, and was located about eight miles from where Lake Charles now stands, on the West Fork of the Calcasieu River. After Lake Charles was laid out as a town, other denomin itions organized churches. The first church in the town was a Methodist, and for some time its building was used both as church and school house. Then came the Catholics, the German Methodists, Episcopalians, Lutherans, Presbyterians, Methodist Episcopal and Congrega- tionalists in the order named. The churches of Lake Charles are supplied with spiritual advisors at present as follows: The Baptist, Rev. G. B. Rogers, pastor; Methodist Episcopal South, Rev. T. J. Upton, pastor; First Presbj'terian, Rev. George Frazer, D.D., supply; Methodist Episcopal, Rev. C. A. King, pastor; Catholic church. Rev. Father Fallon, rector; Lutheran, Rev. S. Hoernicke, pastor; First Congregationalist, Rev. Henry L. Ilubbell, pastor; Episcopalian, no rector at present; the last one was Rev. E. J. Hammond. Churches of the different denominations have edifices throughout the parish. Most of the vil- lages have one or more church organizations. The first school in the parish was taught at the house of. the old pioneer, Jacob R3'an, who hired a man named Thomas Rigneaden to teach his children and those of his sons-in-law. Moss and Vincent. The first school house was built on Bayou Dend, six or eight miles from Lake Charles. The next school house in the parish was perhaps at Lake Charles, after it was laid out as a town. The parish now has a good sj'stem of public schools, and in Lake Charles an excellent grarfed school, second to none in the country. The editor of the- American, in a recent issue of his paper, thus describes a visit to the different educational institutions of Lake Charles: First we visited the public school. We found the fine building, which HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL. 147 has been recentl}^ erected by the school board, in first-class order. It is an imposing structure, 42x78 feet, two stories high, containing eight school rooms. 20x30 feet each, with wide corridors, cloak room, etc. Prof. O. S. Dolby, B. S., is tlie efficient principal, and has charge of the highest grade. He is an, experienced teacher. Born in Ohio, reared in Michigan, graduated from Hills- dale College, Michigan, in 1882. He has taugiit continuously since then in- Michigan and Louisiana. Miss M. J. Crossmun, B. S., a graduate of Ames*^ Scientific and Mechanical College, in Iowa, and a native of Virginia, has charge of the second department. She is also an experienced and accomplished teacher, having taught in Iowa, Virginia and Louisiana. The third department is under the temporary charge of Mr. Vincent, who will teach until a permanent teacher is secured. The fourth department is presided over by Miss M. A. Jenkins, who is a native Louisianian and a graduate of the Girls' High School, of New Orleans. She has taught the last three years, with great success and accepta- bilit}', the school in Westlake, and needs no recommendation to the people of Lake Cliarles. The primary department is under the care of Miss Louise Leveque, a recent graduate of the St. Charles x\cademy, of Lake Charles. Although tills is Miss Leveque's first experience as a teacher, she is thoroughly qualified for her work and is giving splendid satisfaction. She has her little bo3's and girls under thorough training and is popular with them. There are enrolled and in attendance in the various departments of the public school two hundred and three students, and the probability is that the number will be largely increased in the next few months. Next in our route, we visited the Lake Charles College. This institution, which is destined to be the leading college of the State west of the Mississippi, is domiciled in a beautiful and commodious building in the southeast part of the city. The main building is 55x85 feet, three-stories, 16, 14 and 12 feet high, respectively, and contains fourteen rooms and capacious corridors. The addi- tion, which is to be built in the near future, is to be 40x60 feet, two stories high. This imposing structure is situated in the center of a large campus, which is being graded, fenced and fronted with a splendid sidewalk. In the southwest corner of the campus, Mr. Frank Siling, builder, is just completing for the col- lege a splendid cottage for boarding purposes. The main building is 72x40, three stones high, and the L is 20x32, two stories high, and contains twenty- seven rooms. It is a marvel of beauty and convenience, and reflects credit upon both architect and builder. Lake Charles College was first opened for students October i, 1S90, with an eflicient faculty of five, but onlv three of them as yet have arrived on the ground, but will come on later. There are three departments — academic, pre- paratory and collegiate — but there are no students in tlie collegiate department this term. Rev. Henry L. Hubbe'l, D. D., is the efficient president. He is a native 148 SOrrilWEST LOVISIAXA : of Connecticut, and lias resided for several years in Amherst, Mas?., as pastor of the Congregalionalist church. lie is a graduate of Yale College. Rev. A. R. Jont-s. A. M., a graduate of Amherst College of the class of iS8o, is professor in tlie college. Mrs. C. W. Little, a graduate of Fox Lake Seminary, Iowa, is profes.sor of music. The college has enrolled thirty-nine this first month, and this inimher will be largely increased when the cottage is opened for boarders, as it will be in the near future. The faculty will be increased as rapidly as required, and the cur- riculum and instruction will be equal to the best colleges in the nation. The institution gives a fine opportunity to Northern parents to come and spend the winter in a genial climate, and at the same time send their children to a first- class college while they are still under the care of their parents. The St. Charles Academy, under the supervision and instruction of the Sis- ters Marianites of the Holy Cross, has been in operation eight years. It is a chartered academy and gives diplomas to its graduates. It has literature, art and music in its course of study. The discipline is good, although corporal punishment is never resorted to. It has seven teachers and sixtj-giils and thirty- seven bo\"S in attendance. Tlie Glendale Institute has been running six years in Lake Charles, under the etiicient management of Miss Ella R. Usher, a native of Baton Rouge and a graduate of the schools of that cit}'. She has one assistant, and teaches Engl'sh and French. There are thirt3'-six in attendance at tliis institution. Miss Mollie Burt claims the honor of having the oldest school in the city. It is needless for us to speak in high terms of her as a teacher, for her work speaks for itself. She is a graduate of the New Orleans Giils' High School, and has taught continuously in Lake Charles for a number of years. She has all the students she can take care of properlv. The present number is twenty-five, but as soon as she secures an assistant a number of othei^s will attend. Rev. S. Hoernicke is conducting a school in German and English, with good success. He is a native of Ohio, and a graduate of a college in Springfield, 111. His school numbers thirt3'-six, and is increasing. Besides these schools, which are for whites, there are also several schools for colored children conducted in our titv. The correspondent of the American Wool, Cotton and Financial Reporter, Boston, Massachusetts, the great educational center of the United States, the very Athens of America, had this to say of the college at Lake Charles: " The Lake Charles College was established by the Congregationalists, of the New England States principally, a number of the wealthier citizens here aiding in the enterprise. They ha\e, in a well situated portion of the citj', six- teen acres of ground and a magnificent building erected thereon. This college- opened October i,with Rev. H. L. Hubbell, D. D., of Amherst, Massachusetts, niSTORlCAL AXD JiJOdRAri/JCAL. \Vj as presidf nt, and Rev. A. R. Jones, a graduate of Anilierst College, as principal of the preparatory and academical. departments. We were present last Sunday niglit in the Baptist chui'ch in this city and listened to an able sermon from Dr.. Ilubbell, who preached by invitation of the pastor, the Rev. G. R. Rogers, and at the close of the sermon INIr. Rogers also introduced Prof. Jones, and made a few excellent remarks, encouraging his congregation to stand b\' and help, bv word, deed and patronage, these Christian gentlemen in establishing and main- taining this college. JNIr. Rogers is a Southern man. and this shows the feeling that exists between the Northern and the Southern people liere, and shows that the efforts made here by the Northern people are appreciated. This is thouglit to be a far-reaching movement on the part of the Christian people of the East. There are a great many people from the North here alread}-, but not a great many from the New England States. Tiie most of them settle in tlie prairie and along the line of the new railroad. We will endeavor to see a number of the Northern people who have resided here a j-ear or more and relate in our next, article some of their experiences." The colored people have a number of schools and churches in tlie parish,, and a very excellent graded school in Lake Charles. The3-are manifesting con- siderable interest in educational matters. Doctors and I^cnuyers. — Not much is known of the earl}' physicians of Calcasieu; the old pioneers in the healing art, who have passed away, and the present practitioners are mostly noticed in the biographical department of tliis volume. Dr. J. B. Saunders is one of the first physicians remembered in the parish. He was originally from Virginia, but came here from North Louisiana. Next Dr. Hardy came over from Opelousas, remained a few years and returned whence he came. Dr. Kirkman was also an early physician here, but died a few years ago. His family still resides here. He was a prominent man and a popu- lar pliysician. Dr. Gray came here from the north part of the State and prac- tised here until his death in May, 1881. Few names in Louisiana are more widely known or more gratefully remembered than that of Dr. Gray. He was a man of generous impulses, of wide benevolence, and a heart overflowing with S3'mpathy for the woes of others. When he died hundreds wept tears of sympathy for his bereaved family. There are a number of able and experi- enced physicians in the parish, and in Lake Charles, for sketches of whom the reader is referred to Part \1 of this work. The first lawyer of the parish was Samuel L. Kirb}-. He came here from Claiborne parish, but was originally from the Green Mountains of Vermont. He was a man of considerable legal prominence, and for some time held the practice of Calcasieu alone. A daughter now keeps the Hotel Howard. The next lawyer was a Mr. Parsons, and the next a Mr. Ewing. These two gentle- men were both killed near the public square by a man named LeBUie, a rather ToO SO(T//ir£S7' L Oi'/SIAXA : desperate character, it is said, and who finally met his own death with his boots on. A lawyer named Sorwell was the next practitioner at the Calcasieu bar. He and his wife were drowned at Calcasieu Pass many 3-ears ago. Judge Kearney was a prominent member of the bar of C.ilcasieu, and was District Attorney at the time of his decease a short time since. He was suc- ceeded as District Attorney by Mr. Joseph C. Gibbs, whose accidental death a few months ago, while out hunting, cast a gloom over the whole country. The lawyers of the present bar are Hon. Geo. H. Wells, Hon. G. A. Fournet, Col. A. R. Mitchell, D. B. Gorham, W. F. Schwing, R. Odom, R. P. O'Brien, A. Pujo, E. D. Miller and John McNeese. The parish is divided into eight jury wards, with a representative from each ward, who constitute the municipal government of the parish. The present police jurors are — for the first ward, Emile Buller; for second ward, D. D. Andrus; for third ward, Adolph Meyer and J. W. Rosteet; for fourth ward, Charles Miller; for fifih ward, Reese Perkins; for sixth ward, T. J. Carroll; for seventh ward, Levi A. Miller; for eighth ward, Ivan A. Perkins. Adolph Meyer is president of the board; Dosite Vincent, clerk, and W. L. Hutchins, treasurer. Secretary of the parish School Board is John McNeese; Thomas Kleinpeter is parish surveyor; Dr. A. J. Perkins, coroner; C. M. Richard, assessor; R. J. O'Brien, district attorne}-; D. J. Reed, Jr., sheriff; Thad. IMajo, clerk of court; Hon. S. D. Reed, judge of District Court; Hon. S. O. Shattuck, member of Legislature. The assessed valuation of property for the parish since and including 1S85 is as follows: For 1885, $3,018,570; for [886, $3,191,125; for 1887, $3,476,003; for 1888, $4,060,735; for 1889, $4,300,330; for 1890, $5,738,550, an increase, it will be observed, from 18S9 to 1890, of considerably over a million dollars. Lake Charles SeUled.—L.7Kk.& Charles was settled — it was never regularly- surveyed and laid out as a town — about 1852. It was incorporated about 1857, under the name of Charleston, for one of the first settlers of the place named Charles Sallier. It then had a population of from three to five hundred souls, and about the same time it became tlie parish seat. In 1867 it was incorpoiated under the name of Lake Charles, and still retaining the name of the old pioneer, ■Charles Sallier. The following is the act of incorporation: Section i. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the State of Louisiana, in General Assembly convened. That the inhabitants of the town of Lake Charles in the parish of Calcasieu, and the same are hereby made a body corporate and politic by the name of the Town Council of Lake Charles, and as such can sue and be sued, implead and be impleaded, shall possess the right to establish a common seal, and the same to annul, alter or change at pleasure. Sec. 2. Be it further enacted, etc.. That the limits of said town of Lake HISTORICAL AXD BIOGRAPHICAL. 151 Charles sliall be laid out in the following manner, to-wit : Beginning north on the east bank of Lake Charles, ten acres above the residence of Joseph L. Bilbo, thence southward along the bank of said lake to and including the lands of Michael Pithon ; thence eastward on a line parallel with the line of lands of W. Hutchins, and so as to include the residence of J. V. Moss, to the line which intersects the lands of J. V. Fouchey and W. Hutchins; thence on a parallel line with said intersection line of J. V. Fouchey and W. Hutchins as for north as to intersect an east and west line from the place of beginning and comprising all property therein situated. Sec. 3. Be it further enacted, etc.. That the municipality of said town of Lake Charles shall consist of a mayor and five aldermen, three of whom, together with the mayor, shall constitute a quorum to transact business. No per- son shall be eligible to the office of mayor or aldermen who does not reside within the limits of said corporation and is above the age of twenty-one years ; the said mayor and aldermen shall be chosen by the qualified voters hereinafter provided fc^r in this act; said mayor and aldermen to be elected on the first Monday in June each and every year. The remaining sections up to ten define the duties of the different officers of the town, etc. The act is signed by — Duncan S. Cage, Speaker House of Representatives. Approved March 16, 1867. Albert Voorhies, A true copy. Lieut. Governor and President J. H. Hardy, J. Madison Wells, ''f'"^ Senate. Secretary of State. Governor of the State of Louisiana. A writer thus speaks of the incorporation of Lake Charles; ''Up to ten years since its population had not reached more than eight hundred. About that time the Louisiana Western Railroad was constructed, and communication being established with the cities of Texas on the west and New Orleans on the east, the citizens were no longer dependent upon schooners coming up the Calcasieu River, and new people came in, new enterprises were started, the town began to grow, and the limits were found too small. Under a general law of the State the cor- porate limits were enlarged, and the little stopping place of cattlemen bloomed into the beautiful town we now have, with a summer population of three thousand six hundred, at least four thousand winter residents, containing seven hotels, two banks, an ice factory, two machine shops, one large opera house, nine verj' large saw-mills, three shingle mills, around it." Following is the municipal government: Hon. A. L. Reid, mayor; E. D. Miller, secretary; W. A. Knapp, treasurer ; C. B. Richard, collector; and coun- cilmen: J. C. Munday, E. J. Lyons, Sol Blocli, Robert King and J. T. Brooks. U-2 SOUTHWEST L OUISIAXA : A Go-ahead Tinvn. — That Lake Charles is a live, go-ahead town, is vouched for by that able advocate of its advantages and capabilities, the American, as lol- lovvs : Lake Charles is situated on the line of the Southern Pacific Railro.id, two hundred and seventeen miles west of New Orleans, one hundred and sixl}' miles east of Houston, Texas, and at the terminus of the Kansas City, Watkins lS: Gulf Railroad, soon to be completed. The city is situated upon the eastern bank of a beautiful lake. Upon the north an immense virgin forest of long leaf yellow pine e.'itends hundreds of miles. On the south the great coast prairie stretches to the gulf, and eastward for more than one hundred and thirty miles, an expanse of surpassing grandeur, witii soil of marvelous fertility and a climate the most genial upon this continent. Hon. W. H. Harris, Commissi mer of Immigration for Louisiana, says of the country about the town: "The climate of the prairie is admirable — breezy and cool in summer, mild in winter, and healthy at all times. Altogetlier this region may be regarded as the loveliest in Louisiana." With such reasonable care as intelligent people exercise in all • countries, this climate has been found to be generally healthy and very bene- ficial to pulmonary, bronchial and rheumatic troubles. Every winter people come to Lake Charles as a health resort. Lake Ciiarles is the largest town in Southwestern Louisiana. Previous to the war it was only a village of one or two stores, a rude form of court house and a log jail. New stores were added after the war, and as the superior merits of the Calcasieu timber became known, it began to assume importance as a business center, and to-day has a population somewhere between four and five thousand souls. They are ener- getic, live people, and are engaged in milling, merchandising and all other pur- suits that man follows for a livelihood. Northern capital in the last few years has found out that here is a good place to invest its surplus capital, and Lake Charles numbers among her stanchest citizens to-da^' Northern men who were attracted here by the superior location and soil for which this parish is noted. Lake Charles has ten large saw mills, three shingle mills, an ice factory, two shipyards and about fifty miles of narrow gauge tram road that is used in carry- ing logs to the lake and river. All lines of merchandise are represented here. Lake Charles can boast among her business men, men of money and enter- prise, who have confidence in her future, and having confidence, they are willing to risk tiieir money. Prof. S. A. Knapp is the local agent and general manager of the Southern Real Estate, Loan and Guarantee Company. The company commands unlimited capital, and is composed of men both here and in the Northern office who are thoroughly acquainted with their business, and parties who desire either to buy or sell should not fail to call on them. They bu}' and sell real estate in large quantities. To sell blocks to actual settlers is their special hobby, as they are determined to settle up Calcasieu parish and make it HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL. 103 the small farmers' paradise. This company is composed of leading capitalists ol England, and is cooperative in its action. The president is a prominent member of parliament. The Watkins Banking Company, another large moneyed institution of this country, has an office here, and is a leader in settling up this parish with the hardy yeomanry from the Northwestern States. The company owns large bodies of land in this and adjoining parishes, besides which they are build- ing a railroad to Kansas City. The Kansas City, Watkins & Gulf Railway, now being built from this city in a northerly direction, is progressing as rapidly as could be expected. The winter has been very favorable for railroad building, and tiie contractors, Messrs Kenedy & Stone, have made e.xcellent headway. The building of this road will do more for this section of country than anything else. Already tlie country along the line is fast being settled up by the thrifty Northern and Western farmers, who know that with the completion of this north and south road this will be one of the most inviting sections of country in the Soutli for the fruit growers. We are infoimed b\- a reliable gentleman that tlie lands along the line and near it are being taken up very fast, as all are seein^f the great future of this country in fruits. This gentleman says there are excellent rice lands and fruit lands along the line for some distance, but his opinion is that they will not last long, as they mean money to everyone wlio owns them. Tiiis company has lately laid off, inside the corporate limits of the city, two hundred and sixtjf acres of land in addition, and has graded tifteen miles of streets. Lake Charles Adapted to Manufactories. — Lake Charles has the bejt of facilities for becoming a manufacturing town. It has one trunk line railroad, and will soon have another. These will cause local roads to be built to other points. Even now there is one contemplated from the Sulphur Mine to tap the Southern Pacific some dozen miles or so west of the mine. Lake Charles has alread}' pretty good water transportation, and when Calcasieu Pass is improved and deepened as designed, it will have the advantages of both railroad and water transportation. These combined advantages must result in great benefit and wealth to the town if her people continue to exert themselves as they are now doing, and "keep the ark moving." With her vast lumber interests, now ag- gregating millions of dollars annually, and to which should be added rice mills, sugar refineries, cotton gins and presses, oil mills and other factories that will necessarily follow, then will the hum of industry echo and reecho across your beautiful httle lake. When you hear of a firm or company who are desirous of starting a manufacturing enterprise in your town, don't put your heads together and figure on how much you can squeeze out of them for a location for their establishment, but donate five, ten, or twenty acres if that will secure it. If a manufacturing enterprise is established in the town, employing a hundred hands. 154 ^Y^ ^ '77/ U'EST LO 1 73/ A A 'A : ^vith a monthi;,- pay roll of saj' $5000, who will be more benefited than the busi- ness men of Lake Charles? Why, the matter is so plain that "even a fool should not err therein." The editor of the American strikes the key note to the situation when he sa3's : Facts and figures continue to show and prove wliat we have before repeated, that right in tlie South, in the midst of the cotton fields, is the place for success- ful cotton manufacturing. Experience has proven this beyond question. There is not a factory in the South, where it is properly managed, but what is pa3'ing a good per cent, on the investment. Ex-Governor Lowry, of Mississippi, makes the statement, that the product of Mississippi mills at Wesson is sold in Boston in competition with goods of all grades manufactured within forty miles of Bos- ton. It must be remembered, too, that these mills are so situated that the}' have but one line of shipment and have no chance of competition in freights. This experience is in line with that of other mills in Georgia and Alabama. With such experience there is no wonder that factories in the North are hunting up good situations in the South where they can move their mills. When we read that a manufacturing establishment up North, employing, per- haps, one thousand hands, desires to move South, we conclude at once that the principal owners of the factory have investigated the matter, and the informa- tion obtained led to this conclusion. The time is now upon us when the cotton must be manufactured in or near the great cotton region, if done for profit. Al- ready the foothold of Southern mills is so firm that the New England mills can not compete with them. The Southern mills have no long stretches of freight to meet; they have a climate which favors the work, making it a less cost for living and a less cost for manufacturing. This is shown in the per cent, of profits which is told annually to the world, and which reveals the fact that the Southern mills have largely the advantage over those of the North. The business men of manufacturing interests up North are alive to the times, and are trying to keep pace with the changes that are being made. He sees that he can now make favorable terms with some live 3'oung Southern citj' by getting a bonus to remove his mill, and he seizes the opportunity, recognizing the fact that the day may not be far distant when such opportunities will not come. The moving of mills South and the building of new ones and enlarging others has created a demand for this kind of machinery, and this will lead to the moving of iron mills South, as there will doubtless be advantages held by .such mills because of their nearness to the cotton mills. There must be mills for the manufacturing of this machinery-, right near the Southern cotton mills, where it is wanted. The advantage that one such mill will have over those far distant will be so great that other factories will follow or new ones be built. Just so with the great machine works that are manufacturing machinery for the saw-mills that have so largely increased in the South during the last few years. It is evi- HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL. 155 dent these machine shops must come nearer the mills. Time in this fast age has much to do with these matters, as well as the long haul of freights. We noticed the arrival in our city on the 17th of April of the machinery for the new ice fac- tory in this city. This machinery was shipped on February 26 from New York, and shows the result of long distance. There is to-day not a more inviting field in the South for factories than in Lake Charles. The following timely hints are from the same source as quoted above, and are worthy of earnest consideration: We have mentioned the subject of a rice mill in a former issue, but we look upon it as so important that we again call at- tention to this subject. We believe there is no other city in the United States where a rice mill, on a large scale, would paj' as well as in the cit}' of Lake Charles. In the first place it could be built cheaper here than in almost an}' otherplace. We have the finest building material in the world, cheaper than in almost any other place. We have the finest building material in the world, cheaper than in almost anj' other place. Our lumber is of the best and cheapest. Our brick will bear ^'.omparison with any brick on the continent, and can be furnished on thegronnd in an)' quantity as cheap as an}' place. The cost of operating a mill will be cheaper than in most other places, by reason of the cheapness of fuel. Our saw-mill men will furnish fuel free to any factor}' or mill that will operate here. Then, in the next place, rougli rice can be delivered here cheaper than in any other city where large rice mills are now in operation. It is estimated that Calcasieu parish will produce at least four hundred thousand barrels of rough rice this year, and the industry is but fairly begun. It can be delivered here for about eighty-five cents per barrel less than it can in New Orleans. Then the milled product can be shipped from here to the consumer as cheap or cheaper than from any other rice mills in the South. When the K. C, W. & G. Rail- way reaches Alexandria, which it will undoubtedly do this fall, rice can be -shipped from here direct to St. Louis and nearly direct to Kansas City. Then, in the next place, the bran and the polish would find a ready market at the mill to the farmers and stock men. Taking all these things into consideration, it looks to us as if a rice mill on a large scale — say of the capacit}' of five hundred barrels per day — would pay enormous profits at once. Where is the man with capital who is willing to engage in this enterprise? We feel sure that our citizens are ready to encourage this enterprise heartily, for it will be admitted by all that while a mill would be greatly profitable to its owners, it would at the same time be valuable to the city and the country. It would give us an increase of popu- lation and wealth. It would give us a market for our rough rice at' home. It would give us cheap feed. It would add to our resources in many ways, and benefit us for all time to come. Let us have a rice mill. 150 socyv/ir/is'r loi7s/.ia\i .■ Ltmiber Mills. — These lire by far tlie most valuable industry about Lake Charles. Nothing is attracting more attention in the South than the famous pine lumber. C.ipitalistsfrom the North, and even from England, are seeking pine lands, and in many places are endeavoring to obtain interest in the large lumber mills already established, or erecting new mills. No place is more favorably adapted to the lumber business than Lake Charles; no place so well adapted t(» the handling of logs. The streams north of the town are so well distributed through the Calcasieu pine region that it makes it an easy and cheap way to place the logs in floating water. These streams come together just north of the town, and it is this that gives it an advantage over most places in the South, as an unlimited number ot cheap logs can be obtained the entire year. To give some idea of tlie lumber business of Lake Cliarles, it is onh- necessary- to give a brief svnopsis of the mills and their business. M. T. Jones & Co.'s mill is situated on the east bank of tlie lake, just south of the Southern Pacific Railroad, and has a capacity of from seventy-five thous- and to ninet}' thousand feet of lumber daily. The sizer and planer have a ca- pacit}' of from one hundred and fifty thousand to two hundred thousand feet daily. The mill has cut as high as one hundred and six thousand feet in one day. The Bradle3'-Ramsey Lumber Company is located on the Calcasieu River, about a mile north of the Southern Pacific depot. The first mill established here was in 1853, by Captain D. J. Goos. It was a small affair then, but with enter- prise and perseverance, improvements were made and new machinerj' was added until a number of lumber men, with confidence in the future of the Calcasieu pine, bought one hundred and fifty thousand acres of pine lands, and shorth- after purchased the Goos mill and organized the Calcasieu Lumber Compan}-. In 1887 the present Bradley-Ramsey Company was organized. Their mill is well nigh perfect, and has a capacity of from sixty thousand to sev:;nt\--five thousand feet daily. In connection is a planer and a Axy house. Perkins & Miller's mill is located on the west side of the lake and was es- tablished in 1870. It has been greatly improved in all these years, and now has a capacity of from sixt}' to seventy thousand feet dai!}'. Some four hundred yards from the mill is the planer, which has a capacity of nearly fift_y thousand feet daily. One of the planers will take a piece of lumber 6 x 18 inches and dress the four sides by passing once through the mill. A great deal of this machinery is new. The mill has added in imp'rovement in the last thirteen months about $13,000 and are still improving. A contract made a few da3-s ago, to place a 40,ooo-gal!on tank fift}- feet high, for the pur- pose of waterworks lor the protection of the mills and lumber, has been com- pleted. In the rear of the mill is a marshy place running back some distance. Saw. HISTORICAL AXD BIOGRAPHICAL. 157 dust has been piled on tliis to a depth of perliaps eight or ten feet, and on tliis saw dust is a hirge himber yard with a stock on hand of from three to four mil- lion feet. It is claiined, and with good reasoning, that the dampness is taken up by the saw dust, and lumber may be piled and seasoned on this saw dust free from mould spots. The lumber is shipped by schooner and rail to Mexico, Texas, Colorado and Kansas. The logs used in this mill are brought from the C. & V. R. R. The firm of A. J. Perkins & Co., of Galveston, Texas, own a half interest in this road, and the firm of Perkins & Miller get one-half the logs and Lock, Moore & Co., the other half. The road puts into tide water over five hundred logs per day, wh.ich are towed by a tug boat to the booms at these mills. The Norris mill was established by Mr. W. B. Norris in 1866, at what is called Norris' Point. This is where the Calcasieu River runs into, or rather by the nonh- west corner of. Lake Charles. The mill when first established was small, but was kept steadily running until 1872, when the demand on Mr. Norris for lumber 'became so great he tore down the little mill and erected in its stead a large, -double mill, running two circulars. This mill was burned in 1873, and was re- built the same year, from which time until Januar}^ 18S8, it run almost without interruption, except from an occasional repair or putting in new machinery, and during all this time ^^r. Norris was seldom up with his ordei's, so great was the demand. Li Januar}-, 1888, this mill burned, and almost before the ashes became cold the debris was cleared away, and in less than six months' time another large mill was erected ; in this, however, was placed a band saw and a finishing cir- cular saw, instead of a circular alone. The band saw is supposed to cut about two-thirds that of a. circular; the band saw and finisliing circidar together be- ing about equal to the circular saw. Mr. Norris was the lirst man on this river to put in a phuu'r, and the first and onlv one yet to put in a band saw. He put in the planer. in 1868, and has had tliem in constant use ever since. In the new mill is entire new machinerv -of the latest improvements. There are also two [ilaners and a molder, a sticker and a resaw. Just across the river is the Slurtevant dry kiln, just completed, with a capacity of one hundred thousand feet. Drew's mill is the propertj' of H. C. Drew, and is situated on the lake front in the lower part of the city. Several years ago the mill was burned, but was, soon rebuilt. The mill has a capacity of about thirt}' thousand feet per da^^. The shipments are largely by water on schooners, of which Mr. Drew is the owner, to ports in- Texas and Mexico. There is no switch to it from the rail- road, and all shipments by rail from this point are carried to Westlake, where the lumber is placed on cars. He runs a planer, and also near by is a shingle mill, with a capacity of twenty-five thousand per day, and hoop and stave factor}'. 158 SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA : The Mount Hope mill is the property of W. L. Hutchings, the parish treas- urer, and is located on the Calcasieu River, within the corporate limits, in the northern part of the town. It is a good mill, with a cutting capacity of about forty thousand feet per day, and has a planer in operation. It has been almost entirely remodeled within the last twelve months. Besides these mentioned there are a number of others in and around Lake Charles and Westlake, and in the parish, most of which are in operation. Among these the Hampton mill, the "Waller & Greeves, Lock, Moore & Co., Burleson Brothers, the Hansen mill, Rj-an & Geary, etc. Some of these are only shingle mills, but most of them are lumber, and some of them lumber and shingles. It is probably no exaggeration to say that the inills of Lake Charles and immediate vicinity cut upon an average at least half a million feet of lumber daily, and shingles, well, " more than any man can number." Tlic Press. — The newspaper is an important factor in the development of any country. It can do more for good, and even for evil, if it was to turn its great pow'er in that direction, than an3'otherone influence that can be exercised in a communi:)^ The first newspaper published in this parish was the Calcasieu Press, founded in June, 1S55, ^Y ]^^8^ ^- ^- Martel and John A. Spence, of Opelousas. Mr. Spence was editor and publisher. It continued until about the close of the war, and at its discontinuance was in its si.xth volume, which shows that from its com- mencement to its suspension it had been issued but little more than h:ilf of the time. Probably this was caused by the derangement of all business matters during the civil war. The Lake Charles Echo is the oldest paper in the parish, and one of the ablest in this portion of the State. It was established February 16, 1868, by Judge J. D. Reed and Louis Leveque. Both of its founders are now dead. The paper was not published regularly, and only completed two volumes in three years. After passing through some of the vicissitudes incident to countr}' news- papers in country towns, and changing ownership a time or two, it was, in Feb- ruary, 1871, bought by Captain J. W. Bryan. He improved it in many respects and soon put it on a firm basis. He conducted it successfully until in March, 1890, when he sold it to a stock company, and it is still in successful operation, edited by W. F. Schwing. The New Orleans Picayune thus "boosted" Capt. Br} an at the time he sold the Echo: "Great creditand much is awarded him (J. W. Br3'an) for tlie able manner in which he built it up and edited its columns. Lake Charles was at that time but a hamlet, the parish seat of the poorest parish in the State, now ranking among the very first in wealth and population." The American is a flourishing weekly paper of sixteen pages, well filled HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL. lo'J with news, miscellany and matters of interest to the parish. November 12, 1890, it entered upon its sixth volume. It was established in New York City, but in 1887, was removed to Lake Charles, and commenced its publication in this city in September of that year. It is devoted to tiie interests of Southwest Louisiana generally, and Lake Charles and Calcasieu parish particularl}', and is a stanch supporter of the Kansas City, Watkins & Gulf Railroad. It is published by the Lake Charles Publishing Company, and ably edited by Mr. Z. L. Everett, assisted by Rev. W. H. Kline, who attends to the gathering up of facts on the resources and development of the country. But for the well tilled columns of the American, the task of writing up Calcasieu parish for this work would have been a much greater labor than it has. The business department is under the management of Mr. Marshall, and the affable and courteous Miss Delia Neal attends to the clerical work of the office. Once a month the American publishes forty thousand copies of its paper, devoted principally to the resources and advantages of this section, which are sent broadcast over the countr}-, par- ticularly through the Nortliwest; it also publishes a patent side for a number of country papers. The Lake Charles Commercial is midway in its tenth volume. John Mc- Corniick is its editor and publisher, and C. M. McCormick is its genei al manager. It is a live and enterprising paper of four pages, seven columns to a page, and strongly anti-lotter}'. The Christian Visitor was established by Rev. G. B. Rogers, pastor of the Baptist Church, and conducted about a j-ear and a half, when it was consoli- dated with the American. Country Tozi'iis. — Jennings is the most important town in Calcasieu parish, outside of Lake Charles. It is situated on the Southein Pacific Railroad, near the line between Calcasieu and Acadia parishes, and is a new town compara- tively. In 1880 it was rated at only twenty-five inhabitants. Now it has some four or five hundred. Jennings stands in the midst of a fine shipping section, where rice is the principal crop, and the Reporter estimates that not less than four hundred car loads of that product alone was shipped from that point last year. Many Northwestern people live around the town of Jennings — in fact, the community is principally settled by those enterprising and pushing people, who have come here to enjoy the healthful climate and rich lands. The place has a church or two, several stores, a post-office, a newspaper, the Jennings Reporter, edited and published by Messrs. Cary & Son, now entered upon its third volume; a new and elegant school house, in which is taught for the usual term a graded school. To sum up, it is a live, wide-awake and enterprising busi- ness town. Welsh is a nourishing town on tlie Southern Pacific Railroad, twenty-three 1 1!0 .9 O IJTII ]\ ^ES T L O UISIA NA : milfS east of Luke Chark-s, and containing at present abcait three hundred in- habitants, many of wliom are Western people. Tlie situation of the town is all that could be desired, beiny half a mile from the Lacassine, a wooded stream flowing south to the gulf. With the exxeption of the Lacassine it is surrounded by a vast expanse of prairie, reaching to the Mermentau River on the east, antl to the long leaf pine on the Calcasieu River on the north and west. The town of Welsh, surve)^ed and platted in 1884, did not begin to build up rapidly until July. 1887. In April, 1887, the Messrs. Jasinsky and Reever, of Guthrie count}', Iowa, and George D. Moore, Mitchelville, of same State, visited Welsh and, being captivated with its splendid location and superior surround- ings, purchased lands in and near town, and in Jul}' of the same year there was witnessed a veritable boom in the construction of several good business houses and residences. This town certainly^ has a bright future before it, btnng in the midst of a splendid agricultural country. The following are the shipments from this place: 13,840 barrels rough rice, worth here $350 per barrel; 69,840 pounds of wooI,Vorth 18 cents per pound: 954 tons of hay, worth here about $5.50 per ton; 1520 head beef cattle, worth about $17.90 per head. Rice and hay are the principal farm products, though sugar cane, cotton, Irish potatoes and sweet potatoes, oats and corn are grown, and it is only a question of a few years when many of these products will be raised for export. The Welsh Crescent, edited byH.Duggett, attends to ad\'er- tising the interests of the town. About two hundred families of Western and Northern people have settled in and around Welsh from almost every State in the Union from Texas to New York. The town was incorporated in April, 1888, and Hon. Henry Welsh elected lirst mayor, an honor appropriately conferred, he having been founder of the town. He is a gentleman known and respected throughout Soutliwestern Louisi- ana, his hospitable home having been for many years the principal stojiping place for travelers before the railroad was built. Welsh can boast of its location, good houses, a number of energetic public- spirited business men and many worthy citizens. Tiiere are at present three good hotels, six general stores, one restaurant, livery stable, lumber yard, drug store, market, barber shop, two physicians and two real estate agents. Vinton is situated upon the western border of Calcasieu parish some six- miles east of Sabine river. The traveler upon the Southern Pacific Railroad will note a charming belt of prairie, picturesque, deep soiled and rolling. Here Messrs. Horrige, Eddy and Stevinson, of Benton county, Iowa, have located the pretty town of Vinton, and nicely graded its broad streets. It has a position of commanding commercial importance, only six miles to the Sabine, navigable for three hundred miles, and with the bar at the mouth improved for the passage of ocean steamers, and nine miles southeasterly to tide water on Bayou Choupique, HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL. 16? which flows into the Calcasieu river. North is avastforest of yellow pine, which can best be penetrated by a railroad from Vinton. C. P. Hampton has erected a large saw-mill at this place, and will build a railroad to his timber. This town presents special attraction to Northern settlers. Good lands can be purchased in the vicinit}' at from three to five dollars per acre. Sabine Station is located near the western boundary of the State. It is a very pretty and pleasant location, with timber and prairie interspersed. Why it has not a good school and church facilities, with all other necessary business houses, seems to be an. unanswerable question. Near by is a church house about thirty by forty feet, well ventilated and partially seated with very good, sub- stantial, homespun benches. Near half a mile east from the station, but on the rail- way line, is the neighborhood post-office, kept by M. Fairchilds, where is also kept a small stock of dry goods, groceries and many otherneeded articles. The an- cient village of Niblett's Bluff, of thirty or more years ago, as a landing and busi- ness point, is now a wreck and ruin, the Southern Pacific Railroad and its stations having taken away its business and its life. Sugartown, or the seventh ward, is about twenty-five miles square, bounded south b}' Barnes Creek and north by Vernon parish. It is heavily timbered with long leaf pine, except on the creek bottoms, which are covered with a heavy growtli of oak, beech, hickor}', maple, magnolia and other hard wood, suitable for the manufacture of furniture, wagons, farm implements, etc. Numerous creeks of pure, clear water, abounding in trout, cat, buffalo and other fresh water fish, run through this section and empty into the Calcasieu River, which runs south through the parish into the gulf. On these creeks lumbering business is carried on. The timber is cut, hauled to the banks and dumped into the- water, and run into the river, thence to the mills at Lake Charles, where it is sawed into lumber and shipped to all parts of the country. The soil is a sandy loam, very easy to cultivate, and on the creek bottoms very fertile. The pine lands are not so rich in vegetable mould, but are susceptible of a high state of cultivation by a very little fertilizing. The crops are corn, cotton, rice, tobacco, sugar cane, sorghum, peas, oats, Irish and sweet potatoes, all kinds of garden vegetables in perfection, and fruits of nearly every varietj'. The country is very level, and the finest kind of grass grows all through the pine woods, on which cattle get very fat during the summer, and the winters are so short and mild that they go through with very little feed. Sheep are more profitable to keep, from the fact that they get their living the year round in the woods with very little at- tention. Hogs get fat nearly every fall in the bottoms on the beech and oak mast. Lands for farming purposes can be bought at from $1.25 to $5 per acre. West Lake Charles is situated on the west bank of the lake. It contains the Perkins & Miller mill, the store of A. J. Perkins, store of W. B. Norris, and saloon of H. Escubas. It has a Baptist church, and a school of about thirty 11 164 SOUTHWEST L OUISIAXA : scholars. Tliere are several nice lesidences in the place, and quite a number of comfortable cottages. Mr. Escubas is building a very handsome hotel of about twenty rooms, which will be completed in the course of three or four weeks, and he is also building a livery stable. From the upper porch of the hotel maybe seen the Lake Charles College building, the Baptist church, the Convent, Opera Plouse, and other buildings on the east side. Mr. Escubas and Mr. Norris own each a square or two of land there, and there may be one or two others owning lots, but, with these exceptions, Mr. A. J. Perkins is the sole owner, and owns almo'st continuously for three miles. Goosport is a small village just north of the Southern Pacific Railroad at Lake Charles. It is situated on the Calcasieu River, and is the seat of the Bradley-Ramsey Saw Mill and Lumber Company, already noticed in this chapter. There are a number of other small villages in the parish, among which are Esterly, Iowa Cit}', Crown Point, Lakeside, Edgerly, Sulphur City, Evange- line, Chloe, Lacassine, Rose Bluff, Calcasieu, Lake Arthur, China, Serpent, Killinger, Meadow, Barnes' Luck, etc. Some of these are merely post-offices, kept at the house of some farmer, others are post-office and store, and some- times a school house. Lake Arthur begins to consider itself a town, and started a newspaper last year (May 22, 1890), the Lake Arthur Herald, by P. M. Kokanour. The parish of Calcasieu has a number of most beautiful little lakes, the principal of which are Lake Calcasieu, Lake Arthur and Lake Charles. Lake Calcasieu is about fifteen miles in length, and lies mostly in Calcasieu parish, extending to within five or si.x miles of the gulf. Lake Arthur lies in the south- east part of the parish, while Lake Charles is at the parish capital, and gives name to the town, or the town to the lake, as the case may be. As the lake is the older of the two places, perhaps the town w'as named for the lake, and both were named for old Charles Sallier, the pioneer. Lake Charles is a beautiful little sheet of water, and has often been com- pared to Lake Geneva in Switzerland. It is clear as crystal, and about three miles long and two miles wide. The Calcasieu River runs through the lake, and by the course of the river it is fifty-«ve miles to the gulf, and the stream is said to be from forty to one hundred feet deep, except at the Pass, and to deepen it Congress has appropriated $75,000. When this is accomplished the largest ocean steamers can ascend to Lake Charles. There is nothing to prevent the town of Lake Charles from becoming, as alread}' stated in these pages, a great business and manufacturing place, and also, a fine winter resort. The climate is fine in the winter season, and the lake presents a place for boat riding and for fishing at all seasons. HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL. 165 Many Things of Many Kinds. — x\n enthusiast on the future of Lake Charles writes thus on the glory of the town's worldly possessions: " Lake Charles has nine large saw-mills, three large shingle mills, an ice factor}-, machine shop and foundry, four ship yards, a large brick and tile factor}^ cheap building material, a large number of stores of general merchandise, four drug stores, one fine hard- ware store, energetic merchants, several carpenter shops, one agricultural imple- ment store, sash, door and blind factory, an artesian well, four newspapers, able lawyers, skilful physicians, excellent preachers, wise editors, commodious churches, fine schools, a handsome college building, an excellent public school building, a fine opera house, palatial residences, two banks, hustling real estate agents, wide-awake citizens, one railroad in operation — another building — sev- eral others contemplated, communication by water with the outside world, fine orange orchards, excellent vegetable gardens, rich farming lands around, cheap fuel, handsome women, fine looking men, and the prettiest sheet of water in the world." Nothing else? Additional to the above may be given her social, benevolent and charitable organizations, as follows: Lake Charies Lodge, No. 165, F. and A. INL, S. O. Shattuck, Master; W. M. Elliott, Senior Warden ; R. J. Gunn, Junior Warden, and E. H. Dees, Secre- tary. Peace Lodge, K. of P., J. E. La Besse, C. C; C. Bunker, K. of R. and S. ; W. A. Knapp, G. Reporter. Reliance Lodge, No. 3278, K. of H., W. A. Knapp, Dictator, and J. A. Reed, Reporter. Hope Council, No. 1112, A. L. of H., AL D. Kearney, Commander, and L. Hirscli, Secretary. Young Men's Christian Association, Prof. W. W. Daves, President; A. JNL INLayo, Secretar}-. Women's Christian Temperance Union, Mrs. A. M. Maj-o, President, and Miss Jennie Marsh, Secretary. Friendship Lodge, No. '26, L O. O. F., L. H. Moses, W. C. T. ; Miss Mary Siling, W. V. T. ; Miss Laura Siling, Recording Secretary, and Miss Ida Marsh, Financial Secretary Lake Charles Farmers' Union, No. 5S7, J. C. LeBlue, President, and D. H. Reese, Secretary. Confidence Lodge, No. 17, A. O. U. W., L. Hirsch, M. W. ; Frank Has- kell, Secretary. German Benevolent Association, Peter Platz, President; Auguste Seken- dorf. Secretary. Lake Charles Steam Fire Company, No. i, A. P. Pujo, President; L. Kauf- man, Vice President; M. J. Rosteet, Treasurer, and J. E. Reente, Secretary. 166 SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA : Young America Fire Company, No. 2, C.W. Meyer, President, and D. M. Foster, Secretary. Pelican-Babcock Hook and Ladder Company, S. O. Shattuck, President; E. T. George, Vice President, and W. D. Andrus, Secretarj'. Phoenix Hook and Ladder Compan\% Jesse Hagar, President, and Mack Cantin, Foreman. Bagdad. — Not the Bagdad rendered famous by the gilded stories of Sinbad the Sailor in Arabian Night's Entertainments, but the puny village that once was at the ferry west of Lake Charles. A ferry was established there in the olden time by Reese Perkins, and was an important institution. It was the great crossing place for cattle drovers from Texas to New Orleans with fat beeves for market at the latter place. Old citizens say they can remember when as many as 1500 and 2000 crossed there in a single day. The following incident is related of the place : Reese Perkins sold the ferry and the land around it to a man named James H. Buchanan. He allowed a man named Holt to lay out a town, and they would go partners in the enter- prise. Holt laid out his town and called it Lisbon; sold all the lots he could, and at any price he could get, pocketed the money and left — perhaps joined the American colony in Canada — leaving Mr. Buchanan with the bag to hold and both ends open. Even to this day claimants turn up now and then and say they own a lot in Lisbon, and ask to have it pointed out to them. The name of Lisbon was now changed to Bagdad, but still it has prospered little. The ferry, two or three houses, a shingle mill, is about all there is of the town. The American thus deals out its views, which are sound as the •' Dollars of the Fathers " on the subject of ferries generally: The ferry question is one that interests a large number of the citizens of Cal- casieu parish, and especially interests every one who is interested in the develop- ment of the city of Lake Charles. It is a well known fact that a large portion of the produce of the northern part of our parish, which ought to be marketed in Lake Charles, is hauled to Lecomte, in Rapides parish, simply because of the high charges made by the ferries of the parish. Because of this, the profits arising from the traffic in produce, and in supplying the farmers with their necessaries, are lost to the citizens of our parish; and, of course, the taxes on these profits are lost by our parish, and go to swell the revenues of Rapides. Then why not have free ferries, or at least cheap ferries? Why, says one, we can't afford it; we want to raise a revenue from the public to help pay our par- ish expenses. And we are sorry to say that the short-sighted and suicidal policy of driving trade from our parish to another, and thus ultimately diminish- ing our parish revenues by a much greater sum than it would require to main- tain free ferries at every crossing, has been adopted and carried out in the past. HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL. 167 In order to raise a few hundred dollars from the sale of public ferries, the authorities of our parish have permitted ferries to tax tiie traveling public at so high a rate that farmers haul their produce two or three times as far as otherwise necessar}', in order to avoid tlie enormous expense of ferriage. Can this parish afford the enormous and continuous loss of trade this involves? We think the people of the parish will speedily demand of their servants a radical change in this thing. Something must be wrong somewhere. A'ermilion parish has about three-fourths the population of Calcasieu, and the ordinary expenses of the parish would be at least three-fourths as great as Calcasieu. The revenue of Vermilion parish last year was a little more than sixteen thousand dollars for taxes. All of her bridges and ferries are free, and her script is worth one hu-ndred cents on the dollar. Calcasieu's revenue from ta.xes is over forty thousand dollars, and yet our authorities find it necessary, or think they do, to raise an additional revenue from the traveling public by selling the right to run monopoly ferries to the highest bidder, and then have not enough money to pay the jurors summoned to the district court. This system of monopoly ferries works beautifully, indeed I We are credibly informed that a responsible party offered to enter into bonds to run a ferry at a certain point in this parish, and obligate himself to cross wagons and teams for ten cents a round trip, each. The ferrj' was made a mo- nopoly, and sold to the highest bidder, and the price was limited to eighty cents per round trip for wagon and team. It must be a great pleasure for the poor farmers and log men to pay eight times as much as necessary in order to cross the stream. We are informed that the party above referred to is ready to enter into an agreement yet to give a cheap ferry. Now, we are not charging any one in particular with the wrong of establish- ing these monopolies. If it is the State law that does it, let us agitate until the law is changed. If it is the fault or mistake of the police jurj', let us hammer awa}^ until the mistake is remedied. Let the people come to the front and de mand justice, and they will get it. — Pcrrin. a\ ■^^vj I CHAPTER VI. The Parish of Cameron — Boundary and Description — The Coast Marsh — Future Develop5ient of Cameron — Organization of the Parish — Legislative Act for its Creation — A Correspondent's Impres- sion OF THE Country and its Capabilities — Orange Culture — A Fruit Country Unsurpassed — What the People May Make It — Climate, Etc — The Medical and Legal Professions — Churches and Schools — A Parish Well Supplied with Moral Influences, Etc. " Time was not }'et." — Dante, qJ^^HE parish of Cameron as a body politic is comparatively young, it hav- c/HK> ing been created in 1870 from portions of Calcasieu and Vermilion G^^ parishes. It partakes somewhat of the nature of both — small bits of the Calcasieu prairies being interspersed with a good deal of the sea marshes of Ver- milion. It has about twelve hundred square miles, nearly three-fourths of which, perhaps, is sea marsh. From a pamphlet issued by the Commissioner of Immi- gration of Louisiana, the following extract is taken: " Cameron has not yet had her day. She must await the future and abide her time in patience. She will doubtless, at some near day, be a busy place in canning fish, oysters and shrimp. Her parish seat, Leesburg, is right on the Gulf of Mexico, at the mouth of the Calcasieu River, and it must be that in the development that awaits that country Cameron will be greatly benefited by a situation that now seems like isolation. If deep water ever comes to the mouth of the river, Leesburg will be a great place by reason of that alone. When the immigrant takes hold of the coast marsh (as he will before the next quarter of a century), with its prodigeousl}'^ fertile soil, then Cameron parish will come to the front. Great will be the crops of sugar cane, rice, sea-island cotton, oranges, vegetables, etc., while the gulf will afford cheap and delicious food for the agriculturist and an inexhaustible sup- ply for manufacturing or preserving canned goods. So the sea and the land will both pour out their bounteous treasures to this, thus far, disregarded parish. This coast marsh country ought to have more said about it than has been. The entire front of Louisiana is on the Gulf of Mexico. Her south boundary is water, and her whole lengthy from east to west is gulf coast." Boundaries, Etc. — The parish of Cameron is bounded on the north by Calcasieu parish, on the east by Vermilion parish, on the south by the Gulf of Mexico and on the west by the Sabine River and lake of the same name. The 170 SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA : principal water courses in the parish are tlie Calcasieu and Mermentau Rivers. The latter flows through Grand Lake about ten miles before it falls into the gulf, and the former flows through Calcasieu Lake before it reaches the gulf. Calcasieu Lake is some fifteen miles in length and about six or seven miles wide in the widest place. When the Calcasieu Pass is deepened, for which $75,000 have alread}^ been appropriated by the National Congress, and a deep channel cut through the lake, then the largest ocean steamers can ascend the Calcasieu River, which is a deep stream, to the town of Lake Charles, some fifty-five miles from the gulf. Grand Lake is nearl}' square, and seven or eight miles across each wa3^ The Lake Charles Echo of September 14, 1888, has the following of this parish : Cameron parish is just south of, and was once a part of, Calcasieu parish; it lies directly on the coast. Leesburg is the parish site, and contains a court house, jail, and one or two stores, but not a saloon in the parish. There is not a lawjer in the parish, and you may think there is no need of one when we tell you that last July was the regular Grand Jury term of the District Court, and the first they had had for a year, and after a careful investigation, adjourned without finding a true bill. In interviewing Mr. D.W. Donahoe, who resides on Johnson's Bayou, in this parish, \\e obtained some information of this section. In September, 1886, the same time that Sabine Pass was blotted out of existence by the storm and overflow, all of Johnson's Bayou was overflowed, which was the first time for a space of eighty years back. That portion of the bayou which lies next to Sabine Pass is lower than the eastern portion, and there sixty-seven lives were lost, and all the stock, and the principal part of the houses swept awa}'. The eastern portion of the bayou lost little stock and no lives. Mr. Donahoe says Johnson's Bavou is rebuilt and is in a flourishing condition. Their corn will average thirty bushels per acre, and cotton, one bale. The cotton is shipped in the seed by schooners, principall}' to Orange, Texas, some to Galveston. The country is fine for cattle and sheep. Their fattest beeves are shipped from tiie range in Januar}-. They have cattle giving from two to three gallons of milk per day, from the range alone during the winter. The winter season is better for milk and butter than summer. The orange trees have made remarka- ble growth, especially since the overflow, as that served to enrich the land. In January, 1886, the orange trees were killed there, as here. They will gather a pretty fair crop of oranges another season. The health was never better — in fact, was alwaj'S good. There was not a physician in the parish, unless there was one on the eastern border, and he was making his living by farming. Mr. Joseph Jones, of Grand Chenier, in the eastern part of the parish, says the island is about th.irty miles long and two or three wide, containing perhaps more tlian two hundred families. There is almost HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL. 171 one continuous, unbroken farm on the island from one end to the other. They raise what corn is necessary, making about thirty barrels per acre, and making about one bale of cotton per acre. They had gathered over two hundred thou- sand pounds of cotton by the first week in September ; ship by schooner to Gal- veston. Their orange trees were injured, like other sections, but will make some shipments this j^ear. The trees are in flourishing condition; no bugs of any kind, and a handsome yield is expected another year. They also raise a good quality of sugar and molasses. It is a range for stock, and they keep fat winter and summei . This is a fine place for game, especially in the winter season ; ducks, brant, geese, etc. There is not a doctor on the island. ** Early Settlement. — Cameron parish is not thickly settled, owing to the vast area of marsh lands in the parish. The settlements are confined to the high lands above overflow. From Mr. E. D. Miller, of Lake Charles, a native of Cameron parish, however, the following of the early settlers was obtained: Among the first families who setded in Cameron parish were those of John M. Smith and Millege McCall. They settled in Grand Chenier, and were the only two families in that immediate section for several years. McCall was quite a noted man for the period. He was an old-time doctor and practised consider- abl}' in an old-fashioned way ; was also a justice of the peace, and the only one in Grand Chenier prior lo the organization of the parish. He was a good man, and well liked by ever3'body. Both he and Smith have been dead many j^ears. George W. Wakefield was one of the proverbial " Ohio men.'' He came from the State of Ohio, and settled in the parish in 1840, about a mile from where Leesburg, the parish capital, is located. He reared a large family and is still living but getting quite old and feeble. When he came here, he says, there was plenty of game, that there were more deer than cattle to be seen then on the range. Mr. Wakefield has a fine orange grove. William Doxey was from North Carolina, and came to the parish about the same time with Wakefield. He brought a number of negroes with him, and was quite an extensive sugar planter. He and Wakefield are the two oldest settlers now living. A son of Mr. Doxey, John A., has, it is said, the finest orange grove in the parish, and one of the finest in the State. Game was plenty when Mr- Doxey settled here, and still considerable small game is found. James Hall and James Root were early settlers in the west part of the parish, and both are long since dead. A man named Griflith came about 1850, and settled in the same neighbor- hood. John M. Miller was one of the first settlers in the extreme eastern part of the parish. He was born in Germany, but was brought by his parents to America 172 SOUl^HWESr LOUISIANA : when but an infant, and they settled in St. Landry parish. Mr. Miller located in Cameron parish in 1847, where he died at the age of eighty-two years, and his wife at the age of eighty-five years. He was the father of Mr. E. D. Miller, a practising lawyer of Lake Charles. This comprises a list of what may be called old settlers, and brings the settlement of the parish up to about 1850, a period when people were coming in more rapidly. The small area of uplands or prairies attracted agriculturists, and the great profusion of game brought the hunter and sportsmen. Fifty j'ears or more ago, when the first settlers came to Cameron, there were no productive farms, no pleasant homes here; no churches, no school houses, with their refining influences, but on every hand, and far as the eye could reach, a wild waste of wilderness, uninhabited, save by wild beasts and an occasional band of Indian hunters. The population of the parish is now about three thousand souls. In 1870, the population had increased sufficiently to awaken in the minds of the people the idea of organizing themselves into a parish of their own. The seat of justice was too far out of reach — at Lake Charles or at Abbeville. So at the session of the Legislature of 1870, the following act was framed: Cameron Parish. — An Act for its formation, etc. Section i . Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the State of Louisiana, in General Assembly convened, That a new parish in the State of Louisiana be and the same is hereby created out of the southern portion of Calcasieu and the southwestern portion of Vermilion, to be called and known by tlie name of Cameron. Sec. 2. Be it further enacted, etc., That the following shall be the bound- aries of the parish of Cameron, viz: commencing at a point on the Sabine River, on the township line, dividing the townships eleven and twelve south; thence east on said township line to the range line, between ranges numbered two and three west; thence south on said range line to the Gulf of Mexico; thence along the coast to the mouth of the Sabine River, and thence up the Sabine River to the place of beginning. There are fifteen other sections of the act, and the entire act is printed both in French and English, and when the end is finally reached it is signed: Mortimer Carr, Speaker House Representatives. Oscar J. Dunn, Lieut. Governor and President Approved March 15, 1870. of the Senate. Geo. E. Brown, H. C. Warmoth, Secretary of State. Governor of the State of Louisiana. HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL. 173 The necessary officers were appointed, and the parish was set to work according to the laws of the commonwealth. The parish seat was established at the mouth of the Calcasieu River, and is called Leesburg, but it is a town in little else except the name. It consists of a court house, one small store, and, perhaps, half a dozen other buildings. The post-office name of place is Cameron, though, as stated, the town's name is Leesburg. The parish has no jail, and but one lawyer. Neither is much needed, as there is but little litigation among the people. What little there is, Mr. Miller, of Lake Charles, who was raised in the parish, is usually employed on the one side or the other. A writer * in the Lake Charles American thus gives his opinion of Cameron parish and its citizens : With a threefold object that of health, business, and a tour for the pur- pose of describing the productions, scenery and attractiveness of our parish, a father and his daughter left home, on horseback, last week. We traveled a distance of about forty-five miles along the sea coast, bordering the ridges under cultivation, as far to the east as Cow Island, stopping at Mr. P. V. Miller's for the first night, where we found, as at all other places, a hearty welcome and generous hospitality. Mr. Miller is engaged in both stock raising and agricul- ture. He and his family own about a thousand head of fine stock, more or less graded, and the farm includes orange groves, peach orchards, and a number of large pecan trees. Crops of cotton, corn and cane remarkably good. This gentleman is one of our oldest settlers and influential citizens. Cow Island, extending about twelve miles, and the ridge, averaging one-half mile wide, are closely settled. The next of our stopping places was at the Widow Valcent Miller's, whose farm is in a remarkably good state* of cultivation, considering that it has been managed and worked by the lady, assisted only b}' her two daughters. After this, a place some distance farther on, owned by Mr. Thos. Bosnal, where we admired sugar cane growing, with at least eight joints, and looking both vigorous and promising. This is a new enterprise. Leaving Cow island and homeward tending, we paid a visit to our old friend, Mr. Geo. Mayne, where we found an orange grove containing about two hun- dred and fifty trees, of which a number measured eighteen inches in circumfer- ence and about twenty-five feet high. A majority of the trees were bearing, some as many as seventy-five oranges. Another grove farther on, at Dr. Carter Sweeney's, looked equally as fine and vigorous, as we rode along. The next place was owned by Mr. J. D. Mc Call, our respected uncle, and who also is president of our police jury. On his land are about five hundred fine trees; on one, at least, three hundred of the desirable fruit. Adjoining, Mr. Thos. Dolan, of like flourishing property. 174 SOUTHWEST L OUISIANA : Next Mr. John Wetlierill, whose sloping garden in front, home, orchard and grove beyond, tempted us to remain. Passing onward, the places of Messrs. Jones and Stafford, also with fine orange groves. Next, the beautiful residence of Messrs. Doxey and son, where, as stated last year, there has been closest and skilled cultivation of the fruit trees, and scrutin}' of the diseases which infest orange trees and have puzzled horti- culturists for a long period. Mr. Andrew Doxey thinks he has discovered a pre- ventative against the ravages of the scale insect, and is sanguine of success in orange culture. This grove contains about fifteen hundred trees, some eight inches in diameter — probably the largest on our route. Close below is Mr. An- deal Miller, who has, perhaps, five hundred trees of excellent promise and varie- ty. Some three miles further on again, delightfully situated on the bank of the Mermentau River, is the now named village of '"Riverside,"' as suggested, at request of the inhabitants and complimentary, by your correspondent. At this point are three stores and several residences, post-office and shipping post. We were informed by the respective merchants that there were at least two hundred thousand dollars' worth of business transacted there during the year, including shipments of cotton, oranges, hides, melons, poultry, eggs, etc. About a mile further on is the ferry across the Mermentau, where we were taken across by Mr. WilHe Stafford, son of our esteemed aunt, Mrs. E. A. Stafford, who has been in charge of this, the principal and only ferry on the lower river, for some years. Remained all night, and with pleasant recuperation and rest, besides finding our aged grandmother, now eighty odd years of age, hale, hearty and as vivacious as probably she was at eighteen. On again next morning, two miles, and reached the home of Capt. James Welsh, where was a hearty welcome. An exten- sive stock owner, a flourishing farm, orange grove, and erecting a new residence. Rutherford Jones and others were passed in succession, the first of whom has availed himself of many of the latest improvements in agricultural machinery, and is cultivating his land with the skill of advanced knowledge. Mr. Jones, also, one of the most energetic and sagacious of stock raisers and farmers, whose genial hospitality many friends are pleased to remember and where we frequently visit in his family. A few miles fartlier, and reached home much im- proved in health and good nature. Your readers will perceive that all this section is prolific in cotton, corn, oranges, peaches, grapes, vegetables of every description, and last, though not least, in gigantic melons, perhaps the largest, earliest and best that can be pro- duced in our Southern country. It is safe to surmise that at this point, above Leesburg, there could be delivered, as raised within a radius of eight miles, say, six hundred thousand melons annually, and ready for shipment from the last of May on to the end of July. If they want early melons in Kansas, or as far north as St. Louis, let there be transportation and they will be grown. HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL. 175 Orange Cullnrc. — Another correspondent * of the American gives its read- ers the following on orange culture, which is a large and profitable business in Cameron parish : Last year you published an able and instructive article on " Orange Culture in Southwest Louisiana," from the pen of Hon. James Welsh, of Cameron parish. He wrote from thirty years' experience in growing and handling oranges on the gulf coast of Cameron parish, and the object of this article is not to differ with his views, but rather to mention some additional facts. Orange seed should be planted when removed from the fruit, or soon after- ward ; they should not be allowed to become shriveled. As Mr. Welch says, they should be the largest seed from the best fruit, and should be covered by three inches of soil. The seed bed can hardly be too highly fertilized. Mr. Welsh says the trees when three years old may be transplanted from the nursery . to the orchard. That age is perhaps the best for that purpose, yet a tree six or seven years old may be transplanted without injury. Victor Touchy, the veteran orange culturist, of Lake Charles, can transplant in January an orange tree seven years old, which will bloom the next month and bear fruit the same year. I have known him to do it, and he will guarantee to do it. Mr. Welsh says that sixty-four trees on one acre of land, at seven 3-earsfrom planting, will afford sufficient fruit for domestic purposes. I know that seven years from planting the seed is the generally accepted period in Southwest Louis- iana for an orange tree to commence bearing, yet there are numerous instances in Calcasieu, Vermilion, and, I have no doubt, Cameron, parishes where orange trees have borne well developed fruit at five years from the seed. The late Dr. Wm. H. Kirkman, of Lake Charles, informed me, some twelve years ago, that the largest orange tree he ever saw in Calcasieu parish, and which, when he first saw it, was bearing at least three thousand oranges, was on the left shore of Prien's or Little Lake, about four miles in an air line below Lake Charles; and that its owner, well known as a highly respectable and truthful resident of Cal- casieu parish, assured him that it was then only five years old from the seed; that the seed came up in a deserted hog pen, and the tree grew so rapidl}' and luxuriantly that he protected it by fence rails from his farm animals. Mj^ friend Desire Hebert, of Lake Arthur, which is bordered by Calcasieu and Vermilion parishes, tells me — and I have seen newspaper communications from Lake Ar- thur to the same effect — that orange trees at Lake Arthur frequently bear at five years from the seed. These instances prove that in an exceptionally rich soil, in a favorable locality, with careful culture, a man may have on one acre of land oranges for market as well as for domestic use at five and six years from the seed. I mention this because Mr. Welsh says that from sixty-four trees, on one acre of land, there maybe expected, at ten years, four hundred oranges per tree -, *George H. Wells. 176 SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA: at twenty years, three thousand oranges per tree; and at thirty years, five thou- sand oranges per tree. His estimate was probably basedon the ordinary methods of orange culture on tracts of land embracing several acres devoted to that pur- pose. It seems evident that on exceptionally rich land, with exceptionally care- ful culture, largely better results may be obtained in much less time. Few persons except orange growers have any idea of the value of orange trees. About fifteen years ago a New Orleans newspaper stated that the owner of six hundred bearing orange trees, a few miles below New Orleans, refused an offer of fifty thousand dollars for them, and sold his orange crop that year for seven thousand dollars. Afterward that statement was verified by a gentleman who informed me he had visited that orange grove, and knew its owner person- ally. Again, few persons are aware of the great age to which orange trees will , continue bearing. In Friedle3''s Practical Treatise on Business, it is said that there is a bearing orange tree in Rome, Italy, known to be over three hundred years old. The orange tree has great vitality. The unprecedented freezing weather of two weeks' duration in the winter of 1886-87 killed to the ground all the orange trees in Calcasieu and Cameron parishes, yet in both parishes hun- dreds of trees which have since grown up from the roots of those frozen trees are now in bloom, and some of them bore a few oranges last year, though many of them have received scarcely any cultivation. In 1868 I was informed by a Galveston dealer that Galveston fruit dealers alwaj's paid much more for Calcasieu than for other oranges, because they were larger, more juicy, of better flavor, and better endured transportation and exposure in open market. At that time Calcasieu embraced all of what is now Cameron parish lying between the Sabine and Mermentau Rivers. In the winter of 1866 I gathered from trees in Lake Charles, and at the Kayough place, a few miles below Lake Charles, one hundred oranges, nearly all of which averaged fifteen inches in circumfrence. It is a popular idea, and Mr. Welsh holds it, that an orange grove should be near a wide river, lake, or other large body of water. Without expressing an opinion on that point, I know that orange and other fruit trees on the open prairie, from a half to three-quarters of a mile east of the eastern shore of Lake Charles, were always less affected by extremel}' cold weather than similar trees on the banks of Lake Charles and of the Calcasieu River ; and I have little doubt that, barring very hard freezes, which rarely occur in this latitude, the orange may be cultivated on all the highlands of the Calcasieu and Cameron prairies, and on all their marsh lands when reclaimed, as they will be, as far as from thirty to thirt\^-five miles in an air line north of the Gulf of Mexico. The early completion of the Kansas Cit}', Watkins & Gulf Railroad, now assured, will open up Northern markets for Calcasieu and Cameron oranges, accessible in two and three days from shipment, and will result in dotting the HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL. 177 Calcasieu and Cameron prairies with orange groves. Purchasers, as generallj- heretofore, will buy the crop on the trees, months before it ripens, and the grove owners will save the time, labor and expense of gathering and marketing the fruit. I am. confident the next ten years will witness wonderful progress in orange culture in Calcasieu and Cameron parishes. The cultivation of fruits in Cameron is one of its great industries, and per- haps always will be. When the marsh lands are reclaimed, then it will become also a great rice-growing region. But it will always be a fruit country. When its marsh lands are reclaimed, and brought into market; when their great fer- tility and healthfulness are made known to the outside world, then will the tide of immigration be turned hitherward, and the countr}' become thickly settled. Pertinent to these predictions, a great writer, with vast and varied experience in settling the Western country — and the same applies as well to Southwest Louis- iana — has said : Whenever a new country comes into notice and available occupancy, there is always a rush of people made up of three classes. Among the first to start are many uneasy, visionary people, Micawber's progeny, who instead of sitting still waiting for something to turn up, keep on the move, expecting to find, somewhere, something already turned up, fully fitted for their easy and com- fortable occupancy. These people take one superficial look at any new country, and turn right about homeward, or start for some other just heard-of region, to be in like manner disappointed. There were many thousands of such among the early visitors to the rich but then undeveloped prairies of Illinois and Iowa. These are the croakers who return from every new country and ventilate their own inefficiency and lack of pluck in the newspapers. A second numerous class is made up of hard working, industrious persons, anxious to improve their own condition and that of their families; but from lack of economy, skill or judgment, they will be "ne'er-do-wells" anywhere. They stay here awhile, there awhile, but keep on the move, seldom remaining long in any place. There were many of these among the first comers in all the best States west of the AUeghanies. Large numbers of both the above classes were waiting on the borders of Oklahoma, and in many other newly developing re- gions when about to be opened. The whole Western countrj^ was overrun by them when the free Homestead Act went into operation ; they are mostl}^ worthy people ; the trouble is in their inherited make-up. The genuine pioneers forming the third class have not only ambition, enter- prise, skill and economy, but faith and persistence. When such people came to Illinois, for example, and found blank prairies, a tough sod to be broken, fuel scarce, supply points only to be reached by days of pilgrimage over soft roads, no markets for their products, everything forbidding except what faith saw underground, they buckled down to work, undismaj'ed b}- an}- difficulties 178 SOUTHWEST L OUISIANA : or deprivations, resolved to "turn up something" wherever they chanced to locate. Tliese or their children are largely the present occupants of the grand farming regions of Ohio, Indiana, Michigan, Illinois, Iowa, Wisconsin, Min- nesota, Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska and Dakota. They are thickly scattered in all the States and Territories westward to the Pacific. There is plenty of room yet for scores of millions of this class, despite all the evil reports constantly coming back from the class of pioneers first above described. There are on this continent no natural Arcadias — no places were the pioneer will not find many sacrifices and deprivations, and much hard work to be done. There are few places where persistent effort and stick-to-it-iveness will not succeed, if combined with a reasonable amount of what may be called "calcula- tion." There is no place where the earlier settlers will not meet with many disappointments in the first years, with bad seasons, droughts and prolonged storms, poor crops alternating with the good ones, or with swarms of destructive insects, etc. It was so in Eastern Kansas and Nebraska, now fertile garden farms; it was so even in Illinois and Iowa; it was so, and still is partly so, in Minnesota and Dakota, in Montana, and in all the region westward. Noplaces will ever be found perfect. But those who stick their stakes deeply down almost anywhere, except in actual natural deserts, and keep at it, will in the end be victors. ^ Tlie completion of the Kansas Cit}^ Watkins & Gulf Railroad will, doubt- less, have a great effect on the development of Cameron parish. Mr. J. B. Watkins, who is building the road, has bc*ight, it is said, most of the marsh lands, and when his road is completed, will then turn his attention to developing and bringing them into market. Mr. Watkins is doing a great work for this particular section of the country, as well as for all Southwest Louisiana, and should be supported and assisted by the people in his work. Upon the advantages, climate and capabilities of this wonderful countr}', an enthusiast on the subject thus sings its praises: "Where have we the most even climate and the cheapest protection against extremes? I answer, confi- dently, the coast line of the Gulf of Mexico. One season merges almost imper- ceptibly into another; extreme heat and cold, about seventy degrees, and climatic changes very gradual, about twenty degrees, covers the changes of the twenty- four hours, and five to ten degrees from month to month. Corn can be planted from February to July, and gardens made from January to November, and fuel and lumber at nominal prices; wool and cotton at lowest price, stock of all kinds roam over the prairies at will, and are never fed by the hand of man. "The cereals here require the same labor as further north, but at a more sea- sonable time. Fall sown crops mature and are harvested in May, while sugar, cotton, hay and rice are harvested from August to Januarj*. There is Httle to do HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL. 179 during the heated term. And for fruits, delicious fruits, luxuries of Hfe, neces- sities of health, solace of our leisure hours. Where are our orchards to-day? Follow the coast line and you will see nearly all. The peach king of the world, Parnell, of Georgia; and for pears, Thomasville, of same State; for tropical and semi-tropical fruits the coast line alone, while figs, apricots, prunes, olives, grapes, pomegranates and berries are in abundance. Go to the coast for fish, oysters, game, sugar, rice, cotton, corn, tobacco and textile fabrics. Walnuts, pecans, almonds and most nut bearing trees. It's eminently a tree bearing country — a prairie only by accident." The professions in Cameron parish have but a brief history Physicians do not like to stay long in the parish; the people are too much scattered, and it requires too much riding, and that over a marsh country to visit them. Besides, the population is sparse and the climate extremely healthy, or as a gentleman expressed it — "The country is distressingly healthful." At present there are two practising physicians in the parish, and only one lawyer. The religious and educational facilities of the parish are excellent. There are four churches. One Catholic church; the Methodist Episcopal church. South, has buildings, and the Baptist church has one. These are all sup- plied with ministers and regular services are held in them. There are ten public school houses in the parish, and schools are taught for the usual length of time each year. There are several schools carried on in private buildings each year, in addition to the public schools. — Perrin. 12 CHAPTER Vil. Lafayi^tte Parish — General Description— Darby's Opinion — Geology AND Soils — Beau Basin — The Cote Gelee Hills — Products, Etc. — Stock Raising — Health of the Parish — Early Settlement — The MouTONS — Other Pioneers — A Character — An Incident — Lafay- ette Parish Created — Characteristics — Lafayette vs. Vermil- lONviLLE — The Acadians — Railroads — Schools, Etc. — Bench and Bar — District and Parish'Judges — Present Bar — Medical Profes- sion — Board of Health — War Record — The Town of Lafayette — Railroad Shipments — Carencro — Other Towns — Queue Tortus Section — General Summary, Etc. JT^/OAFAYETTE PARISH, the smallest of what are known as the Attakapas ($f parishes, in Southwest Louisiana, lies just north of the thirtietli degree of c/ latitude and on the fifteenth meridian of longitude west from Washing- ton — its southern boundary being within thirty miles of the Gulf of Mexico. It measures twenty-four miles at it widest by sixteen miles at its narrowest limits and has an area of tliree hundred square miles. The entire surface of the parish, excluding the forest growth along its streams, is prairie; and except where it is under cultivation is covered with a rich, luxuriant and highly nutritious grass that affords abundant food for the hundreds of cattle, sheep and horses that feed upon it the year round. The prairies are everywhere beautifully interepersed with large, round ponds, or natural pools of clear, wholesome water, that furnish an unfailing supply for stock at all seasons. The homes of the inhabitants are marked bj- beautiful groves or "islands" of shade and ornamental trees of se\'eral acres in extent, that furnish shade and firewood to the owners, and give to the prairie a mottled appearance that is exceedingly picturesque and attractive. The Vermilion River, a stream navi- gable for steamboats the year round, running north and south, divides the parish into two nearly equal parts, while the railroad from New Orleans to Houston, Texas, running from east to west, makes a second or subdivision, thus rendering ready and convenient transportation to every section of the parish. East of the Vermilion River and along Morgan's Louisiana & Texas Railroad the surface of the country is quite rolling, often culminating in hills of consider- able size, which are locally known as "Cote Gelee" hills; southward the surface 182 SOUTHWEST L OVJSIANA gradually undulates into the broad level prairies that extend to the gulf. The greater portion of these hills is devoted to agriculture and is exceedingly productive, while the level lands, though no less fertile, are used principally for stock raising. Immediately west of the Vermilion River and along Mor- gan's Railroad to Opelousas and northward, lies a section of country which, for picturesque beauty, magnificent scenery and exhaustless fer- tility, is perhaps not surpassed by any other section of equal extent, either in this or in any other State. This is known as "Beau Basin," and embraces an area of a score or more square miles of as desirable lands as ever Providence provided for the pleasure and profit of man. The surface is high and beauti- fully undulating, merging by gentle gradation westward into the vast level prairies that reach far beyond the limits of the parish. South of the Louisiana Western Railroad and west of the Vermilion River, to the Queue Tortue Bayou, the western boundary of the parish, lie the great pasture lands of the parish; nearly level, and covered at all seasons of the year with a luxuriant grass that seems as exhaustless as it is nutritious. This section offers inducements to men of moderate means for profitable stock raising not equaled by any other por- tion of the State.* Mr. Darby, in his historj' of Louisiana, written in 1S17, has this to say of the Vermilion River and the lands through which it flows: " The two vast prairies, known by the names of the Opelousas and Attaka- pas, extend themselves on each side of the Vermilion, through its whole traverse, from its entrance into Attakapas to its egress into the Gulf of Mexico, the dis- tance of one hundred miles. Wood is much more abundant on the Vermilion than along the west bank of the Teche, and though the soil may be inferior in fertility, it is, nevertheless, excellent, and the quantity greater on an equal extent of river. There are at least eighty miles of the banks of the Vermilion, which have an e.xtension backward two miles, which afford three hundred and twenty superficial miles, or two hundred and four thousand and eight hundred acres. "Some of the most beautiful settlements yet made in Attakapas are upon this river. From the diversity in soil and elevation there is no risk in giving the preference in beauty of appearance to the banks of the Vermilion over any other river in Louisiana south of Bayou Boeuf . If situations favorable to health, united to the most agreeable prospects, which are bounded by the horizon, should be sought after; were taste to select sites for buildings, its research would here be requited, and be gratified by the breezes which come direct from the Gulf of Mexico. Fancy itself could not form a more delightful range than the Carencro and Cote Gelee settlements. On leaving the dead level of the Teche, • Lafayette Advertiser. HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL. 183 or the almost flat extension of the Opelousas prairie, the eye is perfectly en- chanted. " If a bold extent of view can give vigor to the imagination; if the increase of the power of the intellect bear any proportion to the sweep of the eye, upon one of those eminences ought a seat of learning to be established. There the youthful valetudinarian of the North wouJd, in the warm, soft, and vivifying air of the South, find his health restored and his soul enlarged. Astonishing as it may sound to many, I do not hesitate to pronounce this, together with the range of hills from Opelousas, rs the most healthy and agreeable near the alluvial lands of Louisiana." About one-eighth of the surface of Lafaj^ette is swamp and timbered land; the balance is prairie and is highly productive. Fields which have been in cultivation for more than seventy years, principally in cotton and corn, are still fertile. The geological description of the soil in Lafayette parish is that it is light, loamy, mixed with sand. It is generally about twelve inches deep. It rests on a cla\' subsoil, which is rich in plant food, like all the other parishes in Southwest Louisiana. The fertile properties of the subsoil are only developed by exposure to the sun and mixing with surface soil. By ploughing in a crop of pease occasionally, the richness of this soil would be perpetual. Two "Creole ponies" (small native horses) are sufficient to "break up" the lands and one will do the subsequent cultivation. Indeed this is the general custom among the farmers, the team meanwhile subsisting almost entirely on the native grasses. The lands do not "wash," as is so often the case in other localities, ' thus rendering them susceptible of unlimited improvement. Some idea may be formed of the -permanence of the soil when it is stated that many farms in this parish have been in cultivation for twenty-five or thirty years consecutively — some even for fifty years — without rest, rotation or recuperation, and are yet yielding remunerative crops. While this system of cultivation is greatly to be deprecated, the statement serves to convey an idea of the intrinsic value of the lands if put under a judicious system of cultivation. Beau Basin. — This place, called by the earlj^ Acadian settlers " Pritty Basin," is a beautiful spot, where a stream forms nearly a circle, surrounded by hills covered with luxuriant vegetation, and the whole studded with magnificent live-oaks. Says the late Mr. Dennett in his book: " It is twelve miles from Vermilionville (Lafayette), to the Carencro crossing, and about four miles from the road to the eastern boundary of the parish. The lands near Vermilionville are nearly level, but produce well. A few miles north, between the roads and the bayous, the surface becomes beautifully rolling. "The gentle slopes and long, tortuous ravines maybe ranked with the 184 SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA : most beautiful landscape scenery in Attakapas. Here we find some of the pleasantest building sites in this enchanting country. The swells are like the heaving bosom of the ocean after a storm. Descending into the ravines, one feels as though he was in a trough of the sea, soon to rise up again on the mountain wave and look out on the green ocean. The cottages of the farmers are many of them neat and comfortable. The green pastures, fat cattle and fine fields of cotton and corn, in their proper season, indicate a rich soil and a prosperous population. Shade trees and clumps of timber add greatly to the beauty of the scenery. The fields are generally enclosed with nice fencing of cy- press and the lands were formerly pretty well ditched. The country is airy and pleasant and it is extremely healthful, as will be shown further on." The Cote Gelee hills form a rather picturesque spot in this parish. They form a section about twelve miles across, lying on the road from Vermilionville to New Iberia and between the Bayou Tortue and Vermilion River. The soil is rich and productive, the country beautifully rolling and undulating, with deeper ravines and higher swells than in Beau Basin. The farmers are thrifty. Pretty dwell- ing houses are seen in every direction, almost hidden in groves of lelima trees, and many of the landscape views are beautiful. The country is open, airy and healthful. It is admirably drained ; the soil is rich and mixed with enough sand and vegetable loam to make it easy of cultivation. No portion of the South en- joys better health than this immediate section. The Cote Gelee hills received their name from the following circumstance: Cote Gelee, in English, means frozen, and it is related that the neighborhood took that name from the scarcity of timber growing there when first known to the whites, and in consequence of which the early settlers sometimes suffered with cold. Hence, Cote Gelee, or Frozen Hills. Products of the Parish. — On the subject of the products of this parish the Lafayette Advertiser descants as follows: The staple products of the soil are cotton, corn, cane and rice, while pota- toes, peas, pumpkins, melons, etc., are produced in greatest abundance. Vege- tables of all kinds grow remarkably well and of enormous size. Indeed, a very profitable business could be established almost anywhere along the lines of rail- roads through this parish in raising vegetables for the New Orleans and Houston markets. Irish potatoes especially could be thus raised most profitably, as they are grown here in the greatest perfection, making two full crops annually, and are not subject to any known disaster. Owing to indifferent cultivation the average yield of cotton is not more than half a bale to the acre, but there is no reason why twice that amount HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL. \%b should not be raised on every acre planted — some farmers making even more than that amount in propitious seasons. The average production of corn can safely be put down at twenty bushels to the acre, while many planters double this quantity annually. This is the proper latitude for cane, and but for the scarcity of fuel, away from the water courses, would be the leading staple product of the soil. Cane is as easily cultivated as Indian corn, but owing to this scarcity of fuel, its cultiva- tion, to the present time, has been confined mostly to lands adjacent to timber; though many farmers raise enough to make their sugar and syrup for family use> after deducting one-half as toll for its manufacture. Since the advent of rail- roads, however, it is fair to presume that central mills will be erected soon by capitalists in different sections of the parish, for the manufacture of sugar on equitable terms to small farmers, and thereby in a few years develop this, the most remunerative crop grown on our soil. One and a half hogsheads of sugar per acre is considered an average yield. Owing to the enormous cost of machinery for preparing rice for market it has not been cultivated heretofore for exportation. An abundance is raised- for home consumption without the labor of cultivation, the practice being with a small ditch to drain any convenient j^pnd that happens to be within one's enclosure, plough, sow the seed, and close the drain to retain subsequent rains and gather what is needed for family use at harvest time. In this simple and inex- pensive way every farmer's table is abundantly supplied with as good and wholesome rice as can be found in the markets of the world. A first class rice mill located at the parish site would stimulate this industry into marvelous pro- portions, and at the same time prove a safe and lucrative investment to the capital thus invested. Twenty-five bushels of rough rice per acre might be relied on as an average yield. It is confidentl}' predicted that this branch of agriculture will in the near future become a source of immense revenue to the parish. The following is given as the crop raised by a single white man in Lafay- ette parish in one year: "He cultivated fourteen arpents and made eight and a half bales of cotton and 450 bushels of corn. He paid but $17 for help during the season. Two negroes on the same plantation the same year made five bales of cotton apiece and about 300 bushels of corn apiece. Francis. Como made nine bales of cotton and plenty of corn for all domestic purposes, and almost entirel}- without help. Three men cultivated eighty arpents of land, with four Creole mules and two Creole ponies. Nearly half of the field labor of the parish is now performed by white men. Before the war about seven- eighths was performed by slaves. The best yield of corn per acre is about sixty bushels ; of sweet potatoes, about 300 bushels." 186 SO UTH WEST L O UISIANA : Upon stock, raising in the parish, the Advertiser has this to say: Thus far in the history of the parish, stock raising has been more certain, satisfactory and profitable than any other pursuit — cattle and horses being the principal stock raised for market. These are raised with little risk and no expense to owners, save the labor of branding and marking — being kept the year round on native grasses upon open lands, without a dollar's expense for feeding or pasturage. Nearly every farmer owns a herd of cattle, that furnish him not only milk and meat, for family use, but quite a revenue also, in the annual sales of calves and yearlings, which bring good prices on the prairies, for the New Orleans market. Good and durable horses are raised without expense or trouble in the same way. These horses, though small and inferior, are, nevertheless, very hard and durable — serving all the purposes of the farm — and can be bouglit in any numbers at very moderate prices. Hogs also thrive well here, but, owing to the difficulty of curing and saving ^acon, little attention is paid to them, further than keeping enough to furnish lard, and, occasionally, fresh pork for home consumption. Sheep husbandry is still in its infancy; though enough has already been done to take the business out of the domain of experiment and place it safely upon the basis of an established industr}'; and is already paying the few thus engaged in it handsome and remunerative returns. A judicious system of crossing imported stock on the native breeds of all kinds would add greatly to the wealth of this business. Unfortunately, how- ever, little attention has been bestowed in this direction heretofore by owners, and the stock of the country, in consequence, is much inferior in grade to what the natural advantages and conditions justify. The market price of stock cattle, in herds, is about ten dollars per head, including calves under one year old, not counted. Cows with calves can be really bought for fifteen dollars to twenty dollars, according to quality — the latter figure being the ruling price for choice animals. Beeves sell for twelve dollars to twenty dollars. Work oxen, well broken to field or road, demand forty dol- lars to fifty dollars per yoke. Stock horses, in droves, can be had for eight dollars to twelve dollars. Well broke horses sell for twenty dollars to fifty dollars — while a few that are choice for the saddle or harness command a higher figure. Hogs have little market value, being plentiful and cheap. Sheep can be bought at one dollar and a half to two dollars and a half per head, in sufficient numbers to begin the business on a small scale — not being many for sale. HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL. 187 Before closing this subject, it might serve to demonstrate the profitableness of stock raising, to give a simple illustration of what is being done here con- stantly by stockmen : A good brood cow is bought for twelve dollars to fifteen dollars, which yields almost certainly a calf annually. This calf, at six or eight months old, brings just as certainly five dollars to eight dollars on the prairie, without one dollar of expense. These prices are based on actual sales made throughout the parish and may be verified at any time by those seeking investment. The good health of Lafayette parish is shown in stock as well as in the peo- ple. Horses, cattle, mules, hogs, etc., are generally healthy; no blind staggers, murrain or hog cholera. Bees thrive well in the parish. The China and Catalpa trees grow rapidly, make fine shade trees and excellent firewood from the yearly trimmings of the China groves. Close pruning does not injure these trees. Limbs grow out ten feet long and as large as a man's arm in a single year. They are easily propagated from seed. The healthfulness of this section is no matter of wonder when we come to consider the wonderful climate, which is here exceedingly temperate, the ther- mometer rarely going below freezing in winter, and snow is seldom seen. The evidence of the mildness of our winters is the fact that cattle which run at large over the prairies, unfed and unprotected, remain fat and marketable all winter. In summer the thermometer seldom goes above ninety degrees, and the heat is always tempered by the cool, refreshing breezes from the gulf, rendering the climate altogether free from that sultriness so much complained of in other local- ities, even of the same latitude. The nights here in summer are truly delightful, being always cool and invigorating and requiring a light covering for the sleeper's comfort. This is a wonderful as well as agreeable surprise to those accustomed to spending their summers in the interior. Early Settlements. — The first settlers in what is now Lafayette parish were Acadians, and came with the first influx of those people from Nova Scotia to Louisiana. An historical sketch is given of the Acadians in a preceding chapter of this work, and to it the reader is referred. With the ancient Acadians were mingled a few immigrants direct from France. The first white settlers here lo- cated in the Carencro district, and in the Cote Gelee Hills, along the Vermilion River. As early as 1770 Andrew Martin took up land in what is now the third ward of this parish, though he had been in the country several years before. There is not much doubt but that he was the first white man in this immediate section. He was a strange compound of white man by birth and Indian by adoption, so far as living among them and of hiring them to herd his cattle. He was an exile from his native Acadia. He hunted in the Indian chase, talked in 188 SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA: their dialect, and when they attempted too much familiarity he slew them, and his good wife was as brave a man as himself, as the following incident will show : Mr. Martin was a large stock raiser, his flocks covering thousands of acres of the prairie lands, and he often hired Indians to herd them. Once when he was sick in bed, attended by his good wife, an Indian came to his cabin and asked for "Tafia," meaning whiskey. Mrs. Martin refused to let him have it, but he swore by the "graves of his fathers" that he would have Tafia or he would kill the sick man, and, drawing a large, ugly-looking knife, made at him. But the "pale faced squaw" was equal to the occasion. She seized, from the mortar standing near, the heavy pestle used to crack the corn for their coarse bread, and struck the savage a terrific blow, which 'crushed his skull, killing him on the spot. Mr. Martin has left many descendants in the parish where he lived out a long fife, who are among the most respectable people. Hon. M. C. Martin, who has been a member of the Legislature several terms, and also the present clerk of the court, are descendants of the old pioneer. John and Marin Mouton settled in Carencro district during the decade, per- haps, of 1760. They were the sons of Salvator Mouton, an exiled Acadian, who settled, it is thought, in Pointe Coupee parish, about 1737. John Mouton had been trading with the Indians and was greatly beliked by them, as he always, dealt fairly. He wore a homespun Cafuchon (cap) made of wool, of a yellow color and knit by hand. His brother wore a chapeau (hat), and his descend- ants to this day are called " Chapeaux Moutons." John Mouton wag a remarkable man in many respects, large of stature, good-natured, never got angry, and treated everybody well. He was iUiterate, but not ignorant, but of a very philosophical turn of mind, never allowed any- thing to disturb his social or mental equilibrium. It is said he never whipped a " nicfger" in his life, something that could be said, perhaps, of few of his con- temporaries, though he owned many slaves. He used to buy all the negroes that ran away from their owners and took refuge in the swamps. As soon as they learned he had bought them they immediately would come out to him. When the parish was organized he donated land for various purposes, both pub- lic and private. He left a large family, and among them are many of the sub- stantial and professional men of the country. The Babineaux were also early settlers in Carencro district. The Breaux settled near where Lafayette stands. The Thibodeaux settled in the Frozen Hills, also Gaurhept Broussard dit BeausoHel. He attained the appellation of " Beausoliel" on account of his smiling face and tlie genial expression with which he met everybody. He was commissioned Captain Commandant of the Attakapas district in 1765. Following is a copy of his original commission: HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL. 189 COMMISSION DE CAPITAINE COMMAN- DANT DE MILICE POUR LE NOMME GAURHEPT BROUSSARD, DIT BEAUSOLEIL. Charles Philipe Aiibry, Chevalier de L'ordre Royale et Militaire de St. Louis, Comman- dant pour le Roy de la Province de la Lou- isiane. Attendu les preuves de valeur, de fidelite et d'attachement pour le service du Roy que le nomme Gaurhept Broussard, dit Beau Soleil, Acadien, a donne dans differentes occasions, et les t^moignages honorahles que Mr. le Marquis de Vaudreuil, et autres gouverneurs- generaux du Canada luy ont accorde en consi- deration de ses blessures, et de son courage dont il a donn6 des preuves autentiques dans differentes affaires centre les ennemis de sa majeste. Nous I'etablissons Capitaine de Mi- lice et Commandant des Acadiens qui sont venu avec lui d'Angleterre et qui vont s'etablir sur la terre des Acutapas, ne doutant point qu'il ne se corrporte toujours avec le meme z&le, et la meme fidelity pour le service du Roy, et etant persuade qu'il montrera toujours il ses compa- triotes le bon exemple pour la sagesse, la vertu, la religion, et I'attachement pour son prince. Enjoignons aux susdits habitants Acadiens de luy obeir, et entendre S, tout ce qu'il leurs com- mandera pour le service du Roy sous peine de desobeissance. Mandons aux officiers des troupes entretenus en cette province de faire reconnaitre le dit Gaurhept Broussard, dit Beau Soleil, en la dite qualite de Capitaine Commandant des Acadiens qui vont s'etablir aux Acutapas de tous ceux et ainsy qu'il appartiendra. En foy de quoy nous avons signe ces presentes et a celle fait opposer le sceau de nos armes et contresigne par notre secretaire, 3, la Nouvelle-Orl^ans en notre hotel, le S avril, 1765. [S'gne] AUBRY. , ,— -— v , Consignee par J Sceau \ MONSEIGNEUR JoUKIE. ^ > r~^ ' Copii far y. O. Broussard. COMMISSION OF CAPTAIN COMMAND- ANT OF MILITIA FOR THE HERE NAMED GAURHEPT BROUSSARD SURNAMED BEAU SOLEIL. Charles Philipe Aubry, Knight of the Royal and Military Order of St. Louis, Command- ant for the King of the Province of Louis- iana: In view of the proofs of valor, fidelity and attachment in the service of the King which the herein named Gaurhept Brous»ard, sur- named Beau Soleil, Acadian, has given on dif- ferent occasions, and of the honorable testi- monials which the Marquis of Vaudreuil and other Governors General of Canada, have ac- corded him in consideration of his wounds and of the courage which he has given proof of in different affairs against the enemies of his Majesty. We appoint him Captain of Militia and Commandant of the Acadians, who have come with him trom England to settle on the land of the Acutapas; having no doubt that he will always comport himself with the same zeal, and the same fidelity, in the service of the King; and being persuaded that he will always show his fellow countrymen a good example in wisdom, virtue and religion, and attachment for his Prince. We enjoin on the herein men- tioned Acadian inhabitants to obey him, and lend an ear to all which he will command them in the service of the King, under penalty of disobedience. We direct the officers of the troops kept in this Province to have the said Gaurhept Brous- sard, surnamed Beau Soleil, recognized in designated capacity of Captain Commandant of the Acadians, who are going to establish themselves among the Acutapas, and of all those as of right shall appertain. In faith of which we have signed these presents, and to them have affixed the seal of our arms, and our secretary has countersigned the same in New Orleans, at our hotel, April S, 176V [Signed] AUBRY. , ,— ^— v , Countersigned by ; seal. \ MONSEIGNEUR JOUKIE. "■ ' . ' ' Copied by y. O. Broussard. Commandant Broussard was the progenitor of the Broussard family in South- west Louisiana. He has left a large representation of descendants to perpetuate his name. 1 90 SOUTHWEST L O UlSIANA : A Chm'acter. — About this time came to the settlement one Leon Latiolais, who became a large stock raiser. He familiarized himself with the country, and it was said lie knew ever\' acre of land between here and New Orleans, as most men knew the ground in their dooryards. He was a strange character. Could trace his course over the prairies by the stars, or through the forests by the bark of the trees, with as perfect and unerring accuracy as the mariner fol- lows his compass over the trackless ocean. He was shrewd, active, alert, and rich in animal life and vigor, with most of his natural faculties cultivated almost to the perfection of the smell of the Siberian bloodhound. He served in the war of 1812, and at the battle of New Orleans General Jackson wanted a man acquainted with the country to carry an important message (written) to one of his officers across the tangled swamp. His comrades recommended Latiolais to the general and the latter sent for him. Jackson scrutinized him from head to foot, and asked: "Can you carry it?" "Yes," answered Latiolais. Said Jackson: "If the enemy catch you will you give them the message?" "If they get it," said Latiolais, " they will have to take it out of my belly," meaning that he would eat it before he would let them have it. He was entrusted with it and delivered it safely to the officer. The following incident of Latiolais is related by an old citizen. On one of his trips to New Orleans Latiolais was accompanied by a Frenchman of noble blood but of very dark skin. A merchant with whom Latiolais had some, deal- ings asked him where he got that handsome mulatto. Latiolais, seeing a good chance for a practical joke, answered that he had raised him from a boy, but, said he, " the cuss thinks I am his father, and has got so saucy I would like to get rid of him." "What will you take for him?" asked the merchant. " Eight hundred dollars," was the reply. " I will give it," said the merchant. The money was paid over, and, cautioning the merchant not to say anything to the "nigger" until next morning, he went away presumably to attend to some business. That night Latiolais left for home. The next morning the merchant, armed with a policeman, went to the Frenchman's " tavern " and knocked at his door. Surprised at being aroused at so early an hour, he got up and ad- mitted his visitors, when the merchant ordered him peremptorily to dress. The Frenchman demanded wherefore he should dress, and the merchant told him he was his (the merchant's) property, as he had bought him from Latiolais and paid for him. The Frenchman sent for Latiolais, but only to find he was gone. It was several days before the Frenchman found a voucher who could satisfactorily identify him. As soon as he was liberated he set out for Lafayette with blood in his eye, determined to kill Latiolais. He arrived in a great rage and proceeded at once to Latiolais' cabin with a small park of artillery, but Latiolais peeped out through a crack and laughed at the titled son of a nobleman, armed^as he was, HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL. 191 until he laughed him into a good humor. He then invited him into his cabin and they both partook of a bountiful breakfast together. Other settlers came in soon after from France, and after the transfer of Louisiana to the United States a number of American settlers located. After the battle of New Orleans, in 1815, settlers from the States came in and settle- ments rapidly increased. Characteristics. — The general history of the parish has been peaceable and moral in a high degree. But back before the war, along in the fifties, a lot of lawless characters banded together and depredated upon the people until patience ceased to be a virtue, and the law-abiding men formed themselves into a vigi- lance committee for the purpose of ridding themselves of the bandits. The people organized under Gov. Mouton and otlier prominent leaders. In the sum- mer of 1859, a battle was fought on the Bayou Queue Tortue, which fortunately proved bloodless, which routed the bandits so completely they never rallied again, a full account of which is given in the chapter on St. Martin. Organization of Parish. — The parish of Latayette, as a municipal body, dates back to 1823. It then embraced within its limits the present parish of Vermilion. The act, dated January 17, 1823, for the formation of Lafayette is as follows : Section i. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the State of Louisiana, in General Assembly convened. That the parish of St. Martin is and shall be, by the present act, divided, and a new parish be formed out of the western part of the said parish, which shall be called and known by the name of the parish of Lafayette. Sec. 2. And be it further enacted. That the division line between the par- ish of St. Martin and Lafayette shall commence at the northern boundary of the county of Attakapas, at the junction of the Bayou Carencro with the Bayou Vermilion; thence down said Bayou Vermilion with its meanderings to the lower line of lands formerly claimed by Leclerc Fusilier ; thence along the lower line of said tract of land, forty French arpents; thence along the back lines of the tracts of land fronting on the left or east bank of the Bayou Vermilion, to a point marked G on the division line run by William Johnson, parish surveyor of the parish of St. Martin, and now deposited in the office of the Secretary of State ; thence east to the west or back boundary line of lands claimed by the heirs of Alexander Chevalier Declouet; thence in a direct line till it intersects the northwestern boundary of lands formerly claimed by Francois Ledu, at a point marked I on the plan of the division line run by William Johnson afore- said; thence along said Ledu's boundary to the Bayou Vermilion; thence as the Bayou Vermilion meanders to the junction of the Bayou Tortue with the 192 SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA: Bayou Vermilion ; thence up the Bayou Tortue as it meanders to the bridge over said ba3'ou near the plantation of Louis St. Julien; thence along the line run by William Johnson aforesaid to Lake Peigneur; thence south nine de- grees, ten minutes east to the Gulf of Mexico. Sec. 3. And be it further enacted, That all the part of the country of At- takapas, west of the line described in the second section of the present act, shall form the parish of Lafayette, and the remainder of the space formerly compre- hended in the parish of St. Martin shall compose the parish of St. Martin. Sec 8. And be it further enacted, That the parish of Lafayette shall form a part of the fifth judicial district, and that a District Court shall be held there on the last Monday of November of the present year (1823) and on the last Monday of May and November of every subsequent year. When Lafayette was organized the parish seat was established at a place called Pin Hook, at the present bridge across the Vermilion River, about two miles south of the town of Lafayette. It remained there, however, but a short time when it was removed to Lafayette, where it has since remained. The land upon which the court house stands was donated to the parish by John M. Mouton. A court house was built on the lot thus donated soon afterward, and in 1859 ^'^ ^^^ replaced by the present one. In 1886 fire-proof vaults for the preservation of the records were built at a cost of forty-five hundred dollars. The parish jail is on the court house lot, and is a $12,500 building. The present town of Lafaj'ette was incorporated as Vermilionville, after the regular preliminaries of laying out, etc., b}' act of the Legislature, dated March 11, 1836. The act required that on the first Monday in May of each year there should be elected five councilmen, who should form a municipal government, and that to be eligible to that position they must be twenty-one years old and the bona fide owners of at least three hundred dollars' worth of real estate within the limits of the town, and that voters should possess the same qualifications in order to be legalized voters in such elections. The act of 1836 was annulled by an amended act passed March 9, 1869, and among other provisions was one requir- ing the city council to consist of a mayor and seven members. The following gentlemen have served as mayors since that time: Alphonse Neven, 1869-70; W. O. Smith, 1870-71; Wm. Brandt, 1871-72; W. O. Smith, 1872-73; Auguste Monnier, 1873-75; John O. Mouton, 1875-76; G. C. Salles, 1876-77; John O. Mouton, 1877-79; John Clegg, 1879-81 ; M. P. Young, 1 88 1-84 ; W- B. Bailey, 1884 to the present time. In 1884 that section in the old charter of 1869, relating to the name of the town and its boundaries, was abolished and a new charter adopted. The name of the town, among other changes made, was changed from Vermilionville to Lafayette, in order that the name of the capital might agree with the name of HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL. 193 the parish. In 1833, the first notary public was appointed for the parisli by act of the Legislature. The eastern half of the parish is divided by the Vermilion River, and the northern part of it is known as the Carencro district. The name of Carencro comes down from Indian tradition. They had a legend in their tribes that at Beau Basin, a beautiful place described in a preceding page, there died a mammoth or mastadon, and although an almost innumerable number of carrion crows (buzzards) came to the feast, it took them so long to devour the huge beast that the surrounding country took the romantic name Carencro. The town of Carencro takes its name from the Carencro district. Many of the people of Acadian descent have progressed little since their ancestors left their old homes in Nova Scotia, but are just as primitive as they were in that cold, sterile country. Their financial condition makes little difference; they are still primitive and simple. A late writer* thus describes them from actual observation : " An Acadian farmer, with his land, his two hands, a plow, a spinning wheel and a home-made loom is independent of the world. It often happens that the only money he spends during the year is for coffee, but oftener than not he pays even for this indispensable in eggs or moss. I have many times of late, in some country store, seen a farmer's wife come in and exchange three or four eggs for an equivalent in green coffee. " I went the other day to one of these sweet and simple country homes, and was received with the somewhat solemn, dignified and courtly hospitality that characterizes the native French farmer when his castle is invaded. Soon after entering we were handed a cup of black coffee. The pot is always on the hearth. There are many such homes in the State. Thej' are a part of Louisiana as it is. In the fields around the house were small crops of cotton, cane, rice, corn, sweet potatoes, and a row of tobacco, and flanking the field was a strip of swamp, furnishing the familj' with fuel and lumber. The rice the farmer threshes and cleans himself, the corn is pounded for meal in a wooden mortar, the sweet potatoes are stored in a bin for the winter, the cotton is picked and ginned by the wife, seeding it with her fingers. It is she who spins it and weaves it into cloth, which she dyes with peach tree leaves and indigo, and of this she makes clothing for her family, blankets for her beds, curtains for her windows, and a covering for her floor. The patch of cane gives the family sugar and molasses. From his stock of horses the farmer cuts hair from their manes and tails and weaves it into ropes, horse collars and harness. His beds he makes of the moss gathered in the swamp; and his wife milks her cows and makes an occasional pat of butter by shaking the cream in a bottle or gourd. The man cures his own tobacco, and if you visit his little home made of cypress * Catherine Cole, in New Orleans Picayune. 194 SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA : logs and a mud plaster mixed with moss and kneaded by the feet of himself and his neighbors, he will offer you all these home-made hospitalities. Yet this is the man who is said to be unprogressive. But while his crops prosper, his fruit and nut trees yield, his cattle remain fat, and his young family healthy, who can wonder that he is content? The only good this family lack is education and books. As for pictures they are in the sky that smiles above them, repeated in the lake at their feet. In a simple way he lives in peaceful plenteousness, and life is sweet to him." Lafayette parish is about as well supplied with railroads as any parish in Southwest Louisiana. Says the Advertiser of a few years ago: There are two lines of railroads, viz: Morgan's Louisiana & Texas, running from New Orleans, passes through the parish, and is completed and equipped to Opelousas, about twentj'-five miles north of Vermilionville. The northern terminus of this road will be at Shreveport via Alexandria. This road is in the hands of contractors and is being pushed forward with much speed. The other line of road is known as the Louisiana Western, having its eastern and western termini at Vermilion- ville, in this parish, and Orange, Texas, respectively. At the latter place it is in connection wit"h the road to Houston. Both of these roads are now included in the Southern Pacific sysem. By a judicious and equitable system of tariffs both these roads are destined to be among the most profitable railways in the South. There is at present but one line of steamboats plying in the Vermilion River, making weekly trips to and from Morgan City. Under an act of Congress ap- propriating funds for the improvement of this stream, the United States engineers are preparing to begin the work, and when completed, will doubtless invite other lines uf steamers into the trade. Schools and Population. — A writer on the subject of population, school and church facilities, says: The population of the parish, according to the census of 1880, is 7185 whites and 61 15 blacks. Total, 13,300. A majority of the white population are Creoles; being descendants of French ancestry. There are many Ameri- cans, who are also natives of the soil, and a few have moved here since the war. The Creoles are generally engaged in farming and stock raising, living strictly within their means, in a plain, unostentatious style, and independent of the outside world. They have for the most part eschewed education, have been indifferent to progress and averse to innovations upon ancestral customs; but withal, peaceable, law-abiding and proverbially hospitable. There are many of them, however, who are not only highly educated and adorning the various professions and trades, but who are also laboring for the development of the educational interests, the sciences and arts, and the opening up of our common country. I HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL. 197 The masses of the native born American here are contented with the merest rudiments of education, and have been more loth, if anything, to move forward upon the scale of human progress than their Creole brethren. When it is considered, however, that this entire country has been almost wholly isolated from the outside world for many generations — far avva}' from the great highways of travel — in addition to a rich soil and a bountiful Provi- dence, administering to all their material interests, with little exertion on their part, it is not to be wondered at, that such circumstances thus combined should beget an indifference to outside progress, or moral and mental advancement. It is but just to state, in this connection, that a new era is beginning to dawn upon us. The liberal views now entertained and manifested by all classes on State education and internal improvements; the advent of railroads, with their accompanying industries and civilizing influences, certainly augur an early and radical change in the customs and manners of a people every wa}' endowed by nature and ancestry for higher and nobler attainments. We have a few private schools, taught by competent teachers, that are open ten months in the year, while the public schools at the present are only open about half that length of time. The educational interest, as previously foreshadowed, is 3-et in its incipiency, but bids fair to be fully developed at an early day. There are some twenty public schools in the parish. They are in charge of a parish school board, of which H. E. Toll is clerk and superintendent. The convent at La Fayette, in charge of the Catholic sisters, is an excellent school for young ladies. There are other select schools in the town and the parish. The prevailing religious denominations are: Roman Catholics, Methodists and Presbyterians, with a few Baptists and Episcopalians yet unorganized. There is no spirit of intolerance ever manifested, and every one may worship God after the dictates of his own conscience without fear or molestation. Bench and Bar. — Under the Constitution in force in 1823, when the parish of Lafayette was formed, the corps of parish officers consisted of a parish judge and a sheriff. The judge had jurisdiction over all matter in the parish, both civil and criminal. The first parish judge was Brashear. He served a number of years, when he was succeeded by Hon. C. M. Olivier, who filled the place until the law was changed to district judges. The first judge whose name occurs on the records is that of Henry Brice, in 1841. Although of different districts Judge Brice and Judge George R. King seem to have presided over the court at Lafayette alternately until 1852. Judge J. H. Overton was, in that year, elected judge of the fifteenth judicial district, and presided here until 1854. Overton was a man of fine qualities and a good judge. 13 198 SOUTH WEST L O I 'I SI ANA : Hon. Lucius Dupre was elected judge in 1854. ^^^ ^^''*s '^ brilli int attorney, an able advocate, and had few equals as a public speaker. He was afterward a member of the Confederate Congress. In 1857 Hon. Barthelmy A. Martel was elected, and served until 1864. He had climbed up from the bottom through considerable difficulties, and although in many ways illiterate, yet, through his sense of the law, he filled the position with general satisfaction. Ex-Gov. Mouton was elected judge in 1864, but his term was cut short b}' the civil war. He held his last term in 1S65. Court was t!ien suspended in the parish until 1866, when, at the November term, we find Judge Adolph Bailey on the bench of the Lafayette court. He died in office in 1868. Judge Bailc}' was a native of the parish, and a graduate of Yale College, and withal, one of the most learned men this part of the countr}' ever produced. Judge J. M. Porter was elected judge in 1868, and served until his death, when George E. King was appointed to fill out the unexpired term of Judge Porter, but never held court in this place. Eraste Mouton was appointed judge in 1871, and afterward elected, and served until the time of his death in 1878. He was one of the most brilliant judges that ever sat on the bench of this district. E. E. Mouton was appointed in 1879 ^° '^ o^*- *^^ unexpired term, and was subse- quently elected to the office, which he held until his death. Judge John Clegg was then appointed to fill the vacancy. In 1884, C. Debaillion was elected judge, and was reelected in 1888. He resigned, and N. N. Edwards was appointed to serve until an election could be held. In 1890 the present judge, Orther C. Mouton, was elected. There seems to have been something of a fatality among the judges of this judicial district, that so many of them died in the harness. It would have been but human nature had it created a superstitious feeling and excited a reluctance in others to accept a place which indicated an almost certain doom to the acceptant. The former practitioners of the bar of Lafayette, and who have passed away, were M. E. Girard, R. C. Crow, Wm. Mouton, V. Cornier, and Gov. Mouton. The following compose the present bar, Ex-Judge Debaillion, L. J. Tans}-, Charles D. Caffre}', Julian Mouton, Edward G. Voorhies, and William Campbell. In politics, the parish has heretofore been Democratic, and ever}- voter casts his vote at the polls \\ith as much freedom as can be done an\-where in the world. Medical Profession. — Among the early physicians of Lafayette parish were G. W. Mills, \\ho died in 1856; N. B. Erwin, died in 1867; Dr. Drouin, died 1S63; Dr. Gonzet, died in 1872. It has been rather difficult to obtain data sufficient to compile a length}- sketch of these early practitioners. Among i I HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL. 199 the present medical profession are Drs. J. D. Trahan, Thos. B. Hopkins, A. Gladu, D. Berand, H. D. Guidry, N. P. Moss, Franklin Mouton, and Dr. Mudd. Most of these gentlemen are sketched in the biographical department of this volume. The Board of Health is composed of Dr. J. D. Trahan and the police jury, which at present are as follows: Alfred A. Delhomme, first ward; Ford Huffpauir, second ward; C. P. Alpha, third ward, and president; O. Thriat, fourth ward: J. G. St. Julien, fifth ward; C. C. Brown, sixth ward; R. C. Landry, seventh ward: A. D. Landry, eighth ward, and R. C. Grieg, clerk. War Record. — -The war history of Lafayette parish was highl}' creditable to the people of the parish. The first body of troops that went from Lafayette consisted of about twenty-five men, who went to St. Martinsville, and joined Capt. Alcibiades DeBlanc's comm md. The first full company from here bore the name of the Acadian Guards, and were officered as follows: Alfred Mouton, captain; Wm. Mouton, first lieutenant; Polk Bailey, second lieutenant, and Thelismar Comeaux, third lieutenant. Upon the formation of the Eighteenth Louisiana Regiment, the Acadian Guards became Company L and Alfred Mouton was promotsd to colonel. The regiment received its baptism of fire at Shiloh, where Gen. Mouton was wounded. He afterward was promoted to brigadier general, and transferred with his brigade to the Trans-Mississippi Department, where it became part of Gen. Dick Ta3'lor's division. Gen. Mouton was afterward killed in the battle of Mansfield. The next company organized in the parish was under Capt. Eraste Mouton ; Eastin, first lieutenant; Wm. Campbell second lieutenant, and Ernest Matrin, third lieutenant. The next company was organized by Capt. W. C. Crow; A. Moss, first lieutenant; Pancross Rein, second lieutenant, and Joseph Louvier, third lieuten- ant. The two last companies mentioned were attached to the Twenty-sixth Regi- ment, and Capt. Crow became its Lieutenant-Colonel. No other full companies were raised in the parish, but a number of recruits went to fill up companies elsewhere. To-Mii of Lafayette. — When Lafayette, or VermiHonville, as the town was originally known, was laid out is not known. It has been a town for three- quarters of a centur}', or perhaps longer. Its situation near the center of the parish, at the junction of the Alexandria branch of the Southern Pacific Rail- road and the main line. It is one of the growing towns of the State. Its pop- ulation is not far from three thousand souls and is steadily increasing. It has railroad connections and advantages enjoyed by few towns. It is situated on the Southern Pacific, one hundred and fort3'-four miles from New Orleans and two 200 .V O UTH WEST L O UISIANA : hundred miles from Houston, whicli gives it most excellent advantages in matters of transportation. The projected Louisiana Central Road will connect the town with Baton Rouge. The distance to Port Allen, opposite the capital, is fifty- seven miles. Two regular passenger trains each way a day on the main line from Lafayette, and besides four or more freights and the trains on the Alexandria brancli. Tlie railroad company here have an extensive round house, coal bins, tanks, etc., and the number of employes exeeed fifty men. An excellent hotel and eating house, perhaps one of the most commodious on the Southern Pacific Railroad, is located here. The Southern Pacific handles a vast amount of stock, which necessitates stock pens for resting at different points, and Lafay- ette has the most extensive pens for this purpose. Lafayette is the natural center of a large and rich agricultural district, re- gardless of parish lines. Lands as fertile as any in Louisiana or in the^world lie all around it. The prosperous parish of Vermilion on the south is tributary to it, and doubtless, at no distant day, will have a branch railroad from Lafayette to Abbeville. The town of Lafayette is advantageously situated for manufacturing enterprises, but capitalists have not yet discerned its capabilities in this regard. It ma}^ be said that three railroads radiate from Lafaj^ette, north east and west. A cotton seed oil mill, or a cotton compress or a rice mill, or planing mill, sash and blind factor)^ together with many other enterprises, would remunerate the investors. There are within the corporate limits two brick yards, and within a mile of the court house is probably the largest and most complete cotton gin in Southwest Louisiana, which is owned and operated by Grace Brothers & Pellerin. The town is well supplied with churches of the various denominations, num- bering three white and three colored. The Catholic church is the largest in members and wealth: the ground belonging to it was donated by John M. Mou- ton, and the first building was erected in 1822. Father Peyrette was rector from 1824 to 1840; Father Pgbeuprez, from 1840 to 1842 ; Father A. D. Migret, 1842 to 1853; Father Dechaignon, 1853 to 1856; Rev. S, G. Fattier, 1856 to 1865; Rev. Gustave Roussel, 1865 to 1872; Father Gonelle, 1872 to 1881. Father Fourge located here in 1881 and is the present rector. He is just completing the handsome church. The three altars were shipped from Belgium, and the beautiful bell, weighing three thousand and ninety pounds, was placed in the church through his influence. The congregation numbers about seven thousand. The pastor. Father Fourge, is a native of France, and has done much for the church and congregation. The town is also well supplied with schools, public and private, secular and sectarian. The Mt. Carmel Convent is a large and handsome building, and would ornament any town. It is considered one of the best schools for young ladies in HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL 201 the State. There are, likewise, in the town lodges of Masons, Kniglits of Honor, Knights of Pythias and Knights of Labor. A special to the New Orleans Picayune, from Lafayette, dated January 29, 1891, says: A short time since Mr. Israel Falk discovered near the surface of the earth a small deposit of petroleum on his property near the railroad depot and within the city limits. In hopes of finding the oil in paying quantities he has been drill- ing down to considerable depth, and yesterday, having bored some fifty feet, was rewarded by the discovery of a solid bed of coal equal in quality to the best sold. Mr. Falk v\'ill immediately sink a shaft and fathom the extent of the deposit. He is certain that he has made a valuable find of coal if not of oil. The latter still comes to the surface in small quantities and tests about sixty per cent, kerosene and small particles of naphtha. Railroad Shipments. — The following shipments were made at Lafayette by rail from September i, 1886, to August 31, 1887. These have increased rapidly since then : Bales of cotton 2.41 r Car loads of cotton in seed 66 or 660 tons, or pounds 1.320,000 Cotton seed, ten car loads, or pdunds 200,000 Hides, pounds 40,300 Corn, car loads 3 Brick, car loads 23 Barrels of honey yi/^ Barrels of tallow 9 Barrels of potatoes 100 Barrels of molasses 7 Bales of moss 25 Sacks of wool 11 Sacks of paper junk 12 Barrels of pecans 4 Eggs, dozens 108,710 Poultry, dozens 29,392 Scrap iron, pounds 42,655 Scrap brass, pounds 4>3-5 Empty oil barrels 401 Empty bottles, barrels 154 Mattress moss, bundles 10 Freight Received — Lumber, 316 carloads; stock received, fed and watered, 3517. Shipped from Vandenbaumer's switch : cotton in seed, 504,254 pounds. 202 SOUTHWEST LOVJSTANA : From Gerac Brothers' gin: 930,150 pounds. From J. E. Mouton's switch, (Al- exandria switch): cotton in seed, 609.000. Bronssard Village. — Another of the important centers of the parish is Broussard, on the main line of the Southern Pacific, six miles from Lafayette. It is the shipping point for a large section of country, and the center of the Cote Gelee Hills section. It is beautifully and attractively laid out, with broad streets, and lots are worth from thirty-five to fifty dollars. The depot grounds are shaded by handsome live-oaks, and are ample for all purposes. There are several gen- eral stores at Broussard, as extensive and complete as ordinarily found in country towns. The leading business men are: Ray & Son, Ed. St. Julien, F. B. Grevanberg and Ulysses Bernard. It is furnished with a town hall, drug store, wheelright shop, lumber j-ard, and the usual businesses to be found in a live, wide-awake business town. There is also a cotton gin in the town, and three others within a mile. Land in the immediate vicinity of this place is worth from twenty to thirt}" dollars, and there is little for sale at that price — very few are willing to sell at all. It is noticeable that some of the most successful planters in the parish live in close proximity to tliis point. Among these may be mentioned Valsin Broussard, J. G, St. Julien, Martial Billaud, A. A. Lobbe, ^Albert Landry, R. C. Landry, Joseph Girouard, Therence Girouard, Demas Bernard, and others. The people around Broussard are universally prosperous and contented. They not only make their crops of cotton and abundant supplies of corn, but they reap no small profit from eggs, chickens and turkeys, and other produce of that character. Thev are industrious, thrifty and happy, and well do they deserve it. The fol- lowing table of shipments for the past year from this point speaks for itself: 3842 bales cotton, 48 car loads cotton in seed, 69 hogsheads of sugar, 30 barrels of molasses, 184 sacks of rice, 57,785 pounds hides, 5472 pounds wool, 59,653 dozen eggs, 312 coops chickens. Also shipped from Oak Hill and Landry's plantations, on Cote Gclee, 150 bales cotton and 70 hogsheads sugar; and from Martial Billaud's plantation, 74 hogsheads sugar. Carencro. — The town of Carencro is an incorporated village, situated on the Alexandria branch of the Southern Pacific, seven miles from Lafayette. There is no prettier site for a town nor one with more solid advantages than com- prised in this place. The name Carencro, originally applied to this entire sec- tion of the country, as stated in a preceding page. Carencro is the shipping point for a large scope of country, nearly all of which is cultivated in corn, cotton, cane, etc., and there can be no question as to the quality of the land; indeed, much of it is above the average. Among the leading merchants are the Brown Brothers, Jacob Mitchell, D. Daret, A. G. Guil HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL. 203 beau, G. Schumler, C. Micou and J. C. Martin. It lias a good hotel, town hall and all the other appurtenances of a first-class country town, including a cotton gin and two good lumber 3-ards ; also a well organized hook and ladder com- pan}-. There are two private schools in the town, and two public — one white and one colored — and a Catholic church. Under the management of a good mayor and council, the peace and quiet of the town is well maintained, and the streets are kept in good condition. Lots are worth from one hundred and fifty to two hundred dollars, and the land in the vicinity is worth from fifteen to thirty dollars per acre, according to improve- ments. Among those near the town owning large plantations are Mrs. Z. Broussard, Dr. R. J. Frances, Mrs. O. C. Mouton, Louis Roger, Mrs. F. Aba- die, C. C. Brown, St. Clair Kilbrist, V. C. Dupois. L. J. Arceneaux, etc. Tributary to Carencro is the section of country known as the Beau Basin neigh- borhood, which is described in a preceding page. The following is a table of shipments given by the railroad compan)' : POUNDS. WORTH. Cotton 10.335 $85,081 25 Seed cotton 12,230 29,767 50 Cotton seed 5,880 i)47o 00 Sugar 50.000 I "625 00 Green hides 51,900 2,895 00 Dr}' hides 5,000 500 00 Wool 9,000 900 00 Moss 28,000 475 00 Corn ;, 840 00 Eggs 7,000 00 Chickens 1,250 00 Scott Village. — This is exclusiveh' a railroad town, having sprung into ex- istence since the building ot the railroad. It is, however, a vigorous youngster, with a promising future '"anent" it. There are sevei'al wide awake business men to be seen about the depot, and a large number of neighboring planters make their headquarters there. Among them may be mentioned Alex. Delhomme, A. D. Beaudreaux, L. G. Breaux, Robert Thomas, D. Ca3-ret, Nathan Foor- man, Ambroise Chasson, Severin Duhon, N. M. Dugat, Hugh Hutchinson. The land around Scott is all susceptible of cultivation and is highly fertile. Shipments from this point consist of rice, corn, wool, chickens, eggs, etc. The leading merchants are Alciade Judice, Jules Gendry, Marcel Sonnier, Martin Begraud, all of whom seem to be prosperous. Looking out from Scott in an}' direction the eye will be greeted by lovel}' groves of shade trees, con- sisting of oak and China trees. About a mile south of this place is Isle Navarre,. 204 SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA: a grove of live-oaks of stately proportions and venerable in appearance, unsur- passed in the South, excepting perhaps those of the Exposition grounds at New Orleans. The most disconsolate people around this thriving place are the doc- tors, who have literally nothing to do, it is so exceedingly healthy. The Queue Tortue is a section of Lafa3-ette parish that is thickly settled. There are many fine farms and stock pastures, and many blooded horses, cattle and hogs are raised by the planters. Alexander Huffpauer, Isaac For- man, Benj. Spell, Vital Cormier, Ford Silas Hines, Preston and Golden Huff- pauer have fine farms there. Dr. M. L. Lyons, Dr. A. O. Clark, and Mr. Ford Huffpauer are engaged in stock raising. On the Bayou Vermilion, south of the bridge, are some sturdy and indus- trious planters. Most of them ship by boat, and at the various landings of Whittington, Trahan, D. Broussard and O. Broussard. There was a total ship- ment of two thousand five hundred bales of cotton during the past season, and also a large quantity of poultry and eggs, hides, etc. Royville is situated in the southeast part of the parish. The name of its post-office is Youngville, and it is twelve miles from Lafayette. It is happily situated, in that a large number of prosperous planters resort there for business, religious worship and other purposes. It is located but two or three miles from the Vermilion line, and nearer still to Iberia and St. Martin parishes, and draws a great portion of its business from those parishes. It enjoys the advantage of having two shipping points, the Bayou Vermilion and the Southern Pacific at Broussard, being four miles from each place. It has a very pretty Catholic church, at which worship a congregation more numerous than at an}- other church in this part of the State. There are several excellent stores, two drug stores, a large hotel and hall, private and public schools, three wheelwright and blacksmith shops, etc. There are three large cotton gins near the town. There are many well-to-do planters in this neighborhood. The extensive plan- tation of Mrs. M. M. Cade is within a mile of this point. Other large plan- ters and land owners are P. B. Ro}', E. Prineaux, Mrs. D. Roy, Martin Veret, Ros LeBlanc, Ed. Faber, B. F. Flanders, Mrs. Olivier Blanchet, O. Theriot, Alex. Langhnais, Charles Dorby, etc. The last named is a colored man, working two hundred acres of land, which he cultivates to good advantage. There is probably more wealth represented in this town than any place of the same population in the State. Town lots are worth from $50 to $60; lands are worth from $20 to $30 per acre. Lafayette has two excellent newspapers for a town of this size, wliich is a good sign of the enterprise and progressiveness of the people. Nothing does more for a community than a live, wide-awake newspaper. Printers' ink judi- ciously bestowed is the very best advertisement a country can have. The oldest paper is the Lafayette Advertiser, which was established Sep- HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL. 205 tember, 22, 1865. Mr. Wm. B. Baily, the present editor and proprietor, became connected with the paper as a partner during the next year, and three years later he became sole owner. He has edited and published it from that time to the present. The Advertiser is a live, energetic weekly paper, conservative, though strictly Democratic. It is especially devoted to the interests of the section of countr}^ in which it circulates. The Attakapas Vindicator made its bow to the public on the 27th of March, 1890. It was established by Mr. Oscar L. Alpha, and is a four-page weekly paper, Democratic in politics and progressive in its views. Mr. Alpha is also owner and proprietor of the Acadia Sentinel, which is published in the town of Raj'ne, of which more in the chapter on Acadia parish. — Perrin. S^' ^00^<^ CHAPTER VII. Parish of St. Mary — Topography, Etc. — Belle Isle — Geological — La.nds Overflowed and Not Overflowed — Sketch of Daniel Dennett — Resources of the Parish — Crop Statistics — In the Good Old Times, Etc. — Number of Slaves — Rice — Fruit Culture — Strawberries — Tobacco — Climate and Health — Cote Blanche Island — Early Settlement — Moralizing on the Pioneers — Char- acteristics — An Incident — Another — Organization of the Parish — Police Jurors — "Nigger" Rule — The Early Courts— Bar — Military — The Town of Franklin — Manufacturing Industries — A Port of Entry — Morgan City, Etc. " Swinging from its great arms, the trumpet-flower and the grape-vine Hung their ladder of ropes aloft like the ladder of Jacob, On whose pendulous stairs the angels ascending and descending, Were the swift humming birds, that flitted from blossom to blossom. Such was the vision Evangeline saw as she slumbered beneath it." — LoiigfelU-nv. p^J^T^HE parish of St. Mary is small in extent, but its lands are of the richest. c(4-\ Perhaps some of the finest sugar lands and plantations in Louisiana are G"" "' in this parish. It is said there is not an acre of poor land in the parish, and, better still, the lands never wear out; although cultivated constant!}' for a cen- tury or more without manure of anj^ kind, they still produce most excellent crops. It is about fifty miles across the parish by the main public highway, from south- east to northwest, and perhaps twent3'-five miles in the widest place. The boundaries are northwest b}' the parish of Iberia, northeast by Grand and Palourde Lakes, on the southeast b\' the parish of Terrebonne, from which it is separated by the Atchafala3-a Bayou, and on the southwest by the Atchafalaya and Cote Blanche Ba3-ous. It has something over 20,000 inhabitants. Tofografhy, Etc. — The parish of St. Mary is rather low, level lands, with considerable swamp, or, perhaps, what had as well be called sea marsh. Indeed, the highest point, except Belle Isle and Cote Blanche Island, is not more than fifteen feet above the level of the Gulf of Mexico, and the daily tides from the gulf of from one to two feet in all the lakes and bayous. The land around Ber- wick Bay has an elevation, in the highest point, reaching to about ten feet, and from the bay to Pattersonville, and three or four miles up the Teche, the eleva- tion is but httle above that around the bay and on the Bceuf . At Franklin the west bank of the Teche is about thirteen feet above tide water; the east bank is a 208 SOUTHWEST L O UTS I A NA : little lower. The two islands, Cote Blanche and Belle Isle, at their highest points are more than one hundred and sixty feet above the level of the gulf. Most of the sea marsh is under water during gulf storms when the wind blows toward the land. The geological features of St. Mary are that it is principally an alluvium soil, rich as mother earth can very well be made, and so deep that the work of man has not yet penetrated its depth. Should the farming land ever fail in pro- ductiveness, a good, thick, covering of swamp mulch will restore it to its former richness. And the supply of this exxellent fertilizer is just simply inexhausti- ble. As low as is the general level of St. Mary but little of the parish, and rare- ly any of the farming lands, have ever overflowed. Some of the lands have never been overflowed within the memory of the "oldest inhabitant." This may be said of the west bank of the Teche from a point five or six miles below Centre- ville to its source in St. Landry parish. The lands in the lower part of the par- ish, and on the east side of the Teche, were overflowed, according to history, in 1788, 1828 and 1867. When the levees on the Mississippi River stand firm, St. Mary need have no fear of overflow. Of the agricultural products of the parish, Mr. Daniel Dennett, who has done such excellent work, and who has wdtten so much for Southwest Louisi- ana, gives interesting statistics. For years Mr. Dennett studied this country, collected data of its resources and wealth, and published the same for its benefit. The country owes much to him and his arduous labors. And as this writer is indebted to him for many valuable and important facts, he incorporates in this volume an /« Memoriam published in the New Orleans Picayune, and written by Mr. T. D. Richardson: Daniel Dennett. — Died Januarj- 5, 1891, in Brookhaven, Mississippi, aged seventy-three years. He was born in Saco, Maine, of poor parentage, with a name " rather to be chosen than great riches." Up to manhood he went through the usual rugged routine of farm life, there offset by the advantages of their good common schools. His natural endowments must have been m.uch above the ordinary, as shown in the various positions of his checkered life. There was too much of the brain material in him to be buried up in a New England rocky farm, and he felt it so. His first step was from one extreme to the other, and we find him in the Teche country of Louisiana, in the famous sugar region of Bayou Sale. Here he began life in the almost universal toddling paths of genius and greatness as a school teacher, and soon had a good record in his vo- cation. To this he added the role of lecturer on temperance and kindred sub- jects, the outcroppings, no doubt, of his early Presbyterian training. And here, too, he found that "pearl of great price," in the daughter of Joshua Garrett, HISTORICAL AXD BIOGRAPHICAL. 209 I and a happy lite followed him and his Mary till he was left to finish his iournev alone in 1880, away down near the foot of the hill. Of their six children a son and two daughters survive him. Mr. Dennett's strong proclivity was for farm hfe in all its phases, and to be the editor of an agricultural journal was in har- mony with his nature. In 1842 he bought the St. Mary parish newspaper of Robt. Wilson, and the Planters' Banner was born, which in its way was a power in Louisiana, and took the highest rank as an agricultural paper. He ransacked every nook and corner for items of interest, often too regard- less of personal expense. If sometimes he was a little too reckless in his on- slaught on what he thought injurious to the best interest of the community in morals and money, he always charged it to the head, never to the heart In politics he was a Whig, strong, but conservative as he saw it, and firm after the manner of the Whigs in those daj-s. We have often heard it said that if his life- work in Louisiana had been done in some other State, it would have placed him in the senate or executive chair. Here then agriculture and journalism had a •hard row to hoe," when half the wealth of the State took little or no interest in Enghsh literature. When "dust to dust" was said over the "grand old party" common consent placed him among the pall bearers. During our four years night of gloom no native born was truer to our cause than Daniel Dennett ever ready for any post of danger they gave him. Peace came nine years after the war closed, and all through the period of reconstruction his sturdy blows will be remembered. But the fields of journalism, like those of the old plantations, did not respond to the tiller's toil, and the old Planter's Banner had to go down Then Mr. Dennett was for some time in Texas, but said he always felt like an exile from home. Returning to Louisiana he became associated with the Pica- yune, and finally its agricultural editor. And here, in the files of that old, time- honored journal, may now be seen his mature life work. At his beautiful home near Brookhaven, Miss., his time was divided between editorials, field, fruits and flowers and here closed his long and useful life. It is all spread out now before the world Well done, good and faithful, will be the common verdict, and in fancy we hear the echo around the great white throne. Resources of the Parish.-To quote from Mr. Dennett's statistical record of the agricultural products : " Cotton is cultivated in St. Mary, but is not considered profitable Su^ar cane is the proper crop of the parish. Much of the land is adapted to rice The sea marsh, by local levees and draining machines, make rich lands, which are excellent nee lands. This soil consists principally of a vegetable deposit of great depth. Swamp lands, or any of the reclaimable wet lands, are fine for nee, corn, sweet and Irish potatoes; pumpkins, peas, beans, indigo, arrow root ginger, castor oil beans, tobacco, hay, cabbage and turnips do well in this soil .^ ^Q SO UTH WES r LO UISIANA : and climate, though a part of this list of arfcles has never been cultivated except toavervhn. itedextent Sealsland cotton does well on the islands along the coast. Garden vegetables grow the year round. Nearly all kinds of vegetables grow ^e same here as in the North and West. Of cane, the yield per acre, on an avera^ is about a hogshead of sugar and fifty or sixty gallons of -lasses ;^n an ex^a good crop year double that amount. Cane :s cultivated nearl,- the same as corn, and is laid by before July. Sugar making begms in the latte. part of October or early in November." NUMBER OF ACRES IN CULTIVATION IN 189I : 30,000 In cane 2, 500 In rice !!.....!. T. . 18,000 In corn 200 In oats ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ 2 000 In pasture 56,700 576,000 Total acreage of parish 519,300 Swamp, wood and sea marsh PRODUCTS RAISED IN 1 889 : 18,000 barrels ^"^^^^"^ .' 32,500,000 pounds or loo.ooo barrels Sugar 33,500 barrels ^'^^^ 144,000 barrels Corn Male. Female. Total. White children, ages 16 to 18 ^'^52 1,2^^ -,^i^ Colored children, ages 16 to 18 ]2^_ "^ 3,803 3.818 — - 7,621 Total children for 1690 The crop of 1890 will be about as follows: 70,000,000 pounds '^^o'"' .... 35,000 barrels Mol'^sses .'......... 144,000 barrels Corn In the good old times before the war there were about thirteen thousand slaves owned in St. Mary parish, valued at six miUion dollars. Some hfteen amers then were engaged in the bayous, lakes and bays conti-ous d "g the busy season of the year, and as many as one hundred and twenty-five v es.els have left Franklin in a single vear for northern and southern ports, freighted t ; str Ind molasses ^and^ive-oak. Of course, this is all changed now. HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL. 211 The "fortunes of war'" liberated the slave and elevated him to the dignity (?) of statesmanship, and the railroad, in a measure, has superseded the steamboat and the schooner. Rice is grown considerably in St. Mary, but not to the extent that cane is. The time is coming, however, when rice will be more extensively cultivated perhaps than cane, because it can be more easily done. Rice, in this parish, grows pretty well without flooding, but on the flooded lands the crop is nearly double that of lands not flooded. Further west the growing of rice is fast becoming the leading crop. In Calcasieu, Acadia, Lafayette and Cameron parishes, it is grown to a large extent. The method of ploughing, sowing, har- vesting and threshing in rice culture is almost precisely as in wheat, with the same machinery. Rice culture differs from wheat in the flooding of the fields with water during the growing season— a very simple process. The chief advantages of rice farming over wheat are: 1. The long period during which preparations and sowing mav be con- tinued. 2. The greater value of the product. Preparations can be carried on from October till June, and sowing from March till July. Har^-esting continues from August till November. In the season of 1889 the average yield of rice in some of the western par- ishes was twelve barrels per acre, worth $36; in 1890 the average yield is con- siderably greater, in many cases averaging twenty barrels per acre, worth $70. A few fields have reached thirty barrels per acre. Many farmers have ■acquired large wealth in a few years in rice farming. Fruit Culture. — The cultivation of fruits, the finer fruits particularly, like ■oranges, figs, etc., is becoming a more and more extensive industry every year. Mr. Dennett says: "The yield of oranges per acre is enormous. It is impossible to make any estimate that is reliable, aswe have not the acres oryield of any one orchard ; but below New Orleans single orchards sometimes yield from $10,000 to $30,000, at a dollar a hundred oranges." A full grown, healthy orange tree, fifteen or twenty j'ears old, in a good season, will produce five thousand oranges. It takes from three to four hundred oranges to fill a flour barrel. So the largest orange trees produce from forty to fifty bushels of fruit of a favorable season. The latitudes in which the temperature is the most exempt from extremes of heat and cold are the most favorable for the development of the fruits. This is why Southern Italy is so noted for perfection in fruits and vegetables. It is there that the orange and citron display such great growth. The day is certainly not far distant when Southwest Louisiana will be known as the Italy of the United States. 212 SOUTHWEST L OUISIANA : Below we give an extract from tlie Missouri Farmer, on fruits of Southern Italy and there no reason wh}- Louisiana should not do as well: There are two methods of propagating the orange and citron. The first of these is technically called by the Italians "teste"- that is, "from the head."' This consists in planting out the young branches of the orange or citron, care having been taken, before severing them from the tree, to make them put forth their roots in a kind of vase of earth, which is bound around them at the junc- tion where they are to be separated. But experience has proved that trees thus propagated are never strong and long-lived, like those produced from the seed of a tree which has not been propagated by cutting. The best mode of propa- gating, therefore, is to take the young plant produced from the seed of a wild orange or citron tree. An orange tree is always wild, and produces in its natural state only sour fruit, until a scion of a cultivated tree — one bearing sweet fruit, which happens to be a tree originally wild, only after years of cultivation — has been grafted upon it. The process of grafting orange trees is a science of itself, of which it is necessary to have a practical knowledge. In Sorrento, even old and e.xperienced cultivators do not attempt it themselves, but always have recourse to a class of men whose avocation it is to go from plantation to plantation to perform the process of grafting upon the trees; and to do it successfully, one must first learn it practically from an experienced grafter. When a considerable number of young trees are to be planted permanently, the general method is to plant two orange trees and two citron trees at regular distances, forming a square, and in the center of this square to place an olive tree, or a nut tree, or any other fruit-bearing tree whose presence will not inter- fere with the culture of the acid fruits. The Italians call this planting colquariro. The Sorrentines have a sort of basket which is used as a measure for the fruit. This is called the eolletta, which will hold about one hundred oranges or citrons. This is used in gathering the fruit. When the fruit of one tree fills the basket, that tree is considered full grown, usually at its sixth year. From that time the yield continually increases, until the tree gives ten basketfulls — that is to say, one thousand oranges — when it is considered at the height of its fruit-bearing capacity. This usually occurs at about the twenty-fifth year of its age. All kinds of fruits grow in St. Mary parish. Pears of a superior quality are grown, particularly on the Bayou Teche. Olives do well, but little or no attention has ever been paid to them. Bananas, lemons and pineapples may be raised with a very little protection. Plums seem almost indigenous to this sec- tion. Nearly a dozen different kinds of plums are grown here. The Mcspilus, I HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL. 213 or Japan plum, is one of the finest, and one of the most beautiful. This tree is a beautiful evergreen. It blossoms in the fall, the fruit grows during the winter and gets ripe in March. The fruit is excellent. Strawberries, blackberries and dewberries grow wild in the greatest pro- fusion. Strawberries, when properly cultivated, are extremely prolific and con- tinue bearing six or eight weeks. The dewberries are very large and abun- dant and grow wild. They are very much like the blackberry, both in taste and appearance. It is not meant that all the fruits enumerated are to be found here in plentiful profusion, but experience has proven that they may be produced in abundance with proper cultivation and care. "Fruit culture here is yet in its infancy, but when the same attention and skill are given to it as in other portions of the countr}^ then will it become a paradise in all except the forbidden fruit."'* Tobacco. — This crop grows well in St. Mary, but it requires so much care to produce it, that it is not considered a profitable crop. Great fortunes, however, have been made in tobacco in Tennessee, North Carolina, Virginia and Kentucky, and the article can be produced here with much less work than in these States. Besides there is always a ready cash market for what is pro- duced. The tobacco grown in Louisiana is said to be superior to any grown in the United States. There is a great foreign demand for it, and it is espe- cially noted for the superior, excellent snuff it makes. While Louis Phillippe was King of France, he is said to have sent agents to Louisiana to buy tobacco for his court, choosing it in preference to any other. An old gentleman of this state informed the writer that he had seen tobacco raised in Virginia, Tennes- see and Georgia, and had raised it largely in Louisiana. He said that the tobacco raised in Louisiana was superior in quality to that of any other State, and that the first crop was equal in quantity to that of any other State, while the second crop in the same year was fully equal to the first in both quality and quantity. This makes tobacco twice as productive here as in the other tobacco raising States. There is but little raised here now, but enough to show what can be done. Before the war there were some large tobacco plantations, but since then the farmers have only tried to raise enough for home consumption. The famous perique tobacco, the kind used by Louis Phillippe, King of France, can only be produced in Louisiana. Climate and Health. — The following statement of climate and rainfall of this section was carefully made by one who had made a study of the matter: That portion of Louisiana between the Atchafalaya river on the east, the Sabine on the west, the gulf of Mexico on the south, and north to the pine ♦Dennett. 14 214 SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA: hills, is known as Southwestern Louisiana. This region possesses the most mar- vellous combination of beautiful prairies, valuable woodlands, navigable rivers and charming lakes, with one of the healthiest and most genial climates, upon the globe, and a soil superlative in every element of production. The climate is soft and mellow, ranging from 40 to 70 degrees in winter and from 80 to 96 in summer, rarely reaching the latter point. The rapid evapora- tion from the gulf cools the atmosphere to about 80 degrees. At this tempera- ture it is driven over the land by the atmospheric currents, becoming slightly elevated by the higher temperature of the earth. It is thus always cool and de- lightful in the shade, even in the warmest weather. Northern men can work on the farm all summer as safely as in Iowa. The rainfall is about 60 inches, distri- buted quite evenly through the year. It is as pure as crystal, requiring no filtering. In summer it falls in showers of short duration, seldom interfering with continu- ous field labor. Farm work is not interrupted by the winter, except occasion- ally by excessive moisture, and that for a short time. If the same care were exercised in Louisiana to keep the system in order as in the Northern States, the average health of the family would be much better here than there. There is very little malaria in the prairie region of Southwestern Louisiana, and that is easily managed by ordinary care. The rolling pine timber lands are very favor- able for health. The climate operates most beneficially in cases of rheumatism, neuralgia, catarrh, weak lungs, nervous prostration, etc. There is scarcely any danger from yellow fever. Before there was any effective quarantine estab- lished in Louisiana there were a few cases of yellow fever— none since in the rural districts. The last case was thirteen years since. The Bayou Cypremort is lined with beautiful forests, of which the stately magnolia predominates. Many of them are over fifty feet high. Their foliage and magnificent white blossoms are excelled by few forest trees to be found any- where in the world. The magnolia well merits the title that has been given it of the "queen of the forest." But mingled with the magnoHa along Cypremort are oak, ash, black walnut, hickory, sweet gum, pecan, elm, etc., with a rank growth of underbrush and grape vines. There is nothing very beautiful and en- chanting in the bayou as a stream, it being filled with weeds, rushes and wil- lows, a seeming haunt for snakes and other water reptiles. It is its forests that constitute its beauty. Cote Bhiuche Island. — This island rises out of the marsh to an elevation of one hundred and eighty feet above the level of the Gulf of Mexico. It is some ten miles from Franklin as the crow flies, but twentv-five miles by way of tlie wagon road. It is a beautiful place and has a fine climate— a climate in which people never get sick, but live always. The pure sea breeze from the gulf cools the air in summer and tempers the wintry winds, making a pleasant resort the HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL. 215 3'ear round. It is susceptible of being made one of the most beautiful and at- tractive resorts on the gulf coast. Since the memorable days of 1849, when the discover}^ of gold on the Pacific slope set all the world agog, the pioneers, the men who skirt the outer confines of civilization on this continent, have entirely changed in their charac- teristics. They are now, in the last decade of the nineteenth century, perhaps the most cosmopolitan people in the world. But the old Californians were the best practicall}' educated people of any of the pioneers, for they were suddenly gathered together in large numbers, representing every civilized people of the globe — many of the half civilized, and even some of the totally barbarous. This heterogenous gathering of such varieties of people resulted in the world's won- der of a public school. It rapidly educated men as they never had been educated before. It was not perfect in its moral symmetry, but it was wholly powerful in its rough strength, vigor and swiftness. It taught not of books, but of mental and physical laws — the only fountain of real knowledge, of commerce, of cunning craft — it was iron to the nerves and a sleepless energy to the resolu- tion. This was its field of labor, its free university. Here, every people, every national prejudice, all the marked characteristics of men, met its opposite when there was no law to restrain or govern either, except that public sentiment that was crj-stallized into a resistless force in this witch's caldron. This wonderful alembic, where were fused normal and abnormal humanities, thoughts, false ed- ucations, prejudices and pagan follies, into a molten stream that glowed and scorched ignorance along its way as the volcanic eruption does the debris in its pathway. It was the untrammeled school of attrition of every mind with mind — the rough diamond that gleams and dazzles with beauty only when rubbed with diamond dust. The best school in the world for a thorough, practical educa- tion. Universal education — we mean real education and not "learned ignorance," as Locke has aptly termed it — is a levelerof the human mind. It's Hke the strug- gle for life, when only "the fittest survive" and the unfit perish. But its ten- dency is to lift up the average, to better mankind, to evolve the truth and mercilessly gibbet ingrained ignorance and superstitious follies. The school life of the pioneers of Southwest Louisiana was spent in a totally different one from that just named. Their surroundings differed radi- cally from that of the California " fortj^-niners." They did not come to Louis- iana in great rushing crowds, but in meagre squads. They had abandoned home, some of them driven away at the point of English bayonets, and plunged into these vast solitudes to live, where the luxuries of life were among the lost arts. These sturdy, lone mariners of the desert were men of action and nerve. They whetted their instincts for existence against the wild game, the ferocious beasts, and the murderous savages. 210 SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA : Settlement of the Parish. — The early settlers of Southwest Louisiana, as ah'eady stated, were very different from the western pioneers of 1849, when the gfold fever raged so intensely on the Pacific coast. They were descendants of the best families of France and Spain, some of them with the blood of kings coursing through their veins. One of the first settlers in St. Mary parish was Louis le Pelletier de la Houssaye, a descendant of Claude de la Houssaye, the Prime Minister of Louis XV of France. The de la Houssaye family is one of the oldest and noblest families in Louisiana, and boasts of descent from royalty. There is a dissimilarity in spelling the name in this section. Some members of the family spell it de la Houssaye, while others spell it Delahoussaye, but both run back to the same source. Louis le Pelletier de la Houssaye was sent here by Louis XVL successor to the fifteenth Louis, as an official, and lived here in St. Mary parish. He has many descendants still living in the parish. He had a brother, A. de la Houssaye, who came to Louisiana at the same time with himself. Other early settlers in this parish were the Sigures, DeVals, Coners, Dar- b3's, DeClouets, Dubuelet, Verret, Grevenberg, Peocot, Oliv'ier, Bienvenue, etc. They were of the most respectable French families, and were among the very early settlers. Also the Laestrapes, Gerbeans, Charpentiers, Demarests, Pellerins, Dubuclets, Dejean, Duclozel, Bryants, and Arensbourg. Among the early settlers were a few Spaniards. Of these were the Navarros, Moros, and others. They also have descendants still in the parish. Just after the close of the Revolutionary war a number of immigrants of Ameri- can or English blood came, among whom were J. Y. Sanders, from South Caro- lina, who was a cousin to the father of Senator Wade Hampton. Characteristics of the Early Settlers. — Among these early settlers of St. Mary parish, the most unbounded confidence prevailed. No such thing as giving a note for money due from one to another was thought of or known among them. The following instance will illustrate this phase of their character: A Frenchman named Pellerin used to loan mone}^ but would never take a note for it. With him a man's word was good as his bond. An early settler here. Col. Baker, who held some position over the Indians, once went to Mons. Pellerin, to borrow two thousand dollars, and upon asking the question if he could have it, "Yes, yes," answered Pellerin, in his quick, jerky way of speaking, and called to his son, a youth, in the next room, to bring him the box from under the bed. When the box was brought the two thousand dollars was counted out in gold by the old man, who pushed it over to Baker, remarking, "There is your money." Col. Baker hesitated, and asked for pen and ink, (scarce articles in those days), "Well," said the Frenchman, "I guess I could find pen and ink if necessary, but what do you want them for?" "Why," said HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL. 217 Col. Baker, "for fear sometliing might liappen — you or I might die, then it would be best for you to have a note for this money to show that I got it from you."' "A note, a note!" exclaimed Pellerin, "If a man's word is not good his bond is not good. When you go home tell your wife you got two thousand dollars from me, payable the first of Jaruar}% and I tell my wife you got it, that is enough evidence." "A note, a note," he again exclaimed, and swept the gold back into his strong box and would not let Baker liave it. This occurred back in the twenties. Sucli dealings probablj^ worked well in tlie primitive days of this cointry, among the primitive inhabitants, but would scarcely hold good in these degen- erate times even in Louisiana. Another incident occurred about this time still further illustrating the simplic- ity and confidence of the early inhabitants. A man named Elliot, a brawn}' old Scotchman, was operating a distillery in the parish. He wanted some money, and went to an old Creole lady and borrowed from her $2000. When the ist of January came around he went back to pay her. He counted out the $2000 in a pile and then counted out $200 in a smaller pile, which he told her was ''interest." "Interest," said she, "what is interest?" "Why, since I had your money that big pile has made the little pile, and that is called interest and it is all yours." As soon as Elliott left the old lady mounted her horse and went straight to the country school house, where an ancient Hibernian — "Teddy O'Rourke kept a bit of a school — " was teaching her sons, among a few others of her neighbors, and called him out — "Schoolmaster," said she, "teach my boys interest, nothing but interest," and away she went back home leaving the schoolmaster in much bewilderment as to what she really meant. He heeded her advice, however, and her sons be- came honorable citizens and among the finest commercial men in the parish. Formation of Parish. — As will be seen in the introductory chapter of this work, in a sketch written by Col. Voorhies, of St. Martin, descriptive of the At- takapas District, St. Mary is one of the two parishes into which that district was divided soon after 1800. Following is the act of division accompanied by an act to form the parish of St. Mary : An Act entitled an Act to divide the country of Attakapas into two parishes. Approved April 17, 1811 : Section i. Be it enacted by the Legislative Council and House of Repre- sentatives of the Territory of Orleans, in General Assembly convened. That the county of Attakapas shall be divided into two parishes, to be called the parish of St. Martin and the parish of St. Mar}'. Sec. 2. The parish of St. Mary shall contain all that part of said county 218 SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA: north of a line running east from the upper line of tlie plantation of Francis Boutte, on the Bayou Teche, to the Great Lake, and west from the said Francis Boutte to tlie mouth of the bayou of the Petite Anse, on the bay; and the parish of St. Mary shall contain all the remainder of the said county, that is to say, all ihat is south or below the said line. An Act to explain an act entitled "An Act to divide tlie county of Attaka- pat into two parislies:" Section i. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the S.ate of Louisiana, in General Assembly convened, That a straight line be run from the westward^ corner of the upper line of the plantation of Francis Boutte, where he now lives, to the head of the canal leading to the Petite Anse island; thence down the canal to the Petite Anse bayou, and down the same by the bay, commonly called theVermilion Bay ; thence southeastwardly with the bay and the line of the State to the entrance into the Bayou Teche, thence up the bay of the same to include all the settlements on the bayou that intersect with the bay on the east side of what is commonly called Berwick's Bay, and not in- cluded in either of the parishes of Lafourche ; thence up the middle of the Grand Lake to the place where a line running east from the aforesaid Francis Boutte's pLi.ntation shall strike the said lake, shall belong to the parish of St. Mar}'. Approved March 20, 1813. The earl}- parish records are very meagre, and some of them missing en- tirely, so we must draw on our seven-league boots and step down to the police jury records of 1866. At the meeting of tlie Police Jurors, held on May 27th of the above years, the following members were present: Frank Thompson, first ward; Jolin A. Smith, second ward ; Samuel L. Randall, third ward; Wm. H. Cook, fourth ward; One member seemed to have been absent, as the four named above presented their certificates of election under the act, reducing the number of wards to five. After taking the required oath they organized, and Mr. S. L. Randall was elected president for one year. The first business transacted b}- the board was the adoption of a resolution to cooperate with the governor in rendering assistance to the sufferers from a recent overflow. At the July term, Mr. John Tarleton presented his certificate of election to represent the fifth ward in the board. At August meeting the par- ish was redivided into school districts, and a School Board consisting of H. C. Smith, Dr. C. M. Smith and P. Pecot were appointed a board to examine school teachers. An election was held on the 9th of May, 1870, and the following jurors were elected: Etriene Meynard, first ward; Dolze Bodine, second ward; T. J. Fos- ter, third ward ; Henry J. Saunders, fourth ward; J. P. Wallers, fifth ward. This board recorded its last minutes October 2, 1871, from which date there is a skip in the records to the 6th of April, 1876, covering the period of Negro- HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL. 219 carpetbag rule. After a long series of abuses, the people, the intelligent masses, arose in their might, just as they did in the November election, 1890, and just as they always do, when patience ceases to be a virtue, hurled the plunderers from power, who had so long trodden under foot all decency, and through ignorance, or "malice prepense and aforethought," had ruined the financial standing and bankrupted the parish treasury. From 1876, until the adoption of the Constitu- tion of 1879, requiring the appointment of Police Jurors, enough good men were elected or were made members of the board to very much better the condition of things. At the time tne "rump" board was dethroned, it was found that the parish was $13,000 in debt, the treasurj- empty, and parish warrants selling at from twenty-five to thirty cents on the dollar. The gentlemen appointed under the new regime from the respective wards were: T. J. Foster, J. Y. Sanders, Phillippe Patout, Louis Grevenberg and T. Bellissim. They held their first meeting January, 7, 18S0, and at the end of three 3'ears they had paid off the parish indebtedness, all the outstanding warrants, running the county on a purely cash basis, and their vouchers were worth 100 cents on the dollar. A state- ment was made by the board, February i, 1891, of the financial condition of the parish, showing a balance in the treasury of $8564, and that much of the last year's tax is still unmolested. During the prosperous decade of 1880-1890, manv needed improvements were made. The present board are as follows, viz: Milliard M. Bosworth, first ward; (the second ward has been made vacant by the death of its representative); Tlios. J. Fastin, third ward (and President of the Board); Thos. E. Kennedy, fourth ward; Frank B. Williams, fifth ward; George G. Zeno, sixth ward; Stephen B. Roane, seventh ward; Thos. J. Hein, is secretary of the board, a place he has filled for more than twenty j-ears, a sure sign that he is the. right man in the right place. The legislative representatives are Hons. Placide P. Sigure, and Joseph A. Loret. Sheriff of the parish — Alexander G.Frere; Clerk — Francis P. Perret; Assessor — Henry S. Palfrey; Surveyor — Alfred A. Fusilier; Coroner — Dr. Chas. M. Smith. The Early Courts. — The first court records show Henry Johnson to be the first Parish Judge. The first court seems to have been held in a frame house belonging to Meathen Nimmo, on the 27th of August, 181 1. Johnson was suc- ceeded by Hon. Seth Lewis as Judge, whose first court was held in June, 1813. Upon retiring from the parish judgeship, J(jhnson became Judge of the Attakapas District. An incident that occurred at ihe term of court. July 4, 1814. will have a rather peculiar sound to us after three-quarters of a century, viz: "John Harmon was confined in the stocks one hour for contempt of court." Among the practising attorne\'s in the St. Mar\- courts in those davs were 220 S0UTI/WES7' LOUIS/ANA : J. Bronson, Isaac Baker, Richard Humphrey, Josliua Baker ( afterward judge ), W. W. Bowen and R. N. Ogden, and John Wilkinson was judge of the parish court. In 1826, J. A. Overton was judge; in 1828, H. A. Buiiard was judge; 1829-30, Joshua Baker was judge. District and parish courts were held from the formation of the parish in 181 1 until the adoption of the new constitution in 1879, when the district court was abolished and the circuit court instituted in its stead. Later judges of the parish were: Hon. F. S. Goode, who was judge for eight years, Judge Fontelieu, Judge Fred. C Gates, B. F. Winchester, etc. Among the present members of tiie bar are Don Caffrey, M. J. Foster, P. H. Mentz, W. J. Suthon, W. N. K. Wilson, J. S. Martel, Henry Mayce and Placide P. Sigure. Alilitary History. — How man}- soldiers were in the war of 181 2 from St. Mary is not known, but there was one company from the parish participated in the battle of New Orleans under General Jackson. In the Mexican war, a compan}' was organized under Captain Stuart. So far there are but four Mexican war veterans known to be living in the parish ; one of these is Mr. Benj. F. Harris. He served under Captain G. S. Rousseau. Mr. Harris was also in the civil war, in Captain Cornay's St. Mary Cannoneers. He is now sixty-nine years old and still quite active. For sketch of the civil war, see chapters on St. Martin and St. Landry parishes. Tozvn of J^ranklin.—¥v3,-nkY\n was laid out as a town about 1800. It was founded by a man named Guinea Lewis, from the good old Quaker State of Penns3'lvania, which accounts for its bearing the name of Franklin, the great philosopher of that State in its infancy. The first house built where Franklin now stands was put up by a Mr. Trowbridge, and has long since crumbled into dust. Mrs. Trowbridge, his widow, is still living, and is about the oldest resi- dent of the town. Franklin became the capital in 181 1, upon the organization ef the parish. Its growth has been slow but steady, afid it now has a population of about two thousand souls, and — about the same number of bodies. The town has two public schools, one white and one colored, a Catholic school and a select school besides. The public schools continue about five months during each j'ear. There are two Methodist churches, one white and one colored, and two Baptist churches, all of which have good, large memberships. It has a large number of business houses, large and strong financially, live, wide-awake busi- ness men, three hotels and two liver}' stables, and all classes of business that go to make up a prosperous town. The St. Mary Herald is the official journal of the parish. It is a four-page paper, seven columns to a page, and full of enter- prise. HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL. 221 Franklin was formerly a port of entry for theTeche district, and did a large trading and shipping business with the cities of the North. This has been mate- rially lessened by the railroad enterprise of this fast age, which has changed the route of travel to New Orleans and Galveston. Franklin was a large market up to 184S for cattle. The following are the present officials of the town: Nilson McKessal, mayor; Michael B. Gordy, marshal; E. M. Walker, treasurer, and Frank Harris, constable. Councilmen — Arthur A. de la Houssaj^e, Henderson Morris, Edward Kreshnel, Matthew Bell and James K. Fouray. The parish has had several court houses, temporary and permanent. In 1858, a two-story brick court house was built, with ten rooms, offices tire-proof. A substantial brick jail was built, in 1854, by Franklin Harris. The brick court house was burned a few years before the building of the present one, which is a two-stor}' brick, with large Corinthian columns in front. Tliere are a number of manufacturing enterprises in and around Franklin, such as saw-mills, sugar mills and refineries, sash, door and blind factories, shingle mills, etc. Morgan City. — This place was formerly called Brashear City, and is situ- ated on Berwick Bay, and in the extreme eastern part of the parish. It has from two to three thousand inhabitants, mostly foreigners and negroes, and fish- ing and oyster gathering is the principal business. The site of the town was originally a sugar plantation, owned by Mr. Brashear, for whom the town was originally named. It was incorporated in i860 as Brashear City, and Thomas Brashear became the first mayor. The first business house was built by Mr. Brashear on his plantation. When Morgan's Louisiana railroad line was built the town was incorporated as Morgan Cit}^ which name it still retains. The first mayor of the new town was Charles Smith. In 1870 the Teche Collection District was changed from Franklin to Morgan City and R. W. MuUin was the first collector. He held the position six years, and was succeeded by E. W. Hubbard for four years, then came James H. Jolly for eight years. He was succeeded by W. T. Carrington for four years, until the incoming of the Harrison administration, when Mr. Jolly was reappointed and now holds the office. The town has some fifteen business houses, four hotels and two newspapers. The Morgan City Review is a weekly Democratic paper, edited by H.M. Mayo, a prominent young Democrat of the town. The other is a monthly journal, owned by Mr. W. B. Gray, who is an old newspaper man. He has a very com- plete and valuable job office in connection with his paper. Morgan City is the 03'ster depot for Southwest Louisiana, and large quantities are shipped from this place annually, both to the home and foreign trade. The 222 SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA : catching, packing and shipping of fish is also an important interest. Mr. J. H. Lehman is the great fish king of the town, in fact he is a whale. Berwick, on the opposite side of the bay from Morgan Cit)-, is a small village of some six hundred inhabitants. Tt is an important lumbering town. A large amount of excellent lumber and an innumerable quantit\- of shingles are shipped annually to all parts of the country. Other villages in the parish are Baldwin. Patterson, Glencoe, Acklen, Ricohoc, Grand Woods, etc. Most of these are small places, consisting of but a post-office, store, etc. Patterson is quite a village, with five or six hundred inhabitants, and Baldwin is the junction of a branch railroad over to Cypremort. he other villages are places of little consequence. — Per^'in. CHAPTER IX. "A Tale of Acadia" — Introductory — A Glance at Acadia Parish — Prairie on Fire — Resources — A Western Editor's Impressions of Southwestern Louisiana — Early Settlement — A German •Col- ony — Joseph Fabacher — An Ode to the German Emigrant — In- troduction OF Rice Culture — Making Hay — Organization of the Parish — Act of the Legislature Incorporating It — Parish Officials — Court Houses and Jails — The Town of Crowley — Laying Out of Same — Other Towns — Schools and Churches — The Acadia College— General Summary, Etc. " O, Country! rich in everything, in all that makes a people great; We hail thee, queen of 'Cadian soil, and fling our challenge to the State, We hail thee, queen, whose beauty won our fathers in their golden years; A shout for greater days begun, a sigh for sleeping pioneers." fi^HE past, with all its momentous changes, has ever been regarded as im- > portant and deserving of record. Long before letters were invented, legendary tales and traditions were emplo3ed to perpetuate importantevents and transmit the same to succeeding generations. Hieroglyphics were afterward used for the same purpose. But all these forms of memorial have long since given place to the pen and types among civilized nations. The introduction of modern alphabets made writing less difficult, and the invention of the art of printing afforded facilities for publishing books before unknown. The thirst for knowl- edge produced by the press and the Reformation, and the growing taste for history created by the latter, brought out a host of historians, rendered their works voluminous and scattered them broadcast over the world. Many of them read in the light of civilization have all the fascinations of a romance, which but increases in interest as time rolls on. The papyrus roll of ancient Egypt, containing mysterious records, and the ponderous folios of Confucius, that antedate tradition itself, were not more val- uable to the sages and philosophers of old than the printed page of the nine- teenth century is to the scholarly and enlightened individual of the present day. And of all historical records there are none more interesting and valuable than local annals. Interesting because prepared by those who enact them, and val- uable because the future and actual historian without them could not write a true history of the country. 224 SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA ■ This chapter of our work is devoted to the parish of Acadia — the youngest parish in the State. Indeed, Acadia is a very j'oung lady, still in short dresses, and scarcely of a sufficiently mature age to be entrusted from home vs'ithout a body guard. Although her growth has been so rapid, and she has developed so wonderfully, no one would suspect that her fifth birthday is yet half a year dis- tant — rather a youthful age for a young lady to set up housekeeping for herself. This gloriously salubrious climate brings out the bestthere is in us without the lea.st delay. Acadia Parish. — The parish of Acadia was created in 1886, from the south- west part of St. Landry parish, and has an area of six hundred and thirty-four square miles. It is diversified with prairie and woodland, and is bounded on the north by the parish of St. Landry; on the east by the parish of Lafayette; on the south by the parish of VermiHon, from which it is separated by the bayou of Queue Tortue, and on the west by the Bayou Nez Pique and Mermentau River, separating it from the parish of Calcasieu. The surface is generally level, but the fall is sufficient to afford good drainage into the creeks and rivers, of which there are quite a number. The streams are generally deep, with high banks, which are covered with fine timber. The water supply is ample for all pur- poses, the creeks affording an abundant supply for stock, and wells sunk to a depth of twenty to thirty feet afford an unfailing quantity for all domestic purposes. The prairies are almost monotonously level. In summer they are covered with tall, luxuriant grass from two to four feet high, which, when waving in the wind, resemble ocean billows in a storm. They are often overtopped with fragriint blossoms, presenting a scene of picturesque beauty that must be seen to be appreciated. One beautiful afternoon of a balmy Indian summer day lastfall, the writer, in coming over the Southern Pacific Railroad, from the west, saw in this parish, a prairie on fire. The line of fire extended for miles, and, as the dark cloud of smoke rolled upward, like a mourning pall, almost veihng the face of the sun, it recalled the sublime lines of Milton : "The sun, In dim eclipse, disastrous twilight shed O'er half the nations." The writer heaved a sigh that he possessed not the pencil of an artist to paint the scene as he saw it. A Western Editor' s Opinion.— L.2ii\. fall, a company of Kansas, Missouri and Nebraska editors visited Southwest Louisiana and remained several days, mak- ing the acquaintance of leading people throughout this portion of the State, and HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL. 225 seeing for themselves its wonderful resources and capabilities. When they re- turned home the}' wrote their impressions of the country for their respective papers. Selecting one, which is a fair t3'pe of the others, we make the following extracts : The New South was to the writer of this a New World. He had met some of the Southern people, as all Northern people have, and thought that he was acquainted with them, with their country and with their resources. With a limited ten days' experience he is willing to acknowledge that he knows but little now, and that he never dreamed before he saw them, of the possibilities and tlie undeveloped resources of the South. It is true that the view was super- ficial; it is true that only a very small portion of the country was traversed, and that the advantages were limited. But in the time that was spent there many ideas, preconceived and long established, were overthrown. The people of the South were not as we expected to find them. The country was not what our geography had taught us; the States were not as history pictures them. In short, we were disappointed in the South. That it was an agreeable disappoint- ment we are more than willing to acknowledge. That there is in the heart of the writer a better, a kindlier, a more brotherly feeling toward the country and the people who inhabit it than there was before, we say without reservation. In the first place our idea was that the immense appropriations made each year for the "improvement of the Mississippi," went into the hands of lobbyists and was a part of the general "divy" made by the congressmen when they put up their annual schemes. When we saw the great levees, the banks that hold the powerful waters of the whole of the central part of the continent, and when we learned, when we sazv, that the millions of acres of land, as rich and pro- ductive as the sun shines upon, would but for these levees be swamps and a wilderness, then we went right over to the enemy and became an ardent advocate of the theor}' of General Rice, and a supporter of the schemes for the "improvement of the Mississippi." And when we saw the great fields, lands as rich as the Delta of the Nile can furnish, lying uncultivated and barren, selling, if the}' sell at all, for prices as low as western land sells, when we learned that such lands when cultivated yielded the owners from $50 to $100 an acre, we could but pause in astonishment and ask why they were not utilized. The Southerner has not yet learned the lesson that his Northern brother learned in his cradle. The Southern man does not yet earn his bread by the sweat of his brow, but he still depends upon the sweat of some other man's brow. This is not said in disparagement of the Southern man, but such lessons, hard and bitter, are not learned in the lifetime of a man. There are two things that can redeem the South: The first is that it have instilled into its veins the energetic, restless blood of the North ; the next that it change its own plans, its own life, and do that which the North has always done. The first is 226 SOUTHWEST L O UISIANA : perhaps the better of the two, but a combination is the best of all. There is scarcely a foot of land in the whole South country but can be made productive. The swamps that discourage the Southern man may be made to yield fortunes. The uplands have already proved their worth. Cane, cotton, corn, anything, can be raised there. And the crops do not fail. Why, could the farmer of Kansas have the soil and the climate that the planter of Louisiana has, he would make a fortune every year, and be elected to Congress in the fall. It is not the desire of the Journal to make any man leave Kansas, but whenever a man here has made up his mind to go we advise him to write to Captain F. M. Welch, at New Iberia, Louisiana, and he will find that down in that country there is as good a chance to make a home and some money as he will find in any part of the country. And by the way, one thing learned while there was that those lands, unoccupied but excellent, can be had for from $8 to $15 an acre. Climate, soil, natural advantages of every kind, all unite in making parts of Louisiana the poor man's paradise. Here one man can thoroughly cultivate twenty or twenty-five acres of ground and force from a friendly soil more good hard dollars annually than in any other locality this writer has ever visited. Whether the small farmer turns his attention to either cane or rice the result is the same, and, under the latter-day and rapidly developing system of central plants for the treatment of either, his outlay is but trifling as compared with that of the Northern and Western farmer. If he raises cane the planting recurs but once in three years, the two remaining seasons being given over to volunteer crops, which almost, if not quite, equal the first trial. There is practically no end to the time in which he may save his crop, lor should frost visit his fields it but augments the yield of sap and makes the working the easier. During the hoeing or working season he must be diligent if he would prosper, for vegetation which blights and hinders and retards the growth of the cane is more rank and devastating than anj'thing we know of in this part of the country. After the cane is cut and laid in "windrows" he can then at his leisure haul it to one of the many mills whose smokestacks dot every eminence and have it converted into the finest sugar known to commerce. In the meantime there are no climatic rigors known which make living a burden and the raising of stock a hazardous enterprise. This is in fall and winter and early spring, the reader must re- member. What the summers would develop in the way of disease, insects or lasting and pitiless heat remains to be seen, though the inhabitants sa}' the ther- mometer never goes higher than eight^'-five or ninety. In the Teche country, about one hundred and twenty-five miles southwest of New Orleans, they have what in their pretty ignorance the inhabitants call "prai- ries and hills," but it makes a Kansas man smile in the palm of his hand to hear HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL. 227 those little patches of grass called "prairies." What would they call our be- wildering distances, stretching further than eye can reach, unbroken by tree or shrub, and all waving in succulent blue-stem? Then their hills rise sheer from the plains to a height of sometimes thirty feet. A great country for " prairies and hills." The ladies never become weary of admiring the beautiful flowers which grow in almost every dooryard. Roses more perfect than any ever seen in this country were blooming out of doors, apparently forgetful that the month was December rather than May. Nearly every morning some kind friend or casual acquaintance made during the journey furnished flowers by the arm load, purify- ing the air in the car and filling it with delightful perfume. Within the space of a newspaper article it is altogether impossible to dwell at any length upon the many interesting features of this Louisiana Eden. Of the ancient town of St. Martin's, the Spanish Lake, St. John's, the floating island, the great salt mines, etc., only mere mention can be made. Each con- tributed no slight measurement to the pleasure of the Kansas tourists, and con- cerning which volumes might be written with profit to the reader. New Iberia and the thrifty towns of the Teche country are the forerunners of what the New South is to be. The tendency of immigration for years has been westward. But comparatively few people have heretofore thought of going south, notwithstanding the fact that many of the Southern States offer more alluring inducements to agriculturists. Heretofore, however, but little effort has been put forth by the Southern people to change the tide of immigration in their direction, Hence the thousands of foreigners, as well as our own people, have climbed over each other in their mad scramble to settle upon the bleak, barren, and often unproductive prairies of the northwestern territories, where droughts have annually blighted their crops and the rigors of winter have resulted in loss of live stock, while gaunt hunger is too frequently found sitting beside the hearth of the settler's dug-out. • » « Why should intelligent, reasonable people hasten to occupy a country where irrigation must be depended upon almost entirely for a necessary water supply, and where the winters are so severe that even the moderately well-to-do farmer finds it exceedingly difficult to get through from one season to another without serious losses, when Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Ten- nessee, and other Southern States have millions of acres of as productive soil as can be found out of doors, and that can be had almost for the mere asking? The reason is apparently plain. While the West and Northwest have been In 228 SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA : the " booming" business for j-ears, the South has been pegging along at her usual slow pace, putting forth little or no effort to arouse the public to a proper appreciation of her many natural advantages. But a change is gradually taking place. The tide of immigration is surely setting in toward the Sunny South, and the next few years, perhaps, w.ll witness another northern invasion of that region-an invasion by men, women and chil- dren, bearing with them peace and good will instead of mahce ; agncultural imple- ments instead of implements of warfare-capital, enterprise and ingenuity will with them-and the old waste places, the long-neglected and deserted planta- tions and the dismal cypress swamps, will be made to bud and blossom with ripening crops. Then will that new era of peace, plenty and contentment that all good people have so long wished for, hoped for, prayed for, dawn upon Dixie s land, and the Mason and Dixon line be blotted out forever. So be it. Early Settlement. -Th^ early settlement of the parishes of St Landry, Lafayette and Calcasieu includes the early settlement, principally, of Acadia, as it was not made into an independent parish until so very recently Itis there- fore useless to go into the full details of the settlement of the parish, but will re- fer the reader to the surrounding parishes for the early settlement of this, the youngest in the State. Pertinent to the settlement of the parish, however, the following will be found of interest: Mr. Joseph Farbacher, of New Orleans, conceived the idea some years ago, about 1870-71, of colonizing this portion of the country with German immigrants. Mr. Farbacher had amassed a fortune before the war op- erating a distillery. Some years after the war, when the agitation of building a railroad (the Louisiana Western) through this section commenced, Mr. har- bacher, with the keen foresight characteristic of his people, saw nnmense tor- tunes for energetic husbandmen in the undeveloped resources of this rich do- main, whenever brought into cultivation and subjected to the uses of man. Un- der this belief he came here and entered a vast amount of land, with the inten- tion of putting a colony of German farmers on it. He built a large saw-miU upon his lands, and spent a great deal of money, with the expectation of getting the projected railroad through them. Finally, when the road wasbuilt, itmissed his lands some distance, which very materially upset his plans. Once when he was out here he witnessed some of the Acadian farmers planting rice in the mud, and upon making inquiries in regard to raising rice he determined to turn his attention to rice culture, and carry out his original intention of planting a Ger- man colony here. With this end in view he set to work, and in a short time had some dozen or more German families, direct from the "Faderland, located C^, C- /\yt^-t^^^-'=^^'<^ HiSTOnrCAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL. 2;n upon his possessions in what is now the following lines : "Sav! why seek yea distant land? The nectar vale has wine and corn; Dark pines in your Black Forest stand, In Spessert sounds the Alpine horn. " How, when in distant woods forlorn, Ye for jour naiive hills will pine, For De-itschland's golden fields of corn, And verdant hills of clustering vine. " How will the image of the past, Through all your dreams in brightness roll. And like some pious legends cast A vail of sadness o'er your soul. "The boatmen beckons — go in peace! May God preserve you, man and wife Your fields of rice and maize increase, And with his blessings crown your life!" Acadia parish. Appropriate to them are "O, sprecht! warum zogt ihr von dannen? D.)s nt-ckarthal hat Wein und Korn; Der Schwarzwald steht voll finstrer Tannen, Im Spessart klingt des Alplers Horn. " Wie wird es in den fremden Waldern, Euch nach der Heimathberge Griin, Nach Deutschland's gelben Weizenfeldern, Nach seinen Rebenhiigeln ziehn. " Wie wird das Bild der alten Tage, Durch eure Traume glanzend wehn! Gleich einer stillen, frommen Sage Wird es euch vor der Seele Stehn. "DerBootsmann winkt — Zieht hin in Frieden ! Gottscliiitz' euch, Mann und Weib undGries- Sei Freude eurer Brust beschieden, Und euren Feldern Reis und Mais!" Tearing themselves away from their friends, they crossed "the rolling deep" for a home in "the land of the free," as thousands and thousands of their countrymen hud done before them. They are now among the prosperous farm- ers of Acadia parish, and rank among the leading rice growers of Southwestern Louisiana. Introduction of Rice Culture. — -To Mr. Farbacher, therefore, is due the credit of introducing rice culture into this section of the State, and carrying it through to success. He himself cultivated the first large field of rice ever grown in Southwestern Louisiana. He brought here the first machine for threshing rice. It was of the primitive class, drawn from place to place by oxen, and the power, when it was in operation, was furnished by oxen. From this small, insignificant beginning has grown the present successful industry — rice culture. The writer called on Mr. Farbacher in New Orleans, and from his own mouth learned the above facts, which he has liere transcribed as a mat- ter of interest in the history of the parish. A recent writer says of this section as a rice-growing country: Southwest Louisiana is a natural rice country by climate and peculiar nature of soil, with hard cla\' subsoil, almost impervious to water, solid enough for the best machinery (rainfall enough for the crop if gathered as it can be, and in most cases without machinery). Attention is called to the practicability of a system of canals for drainage and irrigation, beginning at the headwaters and running south through our prairies, furnishing channels for drainage and water for irri- gation. The possible yield of rice is over thirty barrels or one hundred and twenty bushels per acre, at an average value of $3 per barrel. An average yield 15 232 SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA: is ten barrels, value $30, raised at a cost of $1 per barrel, leaving $20, or five cent, upon $400 per acre. With a fair system of irrigation and thorough culti- vation tliere will be an average profit of $40 to $50 per acre, or 5 per cent, upon $800 to $1000 per acre. In 1888 the State averaged fifteen barrels per acre. To show the value of machinery to this crop, six acres can be harvested at even less expense than one acre by hand. Four years ago, without machinery, about two hundred and fifty car loads were shipped to New Orleans between Lake Charles and Lafayette. Last year (machinery used in harvesting) there were shipped nearly one thousand cars from the same points, and a conservative estimate for the present season is that more than two thousand cars will be moved between these points. Hay Making. — But rice is not the only crop worthy of attention in South- west Louisiana. It is certainlj' about as valuable as any that can be grown here, but there are others that may be made profitable with a little exertion and slight expense. For instance, hay farming is becoming a valuable industry. Few crops can be handled more easily. A writer upon this subject thus gives his experience in cutting ha}- from the prairies: " Previous to the year 1885 it ap- pears there was no attempt made to put any of this hay on the market. In looking over these prairies, in the spring of that year, for a new home for myself and family, I was surprised to find such a bulk of grass lying and rotting on the ground. Thinking there must be some value in it (the following summer) I de- cided, with the help of my two sons, to cut some of it for hay and put it on the market. Having procured some necessary implements we cut and stacked about eighty tons. At first sight things did not look very encouraging. Hay not known on the market, no baling press within perhaps hundreds of miles, no rate fixed on railway, and other drawbacks. Fortunately another mnn came along looking up a home, and seeing what we were doing decided to come back and bring a bailing press with him. This enabled us to put this, our first hay, ready for shipment. After this a rate was applied for to New Orleans on the Southern Pacific road, but none came until the first car was loaded and billed to that city, when a telegram arrived, giving a rate of $40 per car. This rate was reduced on sub- sequent shipments to $30. And be it said to the credit of the railway officials, this rale is now reduced to $25. The returns for this first car load was anxiously looked for, not only b}' our- selves, but by a great many of the people in and around Jennings, who did not look upon this project or new enterprise with much favor. At length tlie returns came, giving the price made in New Orleans, $11 50 per ton. Now for the cost. Baling, $2 50; freight, $4; weighing, inspecting and commission, $1 50; total, if 8: leaving $3 50 for our labor to cut, stack and deliver on car. Taking all HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL. 233 things into consideration, tins may be called a fair beginning. Other car loads the same season gave about the bame results. As it has often been said that nothing succeeds Hke success, we determined to try again the following season, having induced some neighbors to join in with us. We put in some of the best machinery to cut, gather and stack our hay; also a baling press. We cut and stacked upward of 200 tons. Other parties began cutting and stacking, making within a radius of four miles some 600 tons for shipment. Another baling press was brought in, making three altogether. This hay, where put up with care and judgment, has found a ready sale at $7.50 to $10. Now, let us see the results. Cutting and stacking, $1.25; baling, $2; delivering on board cars, 75 cents.; total, $4; leaving a net profit of $4 per ton. Putting this hay at the low average of one and three quar- ter tons per acre, this will give a net profit of $7 per acre. This is keeping well within the mark, as the greater part of these prairies will, without doubt- cut two tons and upward per acre. As this hay becomes better known, it will no doubt command a much higher price. There is no fear of these grasses dy- ing out either from mowing or grazing, as there are upward of thirty different species that propagate themselves, either from seeds, joints or roots, some of the best varieties from each source. These prairies being perfectly smooth and level, no obstructions whatever, reduces the wear and tear of machinery to the lowest minimum point. The season for haying is so prolonged, extending from June to November, giving ample time to secure it. The weather (speaking from the two last sea- sons) is all that can be desired. The fall and winter months are dry and cool for baling and shipping, and will give profitable employment for many hands. We have said so much in this volume of the climate, resources and capa- bilities of Southwestern Louisiana that it seems almost superfliuous to say an)'- thing further. We have endeavored to demonstrate that this is a wonderful country, a productive and healthy country and a pleasant country in which to live. In this parish and the adjoining one of Calcasieu are many people who came here from the North and Northwest for various reasons — mostly for the rich lands and mild climate, and are doing well. They are well satisfied with the change they have made, and few of them, perhaps, could be hired for a reason- able sum to return to the land of the snow and the blizzard. One more brief extract, and we will pass to the other points of interest. We quote as follows: " This country, partly prairie, partly heavily timbered, lies directly on the line of the Southern Pacific Railroad, in a climate of the most even temperature; therefore, it is one of the healthiest; and, as it is conceded that three-fourths of all diseases originate from taking cold, we are happily free from those diseases and ailments peculiar to the variable climate of most of the Northern States. There are no diseases peculiar to this country. Malaria is in a very light form 234 SO U77/ 1 1 JiS T LO UISIA NA : iiloiij; rivers, but ihe prairies are tree from it, owing to the gulf breezes and ex- cellent water. Water, generally soft, is found in quantities throughout this en- tire section, in wells twelve to twenty feet in depth. These lands are high above overflow — sixty or more feet above the gulf, and forty feet above the river Mermenteau. This is the best country for roads we ever lived in. The land, thickly set with best native grasses, is easily broken up, easy to cultivate, as tools polish or scour readily ; soil, a clay loam with clay subsoil. The prai- ries are too high to overflow and too flat to wash. " Stock-raising is now a leading industry, and all stock came through the past winter with a loss not exceeding one per cent. Twelve thousand sheep, sixteen thousand horses and eighty thousand cattle were wintered in Calcasieu parish alone. They are never fed or cared for, and are better than the scrub stock of the North, and winter better than Northwestern stock, which is housed and fed for six months. We have had fresh beef off this prairie every week during the winter. Fruit raising will be one of the leading industries in two years' time. Peaches bear at two years, and have been known to bear almost consecutively for forty years, varieties maturing from May to November. The stump of a peach tree, eight years old, three feet in circumference, was taken from this parish to the American Exposition, New Orleans. Quinces, figs, pears, nectarines, olives, plums and pomegranates do equally as well. California raises the same fruits on high-priced lands, with expensive irrigation, and ships them past our doors and to our markets, with the freights largely against them. There is a settlement of five thousand Iowa people, who have taken part of Calcasieu prairie forty miles square, all of which was United States and State lands; and there are government lands, besides Spanish grants, along the streams, on sale, at from $3 to $7 per acre. We think there are fifty thousand acres of State lands for sale and subject to homestead claims in Calcasieu and St. Landry counties (or parishes, as called here), with United States and State land oflices located at New Orleans and Baton Rouge. "The climate is justly called perpetual spring. We will give in brief the advantages: We have even and sufficient distribution of rain (about fifty inches) during the entire year. We are entirely surrounded with heavy timber, except south to the gulf: have very light northers; the most delicate fruits amply protected; soil easily worked and broken: seaboard markets; cheap lumber; wood at nominal price, and little needed; lumber five to twenty dollars per thousand; plenty of water for stock and easily obtained everywhere in wells and running streams. The country is well adapted to a division into small farms, thereby making the locations for churches and schools as easily accessible as may be desired. Each scholar is entitled to two dollars monthly from public fund. Mosquitoes, flies and reptiles are not more numerous and troublesome than North. Mr. Carv, is first of the settlement : came March 31, 1S83. The I HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL. 235 rest came scattering over tlie entire season. Nearly all have been improved in health; many invalids came; kidney and lung diseases have been bene- fited; almost all diseases arising from frequent colds are relieved at once; catarrh never originated here, and most cases from the North have been btnented or cured. The death rate, siv to one thousand, is the lowest in the States. We were well received by the natives, who are better off than the same number of farmers North, being quite general!}' out of debt, and have land or stock. Any man who works with judgmentgets rich. Northern men become more ambitious here, and work with safety and comfort the year round. July 4, 1883, thermometer 88° here; St. Paul 90; in Decorah, Iowa, 104°; Beards- town, Illinois, 107°. Ninety-two is extreme heat here; tvvent\- degrees above, extreme cold. Invalids should come, and old folks also. It is a land of easy conditions. Five hundred dollars will make a family more comfortable than two thousand dollars in Dakota or in the ' Golden Northwest.' It is an esti- mate of a good stock man here that a four-year-old steer costs one dollar and sells for twenty dollars. Horace Greeley said: 'It costs less to raise a steer in Texas than a hen in Massachusetts.' We are out of the storm belt; have few storms, less lightning and no cyclones. The winds leave the pole and here at the same time and meet in Kansas and lovva, have a fierce battle, and each returns and rests up for a new fight. The principal crops now are sweet and Irish potatoes, corn and rice. Rice is raised at about the same expense as wheat in the North; can be sown and harvested with same machinery, and the average value of the crop is more than double. Average yield twelve and one-half bar- rels per acre ; one hundred and sixty-two pounds per barrel, valued at three dollars per barrel, rough. Expense of raising, ten dollars per acre. Health heads a long list of good things here." Organization of the Parish. — An act to create the parish of Acadia, etc. : Section i. Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Louis- iana, that a new parish in the State of Louisiana be and the same is hereby created out of the southwestern portion of the parish of St. Landry, to be called and known as the parish of Acadia; that the said parish of Acadia shall be composed of all that territory of the said parish of St. Landr3% comprised within the following boundaries, to-wit: All that portion of territory lying and being south and west of a line beginning on the west boundary of St. Landry parish, at its intersection with the township line between townships 6 and 7 south ; thence in an easterly direction on township lines between townships 6 and 7 to the northeast corner of section 3 in township 7 south, range 2 east; thence in a southerly direction on section lines about three miles to the corner common to sections 14, 15, 22, 23; thence in an easterly direction about four miles to a point in section 29, in township 7 south, range 3 east, where the section lines, if 236 SOl'TH WEST L OUISIANA : run, would make the corner common to sections i6, 17, 20, 21 ; thence in a soutl-.erly direction across section 29 and following section lines about six miles to the corner common to sections 16, 17, 20, 21 in township 18 south, range 3 east, thence in an easterly direction between sections 16 and 20 one mile ; thence two miles in a westerly direction on section lines between sections 21 and 22 and between sections 27 and 28 ; thence one mile in an easterly direction to the cor- ner common to sections 26, 27, 34, 35; thence about two miles in a southerly direction to the di\ision line between the parishes of Lafayette and St. Landry: thence following the division line as now established between the parishes of St. Landr)' and Lafayette and St. Landry and Vermilion to the existing bound- ary between the parishes of St. Landry and Calcasieu; thence on existing west boundary of St. Landry parish to the starting point aforesaid. Sec. 2. Be it further enacted, etc., That the seat of tlie parish of Acadia shall be and remain at a point to be determined upon by an election to be held for that and other purposes after this act shall have become a law; that the parish of Acadia shall form a part of the Thirteenth Judicial District; that the judge of said district shall hold regular terms of his court for said parish of Acadia; shall, until otherwise provided, form a part of the Twelfth Senatorial and the Sixth Congressional Districts of the State, etc., and so on through thir- teen sections, which are not material. H. W. Ogden, Approved: Speaker House of Representatives. January 30, 1886. Charles Knobloch, A copy. Lieut. Gov. and President of Senate. Oscar Arroyo, S. D. McEnery, Secretary of State. Governor of the State of Louisiana. Under the above act the parish was organized, the requisite machinery was set in motion and it was started on its journey as an independent municipality. It is still moving on, gathering force and vitality as it goes, and will overtake some of its older sisters yet unless they wake up and stir themselves. Parish Officers. — The following are the civil officers of Acadia parish at the last report of the Secretary of State. There may have been some change since, as the report is issued biennially : Raymond T. Clark, clerk of the district court; Eldridge W. Lyon, sheriff; George E. Brooks, coroner; David B. Lyons, tax assessor: Louis R. Deputy, inspector of weights and measures; Leon V. Fremaux. surveyor; H. W. Anding, treasurer. Justices of the Peace for the first ward : E. O. Burner and Joseph Falion; second ward, Westley F. Stokes: third ward, Henry D. McBride; HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL. 237 fourth ward, Sam. Cart; fifth ward, Andrew Henr}-: sixth ward, S. W. Young: seventh ward, Alex. C. Larinand ; eighth ward, J. W. Spears. The Constables are : A. N. Lyon and M. Arceneaux, first ward; Milton F. Laughlin, second ward; E. J. Daigle, third ward; Samuel Cart, fourth ward; John Dahon, fifth ward ; S. M. Hundley, sixth ward; Louis Morris, seventh ward; Gerrasin Meche, eighth ward. The Police Jurors are as follows: For first ward, Benson J. Harmon; sec- ond ward, Paul E. Fremaux; third ward. Melors J. Doucet; fourth ward, Homer Barouse; fifth ward, Bennett E. Clark, president. Notaries Public are: Charles A. Beroddin, R. H. Bull, P.J. Chappus, Samuel Cart, John Wesley Young, W. W. Duson. John O. Levayne, H. D. McBride, William Clarin, Joseph Hops. Terms of court are held — jury terms — in April and November; civil terms to begin January i6 and end January 21 of each year. Post-offices are Cartville, Churcli Point, Crowley, Evangeline, Farbacher. Mermenteau, Millersville, Plaquemine Brulee, Prud'homme and Rayne. The court house of Acadia parish is a handsome, two-story brick structure, recently built, containing offices, court rooms, etc. It cost twelve thousand dol- lars, and is an ornament to the parish and a monument to the people and their enterprise. The parish jail cost four thousand dollars, and is a commodious and substantial building. Parish Seat. — Crowley is a new town, which has sprung into existence since the formation of the parish. It is already well known throughout the State, and in many other places that are not in the State, and, perhaps, never will be. Its business men are public spirited and are united on all questions of public im- portance. The town was incorporated in 1888, under the laws of the State, and within the last year or two has made five thousand feet of plank sidewalk. The Methodist church, completed in 1889, is a fine building, and cost about two thousand five hundred dollars. Ground was donated for a school house, and a good, substantial building has been erected on it. An excellent graded school is taught for the usual term each year. The situation of Crowley on the Southern Pacific Railroad gives it advan- tageous communication with the outside world, and the distance it is from Lafayette (about twenty-five miles) and Lake Charles (about fifty miles) must necessarily make it a heavy shipping point. It being also about the centre of the parish greatly adds to its business interests. A great many Northern and Western people have settled in and around Crowley and their push and enter- prise are being seen and felt in the entire community. Acadia College is situated at Crowley, the parish seat of Acadia parish. In addition to its natural beauty, healthfulness and accessibility from all parts of •2.1.S SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA: the countrv. which make it so desirable as u location for a college, it has all the quiet and retirement ot the country, while the whole atmosphere of the place favors honest, thorough educational work. The college has six excellent buildings, sufficient for the accommodation of a large number of students. The main building is two-story, 50x120 feet, with two wings, one of which is two-story, 24x36 feet, and the other 24x48 feet. This building is pleasantly located and divided into convenient, well ventilated and liglUed rooms, amply supplied with good furniture. The upper story of this building will be used exclusively for the accommodation of the m.itron, lady teachers, and the girls of the boarding department. A large two-story building of twenty rooms, now under process of erection, will be occupied exclusively by the male boarders. These, with the other buildings mentioned, will furnish excellent accommodations for the various departments of the college and for a large number of boarders. Boai'ding in College. — Parents and tutors can not very easily overestimate the importance of boarding their children and wards in the college. Here they are not exposed to inclement weather, they lose no time on account of rainy days, they entertain no company, are under the constant care of judicious teach- ers and are subjected to regulations that are conducive to good health, diligent study and regular and systematic habits. Upon entering the school they become members of the president's family, and, under his supervision, the care of their domestic life is placed in the hands of those whose duty it is to look after their manners and habits, to secure from them faithfulness in the performance of dut}' and to maintain an oversight over all their interests. We seek to provide for our boarders a bright, happy. Christian home, where "teachers and pupils may- sit at the same table, worship at the same altar and mingle in the same social circle," and where everything is made to contribute to the faithful performance of every school duty. While a close and disagreeable system of espionage will not be enforced, assiduous care will be exercised over the manners, habits and language of the pupils. Young ladies will not be permitted to receive private visits from young gentlemen; but such society and agreeable entertainment will be afforded them as a proper regard for the circumstances and aims of school life and the best interests of the pupils may demand. A generous table, sup- plied with wholesome, well prepared food, will be kept at all times. The rooms are furnished with all that may be necessary for the comfort and proper care of the student. In sickness students will be assigned to a room reserved for the sick, where they can receive the constant and faithful care of the matron, and where they will be free from disturbances and intrusions. Meals will be served them there, but will not be sent to private bedrooms. As our patronage is drawn from the best families of the land, the associa HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL. 239 tions of our pupils are of a most pleasant and desirable character. In addition to the special lessons in Etiquette, every effort will be made on the part of the Faculty, by precept and example, to mould the character of our pupils into a Jiigh type of social manhood or womanhood. Such discipline will be used with our girls as tends to develop tlie true womanliness which makes a young lady an ornament to society and a blessing to the household. A most excellent system adopted is that of uniforms. It promotes economy and prevents extravagance and rivalry in dress. Hence all the students are re- quired to wear the college uniform on public occasions. The military uniform for boys consists of navy blue coat and cap and gray pants with blue stripe. In a wreath oa the front of the cap are letters "A. C." These suits are furnished at actual cost. All male students must provide themselves with this uniform, •unless excused by the president for good cause. The uniform for girls must conform to the following requirements: 1. For winter — Dress of navy blue cashmere, with trimmings of light blue surah silk. For the neck, plain linen collar. A heavy black wrap or cloak for cold weather. Cap, dark navy blue. Style of dress: Directory coat, with vest, collar and cuffs of light blue silk. Front of skirt accordion or knife pleated. 2. For Spring — Dress of white cross-barred muslin, trimmed with the same material, full skirt and blouse waist and sailor collar. Co-Ediication — The co-education of the sexes is a question of interest, and of recent years has provoked wide discussion. It is still a question that is not settled to the satisfaction of all. Acadia College, in its last catalogue, thus presents its views on the subject: "Co-education is no longer an experiment. Its superiority over the old •monastic system of separating the sexes is an established fact. He who said 'It is not good for man to be alone,' has associated the sexes together in families and in communities. The effort to contravene God's appointment in the organi- zation of our schools must fail of success, and leading educators have come to realize this fact and are fast adjusting themselves to the situation. Less than twenty-five years ago there were only three co-education colleges in the world; now there are over two hundred, while the very large majority of the public schools are co-educational. President Robinson, of Brown University, one of the oldest and best colleges in the United States, after a careful consideration of the reasons for and against co-education, concludes that the arguments urged against it are 'mere prejudices against co-education,' and advises the trustees of the university as follows : 'In view of both sides of the question, therefore, I would recommend that some kind of provision be made for the education of young women by Brown University,' etc. Dr. J. B. Gambrell of Mississippi, speaking of the proposition before the trustees of Vanderbilt University to admit 240 SOUTHWEST L OUISIANA : girls to the course of study, sa3-s, 'Why not? God has placed the bo3's and girls together in the same families, and we respectfully submit that the Creator has made no mistake.' The president of the Northern Indiana Normal School, whose matriculations number over two thousand students a year, says, 'A true educa- tion is accomplished more fully by co-education of the sexes.' President Hol- brook, of national reputation as a teacher and author, says: 'A true education of both sexes is accomplished more vigorously, harmoniously and certainly by their mutual stimulus and sympathy during the course of study." He gives the result of ten years' test trial in these words: 'The result fully justifies the experiment. It is in every way a success.' Dr. R. C. Burleson, the venerable president of Baylor — Waco University, says : 'I am confident in ten years more there can not be found a well-informed man in Tex.is who will oppose co-education.' These opinions from our best and most experienced educators could be extended almost indefinitely, but we have not space for more. No reputable educator who has tested it will question the superiority of co-education." * * The American, of Lake Charles, January 15. 1890, says this of the Acadia College : Here, then, is an institution of learning which first saw the dawn of light September 21, enrolling a fair number of pupils, and ere the first term had closed it had increased twofold. Knowing, as we do, of the features which so predominate in the college, viz: culture, refinement, mental and moral training, success can not but attend its efforts. And there is every reason to believe that the coming term, December 31, will open under the most favorable auspices. Christmas, robed in her gaudy plumage, carrying her tina lina heavenward, has brought to our people this year joy more substantial and happiness more com- plete than ever before. Education, having asserted its rights, and in commemoration of its victory, seeing a fitness in the locality and surroundings of Crowley, has established a seat of learning from which the highest type of culture and exalted standard of requirements will radiate over this favored domain of Louisiana. We want the sons and daughters of this fair land to drink deep of the Pyerian spring now open to them, and join us in oppressing ignorance which arises on every side. Glorious as is our Republic, there is yet one dangerous element, viz: the ignor- ance of so large a number of its masses. Under a free government, among an ignorant population there will always be abuses. If we wait until a garrison has been placed against every possible abuse we shall wait until eternity engulfs us within its bosom. What that was which attracted the sagacious eye of him who looked into the future with a wise and discerning glance, and what was his object, may be fully demonstrated now by one who will visit this place. The verdict of stu- HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL. 241 dents, visitors and professors bears evidence of the sagacity of tlie founder of this seat of learning, viz: President W. M. Reese, Ph. D. Patrons and friends who have visited this college and had occasion to be present at recitations in the several departments are loud in their praise of the progress of the pupils, and the complete corps of teachers composing its faculty. We realize that there is now a responsibility placed upon us more sacred in character than ever before. Why can not our children, under the auspices of institutions like this, so im- prove the present that in some distant day it may be said that they have attained tliat noble elevation of mind. Happy are we who can look forward with hope and inward assurance, can see glimpses of the green fields opening beyond for them. Geology, which has been sobered into wisdom by the present age and experience, whose noblest and truest professor was Moses, is still reveling amid her flora and deciphering by the Rosetta Stone of Revelation the hieroglyphic symbols of God, proud amid the ruins of her temple, at the same time bids us throw aside the veil of ignorance and dive into her profound truths. Geograph}- has thrown open her vast domain of earth and ocean. So, to investigate care- fully God's material universe, which he has proffered to man as a perpetual study, the mind must be developed. Let us, then, rally to the maintenance of this institution of learning, and under the presidency of Dr. Reese, one of our brainiest, most active and practical of Southern educators, Acadia College will be second to none in the South. As a conclusion to this sketch of Acadia College, the following from the pen of the present president. Prof. T. C. Cherry, is here given : The first term of Acadia College opened September 24, 1891, with Dr. W. M. Reese president. and wiih an attendance of only forty pupils. In January, 1890, Dr. Reese resigned the presidency of the college, and Prof. T. C. Cherry was unanimous- ly elected by the board to fill the vacancy. At the time Doctor Reese resigned his position the school was greatly in debt and it seemed upon the verge of destruction. Through the timely assistance of several liberal, enterprising men, it was given another tooting, and since that time has made marvelous strides toward a grand success. It sustains ten departments and has a present patron- age of 165 pupils. New and magnificent buildings are to be erected by the opening of the fall session of 1891. The school is now figuring as one of the prominent educational institutions in Southwestern Louisiana, and bids fair at no distant day to take the lead as a school of extraordinary merit. It is beau- tifully located in a healthful and fertile district. It is coeducational and non- sectarian. Its courses are very thorough and practical. Rayne, situated on the Southern Pacific Railroad, is perhaps a larger town than Crowley ; it is an older one, having been founded long before the parish was created. It has schools, churches, a number of hotels, stores and business houses, etc., and is a shipping point for a large scope of rich country. It also •242 S()r7'II\Vj:ST LOUIS/. WA: has a spn<;htly newspaper — Tlie Acadia Sentinel — published by Mr. Oscar L. Alpha, whicli is an evidence of its thrift and prosperitv. There are several other small villages in the parish. There are so many erronous impressions prevailing among Northern people as to the status of the negro in the South, that we feel disposed to give an in- stance or two, hoping tliey rnay find their way North, which will serve to show that the negroes are not hunted, shot down and scalped, as once was the custom among the American pioneers and the Indians, but on the contrary, the relations between the races are quite amicable. The instances referred to are those of negroes owning and working the lands upon which they once labored as slaves, and supporting their former masters and mistresses free — "without money and without price," having built them small houses in which to pass in ease their few remaining years. The writer was informed by a Catholic priest in this section that several such instances could be given within the compass of his acquaintance, where the old people were supported, if not in luxury, in comfort by their former slaves. There is no shotgun policy in that. It is free and voluntary on the part of the negroes. But there are those in the North who would hardly believe these things if they saw them. They are like the sinners of old, who had "Moses and the prophets, and, as they heeded not them, would not be persuaded, though one rose from the dead." — Perrin. CHAPTER X. Parish of Vermilion — Topography and Description — Soils and Crops — Agricultural Statistics — Fruit Culture — Pecan Island — Shadowy Traditions Concerning Tr — Opinion of. an Ex-Gov- ernor—Settlement of the Parish — Act Organizing the Parish — Town of Abbeville — Change of Parish Seats — The Catholic Church — The Seat of Justice Finally Located — Abbeville In- corporated — Business Men's Directory — Perry's Bridge — Mili- tary History — The War of 1812 — Soldiers in the Late War — Schools — The Bench and Bar — Benevolent Societies, Etc. "Like gladsome gales on Orient seas, With odors blown from isle and coast, From fragrant shores we felt the breeze That whispered of the Eden lost." — Southern Poetess. ECURRENCES of the past, with the recollections and associations whicli make it pass in life-like review before our mental vision, especially when they connect themselves with incidents reflected back from our own experiences. These reminders vanish with the life of the participants, where no landmarks remain to save us the pictures faintly delineated in the tablets of memory. To preserve these from forgetfulness before they have lost their distinguishing originality is the work devolved upon the historian. History fails in its great mission when it fails to preserve the life features of the subjects committed to its trust. Local history, more than anv other, commands the most interested attention, for the reason that it is a record of events in which we have a peculiar interest, as many of the participants traveled the rugged and thorn\- pathway of life as our companions, acquaintances and relatives. The parish of Vermilion is the last one sketched in this volume, though it is by no means least in wealth and importance. It comes last in the list perhaps because it is written in "the book of the law and testimony " that "the last shall be first and the first shall be last." Vermilion is one of the richest parishes in Southwest Louisiana, though a con- siderable portion of it is sea marsh. Even that, when reclaimed by tlie proper drainage, will make the very finest of rice lands. It lies on the gulf coast, with the parish of Cameron bounding it on the west, Acadia and Lafayette parishes on the north, and with Iberia parish, Vermilion Bay and Marsh Island on the •244 S0UTHWES7' L O UISIANA : east. It has about eleven hundred and fifty square miles, and some ten tliou- sand inhabitants. Topogra-phy and General Descriflion. — Vermilion parish is generally level of surface, with considerable prairie and sea marsh. Not more than four or five hundred square miles is tillable woodland, prairie and cypress swamp. About one quarter of the tillable land is on the east side of the Vermilion River, and about three-quarters on the west side, extending to Lake Arthur and the Vermilion. The timbered land is principally on the Vermilion River, extending on both banks from the Lafayette line nearly to Vermilion Bay. The timber is narrow above Abbeville, but it becomes broader below the town, extending out a mile and a half on each side in places. Below Abbeville there is a creek on the west of the river lined with a heavy body of timber, and there is another on the east side, the line of forest trees extending across the New Iberia and Abbeville ro;ul. There is a line of cypress timber on land a little higher than the prairie at the edge of the sea marsh, north of Marsh Lake, twelve miles long and three- quarters of a mile wide. And there are islands of timber in the edge of the sea marsh east of Vermilion River. Soil and Crops. — The soil of this parish is a dark vegetable mould, with a large proportion of sand, from eight to twelve inches deep. This rests on a subsoil of gra3'ish cla3^ The soil along the Vermilion River has a larger pro- portion of sand than that further back; this gives the soil a lighter color. On account of the larger proportion of sand here than in the Teche lands these fields are more easily cultivated, and the roads need but little working — in most in- stances none at all — to keep them good the year round. The bottom of ponds and ditches are not boggy. One may pass over any of them on horseback without any inconvenience to the horse or rider. There are natural ponds in all these prairies, where the stock cattle are supplied with water. These ponds are from twenty to fift}' yards in diameter. Being forciblv struck with the convenience of those natural ponds, as they are called by the residents, I made inquiry as to whether they had been made for reservoirs for the purpose of holding the supply for the stock during the dry season. The only answer I received was, " they had no recollection of any of them being made by the hand of man." Prairie Gregg, which lies next to the sea marsh southeast of Abbeville, is a beautiful sheet of land, level and rich, the soil darker than that east of Abbeville. The gulf breezes sweep over it unin- terrupted by forest trees. There are but few of the old inhabitants here who cultivate their land to any extent, relying principally on fruits, poultry and stock raising, which yield them a revenue with which they seem to be perfectly satisfied. Viewed from an elevated position of the Queue Tortue, half way between HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL. 245 the Vermilion and Lake Arthur, the scenery is the most perfect of its kind that fancy can describe. Facing the south, one may here turn to the right or to the left, and as far as the eye can reach there is one vast extent of natural meadow. Here and there may be seen a herd of cattle or horses, almost hidden in some places by the tall natural grass. The prairies east, west and south are dotted with little groves of trees, which shade the cottages of the resident population, who live principally by hunting, fishing and stock raising. The soil is good for sugar cane, cotton, rice, potatoes, and all the products of the Attakapas parishes. The yield of cotton is not as large per acre as in higher latitudes. The parish is peculiarly adapted to the cultivation of rice. It may become the leading rice parish in the State. Large yields of sugar have been grown in the parish; as large as three thousand pounds have been pro- duced; from eight hundred to one thousand pounds of rice. The capacity of the soil is strong, but has been neglected on account of the great attention paid to stock raising. Oxen are generally used in breaking up new ground, and Cre- ole or native horses in cultivating it. They are not put to work until the grass rises in March, since but few of them are fed on hay or corn. It is surprising to see so little attention paid to making hay, when it could be gathered in great abundance. Millions of tons are trampled under foot and go to waste, for the number of cattle that are raised in this section can not consume the great quantity of grass in the growing season. Agriculture has received less attention here than in the other parishes. Good well water can be had in this section at a depth varying from twenty to thirty feet. A large quantity of poultry and eggs are shipped to the New Orleans market from this section. This parish abounds in wild game, such as duck, geese, brent, quail, wild hogs, prairie hen and deer Agricultural statistics from the assessor's books, given below, will be found of interest to the reader for 1885: Acres of land in the parish, 677,667; un- cultivated, 653,732; cultivated, 23,955; acres in cane, 1675; in cotton, 6830 in rice, 930; in corn, 13,840; in potatoes, 660. Yielding the following prod- ucts: 462 barrels of molasses, 462 hogshead of sugar, 1082 bales of cotton 303 barrels of rice, 121,269 bushels of corn, 17,700 bushels of sweet potatoes In 1889 there was produced 2755 bales of cotton, 1962 barrels of rice, 287,696 bushels of corn, 14,540 bushels of potatoes. In 1890: 2600 barrels of molasses, 1500 hogsheads of sugar, 2750 barrels of sugar, 2750 bales of cotton 3924 barrels of rice, 32,151 bushels of corn, 14,600 bushels ot sweet potatoes Value of live stock in parish in 1890, $360,371; total assessment of property in parish, $1,805,662. F'ruit Culture. — Vermilion parish grows fine peaches. The soil on the banks of most of the bayous and in much of the prairie, is admirably adapted to this fruit. And the general appearance of the peach trees justifies 2 Ifi SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA : this conclusion. Oranges and the mespilus do well in the lower part of the parish. This section of country as yet is in its infancy as regards the planting, fertilizing, pruning and cultivation of fruit trees. It is evident to our mind that the past year's experience has benefited every one in Southwest Louisiana in fruit culture. One fact has been demonstrated, we think, to the satisfaction of every one — the planting of fruit trees of every variety on perfectly drained soil. This is the first thing to be looked after when you determine to plant an orchard. The drainage should be perfect, and if tile is used, so much the better, as it has a tendency to give warmth to the soil to the depth of the tile. The next thing is tlie cultivation and fertilization. The cultivation should be principally to keep down weeds; a growth of peas that will shade the land dur- ing the months of July and August is a good crop to grow in a young orchard, as it serves to shade the land, and at the same time acts as a mulch and a fertilizer. As winter approaches, everything should be done to stop growth. Whatever fertilizer is used should be used in spring after the blooming of the trees. The less growth during the winter months, the less liable is the tree to be injured in any way by cold. Sa3's Catherine Cole in the New Orleans Picayune: " Ever3'thing that is here has been placed here within a twelvemonth. The vines, fruit trees, young groves of China trees — the future shade and fuel of the home — the luxurious gardens and flowers, all are less than a year old. The vineyard is planted as it is done in France, Germany and California, and the vines are already at the lops of their poles. In the gardens are magnificent melons, egg-plants, cucum- bers, tomatoes, and what not. These fruits and vegetables equal in size and surpass in quality the best California products. The wells on the place give cold and delicious water at a uniform depth of twelve or fourteen feet. The pretty porches are shaded by vines, and the garden is gay with the glory of marigolds, zimnias, petunias, and crysanthemums. All about is the prairie, with its roaming herds of cattle, its silver coolees that never go dry, and its islands of trees showing where some settler has made him a home. New settlers, mostly from the west, are coming into this parish, and are settling up those small farms that are to be the nucleus of a new civilization, of education, and of a truer pros- perity than the State lias ever known. A prosperitj' builded on the substantial foundation of small farms will endure forever. The small farmer never goes to the wall, and between his iiedges and his well-kept fields, churches, schools and factories are certain to spring up. The great fertilizers of the new South will be the small farm. « • " A prairie home is like an oasis. Riding across the level lands toward a hanging garden. The gray roof and red chimney floating its blue flag gleam cheerfully under the deep shade of the grove of umbrella China trees that the HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL. 1^1 settler has planted as shade for himself and cattle and for his fuel in the future. His crops of cotton, corn, rice and cane stretch away in a wondrous mosaic of luxuriant color. The oranges hang heavy on the trees about the house and pigeons are pluming themselves by the gray rim of the well. About the front door are banana trees and pink-plumed myrtles. The cattle stand belly-deep in the lakes that are scattered here and there in opulent profusion, as if riotous nature had flung down with generous hand so many huge silver coins. They are linked over the tawny breast of this prairie like a necklace of silver coins strung over the bosom of an Indian princess, making her beautiful and pictur- esque. The dreamy crooning of the pigeons, the buzzing of the bees in the alder bushes, the faint low of the cattle or neigh of a young tilly in her field, the sweet smell of the hay fields, the burnished gold on the heavy corn, the wondrous bottomless depths of the blue sky — who that has seen and heard and felt all these can forgot how sweet is Louisiana as it is?" Pecan Island. — In the southern part of the parish in the sea marsh, is Pecan Island. It is situated about six miles from the coast, and is sixteen miles in length, covered with pecan and live-oak trees. This island presents the novel feature of an island surrounded, not by water, but by land, or rather by sea marsh. It is inhabited by hogs, cattle and people, and it is said that the latter know little more than the animals with which they live. There are many stories and traditions and legends concerning this island. One is, it has been supposed that it was the resort of pirates for centuries, and that there is untold wealth buried upon the island, if it could be found. Located as the island is, it is difficult of approach by the stranger, as well as dangerous, and hard to find. Another tradition, that two men presented themselves here once with a map of the country, which showed the island with the best ap- proaches to it, and employing a guide made their way to the island for the pur- pose of seeking for the buried treasure. But the people living on the island showed such hostility they were glad to get away with whole skins. Another tradition still is that the people living on the island are descendants of the pirates that once infested the island, and have multiplied to their present numbers. The island is said to be like unto the valley of dry bones, or a veritable golgotha, and that great quantities of human bones are to be found here, which has given rise to the legend that the pirates brought their prisoners here to mur- der them; also that the Attakapas Indians, who had the reputation of eating their prisoners, and hence were known as man-eaters, which is Attakapas ren- dered into English, brought their prisoners here, where they butchered them, cooked them up with clams and other products of the sea, and feasted to their hearts', or, rather, their stomachs', content. This is all given for what it is worth. Much of it is legend and tradition, and as such it is given to the reader, 16 248 SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA: It is understood that the land embraced in Pecan Island is soon to he put upon the market, and, when it is, then perhaps some of the traditions may be unrav- eled. Who will live upon this island, however, for the ghosts of the murdered ones doubtless haunt the island, at least in the minds of the superstitious? If the island is filled witli the ghosts of slaughtered men, who will want to make it his home? Opinion of an Ex-Govcnior. — Ex-Governor Riddle, of Kansas, after a visit to Southwestern Louisiana, wrote and published his views, as follows: Under the old system it took a mint of money to run a sugar plantation. There was a vast bodj' of land to buy, a sugar house costing from $40,000 to $100,000 to build, quarters for the negroes, etc. Then would come the cost of planting, cultivation and manufacture, all of which had to be borne by the planter, without a cent of returns until he marketed his crop. There are numerous instances where men have purchased plantations on credit and paid for them in a year or two,' and there are instances where a single disaster has swept away the accumulations of years. The dangers attendant upon the busi- ness of sugar planting were mostly to the planter under the levees of the Missis- sippi, where his crops were ruined hy floods. These the planters in Southwest Louisiana escape. Nevertheless, the future of the sugar business seems to be in the new system, which, in brief, is to separate the agricultural part of it from the manufacturing part. They speak of it in Louisiana as the Central System. A man or a com- pany puts up a sugar house in some convenient center and bu3's the cane brought to him. This enables the planter to farm on either a large or small scale. Land can be purchased, when unreclaimed, for seventy-five cents to $1.50 per acre. Land with improvements and under cultivation can be bought for from $4 to $10 per acre, or may be rented for either a cash rent or share of the crop. An acre of good land will produce from fifteen to twenty-five tons of cane, and the cane will sell from $3 to $5 per ton, according to the season. It is selling this season for $5 per ton. It was further provided that a mayor and four aldermen should form a town council, and the ten oldest citizens, voters, of the town should preside over the first election. At a meeting, Maj' 17, 1866, H. C. Read, mayor, councilmen: Stephen Hall, Leo Landrj', Voorhies Trahan, Leon Broussard, and E. Guegnon, secretary. He was also made the public printer of the council, and for his services he was to receive one hundred dollars per annum, payable monthly. George Caldwell was elected city constable for one year at three hundred dol- lars for his services, and also one-half of all fees. At the same meeting it was ordered that all persons bringing beef to town for sale must bring along the hides and brands, that they might be inspected by the constable to see that they HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL. 249 were the rightful owners. A fine of fifty dollars was the result of non-compli- ance with this order. The present council: James B. Petty Ophehas Bourque, Mozerolie, C. J. Edwards, and J. J. Abadie, secretary; Euphemon Leblanc, town marshal. The town has two fire companies : Hook and Ladder Company, and Fire Company No. 2. A social club has been in existence two years, called the ■' Merry Boys." Business Directory. — Joseph Labit, post-master; Ulyses Abadie, wines, liquors and billiards; Aphelius Bourque, general merciiandise : Miss Lorenzo Blanc, millinery; Heirs of David Beer, general merchandise; Jean Boyance, baker and confectioner; J. M. Banxis, groceries; W. H. Chevis, blacksmith; Lucius Theophile, merchandise; Lucius Duteil, liquors: Ferdy & Wall, lum- ber; Lero}- J. Feray, groceries: A. J. Godard, drugs; Godchau.v & Co., gen- eral merchandise ; J. C. Lege, saloon; E Montine, surveyor and grocer; R. H. Miles, druggist; Felix Romero saloon; Fraban & Romero, livery; Louis Thi- beaux, stock dealer ; Louis Leoland, saloon; A. Mouton, saloon ; F. L. Mil- lerbrock, merchandise; Joseph Caldwell, grocer; A. Labord, grocer; George Schells, shoe shop; J. A. Brookshire, cotton gin; Solomon Hise, general merchant; E. G. Lemaire, general store; P. D. Dupuy, general merchandise; Lege & Guydoy, grOcei-s; Madam Abadie, hotel; Sylvanie Preljin, hotel; Ernst Mouton, livery; Ernest Trahan, oyster saloon: Ayman Bourque, barber, and one hundred and thirtj'-eight tax payers. Perry's Bridge. — Perry's Bridge, or the town of Perry, is situated in Vermilion, three miles from Abbeville. Its business is as follows: J. S. Ham- let, druggist and physician; J. Meguier, general merchandise ; M. Boudin, gen- eral merchandise; Arthur Derouin, E. P. Putnam, cotton compress; Martin & Timothy Baley, etc. Slock Jfa/sino-. — Horses, cattle and sheep in large numbers have grazed upon the prairies of Southwestern Louisiana for many \^ears, receiving no care from their owners except the annual round-up. Where more care has been given, better stock has been produced. By paying some attention to the im- provement of the stock, and feeding a few weeks in the winter, valuable animals could be raised, for which there are ready markets at remunerative prices. The chief difficulty in improving cattle lies in acclim iting Northern cattle. Import- ing Northern cattle is so unsafe that we advise against it in all cases. It is safe to bring mules and horses if care be exercised. There are several large stock raisers in the parish of Vermilion. Among them may be noted J. P. Guydon. He owns about forty-six thousand acres of 250 SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA . land, twent3'-nine thousand acres in a single pasture. Adrian Nunez is said to be the largest stock raiser in tlie parish. He is on Vermilion Bayou. Frank Minston and Felix Broussaid are also stock dealers, togetlier with many others on a smaller scale. Military History — The patriotism of this section was shown for the Ameri- can government in the war of 1812. A large number of men from what is now Vermilion parish took part. Two companies were largely made up among the people here. The following names have been collected as having served in those companies: Jean F. Bourque, Pierre Desormeaux, Charles Harrington, Wni. Harrington, John B. Theall, P. P. Thibodeaux, Abram Abshire, Pierre Laponte. Vidal Laponte, Zepherin Trahan. Of the two companies named here, they were commanded by Capt. Robert Perry and Capt. Shadrach Porter. Two of the widows df these old soldiers are known to be living and are drawing pensions; Zepherin Trahan is also liv- ing and enjo3ing good health. Of the Mexican war we have no data on this parish. The war between the States comes next. Of all the wars that have ever disturbed the peace of the world, a civil war is the most direful. The rival houses of York and Lancaster, with their emblems of "White" and " Red," shook old England to her center, filling her houses with mourning, her fields with carnage, and wasting blood of her bravest and best; but compared to our "war between the States" it is dwarfed into insignificance. A perfect history of our late civil war has never been written; it never can be written. Were the " pen dipped in the gloom of earthquake and eclipse," it could not write a true history of those four long years of strife. All the evils of war, and all the horrors of civil war crowded into them. But as in the union of "the roses," was found the germ of England's future greatness and resplendent glory, so in the harmonious blending of the Blue and Gray — well, who shall dare limit the greatness and glory of America. The first company for the late war from this parish was that of Capt. White. They were stationed at the mouth of the Mermentau River, with two pieces of cannon, six and twenty-four pounders. They served only six months, and as their time was then up, they disbanded and returned home. Many of Vermilion's heroes left and went to other parts and enlisted there for tlie war. A company was raised by Capt. A. Berard, L. M. Bernard, first lieutenant, and G. S. Nunez, second lieutenant, and joined Fournet's Battalion. Besides this one or two companies of Home Guards were raised, which did duty in the parish. The public schools of the parish are in charge of a regular school board, whose duty it is to divide the parish into school districts, and to apportion the HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL. 251 school funds among the several districts in proportion to the number of chil- dren between the ages of six and eighteen years ; to provide sciiool houses, furniture, etc., for the schools. The board has a president and secretary; the latter is ex-officio superintendent of the schools of the parish. In 1889 there were in the parish 3364 white children; 1736 males and 1628 females. Colored children — males 320, and females 315. The present school board are: N. C. Young, president; Ambrose La Cour, secretary; James M. Williams, super- intendent, and Guy Hays, Eloi Harrington, Henry Harrington and Desire Maux. The schools have been built up principally in the last five years, and are now held about ten months yearly. The Press. — The first paper in the parish was the Independent. It was started about 1852, by Val. Veazey, who was its editor and publisher, and printed it both in English and French. He sold it in December, 1856, and the Meridinal was published in its place; the first issue making its appear- ance January i, 1857, under the management of E. I. Guegnon, who con- ducted it until 1862, when he died. His son, Eugene Guegnon then assumed control of it, and published it until 1877, when he too died, and his widow, Mrs. Ursule Guegnon, continued to publish it until 1879, when she sold it to E. J. Addison, the present owner. It is Democratic in politics, is a livelv and enterprising journal, and wields considerable influence. The Vermilion Star was established in April, 1890, by Mr. S. P. Watts, a brilliant and wide-awake young newspaper man. It is a sprightly and in- teresting sheet, and from its first issue it took rank among the best papers in this section of the State. The best we can say of it is to quote Rip Van Winkle's toast — "May it live long and prosper." Benevolent Associations. — Abbeville Lodge, No. 192, F. & A. M, was chartered in 1868. Among the charter members were Capt. W. D. White, Elijah Ewing, J. F. Morgan, C. Remick, John Ellis, L. Rogers, J. F. Labit, J. Plonsky, etc. The present officers are J. F. Labit, Master; A. F. Marfield, Senior Warden; , Junior Warden, and Gus Godcheaux, Treasurer. Acadian Lodge, No. 3240, of the Knights of Honor was instituted at Abbe- ville, January 30, 1886. The charter members were: Joseph T. Labit, Albert T. Galloway, James M. Williams, John T. Hamblet, Wm. P. Miller, W. G. Kibbe, A. N. Neal, G. Godchaux, Horace Robinson, G. B. Shaw, R. H. Mills, Wm. D. White, Oliver C. Kibbe, J. A. Brookshire, Adolph F. Maxfield, Chas. L. Cullison and Joseph M. Frazer. The present officials of the lodge are: Past Dictator, D. N. Wall; Dictator, S. P. Watts; Vice Dictator, W. D. White; Assistant Dictator, J. N. 252 SOUTHWEST L OUISIANA : Williams; Chaplain, W. L. Vanslyke; Reporter, O. H. O'Bryan; Financial Reporter, J. L. Feray; Treasurer, L. Sakolsky: Guide, Joseph T. Labit; Guardian, S. Isaacs; Sentinel, J. Ben. The lodge has forty-two members in good standing. The lodge is having a prominent growth and meditates the erection of a hall in the near future. Branch No. 597, St. Mary Magdelane Lodge of the Catholic Knights of Honor, was cliartered here November 30, 1889. It wasorganized February 10, 1890. Charter members were: Lastie Broussard, O. Bourque, Lewis Laporte, T. S. Abshire, M. D., John Abshire, Jr., Adonis LeBlanc, Felix Broussard and A. J. Golden. This lodge is in a prosperous condition and constantly receiving new members. Its competent and attentive corps of officers are: President, O. Bourque; Vice President, Lastie Broussard; Secretary, Adonis LeBlanc; Med- ical Examiner, J. T. Abshire, M. D. ; Financial Secretary, J. A. Villien. This lodge is constantly. receiving accessions of new members and bids fair to become one of the strongest in the parish in the near future. The Abbeville Literary Society was organized about 1874 by Doctor White, W. A. White and L, Broussard. The membership became good and the society purchased quite a library for a town of this size, and wliich is still in existence. The Eclectic Club was organized in 1889. It is a debating and literary club, and is well attended and supported. Doctors and Lawyers. — Among the earl}- physicians of Vermilion parish who have passed from the stage of action may be mentioned Doctors Wm. Mills, Wm. R. Mudd, John Chevis, Henry T. Chevis, R. J. Epperson, F. D. Young, H. Abadie, T. T. Solon and Doctor Dabrun. These pioneer ph3'sicians of the parish have gone to that land where there is no sickness, nor disease, nor death. The present "medicine men" are Doctors W. D. White, W. G. Kibbe, F. F. Young, R. J. Young, C. J. Edwards, J. F. Hamlet (lives at Perry's Bridge), J. T. Abadie, P. L. Leblanc (lives in the country). E. Tillie, Joseph A. Villien, M. R. Cushman and J. B. Ramsey all live in the country. The Vermilion Medical Societ}^ was organized in 1887 and holds quarterly meetings. To become members of the society, physicians must be regularly graduated from a regular medical college, and in good standing. Doctor J. T. Abshire is at present president of the society. Doctor W. D. White was one of the prime movers in organizing the society and was its first president. Legal. — The State Conslitution of 1845 abolished the office of parish judge ; so the first parish judge, William Kibbe, served only one year, or thereabout. The constitution of 1868 reestablished the office of parish judge and E. Guegnon HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL. 253 served from 1868 till 1874, at which time William Kibbe was again elected, and served till his death in 1878. Kibbe was an old Vermonter. He had served in the war of Texas and Mexico, and was left wounded upon the field, which was in possession of ihe Mexicans. His life was spared because of the whiteness of his hair, the Mexicans having taken iiim to be an old man. Among the judges of this district were Henry Boise, G. R. King, Thomas Nicholls, Cornelius Voorhies, Edward Simon, C. A. Mouton, Adolph Bailey, James M. Parton, E. Mouton, Edward Mouton, John Clegg, Conrad Debaillion, W. M. Edwards, and C. C. Mouton, the present incumbent. The early lawyers of the parish were. Philander Taft, Joseph N. Walker, Daniel Oprine, R. F. Patton, died here of yellow fever in 1867, R. S. Perry, present incumbent of the court of Iberia. The present bar numbers among its members, W. M. Edwards, W. H. White. Lastie Broussard, W. B. White, M. J. Goody, S. L. Bourgues, Felix O'Nile. master tirst district court, Robt. F. Patton, A. J. Kearney, P. D. Lupuy, Lastie Broussard served from 1865 to 1888, and was succeeded by Alcide LeBlaiic. The sheriffs since the organization of the parish have been : J. M. Miles, Nathan Perry, N. A. Hebert, L. Y. LeBlanc, Jr., Alexander Lege, Sr., A. Berard, G. B. Shaw, L. C. Lyons, J. S. Nunez, N. N. Belling and A. Le Blanc. The civil officers of the parish at present, as reported by the Secretary of the State, are: Alcide LeBlanc, clerk district court; A. S. LeBlanc, sheriff; W. D. White, coroner; D. M. Lyons, assessor; E. Montague, Jr., parish sur- veyor; Eli Wise, parish treasurer; H. B. Lyons, inspector of weights and measures. Justices of the peace — First ward, Louis A. Laurance; second ward, Joseph Trahan; thn-d ward, Gilbert Labauve, Henry Petrj'; fourth vvard,Remy Brous- sard; fifth ward, William Shepherd; sixth ward, E. W. Gaspard; seventh ward. Felix, A. O'Neil. Constables — First ward, Charles Broussard; second ward, Andrew Moss: third ward, Thomas Flowers, Alexis Tranan; fourth ward, Aristides Picard; fifth ward, Oliver Landrw; sixth ward, A. B. Faulk; seventh ward, J. B. Mills. Police jurors — First ward, J. Alcide LeBlanc; second ward, Thomas Morgan; third ward, William L. Van Slyke; fourth ward, J. Treville Brous- sard; fifth ward, Howard Hoffpauer, president; sixth ward, Robert Green, seventh ward, Henry Bartell. Notaries public — William Shepherd, Robert P. O" Bryan, Joseph Trahan Alcide LeBlanc, F. Onezime LeBlanc, William B. White, Robert Cade Smedes. Leo Perret. 17 254 SO urn WES T L O LI SI A NA : Terms of Court. — Jury terms, second Monday of January and first Mon- day of September. Civil terms, first Tuesday in April and November. Post Offices. — Abbeville C. II., Gregg, Indian Bayou, Pegneur, Perry, Ramsey. Bridges. — The bridge across the Vermilion River in Abbeville cost between $5000 and ;f6ooo, and is a substantial iron structure. Another excellent bridge spans the river at Perry; henci- the name of the town — Perrjr's Bridge. The improvement of the southwest pass of the Vermilion River, so as to admit vessels in Veamilion Bay, would be worth a great deal to this country. In fact, it is much needed ; and were it located somewhere up in New England or Pennsylvania it would have been improved years ago. But the time, doubtless, is not tar distant when the streams of the South will receive the attention that the importance of them and the country actually demad. When it is known the valuable lands, rich as can be found anywhere, lying wild in this country for lack of facilities to develop them, and to market their products after being de- veloped, then may the South expect to get what she so much needs. Settlement of the Parish — He who attempts to present with unvarying ac- curacy the annals of a single neighborhood or parish, whose history reaches back through nearly a century, imposes upon himself a task beset with many difficul- ties. These difficulties, manifold and perplexing in themselves, are often aug- mented by conflicting statements, and varying data furnished by well-meaning descendants of early settlers, as material from which to compile a true and faith- ful record of past events. To give facts, and facts only, should be the aim of him who proposes to deal with the past. But, with the ever changing geo- graphical lines of civil divisions, it is very hard to confine those from whom the writer must obtain his information to certain localities. Hence settlers some- times get a little mixed as to the place of location. Among the first settlers in this parish may be mentioned Marin Mouton, G. Mouton, Levi Campbell, Bartlett Campbell, Charles Harrington, John Mer- mion, Samuel R. Rice, Auguste Broussard, Louis Laugemais, Olivier Blanchett, Joseph LeBlanc, John Lahan, Robert Perry, John Gregg, Joseph Trahan, Jean R. LeBlanc, J. F. Bourque, Pierre Desorneaux, Wm. Harrington, John B. Theall, P. P. Thibodeaux, Abram Abshire, Pierre Laponte, Vital Laponte, Z. Trahan, Shadrick Porter, etc. The Moutons originally settled in the present parish of Lafayette, where they are most particularly mentioned. The Campbells, settled on the lower Vermilion bayou. Harrington settled near Cow Island ; Mermion was a native of England and a very early settler. After this settlers came in so rapidly it was hard to keep trace of them. HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL. 255 The parish was organized in 1844, and was incorporated under the follow- ing act: Section i. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Assembly convened, That all that part of the parish of Lafayette, on the south side of the following described line, to-wit : starting at the point where the line dividing the parishes of Lafayette and St. Martin crosses the Bayou Park Perdu; from said point in a direct line to the first woods on the coulee known by the name of Dalbj^'s Coulee; from thence down said coulee to the Ba3rou Vermilion; thence along said coulee to the mouth of Grange's Coulee to the last timber thereon; thence in a direct Hne to the first timber on the Indian Point Coulee; thence down said coulee to the mouth or its junction with the Bayou Queue Tortue; thence down along the line now fronting the boundary of the parish of Lafayette to the place of starting, and all the territorj^ within said boundary line to be known by and called the parish of Vermihon. Toivn of Abbeville. — Upon the organization of the parish, the next question was to establish the parish seat. This was not easily done in Vermilion. Two points were pitted against each other, viz: the present town of Abbeville and Perry post-office, better known as Perry's Bridge, a little town three miles south of Abbeville. And for several years it changed first to the one and then to the other place. Indeed, the changes were so fast and frequent, that half the time people had their breeches on hindpart before, and it was no uncommon thing for business men when they met on a morning to accost each other with — "Well, where is the parish seat to-day, at Abbeville or at Perry's Bridge?" There were another place or two that entered into the contest for it, but they had little chance to succeed and soon dropped out of the race. Perry's Bridge was at first victorious, a vote of the people giving it the capital. But another election being called the next year Abbeville was victorious. Thus it went on until 1852, election after election being held, and changing the seat back and forth from one place to the other. But the people at last grew tired of a vacillation that was proving detrimental to public interest and fatal to public improvement, and at the session of the Legislature of 1S52, passed an act establishing Abbeville as the parish seat, and so it has since remained. The land upon which Abbeville was laid out was purchased by Father A. D. Megret, from Joseph LeBlanc, and the first structure built thereon was a chapel for Roman Catholic service. This chapel was formed out of the old- fashioned, spacious mansion of Mons. LeBlanc. Father Megret had solicited from the proprietors of Perry's Bridge ground on which to build a church, but the only lot offered him was of a swampy character, which he would not have. So he went three miles north and purchased a tract of land. Upon this he estab 256 SOUTH WES7' L OUISIANA : lished a church and hud out a part of it in lots and streets, and finally it became the town of Abbeville. A church was built, whicli served tlie congregation several years and was blown down in 1856. In 1884 the present church was built, which is large and commodious. About four-fifths of the people are Catholics. The convent was built in 1885, and an excellent school is conducted in it by the Sisters of Mount Carmel. About five hundred children are baptized yearly in this church. The first business house was a store built by Hilaire Davide and Emile Boudin. They carried on a store for some time, and also built the first resi- dence in the new town. Messrs. A. Spalding, J. P. Guydon and B. Cavailliez were also early business men of the town. Court was first held at Perry's Bridge in an old store house, and it was not until after the seat of justice was permanently established at the town of Abbe- ville that a court house was erected. It was burnt in 1887, and the parish is just finishing a court house, which, when finally completed, will be one of the finest in Southwest Louisiana, and will cost about $23,000. It is a handsome brick edifice and an honor to the town and parish. The first jail was an old log structure, and to prevent prisoners from escap- ing they were chained to the floor. This served the purpose until the present brick prison was built some five 3'ears ago. Abbeville was incorporated under act of the Legislature approved March 13, 1850, as follows: Be it enacted by the General Assembly, etc, that the tract of land lying and being on the east side or Bayou Vermilion, in the parish of Vermilion, having eight hundred and forty- eight on said bayou with a depth of one thousand nine hundred and seventy-nine feet, bounded on the north by the lands of Victor Boete, and on the east by the lands of A. D. Megret and on the south by the family of Blanchett's, as laid off by Augustine D. Megret, for a town in the parish of Vermilion, shall continue to be known as the town of Abbeville, and the inhabitants shall constitute a body corporate. — Per?- in . APPENDIX. NOTE I. ^TT^VANGELINE. — The story of Evanfjeline, as told in the " Reminiscences '4— ' of an Old Acadian,'' will be found in Chapter III of this volume. As the U scenes upon which Longfellow's poem — " A Tale of Acadia " (Evange- line) — are founded are laid in the Attakapas countr}', it is deemed that everj'- thing pertaining to Evangeline will be of interest to the readers of this sketch, so that part of the poem, the scenes of which are laid in Southwest Louisiana, are given in this connection. It is as follows: It was the month of May. Far down the beautiful river, Past the Ohio shore, and past the mouth of the Wabash, Into the golden stream of the broad and swift Mississippi, Floated a cumbrous boat, that was rowed by Acadian boatmen. It was a band of exiles; a raft, as it were, from the shipwrecked Nation, scattered along the coast. nov\' floating together. Bound by the bonds of a common belief and a common misfortune ; Men and women and children, who, guided by hope or by hearsay, Souglit for their kitli and their kin among the few-acred farmers On the Acadian coast, and the prairies of fair Opelousas. 'With them Evangeline went, and her guide, the Father Felician. Onward o'er sunken sands, through a wilderness sombre witli forests. Day after day they glided adown the turbulent river; Night after night, by their blazing fires, encamped on its borders. Now through rushing chutes, among green islands, where plumelike Cotton trees nodded their shadowy crests, the}^ swept with the current. Then emerged into broad lagoons, where silvery sand bars Lay in the stream, and along the vvimpling waves of their margin. Shining witii snow white plumes, large flocks of pelicans waded. Level the landscape grew, and along tlie shores of the river. Shaded b\' china trees, in the midst of luxuriant gardens. Stood the houses of planters, with negro cabins and dove cots. They were approaching the region where reigns perpetual summer. Where through the Golden Coast, and groves of orange and citron. Sweeps with majestic curve the river away to the eastward. They, too, swerved from their course, and, entering the Bayou of Plaquemine, Soon were lost in a maze of sluggish and devious waters, 258 SO UTH WES T LO UISIA NA : Which, like a network of steel, extended in every direction. Over their heads the towering and tenebrous boughs of the cypress Met in a dusk}' arch, and trailing mosses in mid-air Waved like banners that hang on the walls of ancient cathedrals. Deathlike the silence seemed, and unbroken, save by the herons Home to their roosts in the cedar trees returning at sunset, Or by the owl, as he greeted the moon with demoniac laughter. Lovely the moonlight was as it glanced and gleamed on the water. Gleamed on the columns of cypress and cedar sustaining the arches, Down through whose broken vaults it fell as through chinks in a ruin. Dreamlike, and indistinct, and strange were all things around them; And o'er their sjiirits there came a feeling of wonder and sadness, — Strange forebodings of ill, unseen and that can not be compassed. As, at the tramp of a horse's hoof on the turf of the prairies, Far in advance are closed the leaves of the shrinking mimosa, So, at the hoof beats of fate, with sad forebodings of evil. Shrinks and closes the heart, ere the stroke of doom has attained it. But Evangeline's heart was sustained by a vision, that faintly Floated before her eyes, and beckoned her on through the moonlight. It was the thought of her brain that assumed the shape of a phantom. Through those shadowy aisles had Gabriel wandered before her. And every stroke of the oar now brought him nearer and nearer. Then in his place, at the prow of the boat, rose one of the oarsmen And, as a signal sound, if others like them peradventure Sailed on those gloomy and midnight streams, blew a blast on his bugle. Wild through the dark colonnades and corridors leafy the blast rang. Breaking the seal of silence and giving tongues to the forest. Soundless above them the banners of moss just stirred to the music. Multitudinous echoes awoke and died in the distance. Over the watery floor, and beneatii the reverberant branches ; But not a voice replied; no answer came from the darkness; And when the echoes had ceased, like a sense of pain was the silence. Then Evangeline slept; but the boatmen rov^'ed tiirough the midnight. Silent at times, then singing familiar Canadian boat-songs. Such as they sang of old on their own Acadian rivers. While through the night were heard the mysterious sounds of the desert, Far off — indistinct — as of wave or wind in the forest, Mixed with the whoop of the crane and the roar of the grim alligator. Thus ere another noon they emerged from the shades; and before them Lay, in the golden sun, the lakes of the Atchafalaya. Water-lilies in myriads rocked on the slight undulations Made by the passing oars, and, resplendent in beauty, the lotus Lifted her golden crown above the heads of the boatmen. Faint was the air with the odorous breath of magnolia blossoms. And with the heat of noon ; and numberless sylvan islands, Fragrant and thickly embowered with blossoming hedges of roses. Near to whose shores glided along, invited to slumber. Soon by the fairest of these their wear}' oars were suspended. Under the boughs of Wachita willows, that grew by the margin. HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL. 259 Safely their boat was moored; and scattered about on the greensward, Tired with their midnight toil, the weary travelers slumbered. Over them vast and high extended the cope of a cedar. Swinging from its great arms, the trumpet-flower and the grapevine Hung their ladder of ropes aloft like the ladder of Jacob, On whose pendulous stairs the angels ascending, descending, Were the swift humming-birds, that flitted from blossom to blossom. Such was the vision Evangeline saw as she slumbered beneath it. Filled was her heart with love, and the dawn of an opening heaven Lighted her soul in sleep with the glory of regions celestial. Nearer, ever nearer, among the numberless islands, Darted a light, swift boat, that sped away o'er the water, Urged on its course by the sinewy arms of hunters and trappers. Northward its prow was turned, to the land of the bison and beaver. At the helm sat a youth, with countenance thoughtful and careworn. Dark and neglected locks overshadowed his brow, and a sadness Somewhat beyond his years on his face was legibl}' written. Gabriel was it. who, weary with waiting, unhappy and restless. Sought in the Western wilds oblivion of self and of sorrow. Swiftly they glided along, close under the lee of the island, But by the opposite bank, and behind a screen of palmettos; So that they saw not the boat, where it lay concealed in the willows; All undisturbed by the dash of their oars, and unseen, were the sleepers ; Angel of God was there none to awaken the slumbering maiden. Swiftly they glided away, like the shade of a cloud on the prairie. After the sound of their oars on the tholes had died in the distance, As from a magic trance the sleepers awoke, and the maiden Said with a sigh to the friendl}' priest, " O Father Felician ! Something says in my heart that near me Gabriel wanders. Is it a foolish dream, an idle and vague superstition? Or has an angel passed and revealed the truth to my spirit?" Then, with a blush, she added, " Alas for my credulous fancy ! Unto ears like thine such words as these have no meaning."' But made answer the reverend man, and he smiled as he answered, — ' Daughter, thy words are not idle ; nor are they to me without meaning Feeling is deep and still: and the word that floats on the surface Is as the tossing buoy, that betrays where the anchor is hidden. Therefore trust to thj^ heart, and to what the world calls illusions. Gabriel truly is near thee; for not far away to the Southward, On the banks of the Teche, are the towns of St. Maurand St. Martin. ' There the long-wandering bride shall be given again to her bridegroom. There the long-absent pastor regain his flock and his sheepfold. Beautiful is the land, with its prairies and forests of fruit trees; Under the feet a garden of flowers, and the bluest of heavens Bending above, and resting its dome on the walls of the forest. They who dwell there have named it the Eden of Louisiana." With these words of cheer they arose and continued their journey. Softly the evening came. The sun from the western horizon, 260 SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA- Like a magician, extended his golden wand o'er the landscape; Twinkling vapors arose; and sky and water and forest Seemed all on fire at the touch, and melted and mingled together. Hanging between two skies, a cloud with edges of silver Floated the boat, with its dripping oars, on tlie motionless water. Filled was Evangeline's heart with inexpressible sweetness. Touched b}- the magic spell, the sacred fountains of feeling Glowed with the light of love, as the skies and waters around her. Then from a neighboring thicket the mocking bird, wildest of singers. Swinging aloft on a willow spray that hung o'er the water. Shook from his little throat such floods of delirious music That the whole air and the woods and tlie waves seemed silent to listen. Plaintive at first were the tones and sad ; then, soarin^r to madness, Seemed the}' to follow or guide the revel of frenzied Bacchantes. Single notes were then heard, in sorrowful, low lamentation; Till, having gathered them all, he flung them abroad in derision. As when, after a storm, a gust of wind through the tree-tops Shakes down the rattling rain in a crystal shower on the branches. With such a prelude as this, and hearts that throbbed with emotion, Slowh' they entered the Teche, where it flows through the green Opelousas, And, through the amber air, above the crest of the woodland. Saw the column of smoke that arose from a neighboring dwelling; — Sounds of a horn they heard, and the distant lowing of cattle. I. Near to the bank of the river, o'ershadowed by oaks, from whose branches Garlands of Spanish moss and of mystic mistletoe flaunted. Such as the Druids cut down with golden hatchets at Yule-tide, Stood, secluded and still, the house of the herdsman. A garden Girded it round about with a belt of luxuriant blossoms, Filling the air with fragrance. The house itself was of timbers Hewn from the cypress-tree, and carefully fitted together. Large and low was the roof; and on slender columns supported, Rose-wreathed, vine-encircled, a broad and spacious veranda. Haunt of the humming-bird and the bee, extended around it. At each end of the house, amid the flowers of tlie garden. Stationed the dove-cots were, as love's perpetual symbol. Scenes of endless wooing, and endless contentions of rivals. Silence reigned o'er the place. The line of shadow and sunshine Ran near the tops of the trees; but the house itself was in shadow. And from its chimney-top, ascending and slowly e.xpanding Into the evening air, a thin blue column of smoke rose. In the rear of the house, from the garden gate, ran a pathway Through the great groves of oak to the skirts of the limitless prairie, Into whose sea of flowers the sun was slowly descending. Full in his track of light, like ships with shadow}- canvas Hanging loose from their spars in a motionless calm in the tropics, Stood a cluster of trees, with tangled cordage of grapevines. HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL. 261 Just where the woocUands meet the flowery surf of the prairie, Mounted upon his horse, witii Spanisli saddle and stirrups, , Sat a herdsman, arrayed in yaiters and doublet of deerskin. Broad and brown was the face that fronn under the Spanish sombrero Gazed on the peacefnl scene, with the lordly look of its master. Round about him were numberless lierds ot kine that were grazing Quietly in the meadows, and breathing the vapory freshness That uprose from the river, and spread itself over the landscape. Slo "'I3' lifting the horn that hung at his side, and expanding Fully his broad, deep chest, he blew a blast, that resounded Wildly and sweet and far, through the still damp air ot the evening.. Suddenly out ot the grass the long white horns of the cattle Rose like flakes of foam on the adverse currents of ocean. Silent a moment they gazed, then bellowing rushed o'er the prairie, And the whole mass became a cloud, a shade in the distance. Then, as the herdsman turned to the house, through the gate of the|[garden Saw he the forms of the priest and the maiden advancing to meet him. Suddenly down from his horse he sprang in amazement, and forward Pushed with extended arms and exclamations of wonder; When they beheld his face, the}- recognized Basil the blacksmith. , Hearty his welcome was, as he led his guests to the garden. There in an arbor of roses with endless question and answer Gave they vent to their hearts, and renewed their friendly embraces, Laughing and weeping by turns, or sitting silent and thoughtful. Thoughtful, for Gabriel came not ; and now dark doubts and misgivings Stole o'er the maiden's heart; and Basil, somewhat embarrassed, Broke the silence and said, " If you came b}' the Atchafalaj'a, How have you nowhere encountered my Gabriel's boat on the ba3'ous?" Over Evangeline's face at the words of Basil a shade passed. Tears came into her eyes, and she said, with a tremulous accent, 'Gone? is Gabriel gone?'" and concealing her face on his shoulder. All her o'erburdened heart gave way, and she wept and lamented. Then the good Basil said, — and his voice grew blithe as he said it, — ■ Be of good cheer, mj' child; it is only to-day he departed. Foolish boy! he has left me alone with my herds and my horses. Moody and restless grown, and tried and troubled, his spirit Could no longer endure the calm of this quiet existence. Thinking ever of thee, uncertain and sorrowful ever, Ever silent, or speaking only of thee and his troubles. He at length had become so tedious to men and to maidens, Tedious even to me, that at length I bethought me, and sent him Unto the town of Ada\-es to trade lor mules with the Spaniards. Thence he will follow the Indian trails to the Ozark Mountains, Hunting for furs in the forests, on rivers trapping the beaver. Therefore be of good cheer, we will follow the tugitive lover; He is not far on his way, and the Fates and the streams are against him Up and away to-morrow, and through the red dew of the morning. We will follow him fast, and bring him back to his prison " 262 SOirTHWEST L OUISIANA ■ Then glad voices were heard, and up from the banks of the river. Borne aloft on his comrades' arms, came Michael the fiddler. Long under Basil's roof hud he lived like a god on Olympus, Having no other care than dispensing music to mortals. Far renowned was he for his silver locks and his fiddle. *'Long live Michael," they cried, "our brave Acadian minstrel!" As they bore him aloft in triumphal procession ; and straightway Father Felician advanced with Evangeline, greeting the old man Kindly and oft, and recalling the past, while Basil, enraptured. Hailed with hilarious jo}' his old companions and gossips, Laughing loud and long, and embracing mothers and daughters. Much the}^ marveled to see the wealth of the cidevant blacksmith. All his domains and his herds, and his patriarchal demeanor ; Much they marveled to hear his tales of the soil and the climate, And of the prairies, whose numberless herds were his who would take them; Each one thought in his heart, that he, too, would go and do likewise. Thus they ascended the steps, and, crossing the breezy veranda. Entered the hall of the house, where already the supper of Basil Waited his late return ; and they rested and feasted together. Over the joyous feast the sudden darkness descended. All was silent without, and, illuminating tlie landscape with silver. Fair rose the dewy moon and the myriad stars: but within doors. Brighter than these, shone the faces of friends in the glimmering lamplight. Then from his station aloft, at the head of the table, the herdsman Poured forth his heart and his wine together in endless profusion. Lighting his pipe, that was filled with sweet Natchitoches tobacco, Thus he spake to his guests, who listened, and smiled as they listened: — ^'Welcome once more, mj^friends who long have been friendless andhomeless, Welcome once more to a home, ihat is better perchance than the old one I Here no hungry winter congeals our blood like the rivers ; Here no stony ground provokes the wrath of the farmer. Smoothly the ploughshare runs through the soil, as a keel through the water, All the year round the orange groves are in blossom ; and grass grows More in a single night than a whole Canadian summer. Here, too, numberless herds run wild and unclaimed in the prairies. Here, too, lands may be had for the asking, and forests of timber With a few blows of the axe are hewn and framed into houses. After your houses are built, and your fields are yellow with harvests, No King George of England shall drive you away from your homesteads, Burning your dwellings and barns, and stealing your farms and your cattle." Speaking these words, he blew a wrathful cloud from his nostrils, While his huge, brown hand came thundering down on the table, So that the guests all started; and Father Felician, astounded, Suddenly paused, with a pinch of snuff half-way to his nostrils. But the brave Basil resumed, and his words were milder and gayer: "Only beware of the fever, my friends, beware of the fever ! For it is not like that of our cold Acadian climate. Cured by wearing a spider hung round one's neck in a nutshell !" HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL. 263 Then there were voices heard at the door, and footsteps approaching Sounded upon the stairs and the floor of the breezj' veranda. It was the neighboring Creoles and small Acadian planters, Who had been summoned all to the house of Basil the herdsman. Merry the meeting was of ancient comrades and neighbors ; Friend clasped friend in his arms; and they who before were as strangers. Meeting in exile, became straightway as friends to each other. Drawn by the gentle bond of a common countr}? together. But in the neighboring hall a strain of music, proceeding From the accordant strings of Michael's melodious fiddle, Broke up all further speech. Away, like children delighted. All things forgotten beside, they gave themselves to tlie maddening Whirl of the dizzy dance, as it swept and swa3-ed to the music, Dreamlike, with beaming eyes and the rush of fluttering garments. Meanwhile, apart, at the liead of the hall, tlie priest and the herdsman Sat, conversing together of past and present and future ; While Evangeline stood like one entranced, for within her Olden memories rose, and loud in the midst of the music Heard she the sound of the sea, and an irrepressible sadness Came o'er her heart, and unseen she stole forth into the garden. Beautiful was the night. Behind the black wall of the forest. Tipping its summit with silver, arose the moon. On the river Fell here and there through the branches a tremulous gleam of the moonlight, Like the sweet thoughts of love on a darkened and devious spirit. Nearer and round about her, the manifold flowers of the garden Poured out their souls in odors, that were their prayers and confessions Unto the night, as it went its way, like a silent Carthusian. Fuller of fragrance than they, and as heavy with shadows and night-dews, Hung the heart of the maiden. The calm and the magical moonlight Seemed to inundate her soul with indefinable longings. As, through the garden gate, and beneath the shade of the oak-trees. Passed she along the path to the edge of the measureless prairie. Silent it lay, with a silvery haze upon it, and fire-flies Gleaming and floating away in mingled and infinite numbers. Over her head the stars, thoughts of God in the heavens. Shone on the eyes of man, who had ceased to marvel and worship. Save when a blazing comet was seen on the walls of that temple, As if a hand had appeared and written upon them, "Upharsin." And the soul of the maiden, between the stars and the fire-flies. Wandered alone, and she cried, "O Gabriel! O my beloved! Art thou so near unto me, and yet I can not behold thee? Art thou so near unto me, and yet thy voice does not reach me? Ah ! how often thy feet have trod this path to the prairie ! Ah! how often thine eyes have looked on the woodlands around me ! Ah! how often beneath this oak, returning from labor, Thou hast lain down to rest, and to dream of me in thy slumbers! When shall these eyes behold, tliese arms be folded about thee?" Loud and sudden and near the note of a whippoorwill sounded Like a flute in the woods ; and anon, through the neighboring thickets, 264 SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA . Farther and fnrther away it floated and dropped into silence. "Patience!" whispered the oaks from oracular caverns of darkness; And, from the moonlit meadow, a sigh responded, "To-morrow." Bright rose the sun nextdaj': and all the flowers of the garden Bathed their shining feet with their tears, and anointed his tresses With the delicious balm that they bore in their vases of crystal. " Farewell!" said the priest, as he stood at the shadowy threshold; " See that you bring us the Prodigal Son from his fasting and famine. And, too, the Foolish Virgin, who slept when the bridegroom was coming. " Farewell!" answered the maiden, and, smiling, with Basil descended Down to the river's brink, where the boatmen already were waiting. Thus beginning their journey with morning, and sunshine, and gladness, Swiftly they followed the flight of him who was speeding before them, Blown by the blast of fate like a dead leaf over the desert. Not that day, nor the next, nor 3-et the day that succeeded, Found they trace of his course, in lake or forest or river. Nor, after many days, had they found him; but vague and uncertain Rumors alone were their guides through a wild and desolate country; Till, at the Httle inn of the Spanish town of Adaj-es. Weary and worn, they alighted, and learned from tlie garrulous landlord. That on the day before, with horses and guides and companions, Gabriel left the village, and took the road of the prairies. II. Far in the West there lies a desert land, where the mountains Lift, through perpetual snows, their lofty and luminous summits. Down from their 'jagged, deep ravines, where the gorge, like a gateway. Opens a passage rude to the wheels of the emigrant's wagon. Westward the Oregon flows and the Walleway and Owjdiee. Eastward, with devious course, among the Windriver Mountains, Through the Sweet-water Valley precipitate leaps the Nebraska ; And to the south, from Fontaine-qui-bout and the Spanish sierras. Fretted with sand and rocks, and swept by the wind of the desert. Numberless torrents, with ceaseless sound, descend to the ocean, Like the great chords of a harp, in loud and solemn vibrations. Spreading between these streams are the wondrous, beautiful prairies. Billowy bays of grass ever rolling in shadow and sunshine. Bright with luxuriant clusters of roses and purple amorphas. Over them wandered the buffalo herds, and the elk and the roebuck; Over them wandered the wolves, and herds of riderless horses; Fires that blast and blight, and winds that are weary with travel; Over them wandered the scattered tribes of Ishmael's children. Staining the desert with blood ; and above their terrible war trails Circles and sails aloft, on pinions majestic, the vulture, Like the implacable soul of a chieftain slaughtered in battle. By invisible stairs ascending and scaling the lieavens. Here and there rise smokes from the camps of these savage marauders : HlSrORIGAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL. 265 Here and there rise groves from tlie margins of swift-running rivers ; And the grim, taciturn bear, the anchorite monk of the desert, CHmbs down their dark ravines to dig for roots by the brook-side. And over all is the sky, tlie clear and cryst-iiline heaven, Like the protecting hand of God inverted above them. Into this wonderful land, at the base of the Ozark Mountains, Gabriel far had entered, with hunters and trappers behind him. Day after day, with their Indian guides, the maiden and Basil Followed his flying steps, and thought each day to o'ertake him. Sometimes they saw, or thought they saw, the stnoke of his camp-fire Rise in the morning air from the distant plain; but at nightfall. When they liad reached the place, they found only embers and ashes. And, though their hearts were sad at times and their bodies were weary, Hope still guided them on, as the magic Fata Morgana Showed them her lakes of light, tiiat retreated and vanished before them. Once, as they sat by their evening fire, silently entered Into the little camp an Indian woman, whose features Wore deep traces of sorrow, and patience as great as her sorrow. She was a Shawnee woman returning home to her people. From the far-off hunting-grounds of the cruel Camanches, Where her Canadian husband, a Coureur-des-Bois, had been murdered. Touched were their hearts at her stor}', and warmest and friendliest wel- [come Gave they, with words of cheer, and she sat and feasted among them On the buffalo-meat and the venison cooked on the embers. But when their meal was done, and Basil and all his companions. Worn with the long day's march and the chase of the deer and the bison. Stretched themselves on the ground, and slept where the quivering fire-light Flashed on their swarthy cheeks, and their forms wrapped up in their Then at the door of Evangeline's tent she sat and repeated [blankets, Slowly, with soft, low voice, and the charm of her Indian accent, All the tale of her love, with its pleasures, and pains, and reverses. Much Evangeline wept at the tale, and to know that another Hapless heait like her own had loved and had been disappointed. Moved to the depth of her soul by pity and woman's compassion. Yet in her sorrow pleased that one who had suffered was near her, Slie in turn related her love and all its disasters. Mute with wonder the Shawnee sat, and when she had ended Still was mute; but at length, as if a mysterious horror Passed through her brain, she spake, and repeated the tale of the Mowis; Mowis, the bridegroom of snow, who won and wedded a maiden. But, when the morning came, arose and passed from the wigwam. Fading and melting away, and dissolving into the sunshine, Till she beheld him no more, though she followed far into the forest. Then, in those sweet, low tones that seemed like a weird incantation. Told she the tale of the lair Lilanau, who was wooed by a phantom. That, through the pines o'er her father's lodge, in the hush of the twilight. Breathed, like the evening wind, and whispered love to the maiden, 266- SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA : Till she followed his green and waving plume through the forest, And never more returned, nor was seen again bv her people. Silent with wonder and strange surprise, Evangeline listened To the soft flow of her magical words, till the region around her Seemed like enchanted ground, and her swarthy guest the enchantress. Slowly over the tops of the Ozark Mountains the moon rose, Lighting the little tent, and with a mysterious splendor Touching the sombre leaves, and embracing and filling the woodland. With a delicious sound the brook rushed by, and the branches Swayed and sighed overhead in scarcely audible whispers. Filled with the thoughts of love was Evangeline's heart, but a secret. Subtile sense crept in of pain and infinite terror. As the cold, poisonous snake creeps into the nest of the swallow. It was no earthly fear. A breath from the region of spirits Seemed to float in the air of night; and she felt for a moment. That, like the Indian maid, she, too, was pursuing a phantom. With this thought she slept, and the fear and the phantom had vanished. Early upon the morrow the march was resumed, and the Shawnee Said, as they journeyed along, — " On the western slope of these mountains Dwells in his little village the Black Robe Chief of the Mission. Much he teaches the people, and tells them of Marj- and Jesus : Loud laugh their hearts with joy, and weep with pain as they hear him." Then with a sudden and secret emotion, Evangeline answered, '* Let us go to the Mission, for there good tidings await us !"' Thither they turned their steeds ; and behind a spur of the mountains. Just as the sun went down, they heard a murmur of voices. And in a meadow green and broad, by the bank of a river. Saw the tents of the Christians, the tents of tlie Jesuit Mission. Under a towering oak, that stood in the midst of the village, Knelt the Black Robe chief with his children. A crucifix fastened High on the trunk of the tree, and overshadowed by grapevines. Looked with its agonized face on the multitude kneeling beneath it. This was their rural chapel. Aloft, through the intricate arches Of its aerial roof, arose the chant of their vespers, Mingling its notes with the soft susurrus and sighs of the branches. Silent, with heads uncovered, the travelers, nearer approaching, Knelt on the swarded floor, and joined in the evening devotions. But when the service was done, and the benediction had fallen Forth from the hands of the priest, like seed from the hands of the sower, Slowly the reverend man advanced to the strangers, and bade them Welcome; and when the}^ replied, he smiled with benignant expression. Hearing the homelike sounds of his mother-tongue in the forest, And, with words of kindness, conducted them into his wigwam. There upon mats and skins they reposed, and on cakes of the maize-ear Feasted, and slaked tlieir thirst from the water-gourd of the teacher. Soon was tlieir story told; and the priest with solemnity answered : — " Not six suns have risen and set since Gabriel seated HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL. 267 On this mat bj' my side, where now the maiden reposes, Told me this same sad tale; then arose and continued his journey!" Soft was tlie voice of the priest, and lie spake with an accent of kindness; But on Evangeline's heart fell his words as in winter the snow flakes Fall into some lone nest from which the birds have departed. " Far to tlie North he lias gone,'" continued the priest; '' but in autumn, "When tlie chase is done, will return again to the Mission."' Then Evangeline said, and her voice was meek and submissive, " Let me remain with thee, for my soul is sad and afflicted." So seemed it wise and well unto all; and betimes on the morrow. Mounting his Mexican steed, with liis Indian guides and companions. Homeward Basil returned, and Evangeline stayed at the Mission. Slowly, slowly, slow!}' the days succeeded each other — Days and weeks and months ; and the fields of maize that w^ere springing Green from the ground when a stranger she came, now waving above her, Lifted their slender shafts, with leaves interlacing, and forming Cloisters for mendicant crows and granaries pillaged by squirrels. Then in the golden weather the maize was husked, and the maidens Blushed at each blood red ear, for that betokened a lover, But at the crooked laughed, and called it a thief in the corn field. Even the blood red ear to Evangeline brought not her lover. " Patience I" the priest would sa}' ; " have faith, and th}- prayer will be an- Look at this vigorous plant that lifts its head from the meadow, [swered ! See how its leaves are turned to the north, as true as the magnet; It is the compass-flower, that the finger of God has planted Here in the houseless wild, to direct the traveler's journey Over the sea-like, pathless, limitless waste of the desert. Such in the soul of man is faith. The blossoms of passion, Gaj' and luxuriant flowers, are brighter and fuller of fragrance. But they beguile us, and lead us astray, and their odor is deadl}^ Onl}' this humble plant can guide us here, and hereafter Crown us with asphodel flowers, that are wet with the dews of nepenthe.' So came the autumn, and passed, and the winter — 3'et Gabriel came not; Blossomed the opening spring, and the notes of the robin and bluebird Sounded sweet upon wold and in wood, yet Gabriel came not. But on the breath of the summer winds a rumor was wafted Sweeter than song of bird, or hue or odor of blossom. Far to the north and east, it said, in the Michigan forests, Gabriel had his lodge by the banks of the Saginaw River. And, with returning guides, that sought the lakes of St. Lawrence, Saying a sad farewell, Evangeline went from the Mission. When over weaiy ways, by long and perilous marches. She had attained at length the depths of the Michigan forests. Found she the hunter's lodge deserted and fallen to ruin ! Thus did the long sad years glide on, and in seasons and places Divers and distant far was seen the wandering maiden; — 368 SOUTHWEST L OUISIANA : Now in the Tents of Grace of the meek Moravian Missions, Now in the noisy ciimps and the battle fields of the army, Now in secluded hamlets, in towns and populous cities. Like a phantom she came, and passed away unremembered. Fair was she and voun^r, when in hope began the long journey ; Faded was she and old, when in disappointment it ended. Each succeeding year stole something away from her beauty, Leaving behind^it", broader and deeper, the gloom and the shadow. Then there appeared and spread faint streaks of gray o'er her forehead, Dawn of another life, that broke o'er her earthly horizon, As in the eastern sky the first faint streaks of the morning. m. In that delightful land which is washed by the Delaware's waters. Guarding in sylvan shades the name of Penn the apostle, Stands on the banks of its beautiful stream the city he tounded. There all the air is balm, and the peach is the emblem of beauty, And the streets still reecho the names of the trees of the forest, As if they fain would appease the Dryads whose haunts they molested. There from the troubled sea had Evangeline landed, an exile. Finding among the children of Penn a home and a country. There old Rene Leblanc had died; and when he departed, Saw at his side only one of all his hundred descendants. Something at least there was in the friendly streets of the city. Something that spake to her heart, and made her no longer a stranger; And her ear was pleased with the Thee and Thou of the Quakers, For it recalled the pist, the old Acadian country, Where all men were equal, and all were brothers and sisters. So, when the fruitless search, the disappointed endeavor. Ended, to recommence no more upon earth, uncomplaining, Thither, as leaves to the light, were turned her thoughts and her footsteps As from a mountain's top the rainy mists of the morning Roll away, and afar we behold the landscape below us, Sun-illum"ined, with shining rivers and cities and hamlets. So fell the mists from her mind, and she saw the world far below her, Dark no longer, but all illumined with love; and the pathwaj; Which she had climbed so far, lying smooth and fair in the distance. Gabriel was not forgotten. Within her heart was his image. _ Clothed in the beauty of love and youth, as last she beheld him, Only more beautiful made by his deathlike silence and absence. Into her thoughts of him time entered not, for it was not. Over him years had no power; he was not changed, but transfigured; He had become to her heart as one who is dead, and not absent: Patience and abnegation of self, and devotion to others. This was the lesson a life of trial and sorrow had taught her. So was her love diffused, but, like to some odorous spices. Suffered no waste or loss, though filled the air with aroma. Other hope had she none, nor wish in life, but to HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL. 269 Meekly follow, vvitli reverent steps, the sacred feet of her Savior. Thus many years she lived as a Sister of Mercy: frequenting Lonely and wretched rool's in the crowded lanes of the city, Where distress and want concealed themselves from the sunli deceived by the appearance of the Tenneseeans, who, from their constant ■ exposure, their familiarity with gunpowder, and their long unacquaintance with ithe razor, or any other implement of the toilet, were certainly not fair representa- rtions of the pure Caucasian race. The unfortunate red-coated Africans soon discovered their error, when they were required by their facetious captors to HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL. 377 "dance Juba" in the mud a foot deep. It was eight o'clock — two hours since the action commenced- — -before the musketry ceased firing. As long as there was a British soldier visible, though at a distance which rendered it quite futile to endeavor to reach him with musket or rifle, a cartridge would'be wasted in the vain attempt. At last the order was passed down the lines to "cease firing," and the men, panting with fatigue and excitement, rested on their arms. At this moment Jackson, who, during the whole aclion. had occupied a prominent position near the right of Plauche's battalion, where he could command a view of the whole entrenchment, now passed slowly down the lines, accompanied by his staff, halting about the center of each command, and addressing to its com- mander and the men words of praise and grateful commendation. His feeble body now stood erect and his face, relaxing its usual sternness, glowed with the fire of a proud victor in the noblest of all causes, the defence of his countr3''s flag, the protection of the lives, propertj' and honor of a free people, and as he passed, the band struck up "Hail, Columbia," and the whole line, now for the first lime facing to the rear, burst forth in loud and prolonged hurras to the chief, by whose indomitable heroism and energy they had been enabled to inflict so awful a punishment upon the enemy who had invaded their homes and sought to dishonor their flag. But these notes of exultation died away into sighs of pity and exclamations of horror and commiseration as soon as the ariillery^ which had kept up their fire at intervals, after the muskets ceased, being silenced, the smoke ascending from the field revealed a spectacle which sent a thrill of horror along that whole line of exultant victors. The briglit column and long red lines, a splendid arm}^ which occupied the field where it was last visible to the Americans, had disappeared as if by. some supernatural agency. Save the hundreds of miserable creatures who rolled over the field in agonj' or crawled and dragged their shattered limbs over the luuddy plains, not a living foe could be seen by the naked eye. The com- manders with their telescopes succeeded with some difficuly in discovering,, far in the rear, a faint red line, which indicated the position of General Lambert with his reserve, stationed in a ditch in what that officer designated in his dispatch, a supine position, meaning that the men after falling into the ditch, which covered them to the waist, leaned over on their faces and thus escaped the cannon balls of the Americans. These were the only live objects visible in tlie field, but with the dead, it was so thickh' strewn, that from the American ditch 3'ou could ha\'e walked a quarter of a mile to the front on the bodies of killed and disabled. The space in front of Carroll's position, for an- extent of two hundred yards, was literally covered with the slain. The center of the column could be distinctly traced in the broad red line of the victims of the terrible batteries and unerring guns of the Ameri- cans. They fell in their tracks; in some places whole platoons lay to- •378 SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA: gether as if killed by the same discharge. Dressed in tlieir gay uniforms, cleanly shaved, and attired for the promised victorj- and triumplial entry into the city, these stalwart men lay on the gory field, frightful examples of the horrors of war. Strangely indeed did they contrast with those ragged, unshorn, begrimed and untidy, strange-looking men, who, crowding the Amer- ican parapet, coolly surveyed and commented upon the terrible destruction they had caused. There was not a private among the slain whose aspect did not pre- sent more of the pomp and circumstance of war than any of the commanders of the victors. In the ditch there were not less than forty dead, and at least a hundred who were wounded, or who had thrown themselves into it for shelter. •On the edge of the woods there were many who, being slightly wounded, or unable to reach the rear, had concealed themselves under the brush and in the trees. It was pitiable, indeed, to see the writhing of the wounded and mutil- ated, and to hear their terrible cries for help, water, which arose from every quarter •of the plain. As this scene of death, desolation, bloodshed and suffering came into full view of the American lines a profound and melancholy silence pervaded the victorious army. No sounds of exultation or rejoicing were now heard. Pit)^ and sympathy had succeeded to the boisterous and savage feelings, which a -few minutes before had possessed their souls. They saw no longer the pre- sumptuous, daring and insolent invader, who had come four thousand miles to lay waste a peaceful country; they forgot their own suffering and losses, and the barbarian threats of the enemy, and now only perceived humanity, fellow creat- ures in their own form, reduced to the most helpless, miserable and pitiable of conditions of suffering. desolation and distress, Promptedby this motive, many of the Americans stole without leave from their positions, and with their canteens •proceeded to assuage the thirst and render other assistance to the wounded. The latter, and those who were captured in the ditch, were led into the lines, where ■the wounded received prompt attention from Jackson's medical staff. Many of the Americans carried their disabled enemies into the camps on their backs, as ;the pious .^^neas bore his feeble parent from burning Troy. Some of the British soldiers in the ditch, not understandmg the language of the freemen of color, who went to their assistance, but, thinking that their only object was to murder or rob, fired upon them. This, at least, is the only apology for conduct which was regarded as ver}^ atrocious, and produced considerable excitement in the American lines. The Americans thus killed and wounded were unarmed, and engaged in the duty of the Good Samaritan, attending the wounded and relieving the distressed. It has been charged that they were fired upon by order of the British officers, out of chagrin and mortification for the defeat. If this be true it is a pity that the names of such officers could not be known, that they might be separated ifrom those whose conduct throughout the campaign proved them to be honor- HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL. 379 able and gallant soldiers and high-toned gentlemen. In this manner several Americans were killed and wounded. Indeed more causalties occurred to the Americans after the battle than in the principal action. The British evidently mistook the humane purposes of the Americans, and even when there was no other alternative manifested a disposition to resist capture. One officer, who was slightly wounded, declined surrendering to one of the Tennesseeans, whose appearance was not very impressive, and disregarding his call was walk- ing off, when the Tennesseean, drawing a bead on him, cried out: " Halt, Mr. Redcoat; one more step and I'll drill a hole through your leather," where- upon the officer surrendered, exclaiming at the same time : "What a disgrace for a British officer to have to surrender to a chimney sweep." Of course there was a general desire among the Americans to procure some lawful troph}- — some memento of their great victory — and many of the men wandered over the field in pursuit thereof. They were quite successful in securing several such mementoes, among which were the field glasses of Paken- ham, and an elegant sword, believed to be Pakenham's, but which was after- ward claimed by Gen. Keane, and delivered to him by order of Jackson. Pakenham's glass was identified and remained in the possession of Colonel, afterward General, Garrique Flaujac, who commanded one of the batteries on the left. The trumpets of Gibbs and Keane were also picked up on the field, and became the property of Coffee's brigade. At least a thousand stand of arms were gatliered by the Americans from the scene of the slaughter. The prisoners and wounded being now collected within the lines, were placed in carts or formed into detachments to be sent up to the city. Ever\' attention was given to their relief and comfort. Many of the prisoners seemed not at all disheartened by their capture, but indeed gave manifestations of joy and satis- faction, especially the Irish, who declared that they did not know whither they were bound when they left the old country — that they never wanted to fight the Americans. "Why, then," asked some of the American guards, " did you march up so boldly to our lines in the face of such a fire?" "And faith, were we not obliged, with the officers behind, sticking and stabbing us with their swords?" There were unmistakable proofs of the truth of this remark on the bodies of many of the men, whose clothes and flesh were cut evidently with sharp instru- ments. Some distance in the rear of Jackson's lines the greater part of the adult popu- lation of New Orleans, not connected with the army, were gathered in anxious suspense observing the progress of the battle, and receiving with the most greedy zest and intense anxiety ever}- fact or rumor which passed from the front to the rear sentinels. For toward the swamp a number of boys, eager to see what was going on, climbed the trees, and thus commanded a distant but rather confused view of the battle. When the guns ceased firing, and after the terrible tumult 380 SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA : of the battle, which could be distinctly heard far to the rear and even in the city, had settled into silence and quiet, only broken by the loud hurras of the Amer- icans, the anxious spectators and listeners in the rear, quickly comprehending the glorious result, caught up the sounds of exultation and echoed them along the banks of the river, until the glad tidings reaching the city sent a thrill of joy throughout its limits and brought the whole population into the streets to give full vent to their extravigant joy. The streets resounded with hurras. The only military force in the city, the veterans, under their indefatigable commander, the noble old patriot soldier, Captain DeBuys, hastily assembled and, with a drum and fife, paraded the streets amid the salutes and hurras of the people, the waving of snowy handkerchiefs of the ladies, and the boundless exultation and noisy joy of the juveniles. Every minute brought forth some new truth of the great and glorious victory. First, there came a messenger, whose horse had been severeH' taxed, who inquired for the residences of the physicians of the city, and dashed madl}' through the streets in pursuit of surgeons and apothe- caries. All of the profession, whether in practice or not, were requested to pro- ceed to the lines, as their services were needed immediately. "For whom?" was the question which agitated the bosom of many an anxious parent and de- voted wife, and for a moment clouded and checked the general hilarity. Soon, it was known, however, that this demand for surgeons was on account of the enemy. All who possessed any knowledge of the curative art, who could amputate or set a limb, or take up an artery, Imrried to the camp. Next there came up a message from the camp to dispatch all the carts and other vehicles to the lines. This order, too, was fully discussed and commented on hy the crowd which gathered on the streets and in all public resorts. But, like all Jackson's orders, it was also quickly executed. It was late in the day before the purpose of this order was clearly- per-, ceived, as a long and melancholy procession of these carts, followed by a crowd of men, was seen slowly and silently wending their way along the levee from the field of battle. They contained the British wounded; and those who fol- lowed in the rear were the prisoners in charge of a detachment of Carroll's men. Emulating the magnanimity of the army, the citizens pressed forward to tender their aid to their wounded enemies. Their hospitals being all crowded with their own sick and wounded, these vmtortunate victims of English ambi- tion were taken in charge by the citizens, and by private contributions were supplied with mattrasses and pillows, with a large quantity of lint and old linen, for dressing their wounds, all of which articles were then exceedingly scarce in the city. Those far-famed nurses, the quadroon women of New Orleans, whose services are so conspicuously useful when New Orleans is visited by pesti- lence, freely gave their kind attention to the wounded British, and worked at their bedsides night and day. Several of the officers who were grievously HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL. 381 wounded, were taken to private residences of the citizens, and there provided with every comfort. Such acts as these ennoble humanity, and obscure even the horrors and excesses of war. From the city tlie news of Jackson's triumph flew rapidly tlirough the neighboring countr3^ It soon reached a gloomy detachment, which, under Jackson's orders, had been condemned to mortifying and disgusting inactivity at the little fort of St. John. Here, on the placid Pontchartrain, the roar of Jack- son's batteries on the morning of the Sth could be distinctly heard. It was known that this was the great attack — the last effort of the British. Their absence from the scene of such a great crisis was humiliating beyond all expression to the gallant men ot this detachment. One of them, an officer, the late venerable Nicholas Sinnott, a stalwart and determined veteran, who had wielded a pike at Vinegar Hill, bore this disappointment with ill grace and little philosophy. In the excitement of the moment, he could with difficulty be restrained from heading a detachment to proceed to the lines, and expressed his disgust in words which were not forgotten to tlie day of his death by his intimate friends and associates. " Oh ! there are the bloody villains, murdering mv coun- trymen, and myself stuck down in this infernal muddy hole." The general rejoicing and exultation in the American camp, and in tlie citv, which had been interrupted by the calls of humanity and pity excited by the disaster of tlie enem\-, were destined to receive another serious shock, and was suddenly changed into intense anxiet}^, as the news, which had been in possession of the commander in chief from an early hour, leaked out, that all had not gone well on the other bank of the river, and the British actually com- manded their lines and had advanced to the rear. It may be better imagmid than described, how profoundly the camp was agitated by this alarming intelli- gence. It was but too true. The British attack had been as successful on the right, as it had been disastrous on the left bank. Jackson might safely have said, as Napoleon, with far less truth, remarked, when he heard of the defeat of his fleet at Twifalgar — "I cannot be everj^where." There can belittle doubt that if he iiad commanded on the right bank, the only disgrace which sullied the glorjr of the campaign would have been avoided. We have seen how Morgan sent forward his advance, consisting of less than tliree hundred ill-armed and fatigued men, to occupy a line a mile in front of his own — a line stretching from the levee to the swamp — which could not have been manned by less than a thousand men and several pieces of artillery. Had even these three hundred men been sent to the point were the British landed, and stationed behind a landing, Thorn- ton's crowded boats could not have reached the river's bank. They would have enjoyed the advantages of daylight, for it was half past four when 2-i 382 .9 O UTH WEST L O UISIA NA : Thornton stepped ashore — a mile further down the stream than, the Forty-third calculated. His men were formed into columns just as the rockets, ascend- ing on the other bank, announced the commencement of the attack in that quarter. This landing had been effected without the slightest interruption. Covering his flank by three gun-boats, each bearing a carronade in the bows, under the command of Capt. Roberts, Thornton pushed rapidly forward up the road, until he reached Morgan's advanced position. Here, dividing his force, he moved a detachment of the Eight3'-fifth against Tessier's position, while, with the remainder of his regiment, he held the road against Davis. As Thornton advanced, Roberts opened his carronades on Davis' command. The detachment of the Eighty-fifth rushed on Tessier's party with great vigor and put them to flight, -at the firing of a few scattering shots. Tessier and his men being on the extreme right, and unable to reach the road before the British had occupied it, were compelled to fly into the swamps, where many of them suffered great distress, and were unable to reach the camp in the rear for many hours. Meantime, Thornton, pushing forward with his main body, consisting of the Eightj^-fifth, the sailors and marines soon put Davis' detachment to flight, closely following on their heels. The Kentuckians, being raw troops, did not of course, retreat in ver}' good order. As they fell back in great confusion on Morgan's lines, the general rode out, and meeting Col. Davis, directed him to form his men within his lines on the right of the Louisiana militia. Davis obeyed the order, but instead of the five hundred men Jackson had ordered across the river, there were but one hundred to cover lines of three or four hundred yards. They were stationed some distance apart, so as to present to the enemy rather the appearance of a line of sentinels than of a continuous body of troops, to de- fend a small ditch and rude parapet. Insignificant as these works were, if Mor- gan had received the necessar}^ reinforcements, he would have been able to maintain his position. Instead of six hundred, his real force, he would then have had nearly one thousand men and three pieces of artillery There was no lack of courage and determination on the part of Morgan and his command. They stood firmly at their posts and prepared to »epel the enemy with nerve and resolution. Thornton, as he gained the open field in front of Mor- gan's works, extended the files of the Eightj'-fifth so as to cover the whole field, and, with the sailors formed in columns on the road and the marines in reserve, advanced steadily on Morgan's lines. Lieutenant Colonel Gubbons commanded the Eighty-fifth, Major Adair the marines and Captain Money the seamen. The bugler sounded a shiill and animating charge, and amid a shower of rockets, un- der the direction of Major Mitchell of the artillery, the British tars rushed for- ward. They were received by a crashing discharge of grape from Phillibert's twelve-pounder, and two sixes under adjutant John Nixon of the First Louisiana Militia, and gunner James Hosmer, and John Botigue. The seamen recoiled HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL. 383 from this fire. There was another and anotlier hre from the batteries, which killed and wounded several of the seamen. Among the wounded was their gallant commander, Captain Money, who had been distinguished in the operations in the Chesapeake, and in tlie attack on Washington City. He fell at the head of his men. At this the Americans began to hurrah and ply their pieces more briskly. But Thornton, seeing the hesitation and recoil of the seamen, rushed forward with the Eighty-fifth under a fire of musketry from Morgan's lines, and, despite a severe wound received by him in the advance, succeeded in obliquing the storming party toward the center of Morgan's line and strengthening it by a division of the Eighty-fifth under Captain Shaw, whilst two other divisions of the Eiglity-fifth advanced briskly against the center and extreme right of Davis' position. Thus Thornton, showing a skill and judgment superior to that which had been displayed on the left bank, occupied the whole front of the American lines, while Roberts opened upon the Fifty-third batteries of Morgan's extreme left with his caronades. As Thornton closed upon Davis' command, the Kentuckians, perceiving they were about to be hemmed in between the divi- sion of the enemy, one penetrating the center and the other the extreme right, fired one volley, and then, abandoning their position, began to fall back in great confusion toward the road in the rear. General Morgan made to the right, and called out to Colonel Davis to hold his men. Davis replied that it was impossible. "Sir," exclaimed Morgan, in an angrv' tone, "I have not seen you try," and then, turning to the fleeing Ken- tuckians, he shouted to them — "Halt, halt, men, and resume your position." At the same moment Adjutant Stephens, a brave Kentuckian who had been badly wounded, cried out "Shame, shame! Boys stand by your General." But the men were already panic-stricken and unnerved, and moved rapidly and disor- derly^ from the right toward the roads, Morgan following them on horse- back and endeavoring in every way he could to rally them. He succeeded in bringing back some of the fugitives, but a shower of rockets falling in their midst revived their alarm, and now they scattered, run- ning as fast as they could toward Morgan's left. Meantime the Louisiana militia kept up a brisk fire on the advancing British, discharging eight volleys with great effect. But, their right being now uncovered, the Brit- ish hastened to rush over the ditch, and, scaling the parapet, gained the inside of Morgan's line. The Louisiana troops being now in danger of being inter- cepted — their batteries having discharged their last cartridge, of which they had but twelve — they were compelled also to abandon their position, which they did in tolerable order and under fire of the enemy, after spiking their guns and tumbling them into the river. Patterson's battery on the levee, some three hun- dred yards in Morgan's rear, had been constructed to operate on the other bank of the river, and had been engaged since daylight in an incessant fire at the 384 SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA : Briiish in front of Jackson's position. Seeinfj that Morgan's line was forced, Patterson had wheeled his guns around so as to command the road, wlien, per- ceiving Davis' men running in wild disorder right upon a battery so as to cover the advance of the British, and General Morgan so vainly striving to rally them, the gallant commodore, greatly incensed at his country- men, cried out to the commander of a twelve-pounder, which liad been brought to bear in that direction, to fire his piece into the " d d cowards." The midshipman, a half-grown youth, raised the match to apply it to the piece, when the order was countermanded ; and the comomdore, perceiving that his bat- tery was unmasked and exposed, having recovered his calmness, directed the guns to be spiked and the powder thrown into the river. He then abandoned his position and retired by the road, walking with Mr. R. D. Shepherd, his volunteer aid, in the rear of his men, only thirty in number, and alternately denouncing the British and Kentuckians. Patterson was followed bj- the Louis- iana militia, who fell back in good order until they reached the Louisiana, which had been moved about three hundred yards behind Patterson's battery. The sailors being unable to get her off, the militia halted, and, by fastening a hawser and foreline, succeeded in having her tovved out into the stream beyond the reach of the enemy, who would have been too happy to destroy this great plague, which had so continuously harassed their camp. Finally the Louisiana militia rallied at Casselard's, and forming on Boisge- veau's Canal prepared to make a stand there, but the British never reached this position. After advancing in excellent spirits, with a full belief tliat all had gone well on the other side of the river they had barely reached Patterson's batter}^ when Col. Dickson of the artillery arrived direct from General Lambert, with the crushing intelligence of the terrible disasters which had crowned their efforts on the left bank. Previous to Dickson's arrival Thornton had been reinforced by several companies of sailors and marines, and he felt quite strong in his position, but Dickson now declared that it could not be maintained; and hurrying back to Lambert so reported, whereupon orders were transmitted to Tliornton to retire from his position, recross the river and join the main body. The execution of these various orders consumed the greater part of the day. Meantime Jackson, greatly concerned at the state of affairs produced b}' the events on the right bank, busied himself in reorganizing a force to throw across the river to Morgan's relief. That force was placed under the command of General Humbert, who, but for the unworthy jealousy of some militia officers toward a distinguished military hero of foreign origin, would no doubt have recovered the lost ground and wiped off the disgrace of Morgan's defeat. But the disinclination of the American militia to serve under Humbert, and their lack of zeal in preparing to execute his orders, produced a delay which was not less mortifying to the gallant Frenchman than unworthy of the Americans who displayed these petty feelings. HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL. 385 After the wounded in front of Jackson's line had all been brought into his camp, and provided wilh proper attendance, the men in Jackson's lines were ordered to resume their position, stand to their arms, and be ready to repel another attack. Jackson was not the man to be carried awa}^ by exultation and joy, so as to neglect the necessary precautions to secure his victory. Indeed, he was as prudent as heroic. About noon on the 8th, several Americans, who had advanced some dis- tance in front of the lines, announced the approach of a part}' from the British camp. It consisted of an officer in full uniform, a trumpeter and a soldier bear- ing a white flag. The three advanced on the levee to a position within three hundred yards of Jackson's lines, when the trumpeter blew a loud blast and the standard bearer waved the white flag. The whole army now gathered on the summit of the parapet, and looked on in anxious suspense and curiosity. Jackson ordered Major Butler and two other officers to proceed to the British party and receive any message it might bear. The officer courteously received Major Butler, and delivered to him a written communication, which that oflicer hastened to present to General Jackson, at his headquarters at Macarte's. The message contained a proposition for an armistice to bury the dead. It was signed " Lambert," without anj' title or designation of rank. General Jackson directed Major Butler to state to the officer bearing the message that he would be happy to treat with the commander-in-chief of the British army, but that the signer of the letter had forgotten to designate his authority and rank, which was necessary before any negotiations could be entered upon. General Lambert had erred in thinking that a militia general and Indian fighter might be imposed upon by so shallow a device, employed to conceal the fact of the death of the commander-in-chief. The delegation with the flag of truce returned to the British headquarters, and in half an hour appeared again before the American lines, with propositions now signed by "John Lambert, commander-in-chief of the British forces." The first proposition, as a basis for the armistice, offered by Jackson, embodied an admirably sagacious stroke of policy. It was on these terms: That although hostilities should cease on the left bank, where ^he dead lay unburied, until 12 o'clock on the 9th, yet it was not to be understood they should cease on the right bank; but that no reinforcement should be sent across till the expiration of that day. Such conditions produced the expected result: Lambert asked until 10 o'clock on the 9th to consider the proposition. In the meantime he sent orders to Thornton to retire. That officer covering the movement by an advance toward the American position, set fire to the several saw mills in his rear, and, after destroying the ammunition and stores which he had captured, retired in good order, his rear guard being, however, pressed by an advance part}- of Americans, upon which they kept up a running fire. It was dark before 386 SOUTHWEST L O UISIANA . Thornton succeeded in crossing the river. That night the Americans gained their lines on the right bank, and by early morn Patterson had placed his battery in a more advantageous position than it had previously occupied, announcing the gratifying fact to Jackson at daybreak by a discharge of sev- eral large pieces against British outposts. Disgraceful as the defeat on the left bank was, it is due to the Kentuckians who were the chief actors in the affair, to remind the reader of the hard usage to which they had been subjected and their long and fatiguing march during the dajf, and to their ill-armed condition. Whether these facts will be sufficient to acquit them of all blame, or to mitigate the censure freely bestowed on them for their conduct, are questions we feel no desire to discuss. It should not be forgotten, however, with what promptitude and self sacrificing patriotism these men had abandoned their distant homes and huiTied at an inclement season of the year to the defence of this remote settlement. It is hardlj' conceiveable that such men should be faithless to duty and honor, and the conclusion that their retreat was an unavoidable necessity is more reasonable as well as more con- sonant to the pride and feeling of Americans. The Americans achieved glory enough that day to bear with generosity the mortification inflicted by this event. To complete our narrative — not aggravate the shame of this disaster — it is necessary to state that Morgan had but one man killed and five wounded. The British loss was much more serious. The Eiglity-fifth had two killed and thirty-nine wounded, including their colonel, and the sailors and marines had four killed and forty-nine wounded, including Capt. Money. Several of the wounded died before the detachment recrossed the river. The dead were buried in the plain in front of Morgan's line. It was in this action the British acquired the trophy which is their sole reward of achievements on this day. It is a small flag, which now hangs amid the trophies of the Peninsular w-ar in White Hall, London, with this description: "Taken at the Battle of New Orlean.s, Januar}- 8, 1815." There is as much appropriateness in such a record as there would be in the French arraying in pubfica British regimental standard captured at Waterloo. General Lambert consented to Jackson's proposition, early on the morning of the 9th. A line was staked off about three hundred yards from the Ameri- can entrenchments, and detachments of soldiers marched from both camps, who were stationed from this line but a few feet apart, to carry out the object of the armistice — the burial of the dead. The dead bodies, which were strewn so thickly over the field, were then brought by tlie Americans to the lines, where the}^ were received b}^ the British and borne to a designated spot on Bienvenu's which had been marked off as the cemetery of "the Army of Louisiana." In carrying the dead the Americans used the clumsj' and unwieldy ladders intended by the British to be employed in scaling the American parapet. Many British HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL. 387 officers assembled to witness the ceremony. It was to them one of deep morti- fication and sorrow. These feelings were increased by the presence of several American officers, whose r\.A\.\xnu- ary. 1884, and he now carries a stock of goods of about $5000. In connection with his mercantile business he operates a large cotton gin. He is a member of the Catholic church and belongs to the Masonic order. Mr. and Mrs. Currie are the parents of five children, viz: Christina, Currie, ''deceased) Hosea. Lizzie, Carria. » * * ^ J. B. CLEMENTS, Opelousas. — J. B. Clements, of the insurance firm of Clements & Bros., was born in New Orleans In 1849. He received his education in the public schools in this city. He was for several years on the road as traveling solicitor for a stationery establishment of New Orleans. Some time since he came to Opelousas where he associated himself in the insurance business with Judge Morris : and upon his death he continued the business in HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL. 19 his own name. He represents the following well-known companies: Liverpool, London and Globe Insurance Company, Mechanics and Traders Insurance Company, Sun Mutual, St. Paul, Securit}% and other companies. He married Nina, the accomplished daughter of T. H. Lewis, of Opelousas. To them have been born four children, Henry. Florence, Lilian and Ethel. * * » "^ W. F. CLOPTON, Morrow.— Dr. Clopton is a native of Avoyelles parish, Louisiana. His father was William Clopton, a native of Virginia; and his mother, Evelina Griffin, who was of an old Louisiana famil}'. William Clopton grew to manhood and received his education in Virginia, and removed to Avo3'elIes parish when comparatively ayoung man. Here he located, married, and devoted himself to planting. He died in 1872 at an advanced age. Mrs. Clopton died in 1S73 at the age of forty-fiv^e years. Both were consistent mem- bers of the Baptist church. Mr. Clopton's family is of the old English cavalier stock which has made Virginia " the mother of states and statesmen." The subject of our sketch was reared on a plantation, and received his education, principally, at Bethel College, Russellville, Kentucky. Shortly after leaving school he entered the medical department of the University- of Louisiana (now Tulane Universitj'), and graduated in 1872. After completing his course he practised his profession for a short while in Hines county, Mississippi, when he returned to Louisiana and located in St. Landry parish, since which time he has practised his profession in this place. Previous to the year 1889, the Doctor was located at Big Cane, Louisiana, at which time he removed to this place. He married, in 1874, Miss Julia Foote, of West Carroll, Louisiana, the accom- plished daughter of William and Sallie (Parker) Foote. The Doctor takes quite an active part in political affairs, although he is not an office seeker. Both he and his wife are members of the Baptist church. They are the parents of four children — two sons and two daughters. * ^ WM. CHILDS, M. D., Opelous.\s.— Dr. Childs is a native of Arkansas, born in 1850. He is a son of Nathan M. and Charlotte R. (BeHn) Childs ; the former a native of Alabama, and the latter of Florida. Dr. Childs is one of a family of eight children, of whom five are now living. The Doctor had rather limited educational advantages, though he is a scholar. He remained with his parents until he attairted the age of twenty-four years, when he began teachmg in the public schools, at the same time pursuing a literary and medical course. In 1877 he entered the. office of Dr. Young, where he pursued a course of study, and in the fall of that year he entered the University of Louis- iana, being compelled to sacrifice what little personal property he had in order to pay the e.xpensesof his first course of lectures. He graduated and received his degree in 1879. after which he began the prac- 20 SOrT/nrBST LOTIS/AXA: tice of his profession in St. Landry parisli. In April, 1S79, ^^^ removed to Port Barre, where he remained until April i, 1882, when, on account of the overflow, he had to remove his famil}'. He sold his propert}' there and removed to his pres- sent location, where he had previously purchased a tract of prairie land, to which he has added, until he now owns a fine plantation of from six to seven hundred acres. In 1887 he erected the finest residence in this portion of St. Landry. He had previously paid his chief attention to raising cotton and corn on his plantation; but of recent years he has turned his attention chiefly to stock raising, in order that it may interfere as little aspossible with liis professional work. He married, December 23, 1879, Mary C. Young, a native of St. Landry, and a daughter of Stephen W. and Marj' A. (Richards) Young. To this union there have been born six children, of whom five are now living. In October, 1888, Dr. Childs began a mercantile business, which he has since conducted with suc- cess. He is a member of the M. E. Church, South, of which he is clerk. The doctor has succeeded in building up a large practice, which pays him a hand- some income. * V MARTIN CARRON, Seeleyville.— Mr. Carron is a native of St. Landry parish, born near Washington, November, 1836. He is the son of Elienne and Artmease (Chartran) Carron, both natives of St. Landr}'. Our subject is one of a family of nine children, of whom three are now living. He received his education in the schools at Washington, and at the age of sixteen he was appren- ticed to George McCann, of New Orleans, where he learned the machinist's trade. He remained with Mr. McCann about two years, and completed his apprenticeship on the river. In 1880 he opened a shop on his plantation, and now makes and repairs all kinds of machinery. He also conducts an agency for the sale of farm imple- ments. He married, in 1S67, Elizabeth Chachere, daughter of Constance and Celestine (Lavergne) Chachere, both of whom are natives of St. Landry, of one of the oldest families here. Mr. Carron and wife are the parents of two daughters; Zoe E., wife of R. V. Richards; and Minerva E. In 1862 Mr. Car- ron enlisted in the Confederate States service, first in Fuller's Company, after- ward assigned to duty with the Crescent Regiment. He was engaged in the battles of Bisland and Mansfield, and was in many other minor engagements. During his service with Captain Fuller, he was on gun-boats and took part in a number of marine engagements. He received, during his service, two or three slight wounds, but was never seriously injured. He served until the close of the war. He was elected justice of the peace in 1874, ^"*^ ^" ^^^^ capacity served four years. In 1879 '^"^ ^^''^^ elected a member of the Legislature, and afterward a member of the Constitutional Convention, in 1880. In 1SS7 he niSrORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL. 21 was appointed member of the Police Jury. lie is a member of tlie Farmers' Alliance and has been President of Union No. 47S. He and his family are members of the Roman Catholic church. Mr. Carron lias a beautiful plantation of about three hundred and fifty acres, which is located in St. Landry and the adjoining parish of Acadia, upon which he raises rice, corn, and various other cereals. * •^ E. J. CONWAY, St. Landrv. — Edward J. Conwaj- is probably the most extensive stock raiser in St. Landr}' parish. His beautiful prairie plantation, consisting of a largfe tract of land, is well stocked, and is one of the most desirably located places in this section. Mr. Conway is a native of Louisiana, born in St. James parish in 1857. He is the son of Captain Thomas and Clementine Conway. Capt. Thos. Conway is a native of Alexandria, Va., and received his education at that place, removing to Louisiana in 1855, where he married, and was for many years engaged as captain on a Mississippi steam- boat. He now resides in New Orleans, and is Marine Inspector for the Crescent and Teutonia Insurance Companies of that cit\-. There is a romance connected with the origin of the Conway family in America, which may be interesting to briefly relate. Our subject's grandfather, Robert Conway, was a native of Wales, and_ located in \'irginia when a young man. The first of the Conway family, on the mother's side, of whom we have an}' account in America, was Maurice Conway, who came from Ireland to act as Secretar}^ of State for Mr. O'Reilley, who was then Governor General of Louisiana under the Spanish regime. He came to Louisiana at the solicitation of Governor General O'Reilley, whohad previously arranged that he should marry some lad}' whom he had selected in New Orleans, but in this he was disappointed, as Mr. Conway brought with him a wife and two children. Seeing the great displeasure which he had unwittingly incurred in not being able to act according to the Governor's desires, lie purchased a tract of land on the Mississippi River from the Homer Indians, on which he located. Here he spent the remainder of his life. To him the Conway family of Louisiana traces its ancestr}-. Edward J. Conway was reared and principally educated in New Orleans. He completed his education at St. Mary's College in that city. Upon the completion of his studies, at the age of sixteen years, he was for some time engaged with different wholesale grocery houses there. In the y6ar 1884 he removed to St. Landry parish and began planting. In 1886 he married Miss Adella Dai re, a native of St. Landry parish, and a daughter of Prosper and Lucia (Fontenot) Daire. Mr. Conway is one of the most prosperous planters and stock raisers of his section. He has on his land from five to six thousand head of c»ttle, besides 22 SOUTHWEST L OLTS/AXA : quite a number of horses and mules. lie is a tliorougli-going business man, and his success in life is greatly due to the push and energy which characterizes all his efforts. * ^ HENRY MAYS CAGE, Washington.— Henry Hays Cage is a native of Terrebonne parish, Louisiana, born in the J'ear iS6o. His father, Albert G. Cage, was a native of Louisiana and an extensive sugar planter. He was quite a prominent man in Terrebonne parish; served at different times as sheriff of his parish, and represented it twice in the State Senate. He died in 1870 at tlie age of foity-three j-ears. H. H. Cage is the fifth of a family of six children, three brotheis and three sisters. He was reared and received his preparatory education in Louisiana, and when fifteen years of age entered the Virginia Militar}' Institute, at Alexan- dria, where he took a three years" course. Upon the completion of his educa- tion he returned to Louisiana and embarked in a mercantile business at Homer. In this pursuit, however, he was not successful ; and, aft'er following it for about three years, he gave it up and became manager of an extensive sugar plantation, which he operated for about two years. After this he spent about three jears in New Mexico, where he had large stock interests. In 1889 he came to this place (Pleasant Hill plantation) and took charge as manager. The plantation is one of the most fertile and valuable in this section, and under his manage- ment it pa3's a handsome dividend. Mr. Cage is a refined and cultured gentle- man, and is an ornament to the social circles in which he moves. * ^ HON. C. C. DUSON, Opelousas.— Hon. C. C. Duson, State Senator] from the Twelfth Senatorial District, composed of St. Landry and Acadia, wasi born on the Mermentau River, St. Landry parish, Louisiana, August 31, 1846. The history of C. C. Duson's father, Cornelius Duson, as he was known inj Louisiana, and the m^'stery so long thrown around his real family name, soundsl more like a legend culled from the days of romance, or of knight errantry, than the actual life of a citizen in this prosaic nineteenth century. He was born at Point Levis, opposite the city of Quebec, Canada, on the St. Lawrence River, June 8, 1819. He was the youngest of the family of si.x sons, and when the French rebelled against the English government, in 1837, all his familjs except himself, were found to be ultra English loyalists. But our 3'oung hero of seventeen years had a bosom friend and companion, one S. Lombert, whom, he had learned to love from childhood. Through Lombert's influence he was induced to join the French revolutionists : and as soon as this fact reached the ears of his family, Cornelius Duson was called before a family council, consisting of his father and five brothers. They remonstrated with and begged him not to disgrace their time-honored family name by joining in an attempt to p HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL. 23 overthrow liis government. They stated to him that if not killed during the in- surrection, if the French cause was lost, he would be forced to suffer capital punishment for treason; further, that his oldest brother, John, had been ap- pointed to watch for all persons suspected of treasonable designs and report them to the officials, and that if he did not change his course his brother would be forced to take him in surveillance. But Cornelius Duson had his course mapped out, and his convictions were too strong to be changed. He stated to his people that if the French cause was lost they should never hear of him till the grass grew green over his grave. Having thus delivered himself, Corne- lius Duson, his companion, S. Lombert, and eight comrades started from their homes on an expedition far up the Ottawa River, to preach rebellion and raise forces among the woodmen and trappers. This adventure was cut short b}' eight of the ba^id of ten being captured by the English soldiers. Cornelius Du- son, however, escaped, and went far up the tributaries of the Ottawa River. He soon learned that his comrades were imprisoned at the town of Ottawa, and that the jailer was an Irishman. Going to Ottawa, then a small town, he formed the jailer's acquaintance, thinking to engage him in a " drinking bout."' The wily jailer indulged only moderately, and would taste not a drop around the jail. After thev had returned from a dram shop to the jail, he sus- pected evil designs in his new acquaintance and ordered him away. Corne- lius Duson had thrown his large hunter's cap on a heap of wood in the jail on entering, and, when ordered away, ostensibl}' reaching for his cap, he picked up a stick, knocked the jailer down, and secured the keys from his person, and helped his companions to make their escape. The}- then at once decided to make their way to tlie United States as quickly as possible. With this in view, they went to Kingston, which was then simply a ferrj-. The ferry boat was run by Duson's cousin. He utilized every avail- ing argument and means in the attempt to engage him to ferry them over to the United States shore ; but fear of the English government prevented him from doing so. As a last resort the party cut the boat loose, and ferried it across themselves, reaching the opposite shore far below the usual landing. They were pursued by the soldiers, and some of the partj' killed. Cornelius Duson escaped, though severel}' wounded from a musket ball, shot through his thigh. He secreted himself in the hut of a woodman until he recovered from his wound, after which he made liis way to Boston, Mass. There he found that a reward was offered for him by the English government. Upon hearing this he determined to travel further south, finally landing on the Mermentau River, in St. Landry parish, Louisiana, near Lake Arthur. He here formed the acquaintance of a seafaring captai/i by the name of John Webb, a native of Essex, England, and a pioneer on the Mermentau. He lo\'ed and married John Webb's daughter, when she was but fifteen years of age. The union was blessed with five 24 sorvv/WEsr LOrVS/.LVA: children, of whom Hon. C. C. Duson is tlie eldest. Cornelius Duson afterward followed the trade of tanner and saddler, and lived his latter days in St. Martin's parish. He often related the story of his j'outhful experiences to his famil}', and how, among other things, his brother Michael broke an engagement to marry his boon companion's (S. Lombert) sister, because of the loyalty of the family to the French cause. He gave his famih- the full history of his people, of where they lived on the St. Lawrence River ; of their having established large lumber interests and saw-mills, which had been in the family for so man}- long yearl, but of the mystery of the name he bore he breathed not a word. He had often told his wife that when he died, he desired her to send his sons to visit those from whom he had separated himself through his loyalty to a cause he believed to be right. When he was ill he would tell his ph3-sician that he could not afford to die with- out knowing of it beforehand: so it was evident that he had. something of moment to reveal, but what that sometliing was could be judged with no degree of certainty until recent j-ears, as Cornelius Duson died suddenl\-— away from home — in the 3'ear 1857. Things remained in this condition until 1SS4, when, at his mother's solicita- tion, and to fulfill his father's request, Hon. C. C. Duson and his brother, W. W. Duson, made a visit to Canada and hunted out the places of which they had so often heard their father speak. They first went to the old sweetheart of their father's brother Michael, having secured her marriage name. Senator Duson asked her if she did not once have a lover by the name of Michael Duson, and related the incident. She said she had never before heard that name ; but that she was once engaged to Michael McNaughton, with whom she fell out. Thus baffled, the Senator and his brother, proceeded to the house of S. Lombert, the companion of their father's earlier 3'ears, certain they would at once learn all ; but when they mentioned the name Duson he said he was sure he had never heard it before. Senator Duson insisted that Lombert and his father had often rowed together the same boat and played at the same games when boys, and that when on the verge of manhood they had enlisted in the politi- cal scheme which was the cause of their separation. But still the old man insisted that he had never before heard the name Duson. Senator Duson then repeated the story of liis father's political adventure, and how Lombert had induced him to join the French, repeating the christian names of his father's brothers. 'Tvvas then the feeble old man burst into tears, and with an effort rose to his feet and said "No, no! I see it all now; you are Con's children" (Con, abbreviation for Cornelius). "Your name is not Duson, but McNaughton; let me lead you to your people." The Duson brothers were thunderstruck. Senator Duson, with his characteristic readiness, retorted, "No, if my father has had sufficient reason to change his name, and there is something dark in the background, I will never see my people !" But the old man soon assured him that the rebels of 1837 ///S'rOKJCAL AXD BIOGRAPJIICAL. 25 were the patriots of 1884; that tlie McNaughton famil}- had long since procured a pardon from the English government for their brother Cornelius Duson Mc- Naughton, and had sent agents to Boston and elsewhere and advertised for him in all directions, but all in vain. The Dusons spent several months visiting their people in Canada, whom they found to be wealthy- and among the most cultured people in Canada. They returned home with the intelligence that they are McNaughtons, and not Dusons, and that instead of being of French blood they are purely Irish-Scotch Canadians ; their grandfather, William McNaughton, having been a native of Ireland, who settled in Canada. As subsequently ascertained, the father of the Duson family dropped the McNaughton part of his name on leaving Boston, Mass. It was further learned that he had a confidential friend in St. Martins parish, who repeatedly visited the neighborhood in Canada where the Mc- Naughtons lived, and that under a pledge to Cornelius Duson he kept him always informed of all particulars concerning the McNaughton famil}' in Canada, but never divulged his secret to them. Cornelius Duson McNaughton knew of his people advertising for him, and of their securing the pardon from the English government : but with terrible determination he kept his vow, and his people never did hear of him till *• green grew the grass over his grave." Hon. C. C. Duson was reared on a farm, and received a common school education. lie commenced his official career as deput}' sheriff of St. Landry parish under Sheriff Hayes, in 1866, and served until 1873, when he was elected sheriff of St. Landry, and served for fourteen consecutive years, when he resigned the office to accept the position of State Senator. The appreciation of these long years of service by the people of St. Landry is shown in the fact that the last time he was a candidate for the office, Mr. Duson received, in a total of six thousand two hundred votes, a majority of one thousand eight hundred and forty-three over a strong candidate. No other man in the same capacity in the State of Louisiana ever gained the reputation that Mr. Duson did during iiis fourteen years' service as sheriff. One of the first things he accomplished was the breaking up of organized bands of outlaws who had for years scourged the country and baffled all attempts to execute the law. In doing this he has followed criminals to the border of Mexico, into the mountains of the Indian Territory, and as far north as Illinois. He had three desperate fights in his attempts to capture fugitives from justice; he was at different times the target for the bullets of those whose only chance of escape from their just deserts lay in his removal from their path. A recital of some of his accomplishments in tins capacity will prove interesting. When he was acting deput)' under Sheriff Hayes, 1872, with two other deputies lie tracked the Guilroy brothers, noted criminals, who had long defied the law, to Catahoula parish. There a fight ensued, in which eight shots were fired— three -2r, so UTIIW 'ES T L O L VS/.1 A'A : by the Guilrb3's and five by the deputies, terminating in tlie deatli of botli of the Guilroy brothers. August 3, 1875, Mr. Duson captured Louis Rosseau, guilty of murder, in the Creek nation. August 10, 1875, a requisition was placed in his hands for the a[iprehension of John Slane, for a heinous crime. After a pursuit of twenty-nine days, he caught Slane in Western Texas, near San Saba. In 1879, '^^ pursued two horse thieves, and captured them, after fifteen days' search, at Bonham, Texas. One of the men was guiltj- of murder in Texas, and indicted in Arkansas for mail robber}-. The other had just been tried in Rapides parish for the murder of a negro. In March, 1S80, a requisition was issued for the arrest of one John Sonnier, wlio had been indicted for murder in St. Landry and Calcasieu, and wlio liad been a fugitive since Jul)', 187 1. Man}' fruitless efforts had been made to capture him, as he was regarded as one of the most wily and dangerous men that ever lived in Southwest Louisiana. Through diligent and persistent inquiry Mr. Duson finally learned that he was in Brazoria county, Texas. He at once started for that place to capture him, dead or alive. In company with Sheriff Noble and Deputy Sheriff Faut. of Harris county, Texas, he traced him to a convict camp, where Sonnier was guarding prisoners under the name of Miller. He was only captured alive by grappling with him before he could use his arms. Sonnier is now serving a life sentence inthepen- tenliarv at Baton Rouge. In March, 1881, a requisition was issued by Gov. McEnery on the governor of Illinois for one John Fahey, who, in February, 1881, had murdered and robbed his fellow-workman on the Payne plantation in this parish. Duson, with his usual detective skill, had traced out John Fahey's whereabouts, and, armed with his proper papers, went for his man and captured him. Fahey is now serv- in'f a life sentence in the Louisiana penitentiary. In April, 1881, Gov. McEnery issued a requisition for the arrest of one Rhett Clark, charged with murder. Within fifteen days Duson had Clark a prisoner at Fort Graham, in Northwest Texas, and he was brought back to answer the charge. The last but not least important arrest made by our champion sheriff was that of Lane and Brown for the murder of old man -Nuby on the Payne plantation a few years ago, when a terrible fight ensued, during which thirty- two shots were exchanged, Duson receiving two shots from Lane's pistol, and killing Lane in a hand-to-hand con- flict. Brown was captured and is now serving a life sentence in the State prison of Mississippi. It must be borne in mind that in tracing down and arresting those noted criminals a rare detective skill and a vast amount of energy and courage was necessary to successfully carry them out. Aside from his active official life, Senator Duson has been a leading spirit in all matters pertaining to the material interests of this section of the State. He is one of the leading members of the Southwest Louisiana Land Company, of which mention is made elsewhere, and the organization of Acadia parisli is due HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL. 27 -ht at Winchester, Maj-, 1862. In the Trans-Mississippi Department he was em^aged in the battle at Camp Bisland, on board of gun-boat John A. Coiton: and he was again captured at Fort DeRussy, and held prisoner at New Orleans for tive months. He was near Nachitoches at the close of the war. After the war he returned to Opelousas and entered the printing business in the office of the Courier, and to this he has given his undivided attention since that time. The favor with which this paper has been received is ample evidence of the able manner in which it has been conducted during the thirty-eight years of its e-tistence. A full history of the paper will be found in the History of the Press, in another part of this work. Mr. Sandoz was married, in 1868, to Miss Helen L. Reynolds, a native of liaton Rouge. They are the parents of six children; H. H., Fred, Allen T., May, Estelle and Peyton. Mr. Sandoz and family are Catholics. » « J. T. STEWART, Opelousas. — Mr. Stewart, an enterprising citizen and lumber merchant of Opelousas, was born in Alabama, November 4, 1S54. His father, A. Stewart, is a native of North Carolina. His mother, Martha Bass, was a native of South Carolina. While young they moved to Alabama, where their children were born, six in number, all of whom now reside in Louisiana. They subsequently moved to Mississippi in 1864. They now are residents of Chicot, Louisiana. J. T. Stewart was reared partly in Alabama and partly in Mississippi. He received a limited education, but has always kept himself well informed. He gave his attention to saw-milling until 1881, when he located in Opelousas. and opened the business in which he is now engaged. Mr. Stewart was one of the pioneer citizens of the new and growing town of Crowley, Acadia parish, Louisiana, in which he owns considerable property. After residing there two years he moved back to Opelousas and began his present business. He is a man of good judgment and has met with success. He married Miss Amanda Sunerlin, also a native of Alabama. They are inSTORICAL AXD BIOGRAPHICAL. 75 the parents of two children : Jimmie, Willie, and they are rearing them with ever_v possible advantage. . ^ J. P. SAIZAN, M. D., Opelousas. — Dr. Saizan is a native of St. Lan- dry parish, Louisiana. He is a son of D. P. and Phekite (Robin) Saizan, of whom a sketch appears elsewhere in this work. Dr. Saizan, at an early age, entered St. Charles College, Grand Coteau, Louisiana, where he remained two years. He afterward graduated in the com- mercial department of Manhattan College, New York City, at the head of his class. In iSS6 he received from this college the degree of Bachelor of Arts, and subsequently that of Master of Arts. Subsequently he entered the medical department of Tulane University. While there he stood a successful competi- tive examination for entrance into the Charity Hospital as resident student. Desiring to receive the practical benefits derived from his position, he served until iS9oin this institution as interne and ambulance surgeon. Immediately upon leaving here Dr. Saizan located in Opelousas, where he has since practised. He has succeeded in ingratiating himself in the confidence and esteem of those with whom he has cast his lot. The future holds much in store for him. He married, September 30, 1890, one of Opelousas' most accomplished ladies, Miss Bessie, daughter of Thomas H. Lewis, a prominent attorney of this plice. ^ DAVID P. SAIZAN, Port Barre. — Mr. Saizan is a native of St. Ljin- dry, born March 9, 1828. He is the son of Alexis and Serephine Saizan, natives of Pointe Coupee and St. James parishes respectively. Alexis Saizan died in St. Landry in 1834, when about fifty years of age, his wife surviving him several years. The Saizan family have most of them been planters. The subject of our sketch spent his school days in St. Landr\', residing with his mother until her death. When but a boy he commenced planting, which he has followed ever since. He has been very successful in business pursuits and now ow'ns seven hundred and fifty acres of land, nearly all of which is under cultivation; also considerable town property. Since 1865 he has alternately devoted his attention to merchandising and planting. In 1872 he removed to the place where he now resides, and has since been en- gaged in receiving and forwarding merchandise. In addition to this, in 1875, be opened a general mercantile establishment, in which business he has been very successful. He became post-master of Port Barre in 1874. He now owns nearly all the property in this place. He has served as member of the police jur^- for a period of eight \ ears and has been justice of the peace for TC SOUTHWEST L O UlSIAXA : two years. Although sixty years of age, he is hale and hearty and looks man)' vears j'ounger than he reallv is. In 1847 he married Felicite Robin, daughter of Otto Robin, of St. Landry parish. They are tlie parents of four living ciiil- dren, viz: Dr. J. P., Alozire, Arsene and Bertha. Mr. Saizan is a gentleman of a most charitable and magnanimous disposition. He has reared and started in life eight orphan children, and at the present time has charge of three. CAPTAIN. JONES P. SMITH, Opelousas.— Captain Smith was born in Troop count}', Georgia, February 15, 1833. He is the son of Simon and Sarah (Persons) Smith, both natives of Georgia. They were married in this Stale, and removed to Alabama in 1847. Simon Smitli was a farmer by occupation. He died in Alabama in 1870, his wife surviving him until 1883. The subject of our sketcli was reared and received his education in the re- spective States in which his pai^ents resided. He removed to Louisiana in 1853, and located in Claiborne parish, where he remained until the breaking out of the war. At its beginning he enlisted as a private in Company B, Twelfth Louisiana Infantry, and in the organization of the company he was elected its captain. He participated in the battles at Belmont, Missouri'; Shiloh, Corinth, Mississippi, and Vicksburg, and was with Hood in his Tennessee campaign. He served until the close of the war, aild was with General Hood in South Carolina at the time of the surrender. When the war closed Captain Smith returned to his home in Claiborne parish and devoted himself to his plantation interests. He removed to St. Landry parish in 1867, where he now owns thirteen hundred acres of land, nine hundred acres of which are under cultivation, chiefly in cotton and corn. Captain Smith was married in 1858 to Mattie E. Boring, daughter of Joseph and Sicily (Wafer) Boring. To them was born one son — Theo. S., who is now practising medicine in Acadia parish. Mrs. Smith died in 1859, at Homer, Louisiana. The Captain subsequently married Laura A. Sassiter. She died in 1884. Captain Smith has been a prominent member of the Masonic fraternity since 1854. * * C-APT. E. W. SYLVESTER, Palmetto.— Capt. E. W. Sylvester was born in Waldo county. Maine, in 1S39. He is the son of Daniel W. and Lydia vSylvester, who were both natives of Maine. Daniel W. Sylvester was a mill- wright b}^ occupation ; he died in 1888, at the age of seventy-six years. His mother died when Capt. E. W. Sylvester was an infant. He was the only child, and had the best educational advantages. At the age of fifteen, on account of ill health, he left school, went to Europe, and for several years followed a sv;a- man's life. At the breaking out of the war he entered the Sixth Maine Infantr}-, and HISrORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL. I't was in active service during the whole war. He entered as a private, but was afterward promoted. Mis field of operation was wholly in Virginia. He was wounded several times. After the war he operated a canning factory in Portland, rtlaine, until com- ing South in 1867, when he located where he now resides. Here he purchased about one thousand acres of land, upon which cotton and sugar are cultivated. He has taken quite an interest in raising a fine grade of stock, and has now the finest stock to be found in this section of the country. In tlie overflow of 1882 he lost heavily from loss of stock and otherwise. Capt. S3-lvester was married, in 1858, to Miss Mary Simpson, of Kennebec countv, Maine. Their family is composed of five children, three sons and two dau:^"hters. The Captain and his wife are members of the Unitarian churcli. * * V I. E. SHUTE, M. D. Shut]:stox. — Dr. I. E. Shute is a native of Lawrence couTity, Ohio, born in November, 1S50. His parents. Captain J. G. Shute and Sarah Smith, were both natives of the same countv. They were reared and married here, and became the parents of four children, our subject being the eldest. J. G. Shute was a steamboat captain, and was killed in the explosion of the "David Wiiite," in 1867, at Greenville. His wife died, in iS54,at her home in Lawrence county, Ohio. Dr. Shute had good educational facilities as a boy, and at the age of eighteen years he engaged in the drug business at Ashland, Kentuck\-, in partnership with Dr. J. W. Martin, in which business he continued for about two vears, when he sold his interest in the store and removed to Louisville, Kentucky. He studied medicine in Louisville, at the same time practising in the Charit}^ Hospital there. Here he remained until 1873, in which year he graduated. He located in Bo3-d count}', Kentucky, and practised medicine for two years, when he removed to his old home in Lawrence county, Ohio, prac- tising his profession there during the year 1876, when he removed to New Or- leans, and bought an interest in the "Col. A. P. Kouns," of which he was clerk for two years. The "Kouns" sunk in 1878, thirty miles below Alexandria, on Red River. After this unfortunate event he again resumed the practice of his profession, at the same time operating a plantation near Opelousas. In 1883 he sold his plantation and returned to Ashland, Boyd county, Kentucky, where he bouglit a home and practised his profession for about twelve months, when he sold his property there. In the spring of 1884 he again returned to St. Lan- dry parish, Louisiana, locating seven miles south of Opelousas, where he now resides and practises medicine. In connection with his professional duties, he has an interest in a mercantile business conducted on his premises by C. V. De- jan. The doctor was married during his travels in Lawrence county, Ohio, in 1874, to Georgia Kouns, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Captain I. H. Kouns. They 78 SOCTJ/jrEST LOr/S/A.VA : have liad born to tliem four children: James I., Frank C, Irene E., and Mattie K. After his extended travels, the doctor gives it as his opinion that Louisiana is the garden spot of the world, and is satisfied to make it his home. He has succeeded in building up a remunerative practice, and stands high in the medi- cal profession of St. Landry parish. * * * "' JUDGE ARTHUR SIMON, Opelousas.— Judge Simon, a successful planter, resides on his plantation about four miles southwest of Opelousas. He was born in New Orleans on the 15th March, 1841, and is one of a family of ten children born to Edward and Eugenie (Zerban) Simon. Edward Simon is a native of Belgium and came to America at the age of eighteen years. His wife is a native of St. Martin's parish, Louisiana, and descendant of the old Fuselier family. Edward Simon was an associate justice of the Supreme Court of Louisi- ana under the administration of Governor Roman', from 1841 to 1849. He died in 1867 at St. Martinsville, Louisiana, his wife surviving him until 1880. All of the Simon family are Catholics. The subject of our sketch received most of his education at the Louisiana College (the old Jefferson) in St. James parish, and graduated at what is now known as the Tulane University of Louisiana. In 1862 he enlisted in the Con- federate States service and was made a Lieutenant in the Yellow Jacket Battalion, commanded by Colonel Fournet, which was afterward consolidated with the Eighteenth Louisiana Infantry. In 1864 he was promoted to the rank of major. He was in many of the active engagements in which his regiment participated, and was with General Kirby Smith at the time of the surrender. After the war he determined to study law, but, after pursuing his studies a short while, was forced to abandon it and take charge of his father's sugar plan- tation in St. Mar\' parish. In 1874 '^^ I'emoved to St. Landry parish, where he was married, in 1865, to Miss Marie Dejean. To them have been born five chil- dren, one son and four daughters: Rita, wife of E. V. Barry, of Grand Coteau, Louisiana; Lelia, Mary, Sidonie and Leopold. Mrs. Simon died in 1879. Judge Simon subsequently married Miss Mathilda Dejean, sister of his first wife. Judge Simon was admitted to the bar before the Supreme Court at Opelou- sas in 1876. He practised law until 1888 in Opelousas, where for four years he was justice of the peace. Since that time he has given his entire attention to the operation of his plantation, which is one of about three hundred acres, highly improved and of unsurpassed fertility. J. P. SAVANT, G.\RLAND. —Mr. Savant is an example of what an ener- getic 3-oung man can accomplish. He is a native of St. Landry parish, Louisi- ana, and is yet a young man, being only in his twenty-second year. He is a son HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL. 79 of Adol|)h and Mary (McDaniel) Savant, both natives of St. Landry parish. I lis father was a very successful planter and owned one of the finest plantations of Bayou Bceuf , near Whiteville. He lived a quiet and unassuming life, devoting liimself exclusively to his plantation interests. He died in 1882, at the age of fifty-two vears. Mrs. Savant is still living, in Avoj-elles parish, near Eola. Young J. P. Savant was reared in his native parish and received the benefit of a thorough academic education. He was reared on a plantation, and began life at the age of sixteen years as a clerk in a general mercantile establishment at White- ville, in which he was engaged for a period aggregating four years. During this time he saved sutScient money to begin business on a small scale for himself, and, in 1888, he began the mercantile business at Garland, and subsequently he became a partner in a large mercantile house in Whiteville. There are few young men in this section who have accomplished more than Mr. Savant at his age. He has been abundantly successful in his business thus far, and, accept- ing this as an index to his future, in addition to having a knowledge of his strict business habits, we may predict that the first chapter in a continued storv of success has but ended. ^ ^ CHARLES R. STEELE, Opelousas.— Mr. Steele is a planter Hving four miles south of Opelousas. He is one of a family of five children born to Peter Steele and Catherine Fresh. His father was a native of Sweden and his mother of Madison, Indiana. His father was for many years captain of an ocean steamer on the Atlantic. He subsequently ran a tow-boat line from New Orleans to the gulf for a number of years. He died in New Orleans in 1867. His wife still survives him. The subject of this sketch began life for himself at the age of eighteen years. He served a five 3'ears' apprenticeship, learning the trade of ship builder at New Orleans. In 186S he was appointed Deputy U. S. Marshal. In this capacity he served for about fifteen years, when he was appointed Deputy Collector of In- ternal Revenue, in which capacity he served four years, when he removed to the plantation on which he now resides. Mr. Steele has a plantation consisting of four hundred acres of land, the most of which is under cultivation and highh* improved. He was married, in 1873, in Mobile, Alabama, to Miss Laura \. Jones, daughter of Dr. W. E. Jones, of Ocean Springs, Mississippi. There has been born to them nine children: William, Charles, Frank, Vemelle (deceased), Charles Peter (deceased), Wharton, Alfred P., Laura V. and Charles Emmett. Mr. Steele is a member of the Episcopal and his wife of the Baptist church. , * « ^ GEORGE S. SINGLETON, Bayou Chicot.— Mr. Singleton is a native of Louisiana, born in 1859. ^^ grew to manhood and received his education in the city of New Orleans. He is the son of C. B. and Anna E. Singleton, 80 S0l'77I]]ES7' LOriSIAXA: natives of St. Landry parish, Louisiana, and Min^vland, respectively. C. B. Singleton is an active lawyer in New Orleans, where he has practised his pro- fession for a number of j-ears. Young George S. Singleton received the best educational advantagt-s afforded in the schools of Louisiana, and, in 1867, he went to Europe, where he pursued his studies until 1871, when he returned to New Orleans, and was there engaged in business until 1875, wlien he removed to St. Landry parish to take charge of his father's plantation, which is one of the finest and most producti\-e in the parish. Mr. Singleton is united in marriage with Miss Clementine Phelps, a native of St. Mary parish, Louisiana, and daugliter of N. H. and Clementine Phelps. Her father is a native of Connecticut and her mother of Louisiana. Mr. Singleton is undoubtedh' one of the busiest men, as well as the most successful, in St. Landry parish. The operation of his immense plantation requires his full attention, and his success is due to the untiring energy which he manifests in its management. Mr. Singleton and wife arg the parents of six children: Chas. F., Ellen C William E., Ellen H., Clementine G. and George L. * * ^ VALENTINE SAVOY, Ciiataignier.— Mr. Savoy is a native of St. Landr}- parish, born in 1836. He is the son of Valcour and Eugenia (Reyder) Savoy, the former a native of St. Landry, and the latter of Rapides parisli. \'al- cour Savoy is a son of Placide Savoy, also a native of St. Landry. The subject of our sketch received his education in the common schools of St. Landry parish. He began life at the age of twenty years, and was first en- gaged in the manufacture of spinning wheels, which he followed until 186S, when he began a mercantile business in Chataignier, at the same lime operating a plan- tation. This dual business he conducted successfully until 1879, since which time he has given his attention chiefly to his plantation. He is also operating in con- nection with this a large gin, and for a portion of the time a saw-mill. Mr. Savoy has a fine plantation of about six hundred acres, and cultivates rice and cotton principally. He was married, in 18S5, to Denise Fruger, a native of St. Landr}- parish, born in 1838, and of one of the oldest families of the parish. To them have been born eight children, six of whom are now living, viz: Agelas, Catherine, wife of Francois Savoy; Valentine, wife of Alexander Agelar; Clara, wife of Numa Agelar; Arras and Louis. Mr. Savoy has filled different positions of trust with efficiency. He is a member of the Masonic fraternity. * * » ■/ J. J. THOINIPSON, Opelousas. — J. J. Thompson, familiarly known as Jack Thompson, Treasurer of St. Landr}' parish, is a native of this parish, born HISrORlCAL AXD BIOGRAPHICAL. 81 March lo, 1S52. He is the son of Colonel James M. and Celestine (Dupre) Thompson. Colonel James M. Thompson was born in i8i8on the ocean, under an Englisli Hag, while his parents were on their way as immigrants to America. His parents settled in Illinois, near Shawneetown, where they lived and died. Life at Shawneetown grew monotonous to Colonel Thompson, and at an early age he left his paternal roof and went out to face the world for himself. When the war broke out between the United States and Mexico it afforded an inviting field of excitement to his restless disposition. As a consequence of this, he enlisted in the United States service and served through the whole of the strug- gle. At its close he came to Louisiana, studied medicine in New Orleans and became a successful practitioner in St. Landry parish. At the breaking out of war between the States, in 1861, he entered the Confederate States ser- vice as captain of a company which he had organized. His company was assigned to the Second Louisiana Regiment. He was subsequently commis- sioned major and afterward colonel. He was acting in the latter capacity at the cessation of hostilities. The hardships of the war at liis age told upon his phy- sical manhood, and as a result of this he did not resume the duties of his pro- fession after the war. He sold his plantation, located in Opelousas, opened a drug store and gave his attention to general business. He conducted a large mercantile business; was interested in a steamboat; and, subsequently, was appointed slieriff of St. Landry parish, and finally was elected recorder of the parish, in which latter capacity he served four 3^ears. He died in 1885, after a life full of exciting events and general usefulness. The mother of our subject was born in this parish of French parentage. She became the mother of ten children, of which J. J. Thompson is the fourth in the order of their birth. J. J. Thompson was educated at the Louisiana State University, but owing to the delicate state of his health he was unable to remain at college long enough lo complete his course. At an early age he was employed in the sheriff's office, and was subsequently appointed executive deputy in the tax collector's ofiice. He was afterward appointed superintendent of registration for the parish, and in this capac;ity served two years, at the end of which time he went to New Orleans and studied law. He was admitted to the bar and practised in Opelou- sas a short period. In 1S85 he was married to Miss Rosa Boagni, the daughter of a wealthy physician of St. Landrj' parish. Finding the freedom of a plan- tation life more congenial to his taste than that of an attorney's office, Mr. Thompson abandoned the profession of the law, and he has become one of the thrifty and successful planters and stock raisers of St. Landry parish. During a part of the time in which he had control of the plantation he devoted himself to the culture of sugar cane, but for the last eight j-ears cotton planting and stock raising has been his principal vocation. His success in the breeding of 82 SOL'THW'Esr I.OUISIAN'A: fine slock has lieen marked, as is attested \i\ the fine grade of horses and cattle which lie now has on his place. Although not an aspirant for office, Mr. Thomp- son was appointed returning officer for St. Landr}' parish in 1874 '^y Governor McEnerVi and was retained by Governor NichoUs, and is the present incum- bent of that office. He was elected treasurer of St. Landry parish in June, 1S88, and performs the duties of that office at the present time. Mr. Thomp- son's wife was an accomplished lady and highly educated. She became the mother of two children, Adela and Jennie.' In the bloom of womanhood and just when life had gained its strongest grasp, she was called to eternity on June 2, 1888, * * E. SUMTER TAYLOR. Opelousas.— E. Sumter Taj-lor, assessor of St. Landrj- parish, is a native of the parish, born 1841. He was educated at the Military Institute, formerly located at Alexandria, Louisiana, and was at this institution at the beginning of the war. This cut short his schooling, and lie entered the Confederate service in 1861, enlisting in the Opelousas Guards, which belonged to the Eighth Louisiana Regiment, of which Governor Francis T. Nicholls was lieutenant colonel. This regiment was assigned to duty in the Army of Northern Virginia, and Mr. Taj-lor was here in active service for four years, with the exception of the period when he was a prisoner at Johnson's Island. Here he suffered untold hardships. Man}- of his companions died of starvation while in prison. After the war Mr. Ta3'lor located in Marksville, Louisiana, where he engaged in the drug business. He married there Miss Ellen S. Taylor. To this union has been born one child, Constance. Mrs. Taylor died in 1872, and Mr. Taylor subsequentlj^ married Miss Allice E. Satterfield. To them have been born five children. Mar}-, Estelle, Margeiy, Helen and Edward S. Mr. Taylor returned to St. Landry parish in 1873, locating in Washington » where he engaged in a drug business. He subsequently came to Opelousas, and was for some time emplo3'ed as a clerk in a drug store. He was appointed clerk of the Supreme Court at Opelousas in 1881, and served three years, when he was appointed parish assessor, and is the present efficient incwmbent of that office. * * * *^ T. T. TARLTON, M. D., Grand Cotkau.— Dr. Tarlton is a native of St. Mary's parish, born April 10, 1847. He is the son of John and Frances A. (Caller) Tarlton. John Tarlton was married twice; our subject being the son of the second wife. John Tarlton was a native of Maryland, and at different times resided in South Carolina, Texas and Louisiana. The subject of our sketch is a graduate of St. Charles College, Grand Coteau. He was there from 1863 to 1869, in which year he graduated. He was HISTORICAL AXD BIOGRAPHICAL. 83 a student at the ^[edical College of Alabama, located at Mobile, from which in- stituticn he is a graduate. He began practice near Washington, St. Landry par- ish. In 1872 he removed to Pattersonville, St. Mary parish, and in 1873 to Ellis county, Texas, where he practised eight years. In 1883 he returned to Grand Coteau, where he has practised his profession since that time. He married, in 1881, Miss Constance Littell, daugliter of Isaac and Mary (Ha\\) Littell, of Grand Coteau. To them have been born five children — two sons and three daughters. The Doctor owns two plantations of about three hundred and seventy -five acres, near Grand Coteau, on which he cultivates cotton and corn. Dr. Tarlton is a successful physician and useful citizen. Both he and his wife are members of the Catholic church. ^. * * ^ WILLIAM M. THOMPSON, M. D., Opelousas.— Dr. William M. Thompson is a native of the State, born in Opelousas, December 25, 1849. He is tlie son ot A. J. Thompson. Dr. Thompson was reared in his native State, and received his cliief literary education in Franklin College, this State. At the age of eighteen years he en- tered the medical department of Tulane University, New Orleans. Here he evinced not only his superior intellect, but his disposition in applying it. In the competitive examination for the position of resident student in the Charity Hos- pital, a much coveted honor, he was successful; and for nearly three years he occupied that position. He graduated and received his diploma in April, 1872. Immediately upon the completion of his course. Dr. Thompson returned to his home in Opelousas, and here he located in the practice of his profession. Here he continued to practise until 1876, in which year he married Miss Kate R3'an, daughter of Judge M. Ryan, ot Alexandria, Louisiana. After his marriage he practiced his profession in Alexandria for about two years, when he returned to Opelousas and resumed his practise at that place. Dr. Thompson is a skilled physician, and highly distinguished in his pro- fession. He has a large practice and is one of the most popular physicians in this section. He is eminently a man of progressive views and ever ready to ^^uppo^t a deserving cause. He has for eight years filled the office of parish coroner. Dr. Thompson's happy home is gladdened with seven children, three sons and four daughters, to whom he proposes to extend the best educational and social facilities. * * EDWARD THOMPSON, M. D., Ville Platte.— Dr. Tliompson is a native of St. Landry parish, born in 1853. He is one of a family of nine chil- dren born to Thomas H. and Nancy (Griffith) Thompson. Both were natives of 84 HISTORICAL AXD lUOGRAnilCAL. Louisiana. His father has foUovved the occupation of school teaclier durini,^lhe greater part of his life. He was police juror from his ward for a period of eiijht years, and is now a resident of St. Landry parish. Dr. Thompson was principally educated at Opelousas. He commenced the study of medicine in 1872, attending lectures at Tulane University in 1872-73. He then went to the Cincinnati Medical College, where he graduated in 1S75. He began to practise his profession at Whileville, in this parish, and subsequently removed to this place. The doctor was married, in 1876, to Miss Sarah McMillan, a native of Georgia. Dr. Thompson has devoted his whole time to his profession since the completion of his course. He has prospered. Dr. Thompson is a beneficent and public-spirited gentleman. He and wife are the parents of six children, viz : Madeline A., Florence E., Nancy A., D;ivid, Chester A., Ollie. * t^ C. ]\L THOMPSON, Oi'Eloisas.— C. M. Thompson was born in St. Landr}- parish in 1853. He is the son of A. J. and Lucretia Thompson. A. J. Thompson came South with his parents before he attained his majority, and ocated at Opelousas. Here he opened a drug store, but he lost ever\-thing bv the war. Shortly after this he received a sunstroke, which rendered him an invalid the rest of his life, and he died in 1879. Mrs. Lucretia Thompson is a native of St. Landry parish. Her father was born in New Hampshire, and her grandfatl-.er was a native of Canada. C. M. Thompson's education and opportunities for material advancement were restricted by the necessities of his widowed mother and a large famil\- of younger brothers and sisters. He supported the family b}' his own earnings and saved monej' enough to enter the livery business. He was elected first constable of Ward i in 1884, and held the position for one term. He was appointed post- master at Opelousas by President Grant in 1S76, and held the position until 1S7S, when he resigned to become a candidate for sheriff of St. Landry parish, but was defeated. He was appointed register of the parish, and later was elected marshal, and held that position until 1879. He was elected district clerk, 1888, and is the present efficient incumbent of that office. Mr. Thompson was married in 1876 to Miss V. S Garland. He is a mem- ber of the Masonic Lodge and tlie American Legion of Honor. * * EDWARD P. VEAZIE, Opelousas.— Mr. Veazie, one of the oldest mem- bers of the Opelousas bar, was born in St. Landry parish in 1850. He is the son of Philip Veazie and Anne C. Foley. Philip Veazie was born in Portland, Maine, and was by occupation a ship builder. He came south early in life, and settled in Louisiana, where he married in 1S48. He was a victim of the gold HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL. 87 fever of '48, and in the year 1849 went to San Francisco, leaving his family in Opelousas. There he died in the latter part of 1850. E. P. Veazie was reared in St. Landrj- parish by Judge G. E. Iludspetii, and was educated in the University of Louisiana. On beginning active business life he first worked for a period of two years in the district clerk's office. He then studied law under his foster father at Baton Rouge, and was admitted to the bar in 1874. Up to 1879 ^^ ^^^ justice of the peace, when he began a regular practice. He does the largest criminal practice at the bar of Opelousas at this time. Mr. Veazie is united in marriage with Miss Corinne Hebrard. They are the parents of two children — Annie and Ailene. \y » * YVES VIDRINE, Ville Platte. — Mr. Vidrine is a successful merchant of Ville Platte. He is a native of the parish, born December 23, 1833. He is the son of John B. and Domelise (Guillory) Vidrine, natives of Louisiana. John B. Vidrine was a successful planter. He died in St. Landrj' parisli in 1837. His wife died in 1886. The subject of this sketch was married in St. Landry parisli, in 1852, to Miss Leontine Ortego, a native of Louisiana, born July 16, 1838. Seven sons and six daughters were born to this union, seven of whom are living: E. E., L. G., Mary C. (wife of Alfred Stagg), Alice (wife of Clinton Reed;, Martha, Helena, and AmelieAdele. The following are deceased: John B., Cleophas J., Josephine, Jos. E., and Henry J. Yves Vidrine commenced a drug business at Ville Platte in 1866, and in this continued until 1880, when he began a general mercantile business, which he has followed up to the present time. He does a good business, and i.s^ prosperous. During the late war Mr. ^'idrine was in active service for the greater part of its duration. He enlisted as a private, in 1862, in Companjr H., under Miles Legion ; and was afterward promoted to Sergeant Major in Weatherly Battalion. At the siege of Port Hudson he was taken prisoner, but was soon paroled and exchanged. He served to the close of the war. Five years previous to 1861, he had served as post-master of Ville Platte. In 1866 he was reappointed, and served until 1871. In 1875 he was sent to tlie Legislature as representative of St. Landry parish. He was again sent in 1879, and served with distinction. He has held various oflices, amongst others that of justice of the peace, assessor and auctioneer. Bj'hard working he has qualified himself as an apothecary and holds a certificate as such, signed b}- the Medico Surgical Association of St. Landry parish, dated April 15, 1872. He is now, and lias been since 1872, a notar}' public. His son, E. E. Vidrine, is associated with him in business. Ca «8 SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA: ^ AURELIE VIDRINE, Ville Platte.— Mr. Vidrine, a planter of ward 7, is a native of Louisiana. He was born in the parish in which he now resides, February, 1843. He is the son of H. N. Vidrine. (For sketch of father see biograpliy elsewiiere.) The subject of this sketch was reared and received his education near where he now resides. In 1862 he enlisted in Company K, Twelfth Louisiana Infantry, and served until the close of the war. After the war he returned home and engaged in planting, which has been his principal occupation all his life. In 1871-72 he conducted a mercantile business on his plantation. 101889 '"^ erected a steam grist mill and cotton gin, which he still operates. He owns, in all, about three hundred and fifty acres of land, the principal products of which are cotton and corn. His plantation is well improved, and is arranged in modern st3'le. Mr. Vidrine was married in 1866 to Miss Zoe Fusulier, of St. Landrj- par- ish. Ten children have been born to them. * * • "^ ALCIN VIDRINE, Washington.— Mr. Vidrine is a native of St. Landry parish, born October 21, 1S45. He is the son of Antoine and Josephine (Or- tego) Vidrine, natives of Louisiana, where they were married and became the parents of sixteen children, nine of whom are living. Alcin Vidrine was reared and received his education in St. Landry parish. In 1861, he enlisted in Company K, Sixteenth Louisiana Regiment, and was in many of the active engagements of the war. At Glasgow, Kentucky, he was taken prisoner, 1S62. Next year he was paroled, and recaptured at Chickamauga and kept prisoner for twenty months, until May, 1865. After the war he was engaged in planting and merchandising, which he continued for seven years. ■Since 1882 he has given his mercantile business his chief attention, though he owns a plantation of about five hundred acres, which is cultivated by tenants. Mr. Vidrine was married in St. Landry parish, in 1867, to Miss Mary E. Thompson, a native of Louisiana, born in 1S48. Mr. Vidrine and wife are members of the Catholic clnirch. He is a member of the Farmers' Alliance. * JOHN M. WARE, Shuteston. — Mr. Ware is a native of Texas, born August 17, 1857. His parents, Henry W. and Martha A. (Everett) Ware, are natives of Georgia, where they were reared and married. The family is of English extraction on both sides. Our subject is the youngest of a family of nine children. His father removed from Texas to New Orleans in 1866, having been one of the pioneer settlers of Texas. Here he engaged in a brokerage and com- mission business. After a few years he abandoned this and devoted himself to the culture of sugar cane in Iberville parish, Louisiana. He owned what is known as the "Belle Grove" plantation, \\hich contained about twenty-one hundred HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL. 89 acres of land.* He was engaged in sugar culture until 1878, when he sold the plantation to his two sons, John ]M. and James A. Ware. The latter now owns and operates the plantation. John M. Ware sold his interest in the plantation in 1879. Their father was married twice, his first wife being the mother of our subject. She died at Long Beach, Mississippi, in 1878. The father now resides at Pass Christian. The subject of our sketch received good educational advantages, having at- tended the Homer College, Louisiana, and the University of East Tennessee, Knoxville. He began life for himself, at the age of twenty-one years, as a planter. He removed to St. Landry parish, twelve miles southwest of Opelousas, in 1882, where he bought what is known as the "Dixon Grove" plantation, which con- tains nearly one thousand acres of very fertile land. Mr. Ware has given con- siderable attention to stock raising, and has on his plantation about one hundred and thirty head of graded cattle, besides horses, mules, etc. The principal prod- ucts of his plantation are cotton and rice. INIr. Ware commenced the artesian well business in 1887. He purchased a steam outfit, and did his first work on "Evergreene" plantation, three miles below the town of Plaquemine, the first well sunk in Louisiana above New Orleans. He has since done work on the Mississippi River, on the Teche, on Ba}'ou Lafourche and Bayou Cypremort and in St. Landry parisii. He organ- ized the John M. Ware Well Company, 1889, and they now take, contracts in different sections of the country. Mr. Ware is a Democrat in politics. MAJOR M. R. WILSON, Opelousas.— Major M. R. Wilson is a native of Harris county. Miss., born 1838. His parents, Joel Wilson and Sicily Rod- gers, were both natives of the same state. Joel Wilson was bj' occupation a farmer. He has served as a member of the Alabama Legislature from Russel county, where he removed in 1S53. He then moved to Arkansas, where he died, at Hamburg, in 1878. The subject of our sketch began life for himself in 1855, as a farmer. He married Miss Martha Driskill, daughter of Peter Driskill, of Macon county, Alabama, and in 185S he moved to Arkansas, where he bought land in Ashle3' county, and was for several years engaged in farming. In 1862 he enlisted in the Confederate service, and, with the exception of the time he was in prison, he was in active service during the whole war. He was in the battle at Corinth, Miss., and at Port Hudson, Louisiana ; at the latter place he was taken prisoner, and was moved from place to place until 1864, wlienhe was sent to Morris Island. He was subsequently removed to different places; at the time of his release, in 1865, he was at Fort Delaware. He returned to his home in Arkansas, and from there removed to St. Landrj' parish, in 1867, where he bought land and began 90 SOUTHWEST LOUISJ ANA: farming. His plantation, whicli is in a high state of cultivation, consists of about six hundred and fort}' acres. Mrs. Wilson died in 1857, and Major Wilson afterward married Miss Georgia Williamson, of New Orleans. To them have been born seven child- ren, viz: Elias (deceased), Catherine (deceased), Sicily (deceased), James (deceased). Micajah R., George C. and Robert Lee. * » » FERDINAND M. WARTELLE, Washington. — Ferdinand Wartelle, one of the successful planters of St. Landry parish, was born in this place in the year 1844. He is a son of Pierre G. and Louisa (King) Wartelle. Pierre G. Wartelle is a native of France; was educated in that country in the military schools, and was an officer in Napoleon's army. He served ten or twelve years and was in many of the active engagements. When Napoleon was banished he came to New Orleans where he was for a short time engaged in a mercantile business. Subsequently he was engaged in the same business in Opelousas. In 1829 he purchased the plantation on which Ferdinand M. Wartelle now resides and devoted himself to sugar culture. Louisa (King) Wartelle was a daughter of Judge George King, a native of Virginia, and one of the first American settlers of St. Landry parish. The subject of our sketch was principally reared in St. Landrj' parish. He was educated in North Carolina and Virginia. At the beginning of the war he returned home and took charge of his father's plantation. For many years he was thus engaged, and, subsequently, bought the plantation, and has since that time devoted his whole time to its operation. He raises on his plantation,, which is a finel}' located one of about two thousand acres, chiefly cotton. Mr. Wartelle married, .in 1873, Miss Valerie Lastrapes, daughter of Louis and Irma (Garrigues) Lastrapes, both of whom are natives of Louisiana. Mrs., Wartelle's grandfather, General Garrigues, was a native of France and an offi- cer of Napoleon's army. He served in the war of 1812 and participated in the battle of New Orleans with the rank of Brigadier General. Mr. Wartelle is the father of ten living children, six sons and four daughters. He and his family are all members of the Catholic church. There are few men in St. Landry parish who take more active interest in everything that is for the promotion of the public good than Mr. Wartelle. He is an intelligent and refined gentleman, and his life has been a reflection of usefulness. * S. P. WARD, M. D., i3iG Cane. — Dr. Ward, a prominent physician of St. Landry parish, was born in Rising Sun, Indiana, August 28, 1825. He is a son of Aaron and Martha Ward, natives of Newark, New Jersey. They were married in Newark, and resided there for a number of 3-ears,.when they re~ HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL. 91 moved to Pittsburg, Pennsylvania. A few j-ears later they removed to Rising Sun, Indiana. After residing there about two years they removed to Canton, Illinois, where they both died. Aaron Ward was in his younger days a mer- chant. After he removed to Illinois he turned his attention to farming, in which he was very successful, leaving at his death his children a competency on wliich to begin life. The subject of our sketch is the youngest of a famil}' of seven children. He received his early training in the schools of Canton, Illinois, subsequently taking a collegiate course. He afterward pursued a course of medicine at Cin- cinnati, graduating after having taken three courses of lectures. He holds, also, a diploma from the Medical Lyceum of Cincinnati. Wiiile in Cincinnati, during the cholera scourge, he made this disease a special study. In 1848 he came to Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and commenced the practice of his profession. Here he remained eight years. In i860 he located in St. Landry, where he has since liad a very extensive practice. Though he devotes his time almost exclusively in the practice of his profession. Dr. Ward also superintends the operation of a large plantation which he owns at this place. He is a distinguished member and •corresponding secretary of the State Medical Societ}'; also a member of other medical societies in the State. He has been prominently identified with the Masonic order since 1853, having held some office in the lodge during the whole 'of this time. He is also a member of the chapter. The Doctor has always taken an active part in political affairs, using his influence at all times to place in oflice the best men. In 1856 he married Harriet A. Waters, daughter of Capt. Wm. Waters, of Alexandria, to whom were born six children, three of whom are now living. Both the Doctor and his wife are members of the Methodist Episcopal church, in which he is steward and Sunday-school superintendent. * ROBERT ZERNOTT, Washington.— Robert Zernott is a native of Prus- sia, born January 22, 1836. He is the son of August and Anistena (Falk) Zer- nott, both of whom are natives of Prussia. The subject of our sketch was reared and educated in Prussia, was a soldier in the Prussian army, and served in the Italian war. At the beginning of the Civil War he came to New York, and shortly after arriving enlisted in the Second Rhode Island Regiment, and served in this and the Third Rhode Island during the whole of the war. His field of operations was principall}^ in Louis- iana. He enlisted as a private and subsequently was rnade sergeant. At the close of the war he was stationed at Washington, where he remained a short time after the war closed; his stay embracing in all a period of about six months. During this time he was so favorably impressed with the country and the people that, at the earnest request of many of the good citizens, he located here perma- 92 * .S O UTHWEST L O UISIA NA : nently. He first began business as a planter, but the first 3"ear he was unfor- tunate in suffering a loss of everything invested from an overflow, and he subse- quently embarked in livery business and carriage manufacturing. Mr. Zernott is a man of remarkable genius for mechanism, and has never attempted any- thing in that line that he has not accomplished. From being thrown from a horse he lost his lef-t arm, but, notwithstanding this, he conducted his business and did most of llie fine work himself. During" the time he was engaged in carriage manufacluriiig he built up an extensive trade over Louisiana, and the demand for his work was greater than he could suppl}-. From a partial loss of eyesight, he was forced to retire from the business in 18S7, since which time he has devoted himself to constructing and building bridges, buildings, etc. He married in 1S69, Miss Emma Millspaugh, a native of Washington. She died four years after their marriage, having be- come the mother of three children, two sons and one daughter. Mr. Zernott married, in 1871, Miss Grace Millspaugh, sister of his former wife. This union has been blessed with two sons and two daughters. Washington has never had an enterprise since Mr. Zernott has resided there in which he has not been an active participant. V * * S. JOS. WILSON, Opelousas.— S. Jos. Wilson, vice president of the First National Bank, Opelousas, and member of the enterprising mercantile firm of Clements & Wilson, is a young man, being only in his twenty-fourth j^ear. Mr. Wilson's grandparents, on his father's side, were natives of Ireland. His maternal grandparents were natives of England. His father was born in New Orleans, and was one of the founders of a wholesale house of that place. His mother was a Miss Waldw3'n, a great-grandaughter of Sir James Waldwyn, of the English nav}'. She now resides in Opelousas. The subject's father died in 1880. S. Jos. Wilson was reared and educated in New Orleans. At an early age he entered mercantile pursuits as a clerk. He rose quickly in the esteem of his employers, and soon held the highest position of trust in the establishment. He here made himself familiar with all the departments of mercantile business; and when he embarked in trade at this place, he was fully equipped in mature ex- perience ; and, indeed, to this is due the almost phenomenal success which has attended his undertakings. The firm of which he is a member is one of the first of Opelousas. They do a large advancing business, and handle a vast amount of cotton and other plantation products. Mr. Wilson is abreast of tlie times, and is a thoroughly progressive, modern business man. He married a Miss Lastrapes, of St. Landry parish. Both he and his wife are members of the Catholic church. CHAPTER II. PARISH OF IBERIA. ^ JOHN DORVILLE BROUSSARD, Loreauville.— John D. Broussard was born in St. Martin parish in 1832 . He is the son of Don Louis and Adelaide Broussard, both natives of St. Martin parish. The former is the son of Don Louis Broussard and Cleonise Broussard, born 1S12. Adelaide Broussard was the daughter of Sj'lvester Broussard, born 181 2. The families are among the oldest in Louisiana. John Dorville Broussard received his education in the home schools of his nati\-e parish, and at the age of eighteen he took charge of his father's planta- tion vvliich he conducted until 1850. In 185 1 he became captain of a steamboat phing between St. Martinsville and Breaux Bridge. In 1852 he married Anas- tasie Gonsoillin, daughter of Luzincourt Gonsoulin and Cj'dalise Bonin. His mother died seven years previous to this time. After the death of his father Mr. Broussard became the heir to his plantation, where he now resides, known as the Marie Louise plantation, which has descended from father to son for more than a hundred years. It consists of five hundred and twenty acres of land, four hundred of which are under cultivation, the principal products being cane and corn. In 1874 ^I^'- Broussard erected on his plantation a large sugar house, which he has since operated. From 1856 until 1865 Mr. Broussard was assessor of St. Mar- tin parish ; two years succeeding this he was recorder. For the past ten years he has been a member of the Police Jury, having been appointed, in 1880, by Gov. Willz. Mr. and Mrs. Broussard are the parents of six children, four sons and two daughters, viz: Louis Dorville, manager of the plantation; Robert F., atlorne}' at law, in New Iberia; Albert J., book-keeper, at the Avery Salt Mines; Marie Blanche, Marie Louise, Edwin S^-dney, cadet at the Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College. In 1862 Gov. Moore commissioned Mr. Broussard Captain of Co. B, St. Martins Regiment, Sixth Brigade, Confederate Armj-. In 1880 Gov. Wiltz ap- pointed him Colonel of the "Special Militia Force,'' L. S. N. G., Fourth Military District. „ ^ * * ROBERT F. BROUSSARD, New Iberia.— Robert F. Broussard, a rising young attorney of the New Iberia bar, is a native of Louisiana; born in Iberia fl4 SOUTHWEST L O UISIANA . parisli in 1S64. He is a son of John D. Broussard, wliose sketch appears above. Robert F. is the second of sixHving chilch-en. He was educated at Georgetown University, Washington, D. C. After leaving college, in 1883, Mr. Broussard took charge of the export desk of tlie Statistics Department in the Custom House at New Orleans, under the Cleveland administration. He subsequently pursued a course of law in tlie law school at Tulane University, graduating from that in- stitution in 1889. He was admitted to the bar the same year and immediately began the practice of his profession in New Iberia, as a member of the law firm of Foster & Broussard, now the firm of Renoudet, Foster & Broussard. Mr. Broussard is rapidly rising in his profession and promises to become one of the first members of the bar of New Iberia. * » * V' C. BROUSSARD, Patoutville. — Cimile Broussard was born May 20, 183S, in Iberia parish. He is the son of Raphael and Susan (Prance) Brous- sard. The subject of this sketch was reared in Iberia parish and attended the public schools of the place. He was engaged with his father on his own plantation until he was twenty-one, when, the war having just begun, he enlisted in the Con- federate service and served its whole duration. Returning home, he engaged in planting in Iberia parish. Two years later he was married to Miss Lezima •Savoy, daughter of Emile and Palmalee (Bourell) Savojs of this parish. Mr. Broussard has given his whole attention to planting, and has been fairly success- ful. He has a small, fertile plantation, upon which he raises chiefly cotton, cane and corn. Mr. Broussard is a leader in local affairs and takes active interest in politics. He has been a member of the Police Jury since 1888 from the second ward, having been appointed by Gov. Nicholls. His family consists of eleven children, five sons and six daughters. '^ N. BROUSSARD, Loreauville. — N. Broussard was born in Iberia parish, 1840. His father, Lucine Broussard, was engaged in " swamping."' He owned large tracts of timber land in this section. He died in 1888. His widow, Elise DeBlanc, still survives him and now resides with her son, our subject. N. Broussard received a public school education in tiie French language. At the age of twenty he took charge of his father's sugar plantation, which he •continued to operate until 1882, since which time he has given his chief attention to cotton raising. He has a good plantation, consisting of four hundred and eighty acres. He also operates a large gin house on his plantation. Mr. Brous- sard has never married. » * » A. C. BERNARD was born in the parish of Lafourche, August 12, 1837. HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL. 95 He is the son of Onezime Bernard and Rosalie Hebert, both natives of the parish of Lafourche. Onezime Bernard died on the 12th of Februar\', 1890; his wife still survives him. The subject of this sketch spent the greater part of his boyhood days in his native parish attending the public schools, from which he received his primary education. He subsequently attendeH for a period of a year St. Vincent Col- lege, Cape Girardeau, Missouri, and afterward pursued his studies at George- town College, Scott County, Kentucky, where he remained for two 3'ears. Returning home in July, 1859, '^^ ^^^^ engaged in teaching public school until the war broke out, when he enlisted as sergeant in Company B, under the com- mand of Charles De LaBretine. He served for about two years, and at the time of his discharge he was orderlj' sergeant. On his return home he married Miss Amanda Deslatte, and engaged in planting in the parish of Lafourche. In 1866 he moved to the parish of St. Mary, and two years later Mrs. Bernard died, and our subject was married the second time to Miss Silvana Walker, daughter of James H. Walker and Azelima Patin. They are the parents of nine living children: Amanda, Rosa, Alice, Adolph C, Cora, Sidonie, Spasie, Aristide C. and £ffa, and three deceased : Mary, Alexander Charles and Andrew. Mr. Bernard has filled several local offices with efficiency. In 1876 he was elected justice of the peace of the first ward of the parish of Iberia, ^vhich office he held for two years. In 1884 he was appointed police juror from the first ward. In 1888 he was reappointed, and he is the present incumbent of that office. Mr. Bernard is a successful planter on a small scale; on his plantation he raises cane and corn. It is a fertile one and yields him a good income. « • • ALFRED G. BARNARD, New Iberia.— Alfred G. Barnard, sheriff of Iberia parish, is a native of St. Mary parish, Louisiana, born August 21, 1854. He is the son of John and Cornelia (Gates) Barnard, the former a native of Vermont, and the latter a native of Louisiana, of Welsh and French extraction, respectively. Sheriff Barnard was reared in St. Mary parish, and completed his educa- tion at the Louisiana State University, at Baton Rouge. After leaving college he began life as a planter in St. Mary parish, which vocation he followed four years, when he removed to Iberia parish, 1878, and, in partnership with his uncle. Judge Fred Gates, he operated a cotton seed oil mill. Subsequently he withdrew from this and became a member of the firm of T. A. Hebert & Co., druggists. He was elected sheriff of Iberia parish in 1888. His term will expire in 1892. Mr. Barnard married, in 1878, Miss Martha D. Valcourt, of New Ibtria. They are the parents of two children. He is a member of the F. and A. M., Aurora Lodge, No. 39, also of the K. of P., of New Iberia. 96 SO UTH WEST L O UISIANA : "^ WALTER J. BURKE, New Iberia.— Waller J. Burke, a rising young attorne}' of New Iberia, is a native of the place. He was lx)rn October 20, 1866. His parents, James L. and Pamela (Cannon) Burke, are natives of New Jersey and Louisiana respectively. James L. Burke came to Louisiana with his parents when quite young, and received his education in the public schools of this place. He was engaged in business here until the time of his death in 18S6. His father was a native of Ireland, who came to America when a young man. Young Walter was prepared for college in the schools of New Iberia, com- pleting his literary education in Spring Hill College, Mobile. After leaving col- lege he began the study of law in the office of Judge R. S. Perry at this place, where he remained for two j^ears. Subsequently he entered the law school of Tulane University, from which institution he graduated in 1889. The same year he was admitted to the bar in New Orleans, and immediately afterward be- gan the practice of his profession in New Iberia. Mr. Burke, though young, is considered one of the leading members of the New Iberia bar, and his future is ver}' promising. He was married, February 4, 1890, to Miss Bertha Perry, a daughter of Judge Robert Perry. * » ^ W. R. BURKE, New Iberia.— William R. Burke, superintendent of the public schools of Iberia parish, is a native of the town of New Iberia, born February 14, 1839. His parents, William Burke and Ellen Lee, were both natives of Ireland, reared in the city of Waterford, where they married. While young and am- bitious, with hope of future reward in the new world, they bid, in 1833, a lasting farewell to the home of their childhood. After a tedious vo3'age of three months across the Atlantic, they, with the few emigrant friends who had accompanied them, and who were also seeking " the land of the free and home ot the brave," made their first landing at Quebec, Canada. They subsequently removed to New Jersey. Hearing of great inducements offered to emigrants to go to Texas, they got Iheir little crowd together and started for the promised land. It was about the year 1834 ^^^^^ *'^^ small band landed at Corpus Christi. They were soon en- listed in the Texas militia and given a league of land each, which was selected in Refugio county, where they built their homes and surrounded themselves with such comforts as the wilds of Texas could then afford. But they were not to enjoy it long, as they were ruthlessly driven from their homes at night by In- dian hostilities. It was not on the order of going, but go at once. They only escaped and saved their lives b}' the skin of their teeth. Their Texas home they saw no more. On their march through Texas and into Louisiana their first stop was at the town of Opelousas, St. Landr}' parish, where they remained a short while doing HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL. 97 a few odd jobs. Next they turned their faces toward the hmd of EvangeHne — the country of the Teche. They first located in the town of St. Martinsville, and from thence they drifted down to the town of New Iberia, where, in the year 1836, the}* permanently located, and where the remainder of their lives was spent. William Burke died of j'ellow fever in October, 1839, '^'^ ^'^^ '^gs of thirt3'-two. Mis wife survived him until 1865, when she died in the city of New Orleans, on the 21st of May, where she had gone to settle losses she had sus- tained by the ravages of war, claiming rights as an English subject. William R. Burke began business as a liveryman, in association with his mother and two brothers. Having learned the carpenter's trade, he also gave some attention in his eai'ly years to this business. He received a primary education at the public schools of New Iberia. At the beginning of the war, in 1S61, he enlisted as a sergeant in Company D, Eighteenth Louisiana Infantrj', General Mouton's regiment, and served during the war. He was first lieutenant wlien the war closed. His field of operations was chiefly in Tennessee, Missis- sippi and Louisiana. He'participated in the battles of Pittsburg, Shiloh, Bisland and Texana. At the last named place he was taken prisoner, witli his whole compan}', by General Weitzel's brigade, and was paroled the next da3^ Three months later he was exchanged and reassigned to his command. He was at Natchitoches at the time of the surrender. After the war Mr. Burke resumed charge ot the li\erv stable business, in which he continued until November, 1886. He has always been an active participant in the local affairs of the town and parish. From 1879 to 1887 he was treasurer and collector of New Iberia, and was President of the Police Jury from 1877 to 1879. ^" 1^77 he was elected secretary and parish superintendent of the public schools. Mr. Burke's untiring efforts for the improvement of the public school sj'stem of Iberia parish will long be rememljered. When he took possession of the office the schools were in a most deplorable condition, and under his supervision they have attained their present standard. Mr. Burke was united in marriage with Miss Elise Bonin, of New Iberia, on the 28th of October, 1867. Both he and his wife are Cathohcs. * * * ERNEST BERARD, New Iberia.— Ernest Berard was born in St. Mar- tin parish, Louisiana, 1837. He is the son of John Berard and Orelia (Huval) Berard, both natives of St. Martin parish. Our subject's great-grandfather gave the grounds and built the Catholic church at St. Martinsville. The subject of this sketch began business life in 1865 as a planter. He now owns eight hundred and fifty acres of valuable land in Iberia parish, which he cultivates chiefly in cane and corn. Mr. Berard has made a study of planting, never having given his attention to anj' other business. He is one of the suc- cessful planters of this section. In 1865 he married Miss Amilda Ross, a native 98 .S- O UTHWES T LO UISIA NA : of Louisiana, daughter of David F. and Bahain Ross. They are the parents of six children, four of whom are hving. » * * REV. M. BARDY, Jeannerette. — Rev. M. Bardy was born on June iS, 1845, in Varenncs, Canton Villebrumier, Carn et Garonne, France. He is the second son of John and Phillippi (Rossieres) Bardy. He laid the foundation of his education at the Christian Brothers' College, and later studied at Moessac Seminary. He came to America in 1S67, and began his theological studies at St. Mary's Seminary, Baltimore, Maryland. He removed to New Orleans in 1870, completing his studies there, and was ordained June 18, 1871, by Most Rev. Joseph N. Perche, Archbishop of New Orleans. Rev. M. Bardy went to Opelousas, St. Landry parish, and remained there for two years as assistant to Rev. C. E. Raj-mond. He was afterward appointed parish priest at PortBarre. On June 11, 1885, he was appointed to Jeannerette, where he has since remained. He completed tlfe building of St. John the Evangelist church at that place, for a sketch of which see the history of Iberia parish. * * * J. C. BUSSEY, Jeannerette. — J. C. Busse3*is a native of Clark count}', Indiana, born in 1858. He is the son of Dr. Harvey and Marj- ( Rader) Bussejs the form.er a native of Ohio and the latter of Kentuck}-. Dr. H. Bussey, dur- ing his residence in Indiana, was a practising physician and merchant. He re- moved from Indiana to Iowa and was afterward located in different states, finally settling in Louisiana, about 1868, where he operated the plantation upon which J. C. Bussey now resides. He died December 21, 1880. J. C. Bussey is one of a family of nine children, six of whom are now living, viz: Florence, wife of Dr. C. A. McGowen; John C, the subject of this sketch ; Ellen, wife of H. B. Hughes; Mary, wife of E. R. Jackson; Jesse, Maud. J. C. Bussey received a limited education, and after his father's death took charge of the plantation, having prior to this time been field manager. His plantation consists of one thousand five hundred acres of land, located two miles northwest of Jeannerette. About seven hundred acres are under cultivation, the chief prod- uct being cane. Mr. Bussey gives employment to from sixteen to twenty men in the field and from about fori}' to fifty in the mill during the cane season. He employs about thirty men m making the crop. Mr. Bussey is a judicious man- ager, and probably to this more than anything else is attributed his success. * * • ^ HENRY T. BOUTTE, Derouen.— Mr. Boutte is a native of Iberia par- ish, born June 22, 1855. He is the son of Terrac and Delonie (Romero) Boutte. Both father and mother are natives of Iberia parish. Our subject was reared in Iberia parish, where, at the age of ten years, he HISTORICAL AXD BIOGRAPHICAL. 99 entered a private school at New Iberia. Here he remained for some time, after- ward attending school in New Orleans for about nine months. Upon leaving school, he engaged with his father in the general mercantile business at New Iberia. Me only remained here one year, however, when he purchased a small plantation, and began planting. His plantation is well improved, and on it Mr. Boutte has erected a sugar mill and made other substantial improvements. There are few more successful planters in this section than he. He was mar- ried in January, 1880, to Mathilde Robichaux, a daughter of Valery and Zoalea (Arceneau.x) Robichaux, both of whom are natives of Iberia parish. To Mr. BoiUte and wife have been born one son and four daughters: Edward, born 20th December, 1880; Daisy, born~-3ist May, 1882: Lilly, 23d November, 1883 ; Marie, ist January, 1884, and Lillian, 25th June, 1887. SASTHENE V. BOURQUE, Gregg.— The subject of this sketch is a native of Assumption parish, born September 28, 1859. He is the son of Nar- cisse and Melanare (Landr}-) Bourque,both natives of Assumption parish. S. V. Bourque was reared in the parish of Iberia, and received his educa- tion in its private schools. He was for some time after leaving school with his father on his plantation. He subsequently engaged in the construction of rail- roads. He was for one year emploj'ed in the construction of the New Orleans, City & West End Railroad, after which he worked on the Southern Pacific for eight years. For a time. he conducted a dray business in New Orleans. In 1870 he purchased a plantation in Iberia parish, and has given his attention to planting since that time. The chief products of his plantation are cotton, corn and cane. Mr. Bourque married, 1877, Miss Cora French, daughter of Daniel and Lisa (Labonne) French ; the former a native of England, the latter of Iberia parish, Louisiana. This union has been blessed with six children. Mr. Bourque and family are members of the Catholic church. » J. B. BOURQUE, NE\y Iberia. — Mr. Bourque was born near Duchamp station, St. Martin parish, in 1849. He was reared in this parish, and received his education in its schools. He began life as aplanter, and to this has devoted his chief attention thus far in life. He is a gentleman of progressive ideas, and is considered one of the most successful planters in his neighborhood. He was married, in 1S71, to Miss Celestine Romero, of Iberia parish. As aresultof this union, nine children have been born: Felix, Elia, Calis, Edmie, Eloi, Altez, Geantie, Amvis, and Emerite. In politics Mr. Bourque is a staunch Democrat, believing the principles of that party to be conducive to the advancement of those engaged in agricultural pursuits, especially. He and family are members of the Catholic church. 100 SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA : MADAME EMILIEJ. (HOFFIIERR) LABAU CYR, Jeannerette.— Madame Labau Cyr is a native of France, where she was reared and educated. She removed to this country and located in Louisiana in 1859. In 1866 slie married Justin Labau, also a native of France, who had removed to Louisiana in 1857. Mr. Labau after locating in Louisiana, was for some time engaged as salesman in W. F. Hudson's general mercantile store. At the breaking out of the war he joined an independent company of cavalry organized by Capt. D.Kerr, and afterward commanded by Capt. A. A. Pecot, which was afterward consolidated with Gen. Harrison's command. Mr. Labau was a gunsmith by occupation, and served in that capacity during a portion of the war. He was, however, in active service during the Red river and Mississippi campaigns. He served until the close of the war. Before coming to America he had served seven 3'ears as a soldier in the French arm)'. The same year of his marriage he opened a gen- eral mercantile store in Hubertville, about a mile above Jeannerette, on the Bayou Teche. In this he was engaged at the time his death, in 1870. Mr. and Mrs. Labau were the parents of a son, George J., born 1868. Four years after Mr. Labau's death Madame Labau married Joseph Cyr, a native of Canada, who conducted the store until his death, 1880. To this union were born three sons: Albert Joseph, Louis Felix, Paul Narciste. Since 1883 Madame and her son Labau have carried on the business successfully. Though a native of a for- eign country, Madame Cyr has become very much attached to her adopted State, and although, through the distinguished services of her husband in France, she is entitled to a pension and her son to a free education in any college in that country, she feels that she can not accept it at the cost of removing from her adopted State. ^ * » REV. JULIEL CHARLES, Patoutville.— Rev. Juliel Charles was born in France, June i, 185 1. His parents, Antoine and Catherine (Eaquet) Charles, were both natives of the same countr}'. Rev. Charles was reared and educated in France. At tlie age of five }ears he entered the school of the Christian Brothers, where he remained until he attained the age of thir- teen. He pursued the study of the classics under the direction of a private tutor for about three years subsequent to this, after which he attended Little Seminary, of Cellude, France, for five j^ears. He was there at the breaking out of the Franco-Prussian war, and leaving college he served in the arm\' of France for about four months. Subsequently he further pursued his studies at Great Sem- inary for four years, the latter two of which he devoted to the study of theology. Upon the completion of his education he emigrated to Louisiana, where he com- pleted his theological studies under Revs. F. and G. Raymond and Archbishop Dubuois, of Galveston, Texas. He received hoi}- orders and was made sub- deacon and ordained priest in 1876. Tlie sime year he was sent to Lake HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL. 101 Charles, Louisiana, where he occupied the position of parish priest of both Cal- casieu and Cameron parishes. He here remained for about two years, when, his health giving way, he spent some time recuperating in New Orleans. After re- gaining his health, his cousin, Rev. G. Raj'mond, who was at the time V. G. and administrator of the diocese, returning to France on a visit, Father Charles filled his position until his return. He was subsequently^ appointed assistant priest at Donaldville, where he remained for two years. He afterward spent some time in Cameron parish, and in 1885 came to Patoutville, where he has charge of the Cote Blanche, Grand Cote and Cypemore countries. Father Charles is deservedly popular among those with whom he has so earnestly labored. * * '' GEORGE T. COLGIN, Bui;ke Station.— George T. Colgin is a native of Alabama, born in 1852. He is the son of George J. and Caroline E. (Taylor) Colgln. George J. Colgin was a native of Virginia, born 1820, died 1882. Caroline Taylor Colgin was a native of Alabama, born 1S34. ^^"^ "°^'^' resides in New Iberia. The subject of this sketch received a fair education and began farming in 1S72. He owns four hundred and seventy acres of land in Iberia parish, which he cultivates chiefly in cotton. By able management and industry the plantation yields Mr. Colgin a good income. He was married in 1S75 to Miss Celina M. Segura, a native of Iberia parish, born 1856. She is the daughter of Raphael and Celina (Bonin) Segura. They are the parents of eight children, viz: Gearge R., Edward D., Celina V., John R., James T., Celina Madison, Dolores. 1^ T. A. DEROUEN, New Iberia. — Mr. Derouen is a native of Iberia parish, Louisiana; born 184S. He is the son of EI03' Derouen and M. Landr}', who are also natives of Iberia parish. E. Darouen is an extensive planter of this parish. T. A. Darouen began life as a planter and merchant, in which occupa- tions he has continued ever since. He owns a plantation of three hundred and sixty acres of very fertile land in Iberia parish. He married, in 1879, Miss Eliza Dwyer, a native of New York, and daughter of M. Dwyer and Anne Doyle. To this union have been born six children: George M., Julia, Walter C, Minnie J., H. Wiltz and Lily. Mr. Derouen and famii-\' are Catholics. * * CESAIRE DARBY, New Iberia. — Cesaire Darby was born in Iberia par- ish, 1842. He is the son of Francois and Euzeide (De Blanc) Darby. Fran- cois Darby was a native of Louisiana; born 1813, died 1877. Our subject's mother was born in 1819, and is now residing with him. Mr. Darby attended at St. Charles College, Grand Coteau, La. He began 102 SO 6*77/ J I -£3 T LO UlSIA NA : life as a planter, and to tbis lie has given his wliole attention, He has a good plantation about three miles northwest of New Iberia. In 1863, he enlisted in the Confederate service, and served until the close of the war. He was married, in 1872, to Miss Emma Debaillon, of St. Landry parish. They are the parents of five children: Jules, Fernand, Bertha, Camille and Louise. INIr. Darby and famil}' are members of the Catholic church. * » ^ GUSTAVE DELAHOUSSAYE, Burke Station.— Gustave Delahoussaye was born in St. Martin parish, August 10, 1833. He is the son of Edward and Desire (Decuir) Delahoussaye, both of whom are natives of St. Martin parish. Edward Delahoussaye was born in 1814, and died in 1868. The subject's mother was born in 1816, and now resides near Cade. Gustave Delahoussaye received a good business education, and began plant- ing in 1867, to which he lias given his full attention since that time. He owns and controls one hundred and fifty-five acres of land in St. Martin parish, and raises annually about two hundred bales of cotton. Me married, in 1861, Miss Philo- mine Decuir, a native of St. Martin parish, and daughter of Ovid Decuir and Adille Ozeme. To them have been born nine children : Aliza, Gaston, Francois, Adolphe, Cecile, Constance, Gustave, Leonce and Hirinne. The family are members of the Catholic church at New Iberia. ^ T. L. DULANY, New Iberi.\.— T. L. Dulany, attorney, of New Iberia, was born in Avo3'elles parish in 1852. He was educated in the local schools and studied law in the office of Judge Rj'an, of Alexandria, Louisiana. He was admitted to the bar before the Supreme Court at Opelousas, at the July session of 1885. Immediately on being admitted to the bar he located in New Iberia. Mr. Dulan}^ has succeeded in working "up a lucrative practice in this and the adjoining parishes. He is the son of Benjamin C. Dulany, M. D., who was a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania. Fle practised for a wliile in Kentucky, came South and located in Louisiana. During the war he served as surgeon under Jackson. After the war he located in Avoyelles parish and then removed to Alexandria, Louisiana, where he still resides. The Dulany family are of English origin, the first known in America being Daniel Dulan}', who became the father of two sons, Benjamin -and Daniel. The latter returned fo England. Benjamin reared a family of several sons, one of whom was Benjamin T., of V^irginia. He was the father of three sons, of whorri our subject's father is one. Rebecca Dulan}', of England, recently left an im- mense estate in England. She was the daughter of Daniel Dulan}' who returned to that country, and granddaughter of Bishop Hunter of England. HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL. 103 ^ B. D. DAUTERIVE, Iberia Parish.— Mr. Dauterive is a native of St. Martin parish, born in 1S33. He is the son of A. B. and Celestine (Darby) Dauterive, botli of whom are natives of St. Martin parish. The former was a prominent planter, owning St. Rose de Lima plantation on Lake Dauterive (now Fausse Point Lake), which is owned at present by Mr. Hoffman, of New Orleans, and named by him Caroline plantation. A. B. Dauterive was born in 1806, and died atthfc«age of sixty-one of )'ellow fever. His widow is }-et living, and resides with her son, our subject, who is her onl}' child. The Dauterive family is of French descent, the name being formerly spelled D'Hauterive, and the old members of it were nobles in France and held various offices of honor. The Darby family is of English extraction, and descended, in America, from an officer commanding a vessel that attacked New Orleans in the war of 1812. The subject of this sketch recei\ed his early education in St. Charles Col- lege, Grand Coteau, where he remained for five years. He was then sent to the military school at Drennon Springs, Ky., and here he remained two years. After leaving school, he engaged with his father in sugar planting, in which he continued until the war. At the beginning of the war he raised a company- of cavalry, known as the " Hussards of the Teche," of which he was elected cap- tain. This company was attached to Fournett's battalion, and served on the west side of the Mississippi River. He was engaged in the fights at Camp Bisland, Bayou Lafourche, and Mansfield, beside other smallerengagements. He served for three years, until the close of the war. After peace w'as declared he engaged in planting, receiving upon his father's death his plantation. He continued agri- culture until 1S75, when he purchased property in Loreauville, disposed of his plantation, and engaged in merchandising. He has about fifty acres of land Iving along the Bayou Teche, near Loureauville. In 1868 our subject was elected justice of the peace, which position he held until 1872, when he resigned. He married in 1858 Mathilde Lebeau, a native of St. Bernard parish, where she was reared and educated. She was the daughter of F. B. Lebeau, a planter, and president of the Lower Cotton Press. They are the parents of eight chil- dren: J. G., L. G., Marie (wife of E. Ribec), Noemis, Alice, Mathilde, Rosa and Robert. Their two oldest sons are married, and reside in Loreauville. » * ^ A. J. DECUIR, New Iberia. — A. J. Decuir was born in Iberia parish in 1847. He is the son of F. A. Decuir and Alfoncine Broussard, both natives of Iberia parish. A. J. Decuir is the oldest of a family of seven children. He re- ceived his education at St. Charles College, Grand Coteau, and was attending school there at the breaking out of the war. He was a member of the Reserve Corps of Louisiana, and was not engaged in active service during the war. Mr. Decuir began active life in the mercantile business, in which he was engaged in New Orleans until 1867, at which time he moved to Jeannerette, where he was 104 SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA: engaged in business until 1870. From 1870 to 1876 he was engaged in merchan- dising in St. Mary parish. In 1876 he began the operation of a saw-mill in New Iberia. He does an extensive business and employs in his mill about forty hands. Mr. Decuir was married, in 1870, to Miss Aurelia Pecot, of St. Mary parish. The}' are the jiarents of thirteen children, ten of whom are living. * * "^ ZENON DECUIR, New Iberia. — Mr. Decuir condufts one of the largest mercantile businesses in New Iberia. He is a native of what is now Iberia par- ish, and was born August 27, 1834. He is the son of Zenon Decuir and Eliza- beth Hebert, botii of wliom were natives of Louisiana and of French descent. His father was an extensive planter in this parish. The subject of this sketch having been left an orphan when but a bov, he was reared and educated by his uncle, Alexander Hebert. He attended the private schools of this parish until he was fourteen years of age, and then entered the Mt. St. Mary's College at Emmetsburg, Marj-land, where he remained for two years. After returning home from college he engaged with his uncle on liis plantation and stock farm until he had attained his majority. After this he took charge of his brother-in-law's lumber }'ard, in which capacity he served until the beginning of the war, when he enlisted in Company C, Eighth Louisiana Infantry, which was the first company organized from this section. His regiment was in the service of the Armj- of Virginia. Mr. Decuir participated in many of tlie active battles in which his division was engaged. The year before the close of the war he was taken prisoner, but was paroled and returned home, where he was at the time of the surrender. In 1868, in partnership with a gentlemen by the name of Soulier, he opened a mercantile business under the firm style of Soulier & Decuir, in which they con- tinued until the death of Mr. Soulier. Since that time Mr. Decuir has conducted the business in his own name. Few men in New Iberia have been more success- ful in their business undertakings than Mr. Decuir, and it is no exaggeration to state that his business is one of the first of the place. Mr. Decuir was married, in 1869, to Miss Rosa Mesta3-er, of Iberia parish. They are the parents of six cliildren, four daughters and two sons. TOUSSAIN DUPLANTIAS, Patoutville.— Toussain Duplantias was born Nov. i, 1841, in Terrebonne parish, Louisiana. He is the son of Joseph D. and Frances Charpentier Duplantias, the former a native of St. John the Baptist and the latter of Lafourche parish. The subject of this sketch was reared in Terrebonne. At the age of six- teen years he began work for himself and was engaged in various occupations until 1S64, when he engaged with Jules Guidry on his plantation as a farm hand. HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL. 105 where he worked and attended a night school, receiving what education lie has. He was subsequently engaged for a short while with his uncle, after which he worked on a flat boat. He was for many years engaged in planting in Iberia parish. In 1868 he married Miss AimyPellegram, daughter of F. and Elizabeth (Lolioff) Pellegram,the former a native of Louisiana and the latter of Strasburg, Germanv. To them were born ten children. *^ LOUIS N. DROUET, New Iberia.— Louis N. Drouet was born in Jeffer- son parish, February 19,1860. He is the son of John L. and Marie A. (Trouard) Drouet, both natives of Jefferson parish, born 1824 and 1830, respectively. They were married August 2, 1S46, and to this union were born six sons and seven daughters, viz : Pierre August, Felicite Nais (deceased), Joseph Prosper, Mary Adele, Louis Numa (our subject), Louis Ferdinand, Joseph Frank (deceased), Mary Pauline, Mary Leocadie (deceased), Joseph (deceased), Mary (deceased), Jeanne Mar}', Sophie. John L. Drouet died January 10, 1889. The subject of this sketch was reared and educated chiefly in Iberia parish. After leaving school he assisted his father in running the plantation and subse- quently he was engaged in the Lhote Sash Manufacturing Company of New Or- leans for a period of five years, when he returned to Iberia parish and engaged with his father in his plantation and mercantile business. Since the death of his father he and his elder brother have assumed charge of the business and operate it successfully. , * » E. H. DARBY, Patoutville. — Ernest H. Darby was born May 15, 1S58, in Iberia parish. He is the son of Viel and Elodie (De Blanc) Darby, both of whom are natives of Iberia. parish. Mr. Darby was reared in Iberia parish, and received a primary education in its schools. He was subsequently in Jefferson College, St. James parish, for a period of five years. Upon leaving college, he engaged as clerk in a gen- eral mercantile store, where he remained for one year. By an accident in a saw-mill, he was deprived of the use of his left hand, and he resumed teaching, in which he was engaged for four years at different places in Iberia parish. He subsequently formed a partnership with H. Patout, and they conducted a large mercantile business at Patoutville for about three years, at which time our sub- ject bought the interest of his partner, and has since been sole proprietor of the business, in which he has been eminently successful. Mr. Darby married, in 1888, Miss Blanche Delahoussaye, daughter of Pelitier Delahoussaye and Emma Mestayer. Mr. Darby has served as member of the parish school board, and is now post-master at Patoutville, which position he has held for eight 106 SOn'NWEST LOUISIANA: / LEOPOLD DEBLANC, Deroukn.— Mr. DeBlanc is a native of Iberia parish, born January 31, 1853. He is tlie son of Louis Cajsar and Alix (Decuir) DeBlanc, both natives of Louisiana. Mr. DeBlanc received a liberal education in the private schools of Iberia parish and in New Orleans. After leaving school he was engaged for a period of one year in the wholesale grocery of Louis Reder. He afterward became connected with DeBlanc cS: Beer in the commission business as book-keeper. Here he remained until 1872, when he returned to Iberia parish and engaged in planting. Mr. DeBlanc married, in 1879, Mi'^s Ida Mesteyer, of Iberia parish, daughter of Frederick and Thilomene (Dugas) Mesteyer. In his agricultural pursuits Mr. DeBlanc has prospered, and is the possessor of five hundred acres of fertile land in the fourth and seventh wards of this parish. He plants a variety of products, such as cotton, cane, potatoes and rice. Mr. DeBlanc has served as justice of peace for the seventh ward since 1874. He is also one of the commissioners appointed on drainage. He and wife are the parents of three sons and four daughters, Paul, Mary, Allene, Frederick, Thomas, Felicie and Sophie. » » * V THEOGENE DELAHOUSSAYE,NewIberia.— Theogene Delahoussaye is a native of Iberia parish, born in 1S57. He is the son of Thomas and Estelle Delahoussaye. His father was one of the largest planters of St. Martin parish. Mr. Delahoussaye received a good education in the French language. He commenced business life as a merchant and planter, and in this dual business he has been occupied until the present time. He has a plantation of one hundred acres of land three miles northeast of New Iberia. This, in conjunc- tion with his mercantile business, yields him a good income. Mr. Delahoussa3'e was married, in 1883, to Gabrielle Delahoussaye, of St. Mary parish. She is the daughter of Octave and Laura (Ohvier) Delahoussaye, of St. Mary parish. Mr. and Mrs. Delahoussaye are the parents of two children, viz: Estelle and Edna. He and family are members of the Catholich cliurch. * * ^ FRANK DELAHOUSSAYE, Burke Station. — Frank Delahoussaye was born in Iberia parish, 1866. He is the son of Gustave and Emily (Decuir) Delahoussaye, of this parish. As a bo}' Mr. Delahoussaj'e received the advantages of a good educa- tion. He commenced business for himself in 1889. He is a young man of en- ergy and business thrift, and his success in life is assured. Mr. Delahoussaye was married, November 21, 1889, to Miss Theresa Romero, daughter of Devisin Romero and Mary Decuir, of Iberia parish. Politically Mr. Delahoussaye is a Republican. Both he and wife are members of the Catholic church. HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL. 107 E. F. DARBY, New Iberia. — E. F. Darby is a native of Iberia parish, born 185S. He is the son of V. and Elodie (DeBUmc) Darby, both of whom are natives of Iberia parish. V. Darby was born in 1818, and died in 1890. His wife still survives him and is now in her seventy-second j-ear. The subject of this sketch received a fair education and has been a farmer since he began business for himself. He has given his full attention to his plan- tation and has been successful. Mr. Darby was united in marriage, in 1879, with Miss Corine, daughter of Chas. and Aspasia (Decuir) Corine. Mr. Darby and family are members of the Catholic church in New Iberia. •^ NARCISSE DRUELHET, Jeannerette, Iberia Parish.— N.ircisse Druel- hetis a native of St. James parish, born 1826. He is the son of Alfred and Ce- leste (Poclie) Druelhet. His father was born in San Domingo, and his mother in the parish of St. James. The subject of this sketch received his education in the private schools of St. James parish, which he attended until he reached the age of sixteen. At the age of tv\enty he engaged as a salesman, in whicii emplovment he continued for five 3-ears. After this he was for thirty years overseer of the following plan- tations: Valcour-Aime, St. James parish; Pinkland, St. Charles parish ; Sarpy and LeBlanche, St. John parish ; A. & G. Granerberg, Fusilier and Charles Walker plantations, St. Mary parish. After conducting a plantation for him- self for two or three years, Mr. Druelhet, in 1887, opened a general mercantile store in Jeannerette, in which he is still engaged. He carries a well selected stock of goods, worth about si.x thousand dollars. His business amounts annually to about fifteen thousand dollars. He also owns considerable town propertj^. Mr. Druelhet was married, Jul_v 3I) 1849, to Miss Emily Roussel, a native of St. James parish, born 1836. Mrs. Druelhet is the daughter of Valeiy and Celeste (Chenet) Roussel. both natives of St. James parish. They are the parents of three sons and one daughter, viz: Narcisse, Jr., Gaston, Frederick, Celeste. Mr. Druelhet and family are strict Catholics. He takes great interest in educational matters, and is at present a member of the school board. * AUG. ERATH, New Iberia. — Aug. Erath, one ot New Iberia's most successful business men, was born in Switzerland, March 18, 1843. He re- ceived a public school education and came to America in 1S60, landing in New Orleans, October 31, of this year, being then seventeen years of age. In 1862 he returned to Europe, and in 1866 he again crossed the ocean and located in New Orleans. He was book-keeper in the principal breweries of New Or- leans until the spring of 1876, when he removed to New Iberia and erected a brewer}', and later added a soda and seltzwater factory, in both ot which he was 108 SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA: successful. In 1884 he entered the hardware trade at this place and since that time has carried on a successful business. His business at the present is the largest of the kind between New Orleans and Houston, Texas. Mr. Erath has been at the head of many of the public enterprises of this place, among which may be mentioned the prominent part he took in the building of the opera house and Masonic Hall, both of which are ornaments to the town. He has just con- tracted for the construction of an ice factory of the latest improved pattern, which he hopes to have in operation b}' April, 1891. The factory is to be of sufficient capacity to supply llie wants of the people from Opelousas to Morgan City. Fiom 1885 to 1887 Mr. Erath served as a member of the town council. Re- elected in 1887 he was honored by his fellow councihnen in being unanimously chosen mayor.* During his administration the streets of the town were put in first-class order, new ones opened, and other substfintial improvements made. On his retirement, in 18S9, the finances of the town were in a sound and healihv state. Mayor Eratii organized the first regular Board of Health in New Iberia, which has been instrumental in the accomplisliment of much good. He is a prominent member of the Masonic fraternity, the Knights of Pythias, and the Teche Club, and is one of the oldest members of the Mutual Benevolent Society of this place. Mr. Erath was married in New Orleans, January, 1874, ^^ Catherine Becht, of that cit}'. They are the parents of three children — all girls. * T. D. FOSTER, New Iberia.— T. D. Foster, District Attorney, is the son of T. J. Foster, an extensive sugar planter of St. Mary parish. His mother's family, the Murphys, were among the pioneers of that parish. T. D. Foster received a literary education in the Washington-Lee Univei;s- it)', Va. He studied law in Franklin, and was admitted to the bar before the Supreme Court in Opelousas in 18S0. He first located at Alexandria, Louisiana, and was for three years engaged as attorney for the Texas Pacific Railway. He removed to New Iberia in 1885, where he has become one of the leading attorneys. Mr. Foster is the senior member of the law firm of Foster & Broussard. ^ ^ OTTO FRITSCHE, Avery.— Otto Fritsche was born in Germany, Feb- ruary iS, 1859. H^ ^^ t'^^ SO" °^ Frederick and Ida (Held) Fritsche, both of whom were natlVes of Germany. Otto Fritsche was reared in Germany, and received a good common school education. At the age of thirteen he engaged in mining, which he followed for a period of fifteen years. In 1882 he came to Iberia parish, where he was shortly * The town council elect the m.iyor from their own number in New Iberia. I HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL. 109 afterward married to Miss Blanche Derouen, daughter of Albert and Alphonsene Derouen, natives of Iberia parish. Since he came to Louisiana Mr. Fritsche has given his attention to planting. He owns a good plantation in Iberia parish of two hundred and fifty acres, which he cultivates in cotton and corn. Mr. and Mrs. Fritsche are the parents of one son and two daughters: Robert, Ida (de- ceased) and Maria. * ^ J. A. FAGOT, New Iberia. — The subject of this sketch is a native of St. Martin parish, Louisiana, born in 1836. He is the son of Charles and V^irginia (Bienvenu) Fagot. Charles Fagot was born in 1792, and was a successful plan- ter. He died in 1872. J. A. Fagot received a limited education, being prevented from attending school while j-oung on account of delicate health. He was for twelve j-ears a clerk in the courts of New Orleans. During the war he was in the Confederate service, from 1862 until its close. The year 'following his return from the army, Mr. Fagot engaged in steamboating, and continued in this for a period of two years. He has always been prominent in the local affairs of his parish, and is at present police -juror from his ward. He is president of the Farmers' Alliance of Iberia parish. He is also a member of the Masonic, fraternity of New Iberia. Mr. Fagot twice married; first, in 1859, Sophie Buisson, of New Orleans. She died in 1864, having become the mother of one son, Edwin. Mr. Fagot married a second time, in 1868, Miss Ida DeBlanc, daughter of Louis C. and Alix (Decuir) DeBlanc. They are the parents of eight children: Albert, Sophie, Louis, Louise, Conrad, Camille, Frances and Edwin. LEONARD S. FRERE, New Iberia. — Leonard S. Frere is a native of Louisiana, born 1S65. His father, A. G. Frere, is also a native of Louisiana. His mother, Lodoiska Smith, is a native of Maryland, born 1845. Leonard Frere, the subject of this sketch, is an only child. A. G. Frere served during the whole war. He entered as captain of his company, and was subsequently promoted to major. He is now conducting a large drug business in Franklin, and is also sheriff of St. Mar}' parish. The subject of this sketch received a fair education, and began life steam- boating. Later, in partnership with Captain Cade, he embarked in the stock business — raising and dealing in stock, in which he is still engaged. He has charge of a plantation, consisting of four thousand acres of land. Mr. Frere is a successful business man. ^ ' * » GEORGE FRANCIS, New Ibeuia.— George Francis, architect and builder, is a native of Richmond, Kentucky, born August 18, 1868. He is the son of William Francis and Mary (Kerridge) Francis; both are English by 1 10 so UTH WEST L O CI SI AN A : birth. Geor^fe Francis received a good common school education and served an apprenticesiiip in Louisville, and later in Cincinnati, as an architect and builder. To this business he has devoted his wliole life, and his achievements show that he pursued the proper course in life. He is the architect and builder of man}- of the finest residences in this section of Louisiana, among which may be mentioned the residence of Joseph Jefferson, and numerous others in this section. He has for thirteen years been a resident of Louisiana; prior to that time having lived for a short while in Vicksburg, Mississippi. Mr. Francis was married in 1886 to Miss Sallie Sylis, of Mississippi. They are the parents of five living children, all of whom are daughters. JUDGE FRED. L. GATES, New Iberia,— Judge Gates is a native of Syracuse, New York, liorn in 1827. He is the son of Alfred and Amoret (Kossith) Gates, both natives of New York. Alfred Gates came to Louis- iana, locating at Baton Rouge, when F. L. was a boy. He operated the first saw-mill erected on the Teche, at Franklin. When a young man, before leaving New York, he was the first captain of the first passenger boat on the Erie Canal. His father served under Gen. Gates, of whom he was a kinsman, during the revolution'ar}- war. Amoret Kossith Gates, our subject's mother, was of French descent. Her grandfather was the first man in S3'ra- cuse who manufactured salt by the evaporation process. He owned the land near Syracuse that has since become so valuable. Judge F. L. Gates was reared at Baton Rouge, where he received his edu- cation. He studied law and was admitted to the bar in New Orleans, having graduated from the law department of the State Universit}' in 185 1. He was the classmate of J. B. Eustis, ex-Senator Jonas and ex-Gov. John McEnery, and was subsequently a colleague of these gentlemen in the State Legislature during the extra session of 1865, called bj- ex-Gov. J. Madison Wells. Judge Gates, at the beginning of the civil strife, was in Texas, where he had removed in 1859. When Texas seceded he entered the Sixteenth Texas Cavalry, went to Little Rock, joined Van Dorn, and operated in the line of Missouri, Arkan- sas and Kansas. He was in the engagements to repel Banks from Louisiana. After the war Judge Gates located in New Iberia, and was immediately after- Avard elected a member of the Legislature. He was shortl}' afterward appointed judge of the Fourteenth Judicial District, comprising the parishes of St. Mar}-, St. Martin, Lafourche and Terrebonne. He served until he was deprived of the ofiice by the reconstructionists. During the time he served as judge he resided in Franklin. In 1878 he removed to New Iberia, erected and began the operation of a cotton seed oil mill, one of the largest and most successful of the kind in this section. Mention of the mill is made in the history of New Iberia. HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL. Ill In 1884 he was elected judge of the district composed of the parishes of Iberia and St. Martin, and served two 3^ears and resigned. Judge Gates is one of the leading citizens of New Iberia. He is president of the Building and Loan Association, which has a capital of $300,000. He is also president of the Electric Light Company, and was one of the leaders in the establishing The People's National Bank, at this place. The judge is united in marriage witli Miss M. L. Mosely, of Virginia. Thej^ are the parents of four sons and two daughters. * ^ E. C. GENEUX, Jeannerette. — E. C. Geneux was born in St. Croix, Switzerland, in 1854. H*^ ^^ ^^ ^°" o^ Alphonse Geneux, manufacturer of watch cases, who, about 1852, invented the first stem winding attachment for watches. From this, however, he only made about twentj'-five thousand dollars, being unable to obtain a patent in Switzerland. He was renowned as champion long range rifle shot of Switzerland. He died in 1870. His wife died in 1861. The subject of this sketch is one of a family of nine children, only four of whom are now living; two in Louisiana, one in Switzerland, and one in Russia. Mr. Geneux received his education in the District College of Neueville, Canton Berne, Switzerland. He came to America in 1874, locating first in St. Louis, whence he removed to New Orleans, and subsequently to Jeannerette, where he has since been conducting a repairing shop. By dint of earnest effort and hard work he has amassed a considerable stock of jewelry, and in 1880 he opened a small store of plated ware. Next year he increased the stock, and for two years subsequent to this he was located in Franklin, upon the expiration of which time he returned to Jeannerette, and has since increased his stock as trade demands, until he now carries a complete assortment of watches, etc., and every line of jewelry. Mr. Geneux married in 1880 Miss Katie Sallinger, a native of Jeannerette, born in 1857. She is a daughter of Geo. Sallinger. To them have been born four children; Marie Louise, Arthur L., Mathilde Melanie, and one deceased. Mr. Geneux is a member of the order of Knights of Honor, and has held the office of dictator, and represented the organization in the Grand Lodge. He was a charter member of the Jeannerette Knights of Pythias, and served as first master of tlie exchequer of Teche Lodge, 51. ADRJEN GONSOULIN, Loreauville. — Adrien Gonsoulin was born in Iberia parish in 1849. ^^ ^^ ^^ ^°" o^ S'^- Clair Gonsoulin and Marcilite Bour- geois, both natives of Iberia parish, Louisiana. To them were born four chil- dren, of whom Adrien is the youngest. St. Clair Gonsoulin was a large planter of Iberia parish. He died in 1850; his widow died two 3'ears later. Tiie subject of this sketch attended the public schools, and later took a 112 S0UTHWES7' LOUISIANA : course in Alcie Judice College, St. Martinsville, Louisiana. He began business in 1867, conducting a coffee house and bakery. In this he only continued for about two years, when he opened a general mercantile store. Beginning with a very limited capital, he has been quite successful, and now carries on a large business. In 1881 he erected a fine two-story brick store, which he occupies with his business. He carries a stock of about $8000. He also owns consider- able land in this parish, which he has under cultivation, principally in cane and corn. Mr. Gonsoulin is one of the largest planters and most successful business men of his neighborhood. He was for about twelve years post-master at Loreau- ville. He has twice married. In 1869 he married Miss Lucie, daughter of Ovid Dugas, of Iberia parish. She only lived three years after marriage, leaving one child, a son — Gibert. In 1874 ^^''- Gonsoulin married Miss Anette Broussard, of this parish. They are the parents of ten children, viz: Thomas, Lydia, Adrien, Jr., Silvia, Delia, Bertha, Ella, Celina, Adolph. The family are mem- bers of the Catholic church. » * * JACOB GUTH, New Iberia. — Jacob Guth was born in Germany, 1839. and came to Louisiana at the age of sixteen years. His parents, Jacob Guth and Mary Richard, were both natives of Germany. They removed to this country in 1857. The father died in 1S66 at the age of seventy-two years. They became the parents of four children, two sons and two daughters, of whom the subject of this sketch is the oldest child. Jacob Guth, Jr., spent his school daj's in German\-, where he received a fair education. He learned the trade of wheelwright when young, and for a while followed this after coming to this country. For many years he has conducted a mercantile business at this place. Since 1887 he has been a member of the firm of Meyer & Guth. Mr. Guth served during the war in Companj^ A, Fourth Louisiana Regiment, under Gen. Gibson. He enlisted as a private but after one year was made sergeant. The latter two years of the war he served as a musi- cian. Mr. Guth has twice married, his last wife being Mary Reynolds. They are the parents of one child. » * * S. R. GAY, M. D., Jeannerette. — -Stephen Ross Gay was born in Pike county, Illinois, 1841. He is the son of Stephen and Elizabeth M. Gay, and is the second of a family of six children: John, S. R. (our subject), Florence, Elizabeth, and two who died in infancy, Ulysse and Mary. Mr. Gay received his early education in the public schools of Pike count}-, Illinois, and afterward enjoyed the benefit of the instruction of a private teacher. At the age of seventeen he entered the Medical College of St. Louis, under Dr. J. F. Hodgin, one of the foremost physicians of his locality, graduating and re- ceiving his degree in 1861. He then took a post graduate course, receiving his HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL. 113 second degree in 1862. After leaving college the Doctor was engaged in the St. Louis Hospital as assistant surgeon. Afterward he entered the service of the Federal government as contract surgeon, where he served until 1864, when he began the practice of medicine in St. Louis, remaining there until the latter part of 1866. Later he moved to Iberia parish, and, with his father, purchased the Belle Grove plantation, which is situated on Bayou Teche, a half mile from Jeannerette. Belle Grove plantation comprises one thousand acres of land, of which six hundred are cultivated in sugar cane. In 1868 Dr. Gay rebuilt his sugar house, which had been partially destroyed during the war, and in 1885 ^t; built a refinery, with a capacity for manufacturing fifty thousand pounds of sugar per day. He refines on an average three hundred thousand pounds per annum for himself, and about one million pounds for other planters. Dr. Gay married, 18S6, Miss Agnes Whitworth, a native of Louisiana, and daughter of George W. Whitworth, of whom a sketch appears in this work. To this union have been born two children: Florence (deceased) and Delphine. Dr. Gay is fully alive to the interest of his communit}'. He is at present president of the Jeannerette Building Association, and he is identified witht he leading enter- prises of the place. ^ ROBERT HOGSETT, New Iberia.— Robert F. Hogsett was born in Carroll county, Mississippi, in 1844. He is the son of George A. Hogsett and Maria McCarroll. George A. Hogsett is a native of Virginia; his wife of Mississippi. They became the parents of five children, of whom Robert F. is the third. Robert F. Hogsett was educated in the public schools of Mississippi, and at the age of fourteen began life as a telegraph operator. In 1862, he en- listed at Jackson, Mississippi, in Company A, Withers Artillery Regiment, under Col. W. T. Withers. He served until the close of the war. After the war he resumed telegraphy and was for some time engaged at Holly Springs, Mississippi. He was subsequentl}' engaged in the same business in different places in Louisiana until 1882, when he removed to New Iberia, and is now en- gaged in the livery business and is owner of a telegraph and telephone line be- tween New Iberia, Abbeville and St. Martinsville. Mr. Hogsetl's first wife died December 3, 1870, and in 1881 he married Miss Laura Culpepper, daugher of J. E. Culpepper, of Mississippi, who is descended from the Culpepper family of Virginia. Her father's family came to this country in 1800 and settled in Mississippi. ^ » * JNO. F. HOFFMAN, Lore.a.uville. — ^Jno. F. Hoffman was born in Augusta, Georgia, December, 1841. He was reared and educated in New Orleans. His parents, Chas. F. and Caroline Hoffman, are both natives of Baltimore, Maryland. 114 S0r77I\VESr L OUISIANA : The sul)ject of this sketch is one of a lamil}' of eiglit children, five of whom are Hving: C. F., Jno. F., Wilhehnine, Inez and RosaHe. Mr. Hoffman, dur- ing the war, was in service from 1862 until the fall of Vicksburg, in the Thirtieth Louisiana Regiment. He was captured near Vicksburg and paroled. After the war he removed to Southern Illinois, where he remained about eighteen }-ears and engaged in fruit raising. In 1875 he married Miss Ellen Tweed}-, a native of Illinois. She died in 1880, leaving one son and two daughters: Carrie, Cliarlie and Maggie. Mr. Hoffman afterward married Miss Nora Smith, a native of Union count}', Illinois, whose parents were among the pioneer settlers of the State. In 1SS4 Mr. Hoffman removed to Iberia parish and took cha'rge of Caroline plantation, formerly known as St. Rose de Lima, which had been purchased by his brother, C. E. Hoffman, formerly a private banker of New Orleans, residing now in New York. The place under Mr. Hoffman's good management has been greatly improved. Formerly it was one of the finest plantations in Southwest Louisiana, but when Mr. Hoff- man took charge of it, it was in a rather dilapidated condition. It is situated five miles East of Loreauville, on Lake Fausse Point, formerly known as Dau- terive Lake, from an earlier owner of the plantation. The soil is of unusual fertility, and the plantation on the whole is as fine as can be found in this section. Mr. Hoffman cultivates on it chiefly cane, which he manufactures into sugar and molasses in a large sugar house on the place. There is a large section of the most fertile land in the world in this region known as " Fausse Point." * » * WILLIAM F. HUDSON, Jeannerette. — The subject of this sketch is a native of Louisiana, born in St. Mary parish, 1825. He is the son of Turner and Isabella (Kemper) Hudson, natives of Virginia and Louisiana respectively. William F. Hudson is the oldest of a family of four children. His father died when he was five years of age and he was reared by his uncle, Benjamin Hudson, by whom he was educated. He first attended private school at Frank- lin, Louisiana, and afterward went to the college at Opelousas, where he re- mained for two years. At the age of eighteen he accepted a position as clerk in a commission house in New Orleans, where he remained until 1846, when he enlisted in the United States service and engaged in the Mexican War. Feb- ruary, 1848, he married Miss Elodie, daughter of Theodore Fay, a native of France, and Heloise (Segur) Fav, a native of Louisiana. 'To this union were born two children, Arthur T., who died at the age of five years, and Heloise, wife of A. L. Monnot, a prominent sugar planter and refiner of Jeannerette, whose sketch appears elsewhere in this work. In 1850 Mr. Hudson erected a large store building in Franklin, Louisiana. He purchased a stock of goods and was engaged in merchandise in that place until 1854, when he removed to Jean- HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL. 115 nerrette and opened the first store of anj' importance in tliis now thriving town. In his business at this place he was very successful, and at the beginning of the war had accumulated considerable property, nearly all of which was swept away b}- the war. In 1861 Mr. Hudson enlisted in the Third Louisiana Cavalry and served until the close of the war. Returning to Jeannerette in 1865, he turned over his business to his son-in-law', A. L. Monnot, under whose supervision it has prospered. Before the war Mr. Hudson was a Whig, and for a number of years post-master at Jeannerette under the Whig administration. Since the dis- solution of that party he has been a Democrat, and was appointed by President Cleveland's administration storekeeper at United States Mint, New Orleans, which he held for three years. Mr. Hudson has alvva\'s taken great interest in all local affairs, and especially in the growth of Jeannerette. He has been in- strumental in bringing about many of the improvements of the place, and to him, to a great extent, is due the honor of making the town what it is. Indeed, so generally is this recognized that he has been termed "The Father of Jeannerette." In 1870 he started the tirst sugar house, which led to the present large establish- ment back of Jeannerette. Mr. Hudson now leads a quiet life, refusing to be the recipient cf any political honors, which have been often tendered him. * « • E. KISSACK, New Iberia. — E. Kissack is a native of England, born 1836. He is the son of William and Margaret (Fell) Kissack, both of whom are natives of England. The former was born 1766, and died 1S40. E. Kissack came to Louisiana at the age of fifteen years. He was a me- chanic, and worked in this line until the war. At the beginning of the war he organized a company at Paincourtville, on Bayou Lafourche, but Gov. Moore, refusing to give the company transportation, it was disbanded, and the individual members enlisted in different other companies. Mr. Kissack was detailed at Corinth to duty in the Columbus, Miss., Iron Works. Since the war he has given his attention to planting. He now owns seven hundred acres of good sugar land in Iberia parish. Mr. Kissack has never married. HENRY A. KING, M. D., New IisEiiiA.— Henry A. King was born at Fausse Point, Louisiana, in 1S66. He is a son of E. T. King and Margaret A. Marsh. The former is a native of Alabama, born in Maringo county in 1823, the latter was born in 1834. They were married in 1858, and became the par- ents of two children, both boys, our subject being the younger. E. T. King served for a period of four years in the late war with the rank of captain. He was at one time a sugar planter, but is now eng'aged in the manufacture of bricks. His wife is still living. Henry A. King received his education at the University of Alabama. 116 SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA: (,'radiiating from that institution in 1886. He thereupon began reading medicine under Dr. T. J. Wolf, after which he attended lectures in New Orleans, receiv- ing his diploma in 1889, and has been practising here. * * * JULIUS KOCH, New Ibhria. — Julius Koch, a successful druggist of New Iberia, is a native of Louisiana, Ijorn in 1859. ^^ '^ the son of Charles Koch and Mary Meyer. Charles Koch was born in Germany in 1824. He died in 1880. Mary Meyer Koch is a native of New Orleans. The subject of this sketch received a good business education and began life as a druggist. He studied pharmacj^ at the Tulane University, graduating from this department in 1879. Immediately after completing his studies he opened a large drug store in New Iberia, which he has since conducted. Mr. Koch is a member of the Knights of Pythias, and was the organizer of the society in this place. He is also a prominent member of the Episcopal church. Mr. Koch is united in marriage with Miss Louella Fislier, of Iberia parish. The}' are the parents of two children. * * * PIERRE LeBRON,Ne\v Iberia. — Mr. LeBron is a native of France, born 1835. He came to Louisiana in 1857. He is the son of J. P. LeBron and Marie Pages, both natives and lifetime residents of France. They became the parents of four children, two sons and two daughters, of whom our subject was eldest. Mr. LeBron spent his school days in his native countrj-, and began liis first active business life in Houma, Terrebonne parish, Louisiana, as a merchant. In 1870 he removed to New Iberia, and for two j'ears traveled and sold goods. In 1872 he began a mercantile business at this place. He has prospered, and is doing a flourishing business. He owns about four hundred acres of land, all under cultivation, upon which he raises cotton. Mr. LeBron has never married. # »/ A. L. LAGARDE, Jeannerette, Iberia Parish. — A. L. Lngarde was born in Lafourche parish in i860. He is the son of Adrienne and Zeolide (Toups) Lagarde, both natives of Lafourche parish of French extraction. Mr. Lagarde attended Thibodeaux college until he was fifteen years of age, when he began the study of pharmacy under Joseph T. Thibodeaux, the founder of the Louisiana Pharmaceutical Association; here he remained five years. In 1886, in partnership with T. P. Caillou, he opened up a drug store in Jeannerette. After a year, Mr. Lagarde purchased the entire stock and continued the business alone. In the same year he married Miss Ada Parker, daughter of Capt. William and Amanda (Dodrich) Parker, natives of New York and Ohio respectively. In 18S6 Mr. Lagarde entered the Chicago National Institute of Pharmacy, gradu- ating from there in 1888. In the same year he purchased and took charge of HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL. 117 the Southern Pliarmacy, corner of Magazine and Josephine streets, New Or- leans. His business in Jeannerette is still continued, under the management of his nephew, Mr. Smyth. Mr. Lagrade is one of the founders of the Attakapas Pharmaceutical Association, and is now serving his second term as president of that organization. He was appointed by the Louisiana Pharmaceutical Associa- tion, ot which he is also a member, a delegate to Washington, to revise the United States Pharmacopreia. Mr. and Mrs. Lagarde are the parents of two cliildren, both sons, viz: Everett and Huder. Devoted to his family and business, Mr. Lagarde cares nothing for political prestige, finding in his business more congenial emploj'ment than in politics. Mr. Lagarde and family are consistent members of the Catholic church. He is also a member of the Catholic Knights of America. * » * ^ J. B. LAWTON, New Iberia. — J. B. Lawton, editor and publisher of the New Iberia Enterprise, is a native of St. Charles parish, born in iS6o. He was reared in St. James parish, and at an early age became an apprentice in the print- ing office of Le Louiiianais, a weekly paper published by J. Gentil, prominent as a journalist and poet. The paper was printed in the French language. Mr. Gentil was a contributer to most of the French dailies of New Orleans and New York. He is still engaged in editorial work. J. B. Lawton remained in this printing office for a period of seven years, when he removed to St. John parish, and engaged with the Aleschacebe, where he remained for three 3-ears. He was subsequently engaged, for a brief period, in the composing rooms of the New Orleans Times and States. After severing his connection with these papers he came to New Iberia, and took charge of the local department of the Louisiana Sugar Bowl, in which he was engaged for four years. At the expiration of this time, he established the New Iberia Enterprise, which he conducted as a semi-weekly for about two years, since which time he has given the people an enlarged twelve-page weekly. The paper is in politics Democratic, and is especially devoted to the interest of the Attakapas parishes. This paper has accomplished much in the origin and promotion of enterprises for public good, and has received quite a liberal support from the people. Mr. Lawton is the son of William H. and Mathilde (Delhommer) Lawton, the former a native of Fall River, Massachusetts, the latter of St. Charles parish, Louisiana. Mr. William H. Lawton came South early in life, and was subsequently manager of a large sugar plantation in St. Charles parish. He was in active service during the whole of the war, and, at its close, served a term in the State Senate. He was twice married, our subject's mother being his second wife. He died in 1884. His wife still survives him. 118 SOUTH WES 7 LOUISIANA: J. B. Lawton is united in marriage witli Miss Laura Cestia, of New Iberia. They are tlie parents of three children, Cestia, Rita and J. B., Jr. * « » ^ J. B. LOBDELL, Olivier.— J. B. Lobdell was born in West Baton Rouge, July 31, 1858. He is the son of James L. and Angelina A. (Bird) Lobdell, both natives of West Baton Rouge. James L. Lobdell was a prominent planter of the parish, and during the years succeeding the war, 1866, 1867 and 1868, he was a cotton merchant in New Orleans, and member of the firm of Vose & Lobdell. During the administration of Gov. McEnery he was registrar of the State land office ; and was elected twice to the Legislature during the reconstruction period, but returning boards, like in all other cases, canceled his election. He was a very prominent Mason, having held every responsible position in that order. He was twice elected "■rand master, and held the position at the time of his death. He died at the age of fifty-two, in his home; at Baton Rouge. Mrs. Lobdell was reared and edu- cated in West Baton Rouge. Her father, J. A. Bird, was one of the most prom- inent planters in the State. She is still living on her Belle Vale plantation in West Baton Rouge. The subject of this sketch is the eldest of a familj' of ten children, three sons and seven daughters, viz: John B.,our subject; Belle, James L., Caroline, Angelina, Pearl, Eva, Lavinia, William A. and Jennie. He spent his boyhood days until the age of fourteen in West Baton Rouge, where he received his primary education. At the age of fourteen he entered Roanoke College, Roan- oke, Virginia, from which institution he returned home, at theageof nineteen, and engaged as manager of his father's plantation, and during this lime he was instrumental in organizing the Young Delta Rifles, of which organization he was elected captain, which position he held for four years. In 18S6 he removed to Baton Rouge, and was engaged as clerk in the land office and book-keeper for the Knox saw-mill. While there he was elected first lieutenant of the Baton Rouge Fencibles. During the strike of 1887 his company was sent to Houma, under Col. Price, to quell the disturbance. In 1888 Mr. Lobdell removed to St. Mary's parish, and accepted the position of assistant manager of the Fusilier plantation. Here he remained two years, when he purcha-sed the Olive Branch plantation, in Iberia parish, and has since that time been engaged in planting cane. His plantation is situated five miles below New Iberia, on the east bank of the Teche. Two hundred acres of the plantation are cultivated in cane and corn. It is protected from overflow by a back levee, and is one of the most valuable plantations in this section. In 1881 Mr. Lobdell married Miss Eliza- beth H. Randolph, a native of Pointe Coupee parish. She is the daughter of Dr. Peter Randolph, a planter and prominent physician of the parish. Mrs. Lob- dell was educated in New Orleans, in Miss Prentiss' Private Seminary. Mr. and i H. W. ANDING HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL. 121 Mrs. Lobdell are the parents of three children, viz: Josephine, Elizabeth and John Randolph. « * * LEON LOZES, New Iberia. — Mr. Lozes was born in France, 1840. He came to Louisiana at the age of twenty-tive years. He received a good educa- tion in his mother tongue in France. Since locating in Louisiana Mr. Lozes has been engaged in planting. He now operates eight hundred and fifty acres of land, in, the fifth ward of Iberia parish, about eleven miles west of New Iberia. This he cultivates chiefly in cotton, which he gins on his own plantation, having a large cotton gin for the preparation of his own and of his neighbor's cotton for market. Mr. Lozes is a successful planter. He was married, 1869, to Mrs. Landrjr. He and wife are members of the Catholic church. * r ALPHONSE LANDRY, New Iberia. — Mr. Landry was born in Lafay- ette parish in 1843. He is the son of Terville and Irma (Segura) Landiy. Terville Landry was born in Lafayette parish in 1815, and died in 1869. Our subject's mother was a native of Iberia parish, born in 1820, and died in 1853. Alphonse Landry received a good education, and in 1867 began planting. He has a plantation of two hundred acres, on which he has erected a gin house, and otherwise improved his place until it is now one of the most valuable plantations in this section. Mr. Landry has given most of his time to his plantation interest. Though active in local affairs, he has never held an office. Mr. Landry married, in i860. Miss Clara Cormeaux, a native of Lafayette parish. They are the parents of four children, two boys and two girls, viz : Irma, Ida, Gabriel and Anthony. Mr. Landry and family are members of the Catholic church. » ^ JOSEPH T. LABOVE, Derouen.— The subject of this sketch was born March 19, 1854, ^" S*- Martin parish. He is the son of Adolph Labove and Poupan Labove, both natives of St. Martin parish. They became the parents of four sons and three daughters, viz : Alphonsene, Pierre, Joseph (our subject), Constance (deceased), Eugene, Eugenie, and Damonville. J. T. Labove was reared in the parish of St. Martin, and received a limited edu- cation. His father being an invalid, caused b}' a stroke or paralysis, our subject was compelled at the age of twelve years to begin work for the support of his parents, accepting anything for which he received a remuneration. He continued work as a farm hand until 1862, when he married Miss Pauline Robichaux, of Iberia parish. For some time after his marriage he was engaged in planting, and sub- sequently spent a short while in Texas. From an attack of sickness his health was impaired, and he spent some time in Jefferson parish, on the gulf, recuper- ating. In 1887 he removed to Texas, where he remained for the period of a 8a 122 SOUTHWEST L OUISIAXA : year, during wliich time he engaged in farming; but lieing convinced that Lou- isiana afforded better advantages for planting than Texas, he returned to Iberia parish and is now engaged as manager of an orange grove owned by Charles AValker, of Boston, Massachusetts. Mr. and Mrs. Labove are the parents of eight children, four sons and four daughters, viz. : Felician, Lathilda, Eugene, Eugenia Ermine, Duchias, Joseph, Jr., and Clemence. » * * Jx\MES F. MARTIN, Nfav Iberia. — James F. Martin was born in Ramsbottom, Lancashire, England, April 30, 1823. He came to the United States in 1836, and to Louisiana in 1854. ^^"^ twentj'-one years he was engaged in sugar culture in Cuba and Louisiana. In 1880 he entered into partnership with Mr. Henry Childs, and they were the establishers of the first central sugar factory in Louisiana. In this they were engaged for nine j'^ears, when Mr. Martin pur- chased Mr. Childs' interest, and continued the business on his own account. The "Vida " refinery is located at Fausse Point, on the Teche, about one mile south of Loreauville, on some of the richest sugar lands of Louisiana. Among the patrons of the refinery are over thirty small planters. The "Vida" receives syrup and raw juice from several neighboring mills. The capacity of the refinery is about sixty thousand pounds of sugar per day. Mr. Martin was married, in 1872, to Miss Sarah J. White, of New Orleans, the issue of said marriage being a son and a daughter, Robert A. and Vida O. « * * / THEOMILE MEQUEZ, Derouen.— Mr. Mequez was born in Iberia par- ish, October 12, 1835. He is the son of Antoine and Marguerite (Derouen) Mequez, both natives of Iberia parish. Mr. Mequez has given his whole atten- tion to planting since he began business for himself. At the breaking out of the war, he enlisted as a volunteer in Company A, Fournet Battalion, and served until its close. He owns a small plantation at this place, upon which he raises corn and cotton chiefly. Mr. Mequez married, in 1S55, Miss Colastie Landry, daughter of Maximilian and Marcelite (Trahan) Landry-, both natives of Louis- iana^ To this union a daughter was born, Elonid. » * ^ DROZEN MEQUEZ, Derouen.— The subject pi this sketch was born May 20, 1844, in Iberia parish, Louisiana. He is a son of Antoine and Mar- guerite (Derouen) Mequez, of whom mention is made in the sketch of Theomile Mequez. Drozen Mequez was reared in Iberid parish, and educated in the public schools of the place until he was fourteen years of age, when he began work on a plan- tation. He now owns five hundred acres of land, tliree hundred of which are i HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL. 123 under cultivation, tlie chief products being corn and cotton. He has a large steam gin on his plantation, from which lie turns out about five hundred bales of cotton a 3'ear. Mr. Mequez was married in 1867 to Miss Celestine LeBlanc, daughter of Cemouet and Celeste (Dupre) LeBlanc, both natives of Lafourche parish. As a result of this union they are the parents of three sons and a daughter, viz: Odias, Cimouet, Adolph, Avina. During the civil war Mr. Mequez served in Compan}' A, Fournet Battalion, for three years. He has since given his attention exclusivel}' to planting, and has made a success of his chosen calling. * " ANDREW MEYERS, Olivier.— The subject of this sketch is a native of Vermilion parish, born in November, 1819. He is the son of Henr}^ Meyers and Delphine Boudoin, the former a native of Holland, and the latter of Laf- ayette parish, Louisiana. Andrew Meyers grew to manhood in Vermilion par- ish, where he received his chief education. He was reared on a plantation, and, at an earh' age, married Miss Carmelite Louviere, of Iberia parish. He began planting the same year in Iberia parish, in which he was engaged for a period of seven years. He then removed to St. Mary parish, where he was engaged in the same business for a period of twenty-five years. He recently removed to Iberia parish, where he now resides. Mrs. Meyers died, and two years after her death Mr. Me3^ers married Miss Belgiere, daughter of Antoine and Mar- guerite (Hebert) Trahan. As a result of the first union twelve children were born, viz; Mar}- Delphine, Josephine, Deserie, Henry, Marguerite, Alvia, Ed- ward, Alcide, Jenny, Andrew, Jr., Felix and Bruce. Mr. Meyers has sixtj-- nine grandchildren. ^ * * DR. C. A. McGOWEN, Jeannerette. — Dr. McGowen was born in Henry count}', Mississippi, 1849. He is the son of Hugh and Gabrielle (Bracy) Mc- Gowen. Hugh McGowen was a nati\-e of South Carolina, born in Sumpter county, 1799. He removed to Mississippi at an early age and married Gabrielle Bracy, a native of thatState. Locating in Columbia, which at that time was the capital of the State, he was for some time engaged in general mercantile business. In politics he was a Whig, and was always prominent in the manipulation of party affairs, and represented his district in the State Legislature in 1S35. He died in 1858, his widow surviving him until i860. Dr. McGowen attended the schools at Colu.mbia until he was thirteen years of age. His father having died the year previous, he entered the Confederate army and enlisted in the Fourth Mississippi Cavalry. Under Chalmers and For- rest he served during the whole war. After the close of the war he matriculated in the Ohio Dental College at Cincinnati, w'here he remained for two years. After completing his course he removed to Northern Louisiana, where he 1 24 SOUTHWEST L O UISIANA : practised his profession successfully. After a year lie returned to his plantation in Mississippi. A year's experience as a planter satisfied Dr. McGowen that he could achieve more success in his profession. He located in Summit, Mississippi, where he succeeded in building up a lucrative practice. In 1876 he married. Miss Florence Bussej', a native of Indiana, and a daughter of Dr. Harvey Bussey, the noted surgeon in the Federal service during the war. In 1877 Dr. McGowen engaged in the drug business in Summit, and in 1879 ^^ removed to Jeannerette,. where he has since practised his profession, in connection with which he has a drug and stationery store. He has been very successful in his business. The doctor is a member of the I. O. O. F. Lodge, No. 93. He assisted in organizing the Knights of Pj^thias organization in Jeannerette, of which he is a charter member. Dr. McGowen and wife are the parents of three children, viz: Alice Lee, Alfred Bussey, and Mary Florence. » * ^ A. L. MONNOT, Jeannerette. — A. L. Monnot is a native of Assump- tion parish, Louisiana, born 1842. He is the son of Dr. Charles and Josephine (Bourgeois) Monnot, natives of France and Assumption parish, Louisiana, re- spectively. A. L. Monnot attended college at Bardstovvn, Kentucky, and from there went to France to complete his studies in the Lycee, after which he went to Strasburg, where he studied medicine. On the breaking out of the civil war he returned home, and at the age of twenty entered the Confederate army, enlisting in Company H, Second Louisiana Cavalry. He participated in all the engage- ments in Louisiana. Shortly after his return home, in 1865, he married Miss Heloise, daughter of William F. Hudson, whose sketch appears elsewhere in this work. In October, 1865, Mr. Monnot engaged in merchandising in Jeannerette, succeeding his father-in-law in the business. He began business on a capital of three thousand dollars, and has steadily increased his business until it reached its present proportions. In 1877 he engaged in sugar planting, continuing, how- ever, to conduct his mercantile business. In 1883 he erected the Vaufrey Re- finery in Jeannerette. Meeting with reverses in business he was compelled, in 1S84, to ask for an extension by his creditors of $110,000. Three years later he had liquidated the amount, principal and interest. Mr^ Monnot has steadily im- proved his place, his expenditure for improvements alone in 1887 amounting to fifty-five thousand dollars. Vaufrey Refinery is an extensive one, with a ca- pacity for manufacturing six hundred tons of cane per twenty-four hours, or one hundred and fifty thousand pounds of sugar per da}'. Mr. Monnot is active in local affairs, and has for seven years been a mem- ber of the police jury, and for four years has been the president. He has, for six years, been a member of the school board, and was for some time a member HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL. Vlh of the town council of Jeannerette. He is now a member of the board of com- missioners of tiie Grand Marais levee district, appointed by Governor NichoUs. He was for several years post-master of Jeannerette. Mr. Monnot and wife are the parents of two children, a son, Charles L., and a daugliter, Louise M. , PAUL NELSON, Burke Station. — The subject of this sketch is a na- tive of Iberia parish, born January 25, 1855. He is the sonof Wm. and Theresa (Darden) Nelson, both natives of St. Mary parish. Mr. Nelson had a lim- ited education. He began life as a planter, and has since engaged in merchan- dising. He is one of the successful business men of Iberia parish, and his business yields him a good income. Mr. Nelson was married, in 1880, to Miss Antoinair, daughter of John B. and Antoinair (Segura) Breaux, of Iberia parish. They are the parents of four cliildren, Adieskey, Dairnill, William, Albany. Mr. Nelson and his wife are members of the Catholic church. * * ROBERT A. OLIVIER. Olivier.— R. A. Olivier was born in Iberia par- ish in 1858. He is the sim of Eugene and Laura T. (Dalcour) Olivier. The former, is a native of St. Mar}- (now Iberia) parish, and the latter a native of Cuba. Thev became the parents of eleven children, si.x of whom are now living, viz: Theresa, Mary, Lucy, Robert Alfred, the subject of this sketch, and Louise. Eugene B. Olivier was a member of the House of Representatives of 1845, and member of the Senate of 1858. He was for some time president of the Police Jury, and at the time of his death was president of the school board. To him is due a great deal in building up of the parish schools. The subject of this sketch had limited educational advantages, owing to the fact that there were few schools in the parish within his reach. He attended private school for a short period, but his education has been chiefly acquired by association and private study. He began railroading at the age of sixteen years; and was for five years succeeding this engaged in the freight department of the Morgan Railroad. He was subsequently agent for the Wells Fargo Express Company, in which capacity he served for two years. At the time of his father's death, in 1882, he took charge of the plantation. Orange Grove, which is sit- uated five miles southeast of New Iberia, on the bank of the Bayou Teche. The plantation consists of six hundred acres of land, three hundred and fifty of which is cultivated in cane and corn. The plantation was sold in 1888, and purchased jointh' b}' Mr. Olivier, Mr. Farmer and Mr. Abraham. They have greatly im- proved tlie place and it is now in perfect order. They have a large six-roller sugar mill with steam train. Besides the manufacture of their own product they purchase and work up the cane from about fift}- small planters near them. In 1890 they manufactured over a million pounds of sugar. 126 SOi'TIIWEST L OUISIANA : In 1S82 Mr. Olivier was appointed member of the police jury ; about the same time he became a member of the school board, which office he now holds. In 1889 he was appointed parish assessor, and is the present incumbent of that position. Mr. Olivier is a member of the Order of the Knights of Pythias. s/ H. PATOUT, Patoutville. — Mr. Patout was born in Iberia parish, Sep- tember 4, 1855. He is the son of Hippohte and Mar}' A. (Schwing) Patout, both of whom are natives of Louisiana. The subject ot this sketch was reared on a plantation in Iberia parish, and received his primary education in the neighboring schools. He afterward pur- sued a three years" course of study in Holy Cross College, at New Iberia. After leaving school he assisted his father in managing his plantation in this parish until his father's death in 1884, when he assumed control of the planta- ion, to the operation of which he has since given his attention. The place is a valuable one, containing seventeen hundred and fifty acres, one thousand ot which are under cultivation. Mr. Patout has given his chief attention to sugar culture. His sugar mill is an extensive one, and was erected at a cost of not less than thirty thousand dollars. Mr. Patout is one of the wide-awake busi- ness men of this section. He married, in 1877, Miss Clelie Romero, daughter of Devesin Romero, of Iberia parish. Seven children have been born to them, four sons and three daughters, L^-dia, Ory, Annie, Bessie, Eunice, Sebastian and Oswell. ^ JUDGE ROBERT S. PERRY, New Iberia.— Robert S. Perry, judge of the Court of Appeals of the Third Louisiana Circuit, is a native of Lafayette parish, born December 5, 1834. ^^ '^ '^ ^on of Robert and Ezemely (Booth) Perr}'. Robert Perry, Sr., was a native of Pennsylvania, of Scotch-Irish descent. When a boy he removed to Kentucky with his parents, where he received his education. When nineteen j-ears of age he came to Louisiana, where he married and spent the remainder of his life. Judge Robert S. Perr}- received the best education the schools of Louisiana afforded, and subsequently graduated from the Kentucky Military Institute, at the age of nineteen years. After completing his literary education he entered the law school at the Universitj^ of Louisville, where he took a course of lec- ti.ires, and afterward entered a law office in Anderson, Texas, where he pur- sued the study of law for about a year. At the expiration of this time he was admitted to the bar in that place. He never practised there, however, and returned shortly afterward to Vermilion parish, where he remained until the war broke out. Since that time, with the exception of the four years of the war and the time he has held official positions, he has given his attention exclusively to HISTORICAL AXD BIOGRAnilCAL. 127 his profession. In iS66 he removed to St. Martin parish and from thence, in 1871, to Iberia. When Louisiana cast her fortune with the seceding States, Judge Perry- enlisted as a private in Company C, of the Eighth Louisiana Regiment, and in August of the same year was made first lieutenant. He served during the whole war in the Army of Northern Virginia. November 7, 1863, he was captured at Rappahannock, and held a prisoner at Johnson Island for nineteen months, where he was at the close of the war. After the war Judge Perrj^ resumed his practice. In 1879 ^^ ^"^^ elected a member of the State Senate, and served until 1884. During the time of his service he was active in all measures that came before that body for consideration. He introduced the first bill providing for the regulation of railroads in Louisiana. In 1888 he was elected by the Legislature judge of the Court of Appeals of the Third Circuit of Louisiana. Judge Perry is a thoroughly progressive gentleman and a man of ability. He is identified with all matters pertaining to the advancement of New Iberia. The Judge is peculiarly adapted for the important trust which he holds, be- ing a gentleman of deep learning, and having made a close study of his profes# sion. His public services have been well received, and he enjoys the confidence of a large circle of friends. Judge Perry has twice married; first, in 1870, Miss Bertha Gary, of St. Martinsville, who died in 1878, having become the mother of three children, one son and two daughters. On January i, 1883, he married Miss Camille Vedrines, of New Iberia. She died the October succeedincr their marriage. * * » ^ JOSEPH A. PROVOST, Jeannerette.— Joseph Alcide Provost comes from an old famil}'. His paternal grandfather, Nicholas Provost, was born in one of the English colonies, and emigrated to Louisiana in 1780. His wife was Mary Jeanne Provost, a native of San Domingo, where they were married. To them ten children were born, one of whom, Ursin Provost, married Julia Prevost, a native of Louisiana. They became the parents of two sons and three daughters: Nicliolas L., Coralie, Phijenie, Ursin and Antoinette. Ursin married Josephine Bodin, a native of St. Mary parish. To them were born a daughter and two sons, Joseph A. being the oldest. The subject of this sketch was born June 6, 1847, in what is now the parish of Iberia, then a part of St. Mary. Here he was reared and educated. In 1865 he entered the army, enlisting in Company I, Third Louisiana Cavalry, Liddell's Brigade. After the war, Mr. Provost began cotton planting, under the direction of his stepfather, and during the time attended night school, where he completed his education. He continued with his stepfather until 1S67, when on November 26, 1868, he married Emih' Druilhet, daughter of Alfred and Celestine (Poche) Druilhet, of St. James parish. She died the year following her marriage, July 128 SOUTHWEST L OLTSIANA : 26, 1869. After his marriage, Mr. Provost gave his attention to sugar raising. Beginning, in 1871, with only si.xty-three acres of land, and that heavily tim- bered, he, with his own hands, commenced the work of preparing his place for cultivation. In 1872, with the aid of his younger brother, he made liis first crop of cane, and to such good purpose had he labored that his net profit was over twelve liundred dollars. February 29, 1872, Mr. Provost married Eleanor Lyon, daughter of Joseph and Hortense (Hebert) Lyon. In 1873 '^^ purchased one hundred acres of land, and upon this raised a crop of cane. The second j'ear, with the aid of two workmen, he raised a sufficient amount of cane to net him eighteen hundred dollars. Since that time he has constantly improved his plantation, clearing out more land and erecting new buildings. In 1875 he erected a large sugar house on his plantation. Since that time he has been uniforml}^ successful. In 1888 he made manj' improvements in his sugar house, and manufactured four hundred and ninet}' thousand pounds of sugar, from which he cleared sixteen thousand dollars. Mr. Provost now owns five hundred and fifty acres, of which he cul- tivates three hundred and fifty. His crop this year will amount to about seven hundred thousand pounds. Mr. Provost contemplates during the next year adding a refining apparatus to his already very complete plant. He takes a just pride in what he has accomplished, and Right Way plantation stands an illustration of how an indomitable will may achieve success. In 1884 Mr. Provost first employed an overseer, having personally supervised his plantation prior to this time. He still assumes general control, and to this ascribes the fact of his unvarying success in sugar planting. Mr. Provost first took an active part in politics in 1869. In 1874 ^^ was elected justice of the peace, and in 1877 was appointed Police Juror, succeeding himself in office for three consecu- tive times. He resigned in 1884 to become candidate to the State Legislature, to which he was elected by an overwhelming majority. He is the first Democrat elected to that office from his district since the reconstruction period. The pop- ularity of his service is evinced in that his constituents, in 1888, reelected him by a majority of fifteen hundred. Mr. Provost is the unrelenting foe of monopo- lists, and in the session of 1890 used all his influence against the rechartering of the Louisiana State Lottery. He is the author of several bills tending to the promotion of the general good, notably the bill amending the laws regarding the adulteration of sugar and molasses, the bill for draining the low lands of Iberia, known as the Grand Marais, and the bill amending the law to more fully protect the fish in the rivers and lakes. Mr. Provost resides in the town of Jeannerette, of which place he has twice served as mayor, refusing a third term in 1886, to accept the office of council- man. He was reelected in 1888. He is also a member of the board of com- missioners of the Atchafalaya basin levee district. Mr. Provost's wife died HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL. 129 September 29, 1886, having become the mother of seven children: Emily Antoinette, Hortense Louise, Antoinette Julia, Rita Marie, Joseph Alcide, Jr., Albert Sidney and Horatio Leo, the fourth and last having died in infancy. GEORGE MARSH ROBERTSON, New Iberia.— George Marsh Robertson was born in New Iberia, December 11, 185 1. He is the son of Wil- liam Robertson and Eliza A. Marsh, the former a native of Tennessee, born 1819, and the latter a native of Iberia parish, born September 26, 1825. Wil- liam Robertson was a graduate of West Point, and was a classmate at that place with U. S. Grant. After leaving West Point he was for a time engaged as recruiting officer in New York Cit)^ From there he was sent to Pensacola, Florida, and was there engaged in what is known as the Florida War. He died February 17, 1890. Mrs. Robertson died in 1878. George Marsh Robertson was the fifth of a family of ten children. He was educated in Iberia parish, and at the age of sixteen he accepted a position as clerk in the general superintendent's office of the Mississippi & Tennessee Railroad in Memphis ; there he learned telegraphy, and soon became the superintendent's operator and depot ticket agent, which position he jheld until the Memphis & Little Rock Railroad was finished, and went on the first passenger train from Memphis to Little Rock to take the position of store and time-keeper of that road, which positions he held for about a year, when the general manager of the road appointed him auditor of accounts in the general office at Little Rock, and he remained in that position until 1879, when he returned to his old home in New Iberia, and has since then been engaged in the fire insurance business with his father, who established the business in 1846. Mr. Robertson married Miss Belle Tate Oliver, of Memphis, Tennessee. Mr. Robertson's mother is a daughter of John C. Marsh, the one who operated first the salt wells of Iberia parish, from which, many years after his death was discovered the salt mines which have since been so noted. * * MILLARD F. SMITH, New Iberia.— Millard F. Smith was born in Louisville, Kentucky, July 27, 1856. He is the son of T. B. and Mar}- A. Smith; the former a native, of North Carolina, born in 1812 ; the latter of Louis- ville, Kentucky, born in 1821. His father located in New Orleans, and there became a large commission merchant. Our subject received his schooling at Jefferson College, Jefferson county, Kentuckjs wherehe received a classic education. He began business life for him- self at the age of sixteen as a clerk on the steamboat J. T. Moore, which pHed between New Orleans and Shreveport. He then accepted a position in the clothing store of Sprowl & McCown, New Orleans. Next he became a clerk and col- lector for the cotton house of Foster & Gwyn, of the same city, and subse- 130 SOUTHWEST L OUISIANA : quently removed to Houma, Louisiana, where he was engaged as book-keeper, paymaster and storekeeper for H. C. Minor. After this he turned his attention to sugar planting, in which he continued for three years, when he opened a first-class livery stable and saloon at Houma, Louisiana. Locating at New Iberia in 1888, he established a large hotel — the finest in the city. He also conducts the "bon- ton" drinking saloon of New Iberia. Mr. Smith was married, November, 1878, to Miss Emma J. Westphal. To them have been born three children: Alma, Dot and Birdie, all living. ^ V/ JUNIUS SAMPSON, Belle Place. — Junius Sampson was born in Bos- ton, Mass., in 1849. His father, Calvin C. Sampson, was a prominent merchant of New Orleans, but a native of Massachusetts, where he married our subject's mother, Hannah Harlow, a native of the same State. Junius Sampson is one of a family of six children, five sons and one daughter, Chandler, Frank, Olive, Calvin, Thomas Harlow and our subject. Junius Sampson was reared and received his early education in Boston. He subsequently graduated from Harvard in the class of '71. He came to Louisiana in 1872, and engaged in sugar planting. In 1873 he purchased Marsh- field plantation, consisting of twenty-five hundred acres, cultivated chiefly in sugar cane, to which it is especially adapted. His mill has a capacity for mak- ing twenty thousand gallons per day. In 1879 ■'^''- Sampson married Miss Ella Rose, daughter of Wm. and Eliza beth (Moss) Rose, both natives of Iberia. Mr. Rose was one of the larges and most 'successful planters of Iberia parish; he was born and spent his early days at Avery's Salt Island, a portion of which his mother owned. To Mr. and Mrs. Sampson have been born two sons and two daughters, Anna H., Thos. R., Ella Margaret and Calvin C. * * W. E. SATTERFIELD, New Iberia.— W. E. Satterfield, an extensive planter and merchant of New Iberia, is a native of North Carolina, born in Eden- ton, 1851. He is the son of G. B. and Mary A. (Reddick) Satterfield, both of whom are natives of the "Old North State." G. B. Satterfield was a lawyer and merchant. He removed to Louisiana in 1854, where he engaged in agricul- ture. He had accumulated quite a fortune before the war, but like many other Southern planters lost nearly the whole of it. He died in 187S. Mrs. Satter- field died in 1858. The subject of this sketch began life as chief clerk in a large country store in Pointe Coupee parish. In this he was engaged from 1867 to 1871 ; after which he took a commercial course in Jefferson College, on the completion of which he resumed his duties in the same.establishment. In 1874 he was made juniormem- HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL. 131 bei" of the firm with which he was engaged, and assumed the active control of the business. In 1881 he removed to New Iberia and purchased a plantation about one mile from the city. His plantation is one of the finest in Iberia parish. There are few more practical, successful planters than Mr. Satteifield. He also conducts a large mercantile business in New Iberia, and is largely interested in town property. He is a stock holder in the New Iberia National Bank, and the cashier and a large stock holder in the People's National Bank at New Iberia. Mr. Satterfield is a self-made man. Whatever he has accomplished has been entirely through his own efforts. The first position he held, in compliance with his own request, he was on trial, with the understanding that if his services were not perfectly satisfactory he was to receive no remuneration for them. He is united in marriage with Miss Eloise Francisa deGeneres, of Avoyelles parish. « * * V. A. SOUATHE, Loreauville. — Mr. Souathe was born in the South of France, in 1851. He was educated partly in Batherren College, France, and in the private schools of Louisiana. Leaving France in 1865, he arrived in St. Martinsville at the age of fourteen years, where he remained for six- years, engaged as a clerk. He then removed to New Iberia, where he engaged in the mercantile business and continued it for six j'ears. In 1887 he opened a store in Loreauville, beginning with a general stock of goods valued at two Imndred dollars. He now carries a stock of from ten to twelve thousand dollars ; his business increases annually, and now amounts to about thirt3'-six thousand doll^s. Mr. Souathe married, in 1879, Ernestine Muller, a native of Iberia parish. She is the daughter of Nicholas and Felice (Hebert) Muller; the former a native of France and a prominent planter of Iberia parish, the latter a member of one of the old Louisiana families. They are the parents of four children, viz : Rosa, Marie, Felice, Rita. * * GEORGE SIMON, New Iberia. — George Simon is a native of the Black Forest, Germany, and came to America in 1866. He is the son of George Simon, who was in the revenue department in Germany nearly all of his life. George Simon received his education from one of the best institutions of his native place. After coming to this country in 1866 he traveled for some time in the United States and Mexico, and, in 1876, located in New Iberia, and became manager of the foundry business of F. S Lutzenburger, fifteen years after which he took charge of the business on his own account. Mr. Simon is one of the energetic men of this place. He was married in 187310 Miss Julia Lutz- enberger. They are the parents of six children. 132 SOUTHWEST L OUISIANA : "•'' J. C. SANGUINETT, Jeannerette.— J. C. Sanguinett was born in New Orleans, in 1842. He is the son of John and Angel (Campbell) Sanguinett, the former a native of Italy and the latter of New Orleans. They became the parents of seven children, viz: Caroline, Angel, Cora, Harriet, Joseph C. (our subject), Philip, Jacob. The father died when J. C. was only seven years of age; his mother married a second time, and Joseph was taken b}' his uncle, who lived in the parish of St. James. He was sent to the public schools in New Or- leans. At the age of fourteen his uncle took him on his plantation and he en- gaged in business there, in which he continued until the opening of the war. In September, 1861, he enlisted in Company A, Eighteenth Louisiana Cavalry, serving until January, 1864. He was captured at Bayou Lafourche and paroled. After some months he joined the Heavy Artillery, with which he served until the close of the war. In 1867 he married Hermina Butaud, daughter of A. and Irena (Lange) Butaud. A. Butaud was a native of France and his wife of St. Mary parish. After marriage Mr. Sanguinett was engaged in planting for a period of two 3'ears. In 1871 he began a general mercantile business in Iberia parish. In 1881 he removed to Rayne, Acadia parish, where he was in business for a year. He located in Jeannerette, June, 1890, and here engaged in busi- ness. Mr. Sanguinett, though taking a deep interest in political matters, has never been an aspirant for office. He is a modern Democrat and stands with his party on the issues of the day. He is a member of the Knights of Honor at Franklin, La. He and wife are the parents of ten children, viz: Angel, Amiel, (wife of D. Etiet), Septine, Joseph, Electa, Rita, Julia, Mary, Denis, Noelie. Mr. Sanguinett takes great interest in educational matters, and he is giving his children the best educational advantages. * * » ^ P. H, SEGURA, New Iberia. — P. H. Segura was born in Iberia parish, in 1853. He is the son of Raphael and Celima (Bonin) Segura. His father was born in 1794, and is still living near Spanish Lake. He is one of the oldest citizens of the parish. His life would furnish a histor}' within itself. His long life has been full of usefulness, and in his old age he is revered bj- all who know him. The subject of this sketch received a fair education, and began planting in 1875. He was elected clerk of the court of Iberia parish in 1876 and held this office until 1884. Since that time he has given his chief attention to planting. Mr. Segura is a thoroughly wide-awake gentleman, and keeps abreast of the times. He is always identified with measures which tend to promote the public interest. His plantation consists of four hundred and fifty acres, on which he resides. He raises a variety of products, and from them he receives a good in- come. Mr. Segura was married, in 1879, '^o Miss Cora, daughter of Jacob and Mary (Hathen) Smith, of New Orleans. They are the parents of six children. HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL. 133 three of whom died in infancy. Mr. Segura and family are strict adherents to the Catholic faith. » » • JOHN T. WHITE, Jeannerette.— John T. White is a native of Troy, New York, born in 1842. He was reared in Cincinnati, Ohio, to which place his parents had removed when he was seven years of age. He received his educa- tion in the pul)lic schools of Cincinnati, and, early in 1862, entered Harrison College ; but in August of that year he enlisted in Company D. Eighty- third Regi- ment Ohio Volunteers. He served principally in the Gulf Department. In 1S64 he was commissioned first lieutenant, and was transferred to the Provost Mar- shall office and stationed at New Iberia, Louisiana. Here he remained until he was mustered out of active service. During his stay here he was so favorably impressed with this section of Louisiana that he purchased a plantation and engaged in sugar planting, in which he still continues. His plantation, Ba}- Side, formerly owned by Col. Frank D. Richardson, consists of two thousand five hundred acres of land, about nine hundred of which are under cultivation. The sugar mill erected before the war has been entirely remodeled from the old style open kettle to the double mills, with saturation and steam trains. The Bay Side and Alice plantations combined, in 1890, erected a refinery fully equipped 'for the manufacture of four million pounds of sugar. Mr. White married, in 1870, Miss Sarah Hull, a native of Pittsfield, Illinois, and daugher of John Hull, a prominent land owner and banker of Pike count}-, Illinois. They are the parents of two children: Junius H., born in Illinois in 1873, now in college in Alabama; Lizzie, born in 1874, in Louisiana. Although he has been several times solicited to do so, Mr. White has never allowed his name to appear in the role for political honor. In national politics he is a Republican. In 1868 he entered the Masonic and Odd Fellows fraternities, and has filled various offices of these lodges. Mr. White is a member of the Methodist church, and his wife of the Presbj-terian. Mr. White realizes the advantages of his adopted State, and firmly believes in the possibilit}- of its future greatness. \, LUKE TRAINOR, New Iberia.— Luke Trainor, of the firm of Trainor Sons, was born in Franklin, Louisiana, in 1862. He is the son of O. J. Trainor, a native of Ireland, born 1S28. O. J. Trainor came to this country in 1840, where he remained until his death. He was the owner of a large door, blind and sash factory. Our subject's mother, Emily Wexem, is a native of Louisiana, of French descent. She now resides in New Iberia. The subject of this sketch spent his school days in Franklin, Louisiana, receiving his chief education at Bryant College. He was engaged with his father in business until his death, since which time he has been a member, and 13-t SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA : general manager, of the firm of Trainor Sons, in the operation of their large sash, door and blind factor}- at this place, in which he employs about twenty men. Their business is extensive, and the firm is one of the best known in Louisiana. , ^ G. W. WHITWORTII, Jeannerette.— The subject of this sketch was born in Posey county, Indiana, June 6, 1833. He is the son of Joseph S. and Sarah (Parker) Hatfield, a descendant of the ancient Hetzfeldt family of Germany. They were married about 1810. To them were born seven children: Wesley, James, Lewis (deceased in 1884), Benjamin, Thomas, Henry and George W., our subject. The paternal great-grandfather of George W. Whitworth, Abraham Whitworth, about 1750, in company- with two brothers and a sister, Ferdal, Thomas and Narcissus, emigrated from England to Vir- ginia. Abraham settled on the French Broad River, near the line ot North Carolina, marrying an American, Miss Gawltney, who had been reared by Gen- eral John Morgan, of Revolutionary fame. To this marriage was born four sons, Isaac, Ferdal, Joseph S. and Samuel. Joseph S. was born on the French Broad River, 1790. His marriage and children we have noted above. After marrying he removed to what is known as Cotton Grove Postoffice, Tennessee, where Wesley, James and Lewis were born. In 1814 Joseph S. Whitworth volunteered in Andrew Jackson's army, under Captain Weekley, and partici- pated in the battle of New Orleans, January 8, 1815. In 1818 he removed with his family to Posey county, Indiana, and settled in New Harmony, where he re- mained about two years. Then purchasing a section of land six miles east of New Harmony, he engaged in farming on an extensive scale. There the four N'ounger children were born, among them being our subject. Mr. Whitworth sold his farm in 1842, and removed to Mount Vernon, Indiana. In 1849 he came to Centreville, St. Mary parish. Louisiana, locating in 1870 in Jeanner- ette, which at the time of his arrival was a plantation, there being but five iiouses in the place. He was one of the prime movers in building a large saw mill, from which enterprise has sprung the flourisliing town of Jeannerette. Joseph S. Whitworth died in Jeannerette, December 29, 1871, his widow sur- viving him until June, 1876. George W. Whitworth, the subject of this sketch, vi^as educated at Green- castle, Indiana, in the Asbury University, now Depau University. After com- pleting his education he went, in 1856, to Kansas City, Missouri, and engaged himself as a clerk. He remained there until 1861, when, with his family, he removed to Indiana, and in 1863 entered the United States service as regimental quartermaster of the One Hundred and Fifteenth Indiana Volunteer Infantry. He did no dutj^ with this regiment, however, but served as commissary of sub- sistence on the staff of Gen. O. B. Wilcox. After his term of service had HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL. 135 e-xpired lie engaged in merchandising in Greencastle, Indiana, whence he removed to MinneapoHs, Minnesota. In 1S79 ^e removed to Jeannerette, and engaging with liis brother in the saw-mill business. He assisted his brother in building up the enterprises of the town up to the time of the latter's death in 1884. He still retains an interest in the saw-mill business, which is conducted under the name of Whitworth & Co., the firm being composed of the subject, G. G. Walker, and Walter B. and Jos. E. Whitworth. Their mill is located in the town of Jeannerette, and has a capacity of twenty to thirty thousand feet per day. The Company owns about twenty-five hundred acres of virgin swamp timber land, and employs about sixty men throughout the year. The Company dresses its own lumber, making shingles to use up waste tiniber, and using, in doing so, only one machine, with a capacity of about twenty thousand shingles per day. In 1854 ^^ subject married Sarah M. Kercheval, a native of Greencastle, Indiana, a daughter of Edward R. Kercheval, one of the prominent men of Putnam count}', Indiana, whose great grandfather was a Huguenot who came to this country during the persecution in France. She was born in 1836. To this union have been born five children, Walter B., Joseph E., Agnes S. (wife of Dr. S. R. Gay), Florence and Alice K. Walter B. and Joseph E. are inter- ested with their father in the saw-mill business. Both are married; the former to Miss Medora Allen, of New Orleans, and the latter to Miss Rachel E. Stewart, of Wilmot, Nova Scotia. In 1856 our subject became a Master Mason in Kansas City, Missouri. He is a member of Jacques de Molay Commandery of Knights Templars, of New Orleans. In religion he is a Presbyterian, and an elder in that church. In politics he is a Republican, and was one of the prime movers in the white Republican party in this locality. » * WM. F. WEEKS, New Iberia.— William F. Weeks, a successful planter of Iberia parish, was born in 1825. His father, David Weeks, was a native of Maryland, born 1780. Removing to Louisiana in 1812 he became an extensive planter. He died in this State in 1834. O"'" subject's mother, Mary C. Con- rad, is a native of Virginia, born 1845 and died 1862. They became the parents of six childrent, the subject of this sketch being the oldest son. He spent his school days in Louisiana and Virginia and received a liberal education. Mr. Weeks has given nearly his whole attention to planting, and he is one of the largest land holders and most successful sugar planters in Iberia parish. His plantation consists of over seven thousand acres. He also gives special attention to raising a fine grade of stock. ' He is the possessor of Grand Cote Island, which contains about two thousand five hundred acres of land. Mr. Weeks is united in marriage with Miss Mary I. Palpry, a native of this State. They are the parents of two daughters. CHAPTER III. PARISH OF CALCASIEU. ' D. D. ANURUS, Jenninus. — D. D. Andrus, planter, was born near wliere he now resides on October 7, 1832. He is the son of Charles H. and Lisima (Guidry) Andrus. His parents are natives of Calcasieu and St. Martin parish, Louisiana, respectively. They belong to the oldest families of the State. Charles H. Andrus is still living, and is a resident of this parish. He has alvva3-s been a farmer and stock raiser, and is now owner of twenty-five hundred acres of land, where he resides. The mother of our subject died November 21. 18S9, at the age of seventj'-six years. The subject of this sketch is one of a family of twelve children . He began life as a planter, and now owns eleven hundred acres of land, upon which he raises a variety of products and a great amount of stock. He has at the present time on his plantation more than three hundred head of cattle and one hundred and fiftj' horses. Mr. Andrus has also an interest in a large mercantile business at Jen- nings and Lake Arthur, in partnership with D. Derouen. Mr. Andrus is prom- inent in local politics, as well as all other public affairs. He has served as police juror from his ward since 1874, '^^^ ^°'" ^ number of years was notary public. He was married in 1855 to Miss Aurelie Arceneaux, daughter of Orelienand ^Liry (Andrus) x\rceneaux, and natives of Lafayette and Calcasieu parishes, respectivelv. Mr. and Mrs. Andrus are the parents of nine children, five sons and four daughters: Isaac E., Morgan D., Martin J., Felix D., Jules A., Clara A., wife of John Castex, Jr. ; Laura, wife of Arthur A. Hebert; Mary and Alice, of whom the last two died in 1S61 and 1S62, respectively. Mr. Andrus and wife are members of the Catholic church. * * B. C. ANDRUS, Jexnix(;s. — B. C. Andrus, planter, was born where he now resides, in 1856. He is the son of Charles H. and Lisimia (Guidry) Andrus. of whom mention is made in the sketch of D. D. Andrus: B. C. Andrus was reared in Calcasieu parish on the place where he now re- sides. He has given his chief attention to stock raising, which, by raising a good grade of stock, yields him a good income. Mr. Andrus was married in 1S76 ^ Theodocia, daughter of Joseph and Ellen (Andrus) Reed, natives of Oa 138 SOrTJ/WEST L Ol ISIAXA . Calcasieu parish. To this union have been born eight children, four sons and four daughters, live of whom are living, viz : Emilie, Mary E., Ophelia, Cora G.., Izora. , * * JOSEPH A. ANDERSON, Welsh.— Joseph A. Anderson, planter, was born in Atlantic county, New Jersey, September 3, 1845. He is the son of Wil- liam and Achas (Alien) Anderson, natives of Virginia and' New Jersey, respec- tively. Th.ey were married in New Jersey, and became the parents of four chil- dren, three sons and one daughter, viz: Joseph A., the subject of this sketch ; Elizabeth L., wife of Walter Balfour, of Pocahontas county, Iowa; Achas A., wife of Samuel Bowell, of Pocahontas county, Iowa; Moranda. William An- derson, with his family, removed to Rock Island, Illinois, in 1857. He was by occupation a glass blower. After removing to Illinois he engaged in farming. The subject of this sketch received a good business education in the schools of New Jersey and Illinois. He has been a farmer since beginning business life tor himself. In 1863 Mr. Anderson enlisted in the United States army, Com- pan\- A, Ninth Iowa Cavahy, in which company he served until the close of the war. After the war he returned to Illinois, and was there engaged in farming until 1SS8, when he removed with his family to Calcasieu parish, Louisiana, and purchased a farm of three hundred and twenty acres of land. He has given his principal attention to rice culture, in which he has been successful. Mr. Ander- son was married, in 1868, to Miss Carrie L. Robbins, daughter of Isaac and Louvincia (Prentiss") Robbins. Her father was a native of Pennsylvania and her motlier of Ohio. Mr. Anderson is a member of the Masonic order. * * V/ CAPT. J. W. BRYAN, Lake Charles.— Capt. J. W. Bryan is descended from good old Irish ancestr\', but the family has been so long in this country, and become so thoroughl}' Americanized, that few of the Irish traits now appear upon the surface. One characteristic that remains, however, is that of sterling honest}-. His great-grandfather -( O'Brien) emigrated to America when a boy and settled in Virginia; married and raised a family there. Luke Br\-an, one of his sons, and the grandfather of the subject of our sketch came to Louisiana early in life and married Miss Rebecca W. Berwick, in 1S02: from her family Berwick's Bay derives its name. One of the sons born to them was John Bryan, the father of Capt. Bryan, who was reared and educated there. In earl)- man- hood he married Miss Nancy A. Lyons, and, about 1832, settled in Calcasieu parish. In 1839 he removed to Texas, and resided there until his death, in 1844, when the family returned to Calcasieu parish. Here Mrs. Bryan was married a second time, to Mr. Jacob E. Harmon, b}' whom slie had three children. Capt. Brj-an, whose name stands at the head of this sketch, was born in this par- HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL. 139 ish, December 28, 1834. ^'^ early educational facilities were limited, and he belongs to that very numerous class of prominent men who owe their education to their own aspirations and unaided exertions to rise above the station in which they were born to one of greater exertions and more extensive and higher uselulness. Up to the time of his mother's death, young Br3'an spent his time farming and attending the country schools, when here were any to attend, which in his early days were few and far between. Not content with an occupation in which his chances for development and usefulness were so restricted, he determined to obtain a mental discipline which would fit him for literary pursuits. In "this good republican country of ours, where organic laws denounce hereditar}' patents to nobilitjs most men indulge the vanit}' of pride at achieve- ments so marked and great as those which lead and direct a Clay or a Lincoln from the humblest walks of life to the highest position in the councils of the nation. The great ambition of }'^oung Bryan was to fit himself for literary work. To this end he attended school and pursued a literary course, teaching and studying alternately, until he attained the age of twentj^-five \ears. His course had not yet been completed when the civil war came on and caused such confusion and derangement in all the affairs of life. Laying aside all selfish claims and personal desires, that he might serve his country- unfettered, he quit school and in 1861 organized the militia of Calcasieu parish, for the purpose of home protection. Early in 1862, being called on for four companies, he organ- ized the four volunteer companies, and within twenty days from the time of re- ceiving the requisition, he was on the march to Opelousas with these companies to report for duty, from whence the command proceeded to New Orleans, and thence to Camp Moore, and it was there that the Twenty-eighth Louisiana In- fantry, under Col. Allen Thomas, which distinguished itself in the battle of Chickasaw, and the memorable siege of Vicksburg, which began on the 21st of ■Ma}' and was raised on the 4th of July, was organized. During the siege Capt. Bryan, being the ranking officer of his regiment, commanded it. Col. Thomas having been promoted to brigadier general. Capt Bryan sheathed his sword when the cause was lost, returned liome and cast about him for " ways and means "" to repair the ravages of the war. He re- sumed teaching, which he continued for about four years, the last three in tlie town ■of Lake Charles, studying and improving his mind in the meantime. In 1869116 opened a mercantile business in the' town, which he followed up to 1884. In 1871 he became editor and proprietor of the Lake Charles Echo, which he con- ducted with great ability until the 14th of March, 1890, when he sold the paper and retired from its editorship. Under his management the Echo became one of the ablest and most popular countrv weeklies in Louisiana and contrib- uted greatly to the building up and development of Lake Charles and Calcasieu parish. For some time Capt. Bryan has been engaged in the real estate busi- 140 .S0[J'rH\VES7' LOCISIAXA : ness. lie has always taken an active interest in the local affairs of the town and parish, and he is especially noted for the interest he has manifested in school work. To him, perhaps, more than any one man is due the credit of the elli- cient school s3-stem of Lake Charles. At different times Capt. Bryan has served as ma3-or and councilman of the town, and several times has represented his par- ish in the board of police jurors, as well as Gener^il Assembly of the State. Capt. Bryan was married to Miss Delia K. Singleton, September 9, 1869. They have three promising sons and five bright and lovely daughters. The eldest of the latter is the wife of J. C. F. Kyger. President of the Commercial College, of the Baylor University, Waco, Texas. * * * ^ THOMPSON BIRD, Lake Charles.— Thompson Bird is a member of the firm of J. A. Landry & Co., who own and operate an extensive ice factory in Lake Charles. This factory was originated in 1S90, and is equipped with the latest improved ice machinery. It has a capacit}' of manufacturing ten tons of ice per day. They supply the demand of the whole of Southwest Louisiana, including Opelousas, Lafayette, New Iberia and Morgan Cit}^ The firm is composed of J. A. and T. Bird and D. J. Landr3',3'oung men and full of energ}-. It is due to them that Lake Charles will soon be lighted by electricity. Thompson Bird was born in St. Louis, September 23, 1854. ^'^^ '^ the son of Abel T. and Julia (Vonphule) Bird. His father is a native of Bird's Point, Missouri, this place having belonged to the Bird family for many generations. The parents of our subiect removed to New Orleans, and from New Orleans to WestBaton Rouge, in 1872, where the father was engaged in sugar planting. Prior to coming to Louisiana he had been a member of the firm of Vonphule Sons & Co., wholesale grocers, in St. Louis. He still resides on his plantation in West Baton Rouge parish. The subject of this sketch was the third of a family of eight children. He received his education in St. Louis and at Spring Hill College, Mobile, Alabama. After leaving school Mr. Bird entered a machine shop foundiy in New- Orleans, with the intention of becoming a machinist. Here he served an apprenticeship for three years, after which he was engaged on his father's sugar plantation in erecting machinery and managing the mechanical part of the work. In the year 1880 he came to Lake Charles, and has here been engaged in business since that time. Mr. Bird married, in 1878, Miss Regina Landry. They are the parents of two sons, Fred and Frank. Both Mr. Bird and wife are members of the Catholic church. ^ * * DENNIS E. BAGGETT, Dry Creek, Calcasieu Parish.— Dennis E. Baggett was born in Harrison count}', Mississippi, in 1847. He spent his boy- hood days and received his education in Mississippi. At the age of seventeen HISTORICAL AXD BIOGRAPHICAL. 141 j^ears he moved to Louisiana and located in Calcasieu p;irish, where he has since been engaged in farming. His father was a native of Florida and his mother of Mississippi. The father moved to Mississippi earh- in life, where he was engaged in lumbering. He died August, i86i,and his widow survived liim only a \-ear. Dennis E. Baggett was married, in 1S67, to Miss Ellen Nicolas, a native of Calcasieu parish. They are the parents of nine children, seven of whom are living. , E. H. BURLESON, Lake Charles. — E. H. Burleson, a large saw-mill owner on Priens Lake, is a native of Mississippi, born 1845. He is the son of Eljas and Sarali (Goff) Burleson. His father was a native of Mississippi, born 1813, and his mother of Mississippi, born 1818. Thej-were married in Jackson county, Mississippi, and became the parents of ten children, five sons and five daughters, only two of whom are now living. Elias Burleson w-as a planter in Mississippi. He died in 1S65, his wife surviving him until 1S74. Both were members of the Methodist Episcopal church. The subject of this sketch received his education in Jackson county, Mis- sissippi. At the age of sixteen years, in 1861, he enlisted in Compan}- L, Twent3'-seventh Mississippi Infantrj', and was in the battles of Chickamauga, ]Missionar3' Ridge and Lookout Mountain. At the last named place he was taken prisoner and kept in confinement until the close of the war. He removed from Mississippi to Texas in 1S68 and came to Louisiana in 1S79, and embarkted in the saw-mill business with his brother in 1881. \n 1889 his brother sold out his interest to C. Granger. He died in 1890, having been connected with the business for one year prior to 1S90. He was succeeded bj' Joseph V. Duhon. The present firm are energetic business men, and their business is large. Their mill has a capacity for cutting from twenty to twenty- five thousand feet of lumber per day. Mr. Burleson has never married. » * 1/ J. M. COLEY, M. D., Welsh P. O., Calcasieu Parish.— J. M. Coley is a native of Louisiana, born in 1831. His father, John Coley, a native of France, was a farmer and carpenter. He married Cynthia Perr}^, of Newton count}', Georgia. They are the parents of seven children, six pf whom are living: C. C, W. S., Martha J. (wife of John Hendreck), Mary E. (wife of B. Hubard), Cynthia A. (wife of John Simpson), and J. M. (subject of this sketch). Mrs. Coley died in O.xford, Georgia, in 1840. John Coley married again, and to this union have been born four children: Thomas, George and Frances (twins), and Samuel. Mr. Coley lost his life in a storm in 18^3. His widow survived him until 1S81. Our subject received his education in the common and higli schools of U-> S O i '77/ J< ^ES T LO UISI. 1 NA : Oxford, Georgia. He began tlie study ot medicine in 1854, attending lec- tures at the Piiiladelphia Medical College and graduated in the class of 1S57. Immediately thereafter he began to practise in Randolph county, Ala. Soon after he emigrated to Texas, where he remained until 1859, when he came to Louisi- ana and located in the parish of Calcasieu, where he has since remained. He was married in 1851 to Miss Amy Dennis, a native of Georgia. To them has been born one son — John \V. In i860 he again married, selecting as his \\ife Mrs. Eran Hay. Nine children have been born to them, six of whom are now living: Isabella, Alcide, Onezer, Tebitha, Triphena and Cynthia. In 1862 our subject enlisted in the Confederate service, joining Company E, Daly's battalion of cavalry. He served until the close of the war. He was only in one serious engagement, the battle of Vermilion, but was in a number of skirmishes. x\fter the war he returned to Calcasieu parish and engaged in farming and the practice of medicine. He has a farm of two hundred acres of tine land, a small portion of which he cultivates. He devotes considerable attention to fruit raising. Dr. Coley is a member of the I. O. O. F., Chapel Hill Lodge, No. 117. He has always been prominent in the order, and has served his lodge as vice grand secretary and warden. He has a large professional business, a host of friends, and is one of the prominent men of his community. JOSEPH COOPER, LoRETTA, Calcasieu Parish. — Joseph Cooper is a native of Alabama, born in 1845. His father was a native of South Carolina, born in 1819, and here he was reared, educated and married. His vocation was that of a farmer. He and wife became the parents of ten children, eight of whom are now living. Our subject's grandparents were also natives of South Carolina, where they lived and died. ' Joseph Cooper removed from Alabama to Texas in 185 1, and to Louisiana in 1858. He has since that time given his full attention to farming, in which he has done well. He has never married. '* CHARLES CARBELLO, Lake Charles.— Charles Carbello is a native of Louisiana, born 1845. He is the son of Alphonse and Antoine Carbello, of whom mention is made in the sketch of Emilie Carbello. Charles Carbello was married in 1871 to Miss Marie Laumreaux. They are the parents of ten chil- dren. Mr. Carbello has been a farmer all his life. He has a farm of three hundred and twenty acres of land, upon which he raises corn, rice and cotton and some stock. His farm, located on English Baj-ou, is well improved. Mr. Carbello is giving his children the benefit of the best educational advantages. He and family are Catholics. HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL. 143 (/ EMILE CORHELLO, Lake Charles. — Eniile Corbello, an extensive and prominent planter, living in Ward 3, is a native of Louisiana, born in St. Lan- dry parish, June 12, 1837. ^e is the son of Alphonse and Antoine ( Lama- reaux ) Corbello. His father was a native of San Antonio, Texas, and his mother of Louisiana. Both were of French extraction. To them ten children were born, seven sons and three daughters, seven of whom are now livingi the sub- ject of this sketch being the oldest child. Alphonse Corbello was a planter and stock dealer. He died in Calcasieu parish in 1863, at the age of fift3--three years. Our subject's mother died in 1882. Both were members of the Catholic church. Emile Corbello has devoted his whole life to planting. In 1S63 he enlisted in the cavalry seivice, but was soon discharged on account of ill health. He returned home and formed a partnership with Davis Reed in the timber and rice growing industries. They were engaged in the business for fifteen years. Mr. Corbello owns two thousand acres of land, the principal products being rice and corn. His plantation is located five miles northeast of Lake Charles on Englisli Bayou, He also owns a ferry boat which he controls at this place. His plantation is well improved. His residence is one of the hand- somest in Calcasieu parish, and his barn and out buildings bespeak the thrift and energy of which he is characteristic. He takes an especial pride in the raising of a fine breed of horses and cattle. His orchard is a good one, and consists of a variety of oranges, peaches, figs, etc. Mr. Corbello was married in Lisle county, Texas, 1865, to Miss Anne McQueen, a native of Nashville, Tennessee, the daughter of Melvin and Susan Simmons McQueen, natives of Tennessee. They emigrated to Texas in 1841, where both Mr. and Mrs. McQueen died. Mr. and Mrs. Corbello are the parents of twelve children, six sons and six daughters, viz: Mary, John, Ophelia, Amanda, Susan, Sarah, William, George, Rosalie, Edward. James died April 18, 1889, at the age of sixteen years and six months. He was an unusually bright bo}', and his death was a great shock to his parents. * '^ JOHN F. CLONEY, Lake Charles.— John F. Cloney was born in St. John, Newfoundland, October 14, 1836. He is the son of James and Mary (INIurphy) Cloney, natives of Kilkenny and Wickford counties, Ireland, respec- tively. They were married in Newfoundland and resided there until 1S49, when the}' removed to Prince Edward Island, where they resided until 1870, at which time they removed to Yeolu county, California. Here the father died in 1S74, ^* th^ ^g^ oi eighty- four, and the mother in 1878, at the age of eighty 3-ears. James Cloney was a carpenter, and worked at his trade until he moved to Cali- fornia, when he gave his attention to farming. He was very successful, and before his death he had accumulated quite a fortune. 141 soi^rnu'EST l ouisiana .■ Our subject is tlie oldest of a family of five children now livint^. He received liis education in the schools of Newfoundland and Prince Edward Island. At the age of fifteen he began work under his father, learning the car- penter trade. He subsequently became engaged in a ship3-ard on Prince Edward Island, and here became familiar with ship building. He was after- ward engaged in the Boston shipyards, and later in New York City. During the war he was at Alexandria, working in tlie government j-ards. He was after- ward engaged for a short while in Philadelphia and New York. In 1865 he came to New Orleans, and was here engaged working for a short period at his trade. Later on he engaged in the government shipyards at Galveston, Texas. In 1886 he returned to New York City, and afterward to Cincinnati, where he remained for a short while, and again went to Galveston, soon after coming to this place, where he engaged in ship building. He makes on an average thirty- six ships yearly, besides doing an immense amount of repairing, etc. Mr. Cloney has seen considerable of the word for one of his age. When a boy fourteen years of age he shipped on a fishing excursion to Labrador, going as far north as fishermen travel. '' Mr. Cloney was married, in 1S71, to Miss Mary Keough, daughter of Joseph Keough, a ship carpenter, who learned his trade with the celebrated Webb & Bell. He was a soldier in the Florida war aird in the struggle between Mexico and the United States. Mr. and Mrs. Cloney are the parents of six living children, viz: James, Thomas, Margaret, John, Julia and Agnes. Mr. and Mrs. Cloney are members of the Catholic church. Mr. Cloney owns a thousand acres of land bordering on Lake Charles, with four miles river front. He is extensively engaged in stock raising, and also has a fine orange grove of f^^•e hundred trees. * * * G. W. CORKRAN, Sugartowx. — G, W. Corkran was born in Calcasieu parish in 1844. He is the son of Lewis and Elizabeth Corkran, both natives of Louisiana. His father was a prominent planter and stock raiser. They are both deceased. The subject of this sketch has devoted his whole attention since beginning business life to planting and stock raising, in which he has prospered. He gives special attention to sheep raising. Mr. Corkran was married, in 1873, to Miss Mary A. Sleighton. They have no children, but are rearing an adopted daughter. * * » A. L. COLE, West Lake. — Abson L. Cole isanative of Calcasieu parish, born in, 1862. His parents were both Louisianians. His father was a successful planter. He died in 1865. Our subject's mother is still living. Mr. Cole Carolina Dr. Gray acquired a brilliant reputation as a physician and surgeon. I After locating in Lake Charles he practised his profession here until within a few months of his death, when age and failing health compelled Iiim to suspend the active labors of his long and useful life. Few names in Louisiana are more w idely known or will be more gratefull}- remembered than Dr. Gra}''s. With a mind vigorous and highly cultivated, he joined superior skill and great expe- rience in the medical .profession, and to these he added a most kindl}" and generous disposition, and a heart throbbing with benevolent and charitable impulses. When suffering humanity came his way he never passed b}' on the other side: and the fact that a sufferer was poor and friendless was a guarantee that he might rel_v on Dr. Gray for his sympathy and relief. He has been known, in Lake Charles, to take a sick railroad laborer from the roadside to his own house and give him a room, to the serious inconvenience of his own famity, and to minister to his wants for weeks until health was full}' restored, of course without a hope of other compensation than the gratitude of the sufferer. Before the war his eminent skill and reputation in his profession gave him a practice so highl\- lucrative that, notwithstanding his large charity practice and his indispo- sition to ask any one for payment of his services, he was enabled to surround himself and his large family with the appliances of ease and comfort. Like 152 SOL'J'inVEST LOriSIANA: thousands of others he lost all his means b)' the war, and the exhausting- labors of many years left him ill prepared to renew life's battles. His kindly dispo- sition was not, however, soured by his reverses, and he quietly took, up and bravely carried the heavy burdens of an active physician's life until exhausted nature could carr\- them no further. * * ^ JOHN G. GRAY, Lake Chari.es.— John G. Gray is a native of Winston countv, Mississippi, born February 8, 1849. He is the son of Dr. Keuben F. Gray, whose sketch appears above. He was reared in Bienville parish, Louis- iana, and received his primary education in that parish. He subsequenth'^ attended Soule's Commercial College at New Orleans, from which institution he graduated. When but a boy he took charge of his father's plantation, which he continued to operate until the death of his father. After leaving the planta- tion he embarked in the mercantile business, lumber, and saw-milling in all its branches, including steamboating on the Calcasieu River. He is a practical surveyor, and has for many years been connected with the land bureau. Since he has been living in Lake Charles he has tilled the unexpired term of clerk of the district court in Calcasieu parish ; besides which he has occupied several positions of trust with credit. Mr. Gra}' is a successful business man, and has accumulated considerable property. He owns a plantation in Calcasieu parish of over seven thousand acres of land; besides land which he owns in other parishes. He is a Royal Arch Mason, member of Chapter 32, also a member of the Lake Charles Lodge, No. 165. He was married, June 7, 1880, to Miss Mary Kirkman, of Lake Charles. They are the parents of four children, viz: William Kirkman, Mabel AL. Henry, John G., Jr. » » JOSEPH C. GIBBS, Lake Charles.— Joseph C. Gibbs, the lately de- ceased attorney of the Fourteenth Judicial District, was born in Opelousas, Lou- isiana, and died in Lake Charles, December 3, 1890, at the age of thirt3--four years. Mr. Gibbs was admitted to the bar in July, 1884, and practised in Ope- lousas for a short while, when he located in Lake Charles and formed a partner- ship with Judge Kearney. After Judge Kearney's death Mr. Gibbs was ap- pointed district attorney to fill the unexpired term. He was afterward elected to fill the same position, and was one of the most popular attorneys who has ever occupied that responsible position. His death at such an untimely age was a great shock to his numerous friends, and was sincerely regretted by all who knew him. » * *^ A. M. GAUTHIER, Jennings.- A. RL Gauthier, planter, was born and reared in St. Martin parish, Louisiana. He is the son of Charles and ALu-celite ''Cormier) Gauthier. diaries Gauthier is a native of New York, but removed HISTORICAL AXD BIOGRAPHICAL. 155 with his parents to New Orleans when ten j-ears of age. He became a prosper- ous planter in St. Martin parish, where he died, at the age of eighty-four years, in 187S. The mother of our subject was a native of Louisiana. She died in 1844- _ _ . . ■. The subject of this sketch, at the age of sixteen years, in i86r, enlisted in the Confederate States service, New Orleans Defenders, and was in active ser- vice. He participated in the battles of Shiloh, Baton Rouge, siege of Port Hudson and Mansfield. At Port Hudson he was taken prisoner and was con- fined for nine months, after which he returned home. It was not long before he again entered service, where he remained until the close of the war. He then returned to St. Martin parish, and in December, 1865, he married Miss Mary T. Andrus, daughter of Hiram and Lazeme (Guidry) x\ndrus, natives of Louis- iana. Mr. Gauthier removed, in 1869, to Calcasieu parish, where he purchased land, and he has given his chief attention since to planting. He has a good farm at this place of eight hundred acres, one hundred and fifty of whicli he cultivates, principally in rice. He and his wife are the parents of ten cliildren, sc\en of whom 'are now living: Orelien, Aurelia, AngelinCvCornelius, Valerie, Overton and Edward B. Mr. and Mrs. Gauthier are members of the Catholic church. ^ ^ JOSEPH GOODMAN, Lake Charles.— Joseph Goodman is a native of Germany, born February 15, 1829. He is the son of A. and Francisca (Consel- mon) Goodwin, both of whom are natives of Germany. The father was a car- penter, and worked at his trade in Germany, where he and our subject's motl-.er both died. The subject of this sketch came to America in 1S53, and settled in Halifax. From there he removed to St. Joe, British America, and from the last place to Boston, Massachusetts, and later still to New York. He was afterward located lor a short while at St. Louis, Missouri, and Lawrence, Kansas. He came to New Orleans in 1856, where he remained until 1S58, w'hen he located in Lake Charles, and here he has resided since that time. Mr. Goodman was married, in 186S, to Catherine Hubert, a native of Germany. They are the parents of three chil- dren: Daniel, Julius and Rudolph. Mr. Goodman served during the latter part of the Civil War in the artillery service. Since his return from the War he has given his attention exclusively to planting. He owns a good plantation, where he resides, and on which he raises rice and corn principallv- He also has an orange grove of one hundred and fifty trees, besides other fruit trees. ]\Ir. Good- man and wife are members of the Catholic church. * * REV. IL GELLERT, Jennings.— Rev. H. Gellert is a native of Ger- many, born April 27, 1S51. His father. Edward Gellert, was also a native of lOii 156 SOUTIIW EST L OVISIAXA : Germany, wliere lie died in 1855. Our subjecl's motlier came to Louisiana and resided near Jennings until her death. Rev. II Geliert came to New Orleans in 1871. He was educated in Germany, where he pursued a theological course. He also received a medi- cal education in German\-. After a few j'cars of ministerial work he began in addition to this Ihe praciice of medicine. He resided in New Orleans until 1874. ^O'^' two jears preeeding 1S74 he was engaged in ministeriiil labors in Pittsburg, Penns\lvania. For eight j'ears following he devoted himself to the same kind of work at Newport, Kentuckj-. During tliis time he was mar- ried to Miss Anna Indretrant, of Newport. From Newport he was called to Dayton, Ohio, under appointment as chaplain of the National Soldiers' Home at tliis place. He was appointed in 18S5 by the Educational Board of Managers at Washington. He served in this capacity for three years, and received a letter of the highest commendation from those in charge of the Soldiers' Home, and from his congregation. His partialitj- to Louisiana as place of residence caused him to return to this State, and he is now engaged in his clerical duties in Jen- nings, Crowley, and^many German congregation in the adjoining parishes. Mr. Gellen's ministerial labors are all gratis. He receives his income from the prac- tice of medicine and the rents from his plantations, eleven in number, aggregat- ing se^en thousand acres, upon which he has tenants, who, this year, raised over three thousand sacks of rice, and he expects to double the increase in the future. T. E. GEORGE, Lake Charles.— T. E. George, of the firm of George & Swift, was born in.Springfield, Limestone county, Texas, October 18, 1859. He is tlie son of Edgar B. George and Susan Aurelia Sorrelle, natives of Missis- sippi and Penns3-lvania, respective!}'. Edgar B. George was admitted to the bar at iNIobile, Alabama, and later in life moved to Marshall, Texas, at which place lie pursued his vocation with marked success. He subsequently located in Springfield, and through an unfortunate accident met his death in 1859. The subject of this sketch after reaching the age of ten had no advantages of school, and his success later in life is to be attributed solely to his own exer- tions. When fourteen he began work in the saw-mills of Orange, Texas, where he remained from 1872 to 1883. In 1885 he moved to Lake Charles and formed a partnership with D. R. Swift, at which place they engaged in the liver}' busi- ness on a small scale, opening in connection therewith a blacksmith shop, and their present large business is the outgrowth of this humble beginning. Mr. George is a llioroughl)' progressive citizen, and is never found wanting in an}- thing that tends to the material advantage of his section. He has served two terms as member of the city council. In 18S3 he married Miss Mollie E. Price, of Calvert, Texas. The mother of our subject still resides in Orange, Texas. HISTORICAL AXn BIOGRAPHICAL. 157 ^ W. H. HASKELL, Lake Charles-. — William Haskell, who was born in England, 1617, and removed with his two brothers to Beverly, Massachusetts, 1632, and from thence to Gloucester, Massachusetts, 1643, where he died in 1693, is the ancestor from which the whole famih- is descended. Our subject's mother is still livingin Boston, Massachusetts, being ninet3--four years of age. The subject of this sketch is the oldest of seven children. He spent his school days in Newburyport, and the last year in Winthrop, Maine, receiving a thorough academic education. When seventeen years of age he left school and went to sea. He gradually rose from sailor to commander of vessels, and visited ports in Europe, South America and tlie W\'stLidies. In 1848 he settled in New Orleans (having abandoned seafaring life) and went into business. In 1851 he went to Lake Charles, and, finaH\-, in 1852, settled there, where he has resided ever since. In 1855 he was elected recorder and notary and held that office several years. At tire breaking out of the war he was engaged as a saw-mill hand. He was in tl^e Confederate service for a short time, and was honorably discharged, when General Butler captured New Orleans, b}- the breaking up of the battalion to which he was attached as quartermaster, and returned home, \\here he soon after received the appointment of deput}' collector of customs for the district of the Teche, which office he held, together with deputy Confeder- ate marshal for said district, until the close of the war. After the war he resumed operation as a saw-mill hand for a short time, when he received the appointment cf parish recorder and notary ex-officio, in which capacity he served several \'ears. In 1869 he was sent to the Legislature from the parish, and served one term. In 1872 he was appointed sheriff of the parish, which office he held for two years. In 1874 '^^ ^^"^^ again appointed deputy- collector of customs for the district of the Teche, which office he held two j^ears. In 1876, accompanied by all his famil\- except Frank E. and Hallie L., Mr. Haskell returned to his native home on a visit, it having been twenty-six j-ears since his last visit. He subsequently, in 1879, engaged as hotel proprietor, in which business he continued about three years. After that, for a period of several years, he was not engaged in any business. He again, in company' with Ids wife, in 1885, visited his native home, and in 1886 visited California and New Mexico. In 1888 he engaged in the real estate business, and in 1890 added the business of insurance agency, in which business he is still engaged. , * « '^ A. P. HEBERT, Lake Arthur. —A. P. Htbert was born in Calcasieu parish. Louisiana, April, 1838. He is the son of Placide and Evelyn (Richard) Hebert, both natives of Louisiana. Placide Hebert was a planter all his life. He died, in 1884, on his farm near Lake Arthur. His widow still sur^•ives liim and is seventy-seven years of age. 158 SOUTHIVEST L OUJSIANA : A. P. Hebert is one of a family of three children. His sisters, Louisa, wife of Telesphore Landry, and Hortense, wife of D. Derouen, both reside in Cal- casieu parish. Mr. Hebert has been chiefly engaged in farming and stock raising, though for the last two years he has been in charge of a store at Lake Arthur for the firm of Derouen & Andrus. He owns a farm near Lake Arthur, which he operates chiefly as a stock farm. Mr. Hebert served during the latter part of the late war, his field of duty being Texas. He was married, in 1867, to Charlotte Lacour, of Vermilion parish. They are the parents of three chil- dren, two sons and one daughter — Arthur, Cora, Jules. * * V PIERRE A. HEBERT, Welsh P. O.— Pierre A. Hebert was born in Assumption parish, Louisiana, June 28, 1828. He is a son of Eli and Azeli (Pytre) Hebert, both natives of Louisiana. They had born to them six children, three sons and three daughters, three of whom are living. Eli Hebert was a successful planter. ' He died in 1844 and his wife in 1S78. Pierre A. Hebert is one of the pioneer planters of Calcasieu parish. Tq ai;ricultural matters he has given his attention all his Hfe. His plantation con- sists of three hundred and twentjr acres of land, well improved and with a good orchard. Mr. Hebert was married, in 1855, to Miss Melina Robichot, a native of Louisiana, born 1828. Two children have been born to this union: Domi- thilde, wife of Alfred Bourgouis, and Octavie, wife of O. A. Roussond. * "^ DOSSILEE H. HEBERT, Iowa Station.— D. H. Hebert, a successful planter of Ward 3, is a native of Louisiana, born June 4, 1844. He is the son of Laslie and Lucy (Augustine) Hebert, natives of Louisiana. His father was a planter, and was reared, married and spent his whole life in Cal- casieu parish. There were born to this union ten children, four sons and six- daughters, seven of whom are now living, the subject of this sketch- being the oldest son. Lastie Hebert was a soldier in the late war, serving from 1S61 until the time of his death in 1864. His widow still survives him, and now resides with her daughter, Mrs. Alice Lazie. The subject of this sketch was reared and educated in his native parish. He was married in 1865 to Miss Mary Haze, who died in 1S83, having become the mother of eight children, viz': Leoneze, Adam, Daniel, Michael, Margaret, James. Mr. Hebert, in 1861, enlisted in Company B, Twenty-eighth Louisiana Regiment, serving until the close of the war. When the war was over he returned home and engaged in planting. He is considered one of the most successful planters of his neighborhood, ;\nd owns one hundred and sixty acres of land, one hun- dred and thirty of which are under cultivation . The principal products of his plantation are rice and sweet potatoes. His farm is located fifteen miles northeast HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPIITCAL. 15<1 of Lake Charles and fiv^e miles north of Iowa Station. It is well improved and bears evidence of good management. Mr. Hebert is a public-spirited man, and is foi^most in all efforts that tend to the promotion of his section. In 1883 he married a second time, Miss Eliza Mither ; to this union have been born four children, Amelia, Mar}' D., David, Paul. Mr. Hebert is giving to each of his children a good, practical, business education. D. HKBERT, L.\ke Arthur. — D. Hebert was born October, 1S36, near where he resides. He is the son of Alexander and Clarisse (Broussard) Hebert, natives of what was then Lafaj'^ette parish, Louisiana. The Hebert famih- is purely of French extraction. Alexander Hebert was one of the first settlers of Calcasieu parish, having located there when a young man. He was a large land holder and an extensive stock raiser; he died August, 1865, his widow surviving him until December, 1890, being eiglit}'-six years of age at the time of her death. Tiie\- reared a family of ten children, eight sons and two daughters, only three of wiiom are' now living, tlie subject of this sketch and two daughters, viz: Aspasie, wife of Napoleon Broussard, and Carmelite, wife of Gustave Laurent. D. Hebert owns over six tliousand acres of land in this section and gives his attention chiefly to stock dealing. During the late war Mr. Hebert was on duty in Texas, from 1862 until its close. Mr. Hebert is a liberal contributor to all laudable enterprises. He is a progressive and a good business man. He has twice married, his first wife was Miss Euphemie Hebert, whom he married in 1S62. Mrs. Hebert died in 1890, and Mr. Hebert afterward married Miss Osite Ledoux, of this parish. ^ U WILLIAM L. HUTCHINS, Lake Charles.— William L. Hutchins, treasurer of Calcasieu parish, and a prominent merchant of Lake Cliarles, was born in St. Martin parish, Louisiana, September 19, 1844. He is the son of William and Eulalie D. (Autreuil) Hutchins, the former a native of St. Landry, and the latter of St. Martin parish, Louisiana. They removed to Lake Charles in 185S, where Wm. Hutchins died in 1865, his widow surviving him until 1890. William Hutchins was a journalist, and was editor of the first paper published in Calcasieu parish — The Calcasieu Gazette. During the war he was parish recorder. The subject of this sketch received his education in the schools of St. Martin parish, and learned the printer's trade with his father, with whom he he was afterward engaged in publishing the Gazette at this place. At the breaking out of the war he enlisted in Company K, Tenth Louisiana Infantry, in which he served until discharged in 1862. In June of the same year he joined Company A, Second Louisiana Cavalry, in which he served three years, ICO sory-jJU'EST Lor/syAAA .■ when he was transferred to the marine department, on llie vessel "Wave," wliich the Confederate government had captured. He was afterward trans- ferred to the steamer "Cora," which was captured by the Federal gun-boat "Quaker City," between Rio Grande and Point Isabelle. He was made prisoner and taken to New Orleans. He was subsequently engaged in the battle at Franklin, Louisiana, where he was made prisoner and sent to New Orleans and remanded to prison. After remaining there for six months lie made iiis escape by boring a hole through the brick wall of the piison and made his way to Bayou Sara, on the steamer "Empii-e Parish" as a deck hand. From there he went to Tunica Landing, where he crossed the river and made his way through the Atchafalaya Swamps to Morgan's Ferry. From there he went to WashingtOH, Louisiana, thence home, 'on board the gunboat previously men- tioned. At the close of the war, Mr. Hutchins was engaged as salesman in a mercantile house at Lake Charles for a period of ten years. He afterward became the partner of James Munn in large saw-milling interests at this place. This partnership was subsequently dissolved, and, in partnership with Mr. John W. O'Neil, continued business for eleven years in the neighborhood of Lake Cliarles. Several years since he sold his milling interests and opened a mer- cantile business in Lake Charles. In 1873 he was appointed treasurer of the parish of Calcasieu, and in this capacity he has served since that time. Prob- ably no other man in the State has held this office for a similar length of time. Mr. Hutchins was married, in 1865, to Miss Eugenia Reid, daughter of D. J. Reid. She died in 1880, having become the mother of nine children, seven of whom are living, three sons and four daughters. In 1883 Mr. Hutchins married again. Miss Lizzie M. Hennington, of Mississippi. They are the parents of three children, one son and two daughters. Mr. Hutchinson is Vice Chancel- lor of the K. of P. organization of this place. » CAPT. THOMAS HANSEN, Lake Charles.— Capt. Thomas Hansen, the proprietor of a large shingle manufactory of Lake Charles, was born in Hol- stein, Prussia (then Denmark), November 12, 1831. He was educated in Hol- stein, where he learned ship building. When twenty years of age he came to New Orleans, where he worked at his trade until the opening of the war. During this period he was engaged in the Confederate States service in building gun-boats. He was m New Orleans when it was taken possession of by Federal troops, on which event he went to Me.xico, and was located at Matamoros when the war closed. He was afterward the owner and master of a schooner, which plied between the Mississippi and Mexico. While master of this schooner, Capt. Hansen penetrated all the bayous, bays and rivers of Southwest Louisiana. In 1867 he located at Lake Charles, where he continued in ship building. In 1SS2, in partnershi]) with Jacol:) Ryan, he erected a shingle manufactory at Lake HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL. IHI Charles, wliicli he lias operated since that time. This mill has a capacit}- for the manuf;icture of seventy thousand shingles per day. The timher from wliich they are manufactured is obtained from cypress swamps, and rafted down the Calcasieu River to Lake Charles. The business has grown until the firm lia/e a large demand from different sections of the country for their shingles. Capt. Hansen was married, in 1861, to Miss Elizabeth Peetz, a native of Denmark, but at the time a resident of New Orleans. The}^ became the parents of five chil- dren, three sons and two daughters. Capt. Hansen has been several times a member of the town council, and takes an active part in municipal and parish affairs. He is a Mason and a K. of H. A. P. HEWETT, Welsh.— A. P. Hewett, planter, was born in Ohio, No- vember, 1S39. H*^ '^ ^'^^ ^0" o^ Charles and Philoxana (Parker) Hewett, natives of New York. They reared a family of seven children, five sons and two daughters: Ira C, deceased; Charles C, Coryden, A. P., subject of this sketch; William H. H., deceased; Sally J., deceased, and Clarissa, deceased. Charles Hewett, with his family, removed from New York to Ohio at an early day, where he engaged in farming. Thence he removed to Wisconsin, in 1S43, where he died in i860. The mother of our subject died in 1862. The subject of this sketch received his schooling in Ohio and Wisconsin. He enlisted in the United States army in 1861, Third Wisconsin Infantry, under Col. Hamilton, and was assigned to service in Virginia and Maryland. He only served for one year, being discharged owing to disability. Mr. Hewetf, when young, learned the trade of carpenter and wheelwright, which occupation he fol- lowed in Minnesota and Wisconsin. After the war he located in Hovyard county, Ohio, where he continued to work at his trade for a number of years. He came to Calcasieu parish, Louisiana, in 1887, and engaged in farming. His farm consists of four hundred acres of land, seventy-five of which are under cultiva- tion and well improved. He raises a variety of products, principally rice and corn. Mr. Hewett is a member both of the Masonic and Odd Fellows fraterni- ties. He was married in Madison, Wisconsin, to Miss Kate Knowlton, of New York. To them have been born seven children, three sons and four daughters: •Frank, Ada (deceased), Edith, wife of John White, of Minnesota; Nettie A., Charles, Lulu (deceased) and Harry (deceased). « * * ^ CAPT. GREEN HALL, Lake Charles. — Capt. Green Hall died November 18, 1890, at the age of fifty-five j^ears. He was born on the Teche, in Terrebonne parish. Louisiana. His father, John Hall, was a native of Ireland, reared and mairied there. He came to Louisiana when comparatively a young man and followed the trade of. blacksmith. u>-2 sorvv/ii Bsy /. oc/sy.i.y.i .■ Capt. Green Hall was hut a boy when his parents died. He was reared in Hamilton, Louisiana, wliere he received a common school education. When quite young he began steamboating, and was for some time captain of the steamboat Elephant, on the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers. Before the war he went to Texas and was engaged in steamboating on the Trinity River. He was here at the breaking out of the war, and in the beginning of the struggle he joined the Confederate marine department and was made captain of a gunboat on the Calcasieu River. During his service in this capacit}' he was in everv river west of the Mississippi that empties into the Gulf of Mexico. Some of his expeditions were very daring, but nearly al\va3-s successful. He was at the battle of Sabine Pass in 1863, and was in command of the ves- sel when J. H. Bell was captured. One of his most successful feats was running the blockade on the Calcasieu, alone, with a cotton cargo, when fifteen Federal gun-boats guarded the river. Jle was subsequenth- taken prisoner and detained at New Orleans for six months. After the war he was at Mata- moros for a short while and returned to Lake Charles, where he married Miss Ernestine Nettleroad, and here permanently located. He was for man}' years engaged in the timber business, and, in 1875, he opened a hotel in Lake Charles. His first wife died in 1876, and, in 1878, he married Miss Sophia Winterhaulder, of New Orleans. By the first marriage he became the father of three children, viz: Lily, Emma and Charles H. The last marriage resulted in the birth of three children, two of whom are living, viz: Ludie Wickie and Mary. Mrs. Hall is. a native of Copenhagen, Denmark, and removed with her parents to this country when quite young. Capt. Hall was a most liberal hearted gentleman, and a revered citizen. Though leaving a competency to his family, he was not considered wealthv. C. P. HAMPTON, Edgerlv.— C. P. Hampton is a native of Texas, born in 1844, ^" ^^^^ '-''•y '-'^ Marshall, of which his grandfather was the founder. C. P. Hampton came to Louisiana in 1856 and has been a resident of Cal- casieu parish for sixteen years, having resided in Rapides parish previous to lo- cating in Calcasieu. In 1861 Mr. Hampton enlisted in the Confederate service and was in the Army of Tennessee, serving during the whole war. Mr. Hampton has taken an active part in political affairs. He was elected State Senator in 18S4 and reelected in 188S. During his term of service he has been active in all measures to promote the interests of this section. Mr. Hampton deals largely in lumber and has a mill at Vinton. He is also a successful farmer and has a plantation of two thousand acres, eight hundred of which are under cultivation. Mr. Hampton was married in 1876 to Miss Louvinia Perkins. They are the parents of six children, all of whom are living. i HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL. 103 W. M. HOLIDAY, Lorettk. — W. M. Holidaj- is a nativeof Jones county, Georgia, born in 1841. He removed from Georgia to Texas, and from that place in 1857 to Vernon parish, Louisiana, and thence to Calcasieu parish in 18S5. His parents were both nativesof Georgia, where his lather wasengnged in planting. During the late civil war his father was in the Confederate service from 1862 until his death in 1863. He served under Capt. Bryan, now a resi- dent of Lake Charles. Oui subject was also a soldier in that struggle. He enlisted in March, 1862, and served till the surrender. He was in manj^ of the active engagements. After the war he returned home, and has since been a planter and stock raiser. Mr. Holiday has twice married ; first, in December, 1866, to Miss Louisa Miller, who died in 18S3. He afterward married Miss Julia Fentrel. Mr. Holiday has held various offices, and takes an active part in political affairs. He has at different times served as police juror and constable. Mr. Holiday and wife are both members of the Baptist church. They are the parents of eleven children, all of whom are living. * « * "^ J. F. HANCHEY, Dry Creek.— J. F. Hanchey is a native of Alabama, born in Pike county, May 30, 1845. He is the son of William and Frances (Letlow) Hanchey. His father was a native of South Carolina, boi-n Novemljer 15, 1806, and his mother of Jones county, Georgia, born Januarv 9, 1812. They were married in Dallas county, Alabama, October i, 1829. There was born to this union eleven children, five sons and six daughters, eight of whom are now living, viz : John W., James W., M. E., Joseph AL, Lucinda, wife of Samuel Pates; Frances, wife of George Thielman ; Sarah, wife of James Heard. Those deceased are : Eliza, Nanc}-, William. William Hanchey was a successful planter of Alabama, and removed from there to Florida, and was engaged in the Flor- ida Indian war. In 1859 '^^ removed to Louisiana, where he purchased land and resided until the time of his death in 1883. His widow still survives him, being now in her seventy-ninth year. The subject of tliis sketch came to Louisiana with his parents, where he received a common school education in this parish. Mr. Hanchey gave his full attention to planting until 1889, when he erected a cotton, grist and saw mill, which he operates in connection with his plantation. He was married in Cal- casieu parish, in 1S65, to Miss Nancy Ford, a nativeof Louisiana, and daughter of J. B. Ford. They are the parents of eight children, viz: James E., Grace F., Joseph J., John L., Sarah N., Robert D., Lucinda N., Jefferson. J. E. M. HENNIGAN, Merryville.— J. E. M. Hennigan is a native of Louisiana, born in Calcasieu parish, 1853. His father and mother were natives 164 SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA: of Georgia, removing to Calcasieu parisli in 1856. His fallier is a successt'iil planter. J. E. I\r. Hennigan received a common school education, and adopted as his vocation farming, which he has exclusively followed. He was married in 1871 to Miss Louise J. Eaves. They are the parents of fovir children. Mrs. Hennigan died in 1880. , * » ^ DEMCY ILES, Suuartown. — Demcy lies is a native of Louisiana, born in Calcasieu parish, May 7, 1831. He is the son of Demcy and Sarah (Cherry) lies, both natives of South Carolina, born February 1, 1796 and May 10, 1805, respectively. Demcy lies, Sr., was a planter and stock dealer. He came to Louisiana when quite a)'Oungman, where he married our subject's mother, July 26, 1821. His father, Wm. lies, was in the Revolutionary War. and served tor seven years. Demcy lies, Sr., died in Calcasieu parish in 1871. Our subject's mother died in 1880. Both were members of the Baptist cliurch. The subject of this sketch is one of a family of fourteen children, eiglit of whom are now living, viz: John S., Howell W., J. T., Sarah, wife of D. C. Singleton; Ellen, wife of J. J. Davis; Susan, wife of James Perkins; Catherine, wife of T. T. Singleton. Those deceased, are William, George, Aaron, Joseph, Elizabeth, Clarinda. • Demc}' lies grew to manhood and received his education in Calcasieu parish. During the late civil war he was in the cavalry service, having enlisted in 1862, in the Second Louisiana Regiment. He was in the battles of Mansfield, Berwick's Bay and numerous other skirmishes. He was paroled at Alexandria. After the war he returned home, where he engaged in farming and stock raising, to which he has given his full attention since. He has a good farm of four hun- dred acres, a small portion of which is under cultivation. He has on his place a large number of cattle and sheep and is one of the most successful stock rais- ers in this section. Mr. lies was married, in 1850, to Miss Martha Perkins, a native of this parish, born in 1832. To this union have been born twelve chil- dren, seven sons and five daughters, viz: Catherine, wife of A. J. L. Andrus; William, Susan, wife of Wm. Harper; Franklin P., Jefferson, Samuel J., Lou- vicy, wife ol" Ed. Fairchild; Deller, Demcv C, Martha. Mr. lies is a member of the Masonic order. He and wife are members of the Baptist church. ^ HON. THOMAS KLEINPETER, Lake Charles.— Thomas Kleinpeter was born in East Baton Rouge in 1833. He is the son of George Kleinneter and Harriet E. Laws, of Louisville, Kentuck}-. George Kleinpeter was a physician and planter of East Baton Rouge parish. His father and mother were natives of Germany and came to Louisiana many j-ears since. Thomas Kleinpeter spent his school days at Drennon Springs, Kentucky, JU^JORICAL A XL) BIOGRAPHICAL. Ifi5 graduating in llie class of 1852. After leaving college he read law in the office of Zeno Labauve, who was afterward Associate Justice of tlie Supreme Court of Louisiana. Being especially proficient as a civil engineer, and partial to this calling, he has given most of his attention to this business. He was one of the chief assistant engineers of what is now the Morgan Railroad. He was afterward engaged in the construction of the Mobile Railroad, on which he was emplo3-ed after the conclusion of the war. Being commissioned as lieutenant of the engineering corps in Texas, he was present and participated in the battles of Galveston, and built the Sabine Pass fort, at which place, it will be remembered, thirty-seven men within the fortifications successfullv repelled the attack of fifteen thousand. Subsequently he was captain and later bre\et major of the corp of engineers who had charge of the fortification of the Texas coast, principally those of Galveston harbor. His command disbanded in May, 1865, when he returned to his home in New Orleans, and resumed •civil engineering. In 1872 Mr. Kleinpeter assumed charge of the Sulphur Mining Company's interest in Calcasieu parish, Louisiana, and since that time has been a resident of Lake Charles. To Mr. Kleinpeter and his facile pen is due ill a great degree the credit of making this magnificent country known to the outside world. In this capacity he has probably done more than anv other one man. Mr. Kleinpeter is the pioneer railroad civil engineer of this section of Louisiana. He served for a period of twelve years, while a resident of Iljerville parish, as Assistant State Engineer, and for the past twelve years has been surveyor of Calcasieu parish. He has also for a similar length of time served as justice of the peace. He was married October 30, 1856, to Miss Elizabeth Lucy Bundv, one of New Orleans' Creole families. The}' are the parents of three interesting children, Thos. G., Noelie and Napoleon B. * • * * ^ DR. W. A. KNAPP, Lake Charles.— Dr. W. A. Knapp was born in New Orleans, June 21, 1846. He is the son of Daniel and Frances (Piroth) Knapp, the former a native of Bavaria and the latter of France. They were married in France, and came to the United States in 1838 or 1839, located in New Orleans, where Mr. Knapp was engaged as a merchant. He died in 1S76, at the age of sixty-four j-ears; his wife died in 1874. Our subject is one of a family of two children, and received his education in the public and private schools of New Orleans. In 1850 he began the drug business at Port Hudson, Louisiana, with Dr. A. P.Brown, and was engaged in this business until 1861, when he left the quiet of home for the " tented field." Joining the Ogden Battalion, he was in service for four years, three yeafs of which was spent in hospital service in Clinton, Louisiana, Port Hudson and Bran- don, Mississippi, under Drs. A. P. ]5rown and Thomas J. Bulfington. After the 100 SOU'J inVEST LOUISIANA : close of tlic war lie a<;aiii entered the drug business at Clinton, Louisiana, where he remained until the winter of 1S82, a portion of which time he served as a clerk. From 1874 ^'^ 1880 he practised dentistr}-. In 1882 he came to Lake Charles and opened a drug business, in which he has since been engaged. In 1S71 Dr. Knapp was married to Miss Lizzie D'Armond, daugiiter of Hon. J. G. D'Armond, of Clinton, Louisiana. They are the parents of three children, viz : W. A., Jr. : Lilian D. and Ethel S. Dr. Knapp is a Royal Arch Mason, and is also a prominent member of the Knights of Pythias, having organized the Knights of Pythias Lodge at this place; he is at present district deputy of this organization; he is a past officer of the L O. O. F., K. of P., K. of H., American Legion of Honor, A. O. L'^. W., and Commander of the Uniform Di- vision K. of P. and K. of H. Commander}- and fire department of Lake Charles, Louisiana. „ » * V J. A. LANDRY, West Lake Charles. — J. A. Landry, of the firm of J. A.- Latidrv & Co., was born in West Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Jul}' 17, 1859. He is the son of J. A. Landry and Aloysia (Leveque) Landry, both natives of West Baton Rouge. J. A. Landry, Sr., was a practising physician. He received his education at Bardstown, Kentucky, and pursued a medical course at Tulane University. Upon the completion of his course he began the practice of his profession in West Baton Rouge parish, in which he continued until the time of his death in 1870. Our subject's mother now resides in West Lake Charles. J. A. Landry was the second of a familv of six children. He received his education in West Baton Rouge and began life as a planter. Li 1877-78 he con- ducted a drug business in partnership with Dr. J. C. Munday, and from this time until 1880 he was employed in a general mercantile business. In 18S1 he became business mangger for the firm of Perkins & Miller, and has since occu- pied this position. In February 1890, in conjunction with others, of whom men- tion has been made in another part of this work, he began the erection of an ice factory in Lake Charles. Mr. Landry is a progressive business man, and under his management the business in which he has embarked will no doubt flourish. In 1885 Mr. Landry was united in marriage with Miss W. E. Stanton, of Lake Charles. Both he and wife are members of the Catholic church. * * Z. LEBLEU, Lake Charles. — Zepheren Lebleu, planter, is a son of Simeon and Amelia (Hebert) Lebleu, both natives of this State. His father was a planter and married in this parish. He became the father of nine chil- dren, three sons and six daughters, of whom our subject is the third. Simeon Lebleu died in 1884, his wife surviving iintil 1888. Both w'ere members o the Roman Catholic church. The subject of this sketch was born in Calcasieu parish, October 4, 1865. HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL. I(i7 He has resided here his entire life, and in 1S85 he married Miss Mary Corbello, a native of Louisiana, born 1S68. They are the parents of three children, viz: Ladjs Lily, Frederick. Mr. Lebleu is s successful planter; he owns 260 acres of land, where he resides. He raises principally sweet potatoes and rice. His farm is located five miles east of Lake Charles. Mr. Lebleu is an indus- trious, worthy young man, and has made a fair start on the road to prosperit}-. He and wife are members of the Catholic cliurch. - WAL F. LYLE, Crown Point. — Wm. F. Lyle was born in St. Lan- dry parish, Louisiana, 184S. He came to Calsasieu parish just after the close of the war, and has since been engaged in planting at this place. Mr. Lyle's parents were natives of Virginia and Louisiana, respectively. His father removed to Louisiana early in life, and became a prosperous farmer. Wm. F. Lyle is united in marriage with Miss Clendenan. .He is a stanch Democrat, though he never takes an active part in political affairs. * * JOSEPH C. LeBLEU, Lake Charles. — Joseph C. LeBleu, one of the pioneer planters of Calcasieu parish, who resides at English Bayou, Ward 3, is^ a native of the parish, born April 8, 1841. He is the son of Arsine and Eliza (Milhomme) LeBleu, natives of Louisiana, born 1783 and 1800, respectively. Arsine LeBleu emigrated to California in 1849; he died in Sacramento in 1850. His wife died in 1883. By occupation Arsine LeBlue was a planter and stock raiser. Our subject is the 3-oungestof a family of eight children, two of whom are now living. Mr. LeBleu spent his youthful daj's in Calcasieu parish. At the beginning of the civil struggle he entered Company K, Eighteenth Louisiana Regiment, under Captain A. B. Spencer. He was in the battles of Williamsburg, Seven Pines, Mansfield, Pleasant Hill, and numerous other minor engagements. He was paroled at Natchitoches, Louisiana. After the war he returned home and resumed farming, which he has closel}' followed ever since. He owns a good plantation where he resides, and upon which he raises, principally, rice. He is president of the Lake Charles Farmers' Union, 587, and was the organizer of tlie Union in Calcasieu parish. Mr. LeBleu was married, in 1867, to Leoneze Hebert, a native of Louisiana. They are the parents of ten children, five sons and five daughters, six of whom are living: Beatrice (widow of Arthur Rosteet), Grace (wife of J. W. Rosteet). Polignac, Evelina, Farrel and Ella. » * E. J. LYONS, ]\L D., Lake Charles. — Dr. E. J. Lyons was born in Lake Ch;irles in 1839. His father, John Lyons, was a native of St. Landr}' parish and removed to Lake Charles at an early date. Here he eng.iged in 1(;8 SOl'7IIlVES7^ L OLVS/.LVA : plantin CHAPTER V. PARISH OF ACADIA. HENRY W. ANDING, Rayne.— Henry "W. Anding was born in Missis- sippi in 1850. He is the son of W. H. and Elizabeth (Furr) Anding. W. H. Anding was born in South Carolina in 1816. He enlisted in the Black Hawk and Seminole wars in 1836, and served under General Scott until its close as a private. He removed from South Carolina to Mississippi in 1848, and to Louis- iana in i860. Our subject's mother was born in Mississippi in 1823, and mar- ried in 1843. Eleven children were born to this marriage, four of whom are still living. H. W. Anding, the subject of this sketch, was educated in St. Landry par- ish. He was elected, in 1S87, the first treasurer of Acadia parish, which posi- tion he still occupies. He has been in the mercantile business for eighteen years at this place, and conducts one of the largest businesses of the town. Mr. Anding was united in marriage in 1S74 with Miss Susan Arenas. They are the parents of one child, a daughter, Josephine. * REV. J. ANTHONOIZ, RayxXe.— Rev. J. Anthonoiz, pastor of St. Jo- seph church at this place, was born in Savoy, France, Ma}' 10, 1822, He re- ceived his education in his native town, later studying philosophy and theology in Vals, near LePuy (St. Soire), France, and was tliere ordained priest in 1855. He came to America the same year, locating at Baton Rouge, where he filled a chair of mathematics for some time. He was thence transferred to Alabama, where he again filled a chair of mathematics for several years. Later he was sent to St. Charles College, Grand Coteau, where he remained until he removed to Rayne. Father Anthonoiz is a man of high personal qualities, and is revered b}' his flock. His labors as a priest have been of the most meritorious character. St. Joseph church building at this place, which was finished in 1876, is one of the finest in this part of tlie st^te. * MATHIAS ARENAS, Rayne.— The subject of our sketch was born in Havana, in 1828. He is the son of Catulo and Dolores (Orduna) Arenas. To •>52 SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA : them were born thirteen children, Mathias being the eldest. Catulo Arenas emi- grated to the United States with his family when Mathias was young. Mathias Arenas during the war was a member of the State militia, but was never called out in active service. In 1880, he established one of the first mer- cantile houses in Rayne, to which he has given his attention until very recently. His business was the largest of the kind at the place. He was married in Louis- iana, 1856, to Miss Leonar Martin. They are the parents of two children, both daughters, Mrs. Anding being the elder. Mr. Arenas is now retired from active business, his circumstances being such as to render the worry of business un- necessary to one of his age. * » » E. O. BRUNER, Rayne.— E. O. Bruner was born in what was then St. Landry parish, now Acadia, in the year 1858- He is the son of Francis J. Bruner, who was a native of Ohio. He came to Louisiana in 1849, where he has since been engaged in planting, in Plaquemine Brulee, a distance of ten miles from Rayne, with the exception of the three years he spent in Cali- fornia during the gold excitement. E. O. Bruner, the subject of this sketch, was educated principally in Pontiac, Illinois, under the instruction of his uncle, John W. Bruner, where he lived with his father three years during his stay in Illinois. Previous to going to lUinois, in 1875, he spent one year in Texas, where he was engaged in a shingle manufactory. In 1S79 he returned from Illinois, and married Lela Hampton, daughter of T. H. Hampton, and a relative of General Wade Hampton. In the winter of 1879 ^^ embarked in the mercantile business, in Coulie Crouche. Becoming dissatisfied with the business and the locality, he removed to Rayne, where he has ever since been engaged in the livery business and farming, somewhat extensively. He owns four farms. He is a justice of the peace of the first ward, to which office he has been twice elected. He is also a member of the town council and member of the local school board. He has one child, a bright boy, nine years old, Howard E. Bruner. Mr. Bruner' s future is bright. • * '' HOMER BAROUSSE, Church Point.— Homer Barousse, planter and merchant, living at Church Point, in Acadia parish, Louisiana, was born in that parish September, 1850. He is the son of John and Caroline (Fontenot) Ba- rousse, the former a native of France, the latter of Louisiana. They were the parents of nine children, three sons and six daughters, five of whom are now liv- ing: Euphrosine, wife of William McBride ; Homer, the subject; Anise, wife of Lucius David; Edgar, and Ora, wife of L. Franques. Their father is one of the old settlers of the country, having lived in the State for fifty-one years. He HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL. 253 is one of Acadia's most highly respected citizens, and successful planters and busi- men. He is now associated with the subject in a mercantile business at Church Point, where the}^ carry a stock of ten thousand dollai^s and do an annual busi- ness of fifty tliousand dollars. John Barousse owns eight hundred acres of land, two hundred of which are in cultivation. During the war he was assessor of the southern part of St. Landry parish. Homer Barousse obtained his education at Washington, Louisiana. He was married in 1869 to Emily Daigle, daughter of T. Daigle. To them have been born nine children, seven sons and two daughters: Oscar, Homer, Maurice, Lorant, Felix, Bertrand, Fernando, Lydia and Lelia. Our subject was elected police juror for his ward in 1887, and is still an incumbent of that office. He owns fourteen hundred acres of land in St. Landry and Acadia, two hundred of which he cultivates. Mr. Barousse is a man of good business qualifications, and is highly respected and well known throughout this section. He and wife are members of the Catholic church. He lias been chairman of the Democratic Executive Committee of the parish of Acadia since it was first organized, and he is also a member of the District Executive Committee of St. Landry and Acadia. * * '" HON. JOSEPH D. BERNARD, R.vyxe.— Hon. Joseph D. Bernard, rep- resentative of Acadia parish in the Stale House of Representatives, was born in St. Martin parish, Louisiana, November 15, 1832. He is the son of Francois and Euphrasie Bernard, both natives of St. Martin parish. Francois Bernard was an extensive planter of St. Martin parish. He was a soldier in the war of 181 2, and participated in the battle of New Orleans. He died when Joseph D. was but five years of age. Our subject received his primary education in the local schools of St. Mar- tin parish, later attending St. Charles College, Grand Coteau. On leaving col- lege he engaged as salesman in a mercantile house at Breaux Bridge, St. Martin parish. Locating in Rayne, he opened the first mercantile business in that sec- tion. Since that time Mr. Bernard has conducted a flourishing business at this place, in connection with his plantation. He was elected, in 1882, mayor of Rayne, in which capacity he served four years. In 1888 he was elected a mem- ber of the State House of Representatives from Acadia parish, and during his term of service in that bod}' he has been a member of several important com- mittees, and has always taken an active part in leading measures. Mr. Bernard was a soldier during the whole of the Civil War, serving in the Army of Virginia. He was taken a prisoner in 1863, and confined at Point Lookout until March, 1864. Being more fortunate than many of his fellow prisoners, Mr. Bernard was in possession of sufficient means to bribe those in charge, and consequently did not suffer the hardships common to prison life. After his release from im- 254 SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA : piisonment he returned home and did not reenter into active service. Mr. Ber- nard is united in marriage with Miss Susan Chachere, of St. Landry parish, Louisiana. They are the parents of tliree children: Anna, Agatha and Frank G. ^ WELMAN BRADFORD, Rayne.— Welman Bradford was born in Ascen- sion parish October, 1869. He is one of a family of four children, two brothers and two sisters, born to Robert H. and Rosa (Welman) Bradford. His father was a native of Pennsylvania and his mother of New Orleans. Robert H. Bradford was a prominent lawyer. He practised for some time in Washington, D. C, and later in New Orleans. The last years of his life were spent in Florida, where he died in September, 1888. The mother of Mr. Bradford is still living with him. Welman Bradford receivedthe benefit of a liberal education, and since eigh- teen years of age has given his principal attention to surveying and civil engi- neering. For the past two }'ears Mr. Bradford has been experimenting in rice culture with good results. He has a plantation of four hundred acres of land where he resides, one hundred of which he cultivated in rice this year (1890). Mr. Bradford also practises in the Land Court. He is the present treasurer of the town of Rayne. He is a young man of energy and thrift and is always identified with laudable public measures. He is a member of the Episcopal church. , » • W. H. GARY, Mermenteau. — W. H. Cary, in partnership with J. J. Bibbins, operates one of the largest rice plantations in Louisiana. The product of their plantation in 1889 was thirty-five hundred barrels of rice. The planta- tion consists of four hundred and fifty acres of land, one hundred and fifty of which are under cultivation. Mr. Gary is a native of Louisiana, born in St. Mary parish in 1843. He is the son of J. B. and Eleanor (Gordy) Gar}-. J. B. Cary was a native of New York. He removed to Louisiana early in life, where he worked at the carpenter trade. He married our subject's motlier in St. Mar}^ parish, and they were the parents of eight children, of whom W. H. is the third in order of birth. Only three of the family are living, viz: W. H., R. E. and J. B. The father died in 1855, and the mother in 1887. Both were members of the Presbyterian church. Mr. Cary is an enterprising young business man, and has made a good start in life. His farm is a model one and well improved; he has on it a small orange grove, besides other fruit trees. His partner, Mr. Bibbins, is a young man of high standing in business and social circles. He was born in Ohio, in 1854, and is the son of J. J. and Mary (Fish) Bibbins, of New York. J. J. is the second of a familv of three children born to them. He removed to Louisiana in 1870, '^^^-^-Cy-T^ ^y^^l^^^^ 1^ '-^^ "^f^ HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL. 257 and owns one hundred and sixty acres of land at this place, which he has since well improved. By trade he is a carpenter, but devotes most of his time to planting. WILLIAM C. CHEVIS, Rayne.— William C. Chevis was born in Vermilion parish, Louisiana, February 8, 1862. Dr. John W. Chevis, the father of William C, was a native of Virginia, born 1S22. He removed to Louisiana in 1850, where he became a successful sugar planter before the war. The mother of our subject, Martha Hayes, was born in what is now Acadia parish, Louisiana, in 1832. The subject is the third of a family of seven children, three brothers and four sisters. He received Lis preparatory education in the public schools of Acadia parish, and later pursued a course of stud}'^ at the University of Ken- tucky, at Lexington, from which institution he graduated in 1S84. After leaving school he was for some time engaged as book-keeper, and later as a school teacher. Subsequently he became editor of the Acadia Sentinel, one of the first papers published in Acadia parish. In 1889, he was appointed by Gov. Nicholls assessor of Acadia parish, which position he still holds. He was the special correspondent of the "New Delta," at Baton Rouge, during the legislative session of 1890, in which capacity he enjoyed the distinction of representing at the State capitol the only anti-lottery daily published in New Orleans. Mr. Chevis is a gentleman of more than ordinary ability, and the future holds much in store for him. PROFESSOR T. C. CHERRY, Crowley.— Prof. T. C. Cherry was born in Kentuck}^ April 24, 1862. His father, G. W. Cherry, was a native of that State, as was also his mother, Martha Stahl. T. C. Cherry is one of a familj' of nine children. His father being a planter, he was reared on a plantation, and is thoroughly familiar with all kinds of farm work. He received his education principally at Bowling Green, Kentucky. Later he took a business course at Delaware, Ohio, and at Glasgow, Kentucky. At the age of twenty-two years, Prof. Cherry began school teaching, and has been engaged in this chiefly since that time. He first taught in the public schools of Warren county, Kentucky. Later he taught for one year in the Woolwine High School, Nashville, Tennessee. He came here as commercial teacher, and was the main factor in the founding of Acadia Commercial and Literary College, at Crowley. Prof. Cherry is thoroughly, practical and energetic, and his extensive knowledge in educational matters will go far in making the college at Crowley one of the most flourishing in Louisiana. IGa 258 SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA : / RAYMOND T. CLARK, Crowley.— Raymond T. Clark, clerk of the district court and ex-ofRcio recorder and notary public for Acadia parish, was born in what is now Acadia parish, April 23, 1855. He is the son of Valentine C. and Frances (McClelland) Clark, both natives|of this parish, where they died. Valentine C. Clark was a stock raiser and planter. The subject of this sketch spent his school days in Lake Charles and Opel- ousas. Beginning business for himself, he was first engaged in stock raising near Rayne. This he followed until quite recently. When Acadia parish was a part of St. Landry, Mr. Clark was, for three years, justice of the peace, and, on the organization of the parish of Acadia, he was elected clerk of court and ex-oflicio recorder at a special election held for that purpose, and was reelected at the first regular election. He held the position of town councilman while a resident of Rayne. Mr. Clark married, December, 1874, Miss Laura L. Duson, daugh- ter of Cornelius Duson, and sister of the Hon. C. C. Duson, State Senator from Opelousas, and W. W. Duson, of Crowley. To them eight children have been born, two sons and six daughters. Mr. Clark is a member of the Methodist church. In politics he is an unwavering democrat. He is a K. of P., and he has represented his order in the Grand Lodge of the State. He is also a mem- ber of the K. of H. , # * ^ A. S. CHAPPUIS, Rayne. — Anselm Chappuis, one of the most successful business men of Acadia parish, was born in Thibodeaux, Lafourche parish, November 5, 1849. He is the son of Stephen and Mary Louisa (Sourd) Chappuis, natives of Lorraine, France. They both removed to Cincinnati, Ohio, when young, where they married and resided until 1840, at which time they removed to Thibodaux, Louisiana, where the father of our subject died, in 1862, at the age of fifty-three, and the mother, in 1870, at the age of fifty years. The subject of this sketch was the third of a family of ten children. He attended the schools of Lafourche parish. The breaking out of the Civil War prevented him from obtaining a collegiate education. He remained with his mother until nineteen j^ears of age, when he went to Cincinnati, where he learned the tinner's trade with his uncle. Here he remained for three years, when he returned to Louisiana, and worked at his trade in Bayou Lafourche for about five years. In 1880 he removed to Napoleonville, where he established a busi- ness which he conducted for a year and a half. Looking around for a more desirable place, he loca-ted at Rayne, where he has since followed his trade, and conducts a general hardware business, in connection with which he carries a stock of building materials. His stock in the above goods, together with an assortment of improved agricultural implements and wagon and buggy mate- rials, is the largest in Southwest Louisiana. Mr. Chappuis has demonstrated his business abilitv in the success which has attended his undertakings. He is HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL. 259 probabl}' at present the wealthiest business man in Acadia parish. On starting out in life for himself he was compelled to borrow money to buy the necessary implements with which to carry on his business. Mr. Chappuis has served as a member of the board of aldermen since his location in Rayne. On the organiza- tion of Acadia parish he was made clerk of the police jury, but soon resigned his charge. Mr. Chappuis was instrumental in the erection of the rice mill at this place, and was elected president and manager of the company on its organiza- tion. He is foremost in all matters that tend to the promotion of the public welfare. Through his influence and money, assisted by a few other public- spirited citizens, the present commodious two and one-half story brick academy was built and the school supported. Mr. Chappuis, with a keen eye to business, has invested largely in real estate, feeling confident that within a short while it will be greatly enhanced in value. He has recently purchased a farm one and one-half miles from town, upon which he proposes erecting a fine residence and make it his future home. He was married, in 1872, to Miss Emma Bergenon. She died the year fol- lowing her marriage, having become the mother of a son, Eugene L., who is at present book-keeper in his father's business at this place. Mr. Chappuis mar- ried a second time, in 1882, Miss Josephine Christman, of Opelousas. They are the parents of four children, viz: Ferdinand, Abner, Lawrence, Archibald. » * PHILIP J. CHAPPUIS, Crowley, is a native of Lafourche parish, born September 26, 1865. He is the son of Julius and Josephine (Toups) Chap- puis. The former was born in Lafourche parish in 1836, and the latter in the same parish in 1846. Julius Chappuis was a wealthy planter of this parish. The subject of this sketch was the eldest of three children. He was educated at Thibodeaux college, Louisiana, from which institution he graduated in 1883. He then read law under L. P. Caillouet, of Thibodeaux, and was admitted to the bar before the supreme court at Opelousas, Jul}- 9, 1887. Mr. Chappuis has practised in Crowley since that time, and judging from his present popularity as an attorney, the future holds much in store for him. ^ « * JEAN CASTEX, Meumenteau. — Jean Castex, a prosperous merchant, was born in France, March 18, 1836. He is the son of Andres Castex and Sturline de Captdeville, both natives of France. Andres Castex was a tanner by occupation. He married in France, and to their union were born four children, the subject of this sketch being the oldest of the three now living. Andres Castex died in France in 1843. His wife died December 26, 1890. Jean Castex, the subject of this sketcli, emigrated from France to Louisiana 260 SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA : in 1854. H*^ landed in New Orleans June 3 of that year, and from there he went to Lafayette, where he engaged in carpentering, and afterward conducted a bakery. After about two years he moved to Acadia parish, where he now resides. In 1859 '^^ opened a mercantile business where he now resides, and his business has grown until he now carries a stock of about four thousand dol- lars' worth of goods. He also owns twenty-five hundred acres of land, a portion of which he cultivates in cotton and rice. The place is well improved, and has on it a steam cotton gin, which was erected in i860. Mr. Castex was appointed post-master at Mermenteau in 1867, and was reappointed in 1890, and is the pres- ent efficient post-master of the place. He is united in marriage with Miss Alice Landry, a native of Louisiana. Thej^ are the parents of four children, viz: Jean, Jr., Alice, Rosedale and Rose. The subject is a member of the school board, and is active in his efforts to improve the public school S3'stem of this parish. As a business man he is abundantly successful. •^ H. W. CARVER, Crowley. — Hiram W. Carver, clerk of the police jury, Acadia parish, was born in Assumption parish, May, 4, 1862. He is the oldest of a family of ten children born to Hiram H. and Emma (Bourg) Carver, the former a native of Virginia, the latter of Assumption parish, Louisiana. Hiram H. Carver removed to Louisiana when twenty-one years of age. He was a graduate of a Virginia college. He studied law, and was admitted to the bar in that State. After removing to Louisiana he located in Assumption parish, where he served as district attorney for a time. Later he was made parish judge, which office he held for several years. Mr. Carver served during the whole of the war in a Louisiana regiment of cavalry. He was a commissioned officer. He is now a resident of Lafourche parish, Louisiana. The mother of our sub- ject is deceased. The subject of this sketch attended school at Napoleonville, Louisiana. At the age of sixteen 3'ears he left school and began active life for himself. He first engaged in the mercantile business in Iberville parish. In 1886 Mr. Carver came to this place and opened a general store, and in 1887 formed a partnership with J. Frankel, with whom he is at present associated. His business is flourishing, and this year (1890) will amount to fifty thousand dollars. Both are active busi- ness men, and have great hopes for the future prospects of this country. They deal extensively in rice, and do the largest business in that line in this place. Mr. Carver was one of the first councilmen of the town of Crowley, and was afterward elected mayor. In 1887 he was elected clerk of the police jury, of which position he is the present incumbent. He married, in 1885, Miss Jose- phine Sigur, of Iberville parish. To them three children have been born: James A., Emma A. and Leon E. HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL. 261 W. W. DUSON, Crowley. — W. W. Duson, the efficient business manager of the Southwest Louisiana Land Company, was born in St. Landry parish, Louisiana, October 5, 1853. He is the son of Cornelius Duson, a history of whose life appears in the sketch of Hon. C. C. Duson, of St. Landry parish. W. W. Duson was reared in this section of the State, and was educated in the local schools of the day. He began business life at the age of seventeen years, as a clerk in the general mercantile store of James Webb at Plaquemine Brulee. He subsequently became a member of the firm of Freeman & Duson, successors to James Webb. When Acadia parish was founded, Mr. Duson retired from this business and removed to Rayne. In May, 1884, he removed to Crowley, and assumed charge of the business of the Southwest Louisiana Land Compan}^ in which capacity he continues to act. Since assuming man- agement Mr. Duson has bought and sold over 200,000 acres of land for the companj'. The business of the land company has assumed enormous proportions and requires much attention, but besides this Mr. Duson operates the largest rice plantation west of the Mississippi River. Mr. Duson is the founder of Acadia College, the buildings of which he erected at a cost of $15,000. He founded and has since edited and published the "Acadia Signal" at Crowley. He was married Januarj- 2, 1879, to Miss M. McClelland. They are the parents of one living child, Mamie. After the death of his first wife, Mr. Duson was married to Miss Julia Clark, the daughter of a well known citizen of Acadia parish. * * * ^ LOUIS ALPHONSE DUCLOS, Rayne.— Louis Alphonse Duclos, post- master and druggist, was born in France, February 16, 185 1. His parents, Michael and Susanne Duclos, were both natives of France. After having followed a full course of studies, both in literature and chem- istry, at Bordeaux, and at the " Lj'cee Imperial Bonaparte," Paris, France, the subject of this sketch came to the United States in 1865, and opened a drug store in 1866, at Labadieville, Louisiana, where he married Miss Evelina Gebelin, a member of one of the oldest and most influential families of that place. To their marriage two children have been born, Alphanse J. Duclos, a graduate of Soule's College, of New Orleans, and a registered pharmacist of Louisiana, and Noemie Duclos, now a pupil of Mt. Carmel Convent, Lafayette, Louisiana. In 1883 Mr, Duclos came to Rayne, as a clerk for M. P. Young & Co., then the only druggist of this place. The fact that in 1886 he was appointed post- master, which office he has kept under different administrations to the general satisfaction of the public; and also the fact that from a simple clerk, Mr. Du- clos has become the proprietor of one of the finest and most prosperous drug stores in Southwest Louisiana, are witnesses to his popularity and business capacity. Mr. Duclos and family are members of the Catholic church. 262 SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA : \/ HOMER DAVID, Church Point. — Homer David, a planter living near Church Point, was born in St. Landry parish in October, 1848. He is the son of J. B. and Elmier (Breaux) David, natives of Louisiana. To them were born seven children, four sons and three daughters. The father was a planter by occupation. He died In 1856, and our subject's mother in 1872. The subject of our sketch is a farmer, which he has made the business of his life. He owns three hundred acres of land, 150 of which are in cultivation, the principal products being cotton and corn. Mr. David was married in 187 1 to Miss Azeline Guidry. They are the parents of seven children, five daughters and two sons. Mr. David and wife are members of the Catholic church. * » V MARTIN DOUCET, Crowley.— Martin Doucet, a planter of Ward 5, is a native of Louisiana. He is the son of Joseph and Carmelite (Richard) Doucet, both natives of Louisiana. To them thirteen children were born, twelve of whom are living. The father died in 1872, and the mother, in 1878. Both were members of the Catholic church. The subject of this sketch enlisted as a soldier in 1862 in the C. S. A., and was an active participant in that struggle until the close of the war. He was first in the infantry and later in the cavalry service. After the war he re- turned to Louisiana and engaged in farming. This he has continued on a small scale with success. Mr. Doucet and wife are the parents of eight children, four sons and four daughters, seven of whom are living. » * ■ MELON DOUCET, Cartville. — Melon Doucet, planter, is a native of this parish, born in 1834. ^^^ father, Melon Doucet, Sr., was also a planter. He died in i860. His mother, a native of the parish, died in 1864. Our subject gives his chief attention to agricultural pursuits. The principal products of his farm are rice and corn. He is also a successful stock raiser, and has on his place a good number of both cattle and horses. In his religious views, Mr. Doucet is a Roman Catholic. * » » '^ JOSEPH FABACHER, Canal.— Joseph H. Fabacher, planter and mer- chant, living twelve' miles north of Crowley, was born in the city of New Or- leans, August 24, 1858. He is the son of Joseph and Magdalene (Frey) Fabacher, both natives of Germany. To them were born eleven children, nine sons and two daughters. Our subject, when but a small boy, emigrated alone to America, landing at New Orleans in 1837. He turned his hand to different occupations until he ar- rived at man's estate In 1870 lie removed from New Orleans to Acadia parish, HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL. 263 and engaging in the rice industry. It was through his exertions that rice culture, which is now Acadia's best paying industry, was introduced into the parish. In 1879 h^ ^o\^ his plantation and returned to New Orleans, where he engaged in the restaurant business, and in this he is still interested. Mr. Fabacher owns two hundred acres of land in this parish, one hundred and twenty-five of which are in cultivation, the principal product being rice. He also, on a less extensive scale, raises corn and oats. He has a stock of general merchandise on his farm, in value about one thousand eight hundred dollars, and is doing a good business. Mr. Fabacher is the post-master of Canal. He was married, in 1880, to Dora Ginkel, daughter of Abraham Ginkel. To them have been born six children, four sons and two daughters : Andrew, Frank(deceased), Lawrence, Magdalene and Joseph; one died in infancy. Mr. Fabacher and wife are members of tlie Catholic church. » » THEODORE FLASH, Cartville.— Theodore Flash was born in Baden, Germany, 1825, and came to this country in 1847. He was first located in New Orleans, where he remained until 1873, when he removed to his present place of residence. Mr. Flash received a good business education in the schools of his native land. His father and mother were both natives of German}^ and removed to America, where they spent the latter days of their life. Since his location at this place Mr. Flash has been engaged in farming and stock raising, in which he has prospered, and is now one of the leading farmers and stockmen in this section of Acadia parish. He has twice married, first in 1864, and again in 1875. In religion Mr. Flash is a Catholic, and in politics, though not partisan, he is a Democrat. , * » l/* D. B. HAYES, Crowley. — D. B. Hayes, deputy clerk and recorder of Acadia parish, was born in what is known in Southwest Louisiana as Hayes' Prairie, this parish, December 14, 1844. He is the son of Bosman and Eliza E. (Simmons) Hayes, both natives of Louisiana. Bosman Hayes was killed in 1864, by Jayhawkers, in his own yard, while attempting to protect his prop- erty. He was a very extensive planter and stock raiser, and before the war he owned no less than seventy-five slaves. He was, at the time of his death, six- ty-six years of age. The mother of our subject died in 1858, when about fifty- four years of age. Both were members of the M. E. Church, South. Dallas B. Hayes, the subject of this sketch, was the eighth of a family of nine children, and received his education in the schools of his localit}-. He en- tered the Confederate service in 1863, enlisting in the Second Louisiana Cavalry, in which he served until the close of the war. He participated in many of the skir- mishes ; was taken prisoner near Alexandria, Louisiana, and sent to New Orleans, ■26i SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA: where he was confined for four months, after which he was exchantfed and again entered the service. After the close of the war, Mr. Hayes opened a mer- cantile business at Plaquemine Brulee, where he was located for ten years, when he returned to his farm and engaged in stock raising and farming, until he was placed in charge of the recorder's office, by the clerk of court, in March, 1887. Previous to this he had served as justice of the peace for many years. The faithfulness with which he has discharged the public trust reposed upon him has made him popular as a public officer. Mr. Hayes was united in marriage with Miss Louisa S. Guidry, of St. Landry parish. They are the parents of nine livino- children, fouf sons and five daughters. He is a member of the M. E. Church South and is also a Mason, with his membership at Opelousas. Politi- cally he is a staunch democrat. « * * W. E. HOCKADAY, Plaquemine Brulee. — W. E. Hockaday was born in Kentucky, in 1868. He is the younger of two children born to Eugene and Anna (Lake) Hockaday. Eugene Hockaday was educated at Shelbyville, Kentuck}', and removed to Louisiana early in life, where he became a prosper- ous planter and merchant. W. E. Hockaday, the subject of this sketch, received his education princi- pally in Illinois. He is one of the most successful planters and stock raisers in this section of Louisiana. He has charge of three thousand acres of very fertile land. He gives special attention to the breeding and importing of a fine grade of Herford and short-horned cattle. Mr. Hockaday is united in marriage with Miss Beatrice Lyon, a daughter of Crawford Lj^on of this State. * * * ZENO HUBER, Fabacher. — Zeno Huber was born in 1836 in Germany. He is the son of Martin and Mary (Fromnerz) Huber, both natives of Germany, where they were reared, married and became the parents of three children, one son and two daughters, viz: Caroline, Mary, and Zeno, the subject of this sketch. The father was a farmer and inn-keeper; he died 1846. Mrs. Huber after- ward married Conrad Baumgarten, and to this union were born two children, Frederick and John. Mrs. Baumgarten and family removed to America in 1850, landing in New Orleans the 5th of November, having been ninety-six days in making the trip. In the yellow fever epidemic of 1853 the whole of the family died with the exception of the subject of this sketch. Remaining in New Orleans until 1870, he engaged in a grocery and retail liquor business. At this time he removed to his present place of residence, where he owns eight hundred acres of land, two hundred of which are under cultivation. Mr. Huber gives his principal attention to rice culture, though he also raises some corn and potatoes. He was one of the first to experiment in rice culture. Mr. Huber served as post-master at Fabacher from 187S to 1889. HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL. 265 With this exception he has given his attention exclusively to his plantation inter- ests. He was married in i860 to Mrs. Anna Mees Lote, widow of Martin Lote, a native of Germany. During the Civil War, Mr. Huber served for five months, 1861, in Company I, Col. Girard's regiment. Returning to New Or- leans at the expiration of this time hedid not again enter the service. * » ^ ANDREW HENRY, Mermenteau. — Andrew Henry, an extensive rice planter of Ward 5, is a native of Louisiana, born September 13, 1840. He is the oldest of a family of twelve children born to Lewis and Emma (Marsh) Henry. The father was a native of South Carolina. He was a successful planter of St. Landry parish, where he married. He removed to Louisiana when a small boy, and here he died in 1865. The mother of our subject is a native of Louisiana, and is at present a resident of Acadia parish. The subject of this sketch received his education in the common schools of St. Landry parish. He enlisted as a soldier in the Confederate States army in Company A, Eighteenth Louisiana Regiment, and served until November, 1864, when he was discharged on account of ill health. Returning home he en- gaged in farming, in which he has been engaged since that time. His present plantation consists of four hundred and fifty acres of land, one hundred and sixty of which are under cultivation, the principal productsbeingrice, corn and sweet potatoes. Mr. Henry was elected, in 1888, justice of the peace of justice ward No. 5. He served as deputy sheriff from 1S69 until 1887 inclusive. During this long period of service, by the vigilance and promptness with which he exe- cuted his duties, he gained a host of friends. He was married in St. Lan- dry parish, 1868, to Miss Amelia Landry, To this union have been born ten children, six of whom are living, viz: Alcee, Emma, Andrew, Albert, Ida and Alice. «. * * '^ D. P. JANUARY, M. D., Crowley.— Dr. D. P. January was born near Natchez, Mississippi, August 3, 1837. ^'^ i^ ^^^ ^on of B. P. and Drusilla (Fontleroy) January, natives of Mississippi and Kentucky, respectively. B. P. January is now a resident of Natchez, and is over seventy-seven years of age. His wife died November, 1889, at the age of seventy-three years. B. P. January was a successful planter in Mississippi and Louisiana before the war. In the Civil War he was commissioned by the Confederate government, and stationed in Mississippi to transfer prisoners across the river. The subject of this sketch is the oldest of a family of eight children. He received his literary education at the Kentucky Militar)' Institute, at Frankfort, from which he graduated in 1857. In 1858 Dr. January entered the medical school of the then Universit}' of Louisiana, from which he graduated in 1S60. He then practised in Houston, Texas, and was here at the breaking out of the 266 SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA : war, when, abandoning his lucrative practice, he offered his services to the Con- federate arn\y. He Vvas assigned assistant surgeon in the Army of Tennessee, and during the Geofgia campaign was stationed at Auburn, Alabama. At the close of the war he located at St. Joseph, Louisiana, where he practised until 1887, at which time he removed to Crowley, where he opened a drug store. Dr. January was married, in 1861, to Miss Josephine Reeves, of Tensas parish, Louisiana. They are the parents of a son, D. R., who is associated with his father in the drug business at Crowley, and a daughter, Josephine, wife of Frank Burt. Dr. January is a member of the Masonic order, and in religion is an Episcopalian. , ^ W. T. JENKINS, M. D., Prudhomme City.— W. T. Jenkins was born in Mississippi, February, 1839. ^^ '^ '^^e son of Rev. David B. and Susan (Gordon) Jenkins, natives of South Carolina and Georgia, respectively. His parents were married in Georgia, and removed from there to Mississippi in 1820, where Mr. Jenkins engaged in farming. He was a minister of the Baptist church. He died in 1835, his wife surviving him until 1876. The subject of this sketch is one of a family of nine children, six brothers and three sisters. He received the benefits of a good literary education, and graduated in the medical schooVof the University of Louisiana, in 1850. He began practice in 1852 in Mississippi. He was married the same year to Miss E. A. Dodds. The Doctor removed from Mississippi to Louisiana in 1866, and located on Bayou Teche, where he practised medicine for five years, when he removed to Prudhomme City, in 1871. Here he has practised his profession, and has also conducted a large plantation, consisting of about one thousand acres of land, three hundred of which he cultivates in rice and other products. ' The Doctor raised this year (1890) four thousand barrels of rice. He and wife are the parents of eleven children, seven sons and four daughters, five of whom are living: William D., Dr. W. A., Emma, wife of Benjamin Stagg; Dora, and Ida, wife of C. J. Hundley. Mr. Jenkins and wife are Baptists. ^ W. A, JENKINS, M. D., Church Point, was born at Crystal Springs, Mississippi, March, i860. He is the son of William T. Jenkins, of whom a sketch appears in another part of this work. The mother was a native of Ten- nessee. The subject of this sketch attended the Louisville Medical College in 1885- 86-87, graduating with high honors in the last year. Immediately after grad- uating he began the practice of his profession at Prudhomme City ; from there he removed to Church Point in the fall of 1887, where he now resides. He has succeeded in building up a good practice, and is a man of much ability in his profession. He was married, in 1887, to Miss Mattie L. Hundley, daughter HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL. 267 of J. C. and Mary (Stevens) Hundley. The Doctor owns residence property at Church Point. , • • J. W. KENESON, Crowley.— J. W. Keneson, a native of the State of New York, was born in 1848. His father was a native of Ireland, and his mother of New York, of Scotch descent. The former is deceased, and the latter is at present a resident of Kansas, being about sixty years of age. His father was a sailor for about sixteen years of his life. In his latter da3'S he gave his attention to farming. He served three years during the Civil War in the command of Col. Meyer and later under Colonel Walker, in the Sixteenth Kansas Regiment, in which the subject of this sketch, J. W. Keneson, was also a soldier. He en- listed in 1863 and served until the war closed. J.W. Keneson has been engaged in planting since his location at this place. His plantation consists of three hun- dred and fifty acres of land, one hundred and twenty of which he cultivates in rice principally. In this industry he has been successful. Mr. Keneson was married in 1876 and is the father of seven children, four sons and three daughters . , * • ^ J. C. LYONS, Plaquemine Brulee. — J. C. Lyons was born in what is now Acadiaparish,Louisiana, July 26, 1842. His father, Gabriel Lyons, was born near the birthplace of our subject in 1812. He was reared and spent his whole life in Louisiana. He married when young the mother of our subject, Louise Johnson, and they became the parents of six children, four sons and two daughters, of whom J. C. is the youngest. The subject of this sketch received his education in the schools of his lo- cality. Planting has been his lifetime vocation. His plantation consists of six hundred acres of land, under fence, the principal products being corn and cot- ton. Mr. Lyons was married, in 1868, to Miss Clara Arceneaux. They are the parents of seven children, four sons and three daughters. • E. W. LYONS, Crowley. — Eldridge W. Lyons, sheriff of Acadia parish, was born within what is now Acadia parish on Prairie Hayes, October 11, 1856, He is the son of Elisha and Sophie (Hayes) Lyons, both natives of Louisiana. Elisha Lyons was a prosperous planter of this parish. He served during the late war in the Second Louisiana Cavalry, his field of operations being chiefly in Louisiana. He died, in 1864, at the age of twenty-nine, while home on a furlough. The mother of our subject is still living in Acadia parish. E. W. is the oldest of a family of four children. He received his educa- tion in this parish, and when eighteen years of age he entered the employ of Sheriff Hayes in the sheriff's office, in which he was engaged for several months. Subsequent to this he was for four years engaged in farming, and from that time 2G8 SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA: until he was elected sheriff of Acadia parish, at a special election held after its organization, he gave his attention to stock raising. Sheriff Lyons is popular as an official. He was married, in 1874, ^° Miss Alice Harmon, daughter of Joseph Har- mon. To them have been born four children, all living, viz: Hiram H., Zoula L., Ira A., Martin J. Mr. Lyons and wife are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church South. He is a member of the Knights of Pythias and Knights of Honor. * * • ^ R. R. LYONS, M. D., Crowley. — Raphael Lyons, physician and surgeon, was born at Plaquemine Brulee, now Acadia parish, April 3, 1840. He is the son of Crawford and Azelie (Johnson) Lj^ons, natives of this State. Crawford Lyons was an extensive planter; he died in 1853, at the age of thirty-six years. His wife still survives him and is a resident of this parish. There were born to them six children, our subject being the second in order of birth. Dr. Lyons spent his school days in Opelousas, completing his studies m 1858. Immediately thereafter he began the study of medicine, with Dr. J. J. Lyons as his preceptor. From i860 to 1862 he attended the medical depart- ment of the University of Louisiana, at New Orleans. Upon his graduation in 1862 he joined the Confederate States army as a private in the Second Louisi- ana Cavalry, soon after being detailed as assistant surgeon of this regiment. He served throughout the war in the Trans-Mississippi Department. He was in the battles of the Teche and Morganzie, and was twice taken prisoner, but retained as such only two or three months each time. After the close of the war he practised medicine at Plaquemine Brulee until December, 1889, when he came to Crowley, where he engaged in the drug business with T. J. Toter. Dr. Lyons has taken a deep interest in agricultural pursuits, making a specialty of cotton. In 1868 he married Miss Johanne Clark, daughter of V. C. Clark. Four children hav.e been born to them, viz: Leona M, Leonce L., Lucille M., Leo. Dr. Lyons is a member of the M.E. Church, and takes an active part in religious matters at this place and is superintendent of the Sunday School. ^^ J. A. McMillan, M. D., Bourque point.— Dr. J. A. McMillan was born in Fayetteville, North Carolina, and reared in Alabama. He is the son of Neill and Agatha (Ford) McMillan, both natives of North Carohna. His par- ents removed to Texas m 1850, where his father was engaged in planting and stock raising. Both he and our subject's mother died in that State, the former in 1888, the latter in 1883. The subject of this sketch began Hfe for himself at the age of nineteen, as a clerk in a store at Oxford, Mississippi. Here he was married, in 1845, to Mrs. Gillie (Alston) Moore, the widow of Arthur Moore, of Mississippi. The HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL. 269 Doctor always had a decided predilection lor tlie study of medicine, and in 1852 he entered the medical school of the University of Louisiana, New Orleans, and in the same year he began practice at Jacksonport, Arkansas, in association with Dr. Jones. He only remained here a short while, however, when he re- moved to Houston, Texas, and at that place practised for two 3-ears. He located in Washington, Louisiana, in 1859, where he remained until 1869, when he re- turned to Texas, remaining there one year. In 1870, returning to Louisiana, he located at Church Point, but now resides near Crowley, at Bourque's Point. Dr. McMillan is a progressive citizen, as well as a phj^sician of high rank. He has at different times served as membtr of the parish school board, and is at present deputy coroner. The Doctor's first wife died in 1856. He afterward married Miss Cleophine Lambert, who died in 1S69, having become the mother of one son. Cook. As a result of the first union, four children were born, two sons and two daughters. The Doctor is now united in marriage with Miss Louise Bourque. They are the parents of seven children, three sons and four daugh- ters, four of whom are now living: Malcomb, Viola, Mav and Una. JAMES F. MORRIS, M. D., Rayxe.— Dr. James F. Morris, a prominent physician of this place, was born in Harden county, Tennessee, Novem- ber 2, 1856. He is the son of John H. and Emily (Scott) Morris, both natives of Tennessee, where the}' both died, the former in 1873, "^^ the age of forty-two, and the latter in 1868, at the age of thirty-six. John H. Morris was a Methodist minister belonging to the West Tennessee Conference, and preached to nearly all the congregations in that State. The subject of this sketch is the eldest of a family of five children. He received his education at Purd}' College, Tennessee. He began the study of medicine in 1876 at Paris, Texas, Dr. McCristin being his preceptor. In 1878-79 he graduated at the American Medical College of St. Louis ; later he continued his studies in Memphis, making surgery and gynaecology his specialties, and grad- uated there in 1884, also taking a course of lectures at Keokuk, Iowa. He began the practice of medicine in 1877. In 1886, however, he again took a course of medical study in the various hospitals and colleges of San Francisco. In 1887 Dr. Morris married Miss Emma Hill, of New Orleans. The}' are the parents of four children: James B., Bascom F., May and Lillian. The Doctor is a member of the Knights of Pythias and the Knights of Honor. He has been a member of the town council since the organization of the town. He is also cor- oner of Acadia parish. » * V. MAIGNAUD, Mermexteau. — V. Maignaud is a native of France, born 1831. He is the son of Louis and Mary (Dubos) Maignaud, both natives 270 SO UTHWEST L O UISIANA : of France. The father was born in 1806, and the mother in 181 1 ; and died in 1849 and 1880, respectively. The subject of this sketch was the second of a family of three brothers. He came to Louisiana in 1847, and for nineteen years was a resident of New Orleans. He was for a while engaged in the mercantile business, and later in conducting a dairy and bakery. In 1866 he came to what is now Acadia parish as a dry goods and notion peddler. In 1870 he engaged in the mercantile busi- ness at this place, in which he has continued until the present time. For several years he operated a saw-mill in connection with his other business. In 1890 he became a partner in a rice mill. Mr. Maignaud owns 1200 acres of well improved land, which he cultivates principally in rice. He was married in New Orleans, in 1885, to Miss Caroline Hinn, of that city. Eight children have been born to this marriage, four sons and four daughters. Mr. Maignaud has served as post-master at Mermenteau for twenty years. He is an energetic and progressive citizen. , • • DENNIS MILLER, Millersville. — Dennis Miller, a native of this State, was born in 1845. His father, Lufroy Miller, was born in t8io and died in 1872, and was a prosperous planter and stock raiser of this parish. His mother was also a native of this place. She died in 1870. What education Mr. Miller has acquired has been principally by observa- tion and private application, he never having had the facilities of a literary education. Mr. Miller is engaged in the dual occupation of planter and mer- chant, in both of which he is very successful. He owns in this parish about one thousand four hundred acres of land, three hundred of which he cultivates. He also gives special attention to stock raising. His general mercantile store at Millersville is well patronized and is flourishing. Mr. Miller is a leader in local affairs, and at present represents his ward in the police jur3^ He is also post- master at this place, which position he has filled for two years. » * DANIEL ROSE, Fabaciier. — Daniel Rose was born in Ashtabula county, Ohio, November, 1823. He died in Acadia parish, Louisiana, February, 1890. He was the son of Abner and Cynthia A. (Simons) Rose, both natives of Massa- chusetts. The Rose family were among the pioneer settlers of what is known as the Western Reserve of Ohio. The famil}' is of English descent. Abner Rose, the father of our subject, was a soldier in the Revolutionary War. He was a cooper and farmer b}' trade, and followed this in Ohio. The subject of this sketch was the oldest of a family of eleven children, seven sons and four daughters. The father died in 1884, at the age of ninety- two years, and the mother in 1886, at the age of ninety-one. Both were members of the Congregational church. The subject of this sketch began life HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL. 271 at the age of eighteen years as the advance agent of Robinson's circus. In this he was engaged for thirty-four years, not this full time, however, with one circus. March 9, 186S, he was married to Miss Maria Ginett, a lady of English birth, who came to America in 1863. Becoming dissatisfied with the life of a traveler, and longing for the comforts of a quiet home, Mr. Rose, in 1877, bought a large tract of land in Acadia parish, Louisiana, and locating there, engaged in rice culture. At the time of his death he owned one thousand acres of land, with three hundred and fifty in cultivation. He was a prominent member of the Masonic fraternity. Mr. Rose was a gentleman much honored by those who knew him well, and in his death the parish sustained the loss of a good citizen. To him and wife was born one daughter, Chattie, an accomplished young lady. ^ • « ^ CHRISTIAN RUPPERT, Fabacher, was born in Germany, October, 1854. He is the son of M. and Barbara (Wagraman) Ruppert, who were also natives of Germanjr, They were the parents of six children, four sons and two daughters, viz: Jasph, Christian (the subject of this sketch), Elizabeth, Peter (deceased), Mary, Frank (deceased). Their mother died in Germany in 1874. '^^'^ father came to America in 1882, and died at the home of our sub- ject. He was a farmer b}' occupation. Christian Ruppert came from Germany to Louisiana in 1870, and settled in Acadia parish, where he engaged in farming. He was married, in 1875, to Miss Mary Wilfert. To this union were born eight children, four sons and four daughters, viz: Joseph, Rosa, George, John, Mary, Anthony, Barbara, Agnes. Mr. Ruppert owns nine hundred acres of land, three hundred of which are under cultivation, the principal product being rice. He operates a saw-mill on his farm. Mr. Ruppert is a well-known and highly respected citizen of this parish. ^ » « ROBERT B. SLOANE, Rayne, was born in Acadia parish, Louisiana, in 1840. He is the son of David Sloane, who was in the war of 1812, and died between 1840 and 1845. The subject of this sketch received his education in Acadia parish. In 1862, he enlisted in the C. S. A., under Gen. Moulon, serving four years. He was first in the infantry service, and afterward transferred to the cavalry service. Since the war he has given his attention to planting, and now owns five hundred and sixty-one acres of land, part of which is fertile and tillable, and the other, thickly wooded with timber, such as pine, oak and gum. The principal products of his place are corn and rice. He also manages a stock farm. He was mar- ried, in 1866, to Miss Margaret Laughlin, a native of Acadia parish. . To them have been born nine children, four boys and five girls. 272 SOUTH WEST L OUISIANA : V FERGUSON B. SLOANE, Rayne, was born February 26, 1831, in Acadia parish, Louisiana. He is the son of David Sloane and Catharine (Harmon) Sloane. They became the parents of seven children, three boys and four girls, our subject being the fourth in order of birth. Ferguson Sloane is a planter by occupatioa. He owns one liundred and twenty acres of good, tillable land, on which he cultivates rice. He is united in marriage with Miss Martha A. Bryan, a native of Louisiana. They are the parents of eleven children, four girls and seven boys. * * « V FELIX SIMON, Mermenteau. — Felix Simon, a merchant of Mermenteau, is a native of St. Landry parish, Louisiana, born March 18, 1868. He is the son of Duplissis and Marcelite (Sellers) Simon, both natives of Louisiana. His father was a planter of St. Landry parish, and served as a private in the Confed- erate States army during the whole of the war. He died February 17, 1873. To him and wife were born six children, five sons and one daughter. The subject of this sketch received an ordinary education, and in 1887 en- gaged in merchandising. Previous to embarking in business for himself he had been in the employ of A. Dupuis and Edward C. Fremeaux, merchants. Mr. Simon has been successful in his undertakings, and is a young gentleman of strict business habits. He owns a hundred arpents of land in Vermilion parish, and three hundred acres in Calcasieu. Mr. Simon was married, August 13, 1880, to Miss Olympe Duhon, a native of Louisiana, born in this parish March 27, 1873- » « « "^ FRANCOIS SAVOY, Church Point, was born December, 1839, i" Aca- dia parish, Louisiana. He is the son of Valcour and Eugenie (Rider) Savoy, who were also natives of Louisiana. Valcour Savoy reared a family of seven children, four sons and three daughters. Valcour Savoy died in 1842 and Mrs. Savoy afterward married Thomas H. McGee. To them one child was born. The subject of this sketch received a common school education in St. Landry, now Acadia, parish. He began life as a planter, and this, in connection with a mercantile business which he has conducted for several years past, he has been engaged to the present time. He owns quite a large tract of land in Aca- dia parish and his mercantile business is flourishing. Mr. Savoy has on his plantation a gin which he operates. He also buys and sells cotton and rice in a considerable amount. Mr. Savoy has served as member of the police jury from his ward when Acadia was a portion of St. Landry parish. In politics he is a democrat, though he takes no active part in political affairs. He and his wife are catholics. HJSTiiRICAL AXn lilOirRArillCAL. 27S CAPT. JOHN M. TAYLOR. Church Point.— The subject of our .sketch was born October 31. 1840, in Holmes county, Mississijipi. He is the son of Job Ta\loi-. an eminent physician of Richland, Mississippi, and Mathilda ; Cotton) 'ra\l(>r. Dr. Job Taylor was a natiye of South Carolina, and his wife of North . Carolina. '\ lic\- were married in North Caiolina, and removed from there to Alabama, where thev onl\- remained, howeyer, a short while, locating in Mis- sissipjii. where the Doctor engaijed in planting and practising his profession. Tlu'i-e were horn to them nine children, six sons and three dau<;hters. Mrs. ^ra\loi- died in 1874. ^^"'' '^^'' husband in 18S5. At the lime of their death they wei-e residing at Longview, Texas, where they had removed several years previous. The subject of tiiis sketch enlisted in the C. S. A. in 1S61. His field of ojier.ition was chielh' in \'irginia. He participated in the battles of Second Manassas. Seven Pines 'ind \arious others. In 1863 he was discharged on account of ilisability. He returned to Texas, remaining there only a short time, however, when he enlisted again in the army, joining the First Texas Rangers, uiuier Col. W. P. Lane. At this time he was second lieutenant of the compan\', and was soon afterward promoted to captain and assigned to post dut\- the last six months of the war in Opelousas, Louisiana. After the war.he engaged in the practice of law at Opelousas and subsequently became a school teacher, in which occupation he still continues in connection with farming. He is a corre- spondent of the Times-Democrat, Opelousas Courier and the Crowle\' Signal. He has acquired considerable local distinction as a writer. He was married in January. 1865, to Miss Delia Garrigues, daughter of Judge Adolphe and Delia ( Webb ) Garrigues. To them have been born nine children, four sons and five daughters, viz: George (L, printei" in the Signal office at Crowley : Delia, a public school teacher in Acadia parish; John jNL, Helen, Liso, Henry, Paul, CeceHa and .Mary L Their mofiier died in 1887, near Opelousas. She was a men.ber of the Catholic church. The Captain owns thirty-two acres of land in the \icinity of Oiielousas. He is a member of the Episcopal church. During Gov. Nicholls' first administrati<")n he was elected Superintendent of Instruction of St. Landry: Acadia at tliat time not being a parish. He has taken an active part in the improvement of the public school sj'stem in the State by the con- tribution oi many articles to the parochial newspapers, urging an efficient school system and the establishment of a liberal and ample school fund. He will con- tinue liis labors in behalf of popular education in the future and endeavor to place the school system on a solid basis in Acadia parish. JOHN WELCH, Crowlkv. — John Welch is a native of what is now Aca- dia parish, born 1835. His father was also a native of St. Landrv parish, and was by occupation a planter. He died about 1836, and his wife in 1871. In religion, they were both members of the Methodist church. f7;i 274 SOr-77/ll7£sy L OVISIANA : Mr. Welch has followed the vocaiioii ol liis father — plaining. He owii.s a plantation in the parish, on which he raises principally rice, corn and potatoes. He was married in 1850, his wife being a native of Acadia parish. Five chil- dren born to their union are now living. Mr. Welch is a recent acquisition to the citizenship of Crowley, having come hither only about two years ago. ^ RUFUS C. WEBB, M. D., R.\yne.— Dr. Rufus C. Webb was born in Acadia parish in 1862. He is the son of James and Nancy (Laughlin) Webb. The subject is the oldest of three children. James Webb, the present manager of a large rice mill in Rayne, is a native of what is now Acadia parish. In former years he was an extensive planter. Dr. Rufus C. Webb was educated at \^anderbilt University, both in the literary and medical schools. Later he took a special course of lectures at the medical school of Tulane University. The Doctor has been practising his pro- 'fession at Rayne since completing his medical course. He is popular as a prac- titioner, and keeps well abreast with his profession. Dr. Webb is united in marriage with Miss Susan Clark, daughter of Dr. Clark, president of the police jury of Acadia p'arish. ^ ^ COL. JAMES WEBB, Rayne. — Col. James Webb, a prominent citizen of Raj-ne and the operator of the rice mill at this place, was born in what is now Acadia parish, February 21, 1833. He is the son of John and Anne ( Myers j Webb, natives of England and Mississippi, respectively. John Webb came to the United States when a young man, and for a time traveled in Texas and through portions of the country, and early in the twenties located in what is now Acadia parish, Louisiana. He came to the United States as a sailor, and was on board the ship of which Nelson was in command at the battle of Trafalgar, in which Nelson fell. After coming to Louisiana he learned the tanner and saddler trade, at which he worked during most of his life. He died in 1857, at the age of seventy years. He was a member of the Church of England. Col. Webb's mother was born in Mississippi in 1792. She was of L-isli ancestry. She died in 1874 at the age of seventy-four 3'ears. Col. James Webb and his two sisters, Sarah A., widow of Cornelius Duson, now wife of W. W. Burton, of Acadia parish, and Mary E. (deceased), wife of C. Larmand, composed the family of which he is a member. Col. Webb spent his school days in this section, obtaining his education in the neighboring schools and from private tutorage. He first began business as a saddler, and later turned his attention to stock raising, in which he was engaged until the beginning of the war. He enlisted, in 1862, in Col. Biangie's regiment. Seventh Louisiana Cavalr}', Compan}' D, and was in service during the whole war. After his return from the army Col. Webb gave his attention to saw-milling and merchandising, in which he continued until the last four vears. He sold his mill interests in HISTORICAL AXD BIOGRAPHICAL. -'T--. 1886, and upon the erection of the rice mill at Rayne he took charge of it as nvxna.rer Col. Webb also owns a plantation on Plaquemine Brulee and a cattle ran7x ^I'l '//liiESJ' Lul /SJAXA: waru L..ui>iciicn iu the Eighteenth Louisiana Infantry, in uuic;! nc ^c^\e(.l until the close of the war. He was in the battles of Bayou Lafourche, Camp Bis- land. Mansfield and Pleasant Hill. After the war Mr. Abshire returned to Ver- milion parish, and commenced farming and stock raising, which has been his principal occupation since that time. In 1S79 he opened a mercantile business, which he still conducts. He is the owner of twenty-five hundred acres of land, which he cultivates in cotton and corn. Mr. Abshire is a successful business man. He was married September, 1S65, to Bclzire Broussard. Thev are the parents of four children, three of whom are living, to-wit: Joseph T., Olita and John Allison. The other died in infancy. In politics Mr. Abshire adheres strictly to the principles of Democracy. He and family are members of the Catholic church. • JOS. T. ABSHIRE. M. D., Abbeville. — Dr. Abshire was bom in \'er- milion parish, October, 1S6S. He is the son of John Abshire, Jr. Dr. Abshire has received the highest possible educational advantages from his earliest years. At the age of fifteen he had made considerable progress at the school of St. Stanislaus, at Bay St. Louis, and from there he went to Grand Coteau, where he attended St. Charles College, graduating in the literar\" course at the age of nineteen years, 1SS7. His parents were in affluent circutnstances and he might well have returned home to his plantation and lived an easy life, but his professional ambitions would not permit him to idle any time and he at once entered upon the study of medicine, studpng for a short period under a preceptor, when he entered the College of Physicians and Surgeons, at Baltimore, Md., from which he gradu- ated in 1SS9. In tiie studv of his profession, as well as that of uie literary course, he was remarkabh* thorough. He made a special study of the eye, ear and throat. Immedialeh after having graduated he located on his plantation, close to Abbeville, where he remained until a few months since, when, finding his pro- fession largely on the increase, he moved to Abbe\-ille. in order to be more cen- trally- located. Dr. Abshire is an enthusiast in his profession and still pursues his studies on all studies tending to the advancement of his profession. He is a member of the Vermilion Parisii Medical Society, of which he is president. He is also a member of the Attakapas Medical SocietA". Dr. Abshire is not only popular among the people for whom he does practice, but stands high in the esteem of the best physicians in this section of the State. In politics the Doctor is a demo- crat. He is medical examiner of the Catholic Knights of America at this place. Dr. Abshire married Miss Ophelia Bourque, a native of AbbeA-ille. October. 1SS9. They are the parents of one child, Robert LeRoy. IlISl'ORICAL AXD BIOGRAPHIC AL. 27'.t " HEXRV H. BARTELS, Abbeville.— Henry H. Bartels, a planter ol ward seven, is a native ot German}-, born December 23, 1828. He is the onl\- son of Frederick G. and Catherine A. (Brickweaden) Bartels, both natives of Germany. Frederick G. Bartels removed to Louisiana in 1842, and located in what is now Vermilion parish, where he resided until the time ot liis death, in 1862. His widow survived him until 1880. The subject of this sketch received his education in the public schools of German}-. He began business life as a planter and has closely followed this until the present time. In partnership with Solomon Wise, he owns seventeen hundred acres of land, one hundred and sixty of which they cultivate, princi- pally in corn and sugar cane. Thej- have a large sugar house on their planta- tion, also a cotton gin and grist mill, and also conduct a general mercantile bu:?i- ness at their place on Vermilion Bayou. Mr. Bartels was a soldier in the late war, having enlisted in 1861, in Com- panv C, Eighth Louisiana Infantrv, and served as a private until 1S64, when he received a wound which rendered him unable for further service and he was discharged. In 1885 he was appointed police juror of the seventh ward and is the present incumbent of that position. JMr. Bartels married, in 1865, INIiss Elizabeth A. Petry, of Vermilion parish. They are the parents of eight chil- dren, three sons and five daughters, seven of whom are living, yiz : Catherine, wife of William Morgan ; Elijah E., Alice E., Herman F., Adplph G., Maggie, MaryE. Mr. Bartels is a prosperous business man and a worthy citizen. He and wife are members of the M. E. Church. South. « » ^ LASTIE BROUSSARD, Abbeville. — Lastie Broussard, attorney at law, was born in Vermilion parish, December 15, 183S. He is the son of Augustine' A. and Marie Coralie Broussard, both natives of Lafayette parish, and both of Acadian ancestry. To them were born eleven children, five sons and six daughters, only live of whom are now living, viz: the subject of this sketch. Numa A., a resident of Vermilion parish; Marie Estelle. wife of Thogene Thibodeaux: Hortense, wife of Dolze Le Blanc, and Emma Bi-oussard, wife of Adolphe Le Blanc. Augustin A. Broussard was a farmer and stock raiser; he was also for a number of 3-ears police juror. He died in 1885, on his farm in Vermilion parish. His wife still .'survives him, being now about seventj'-eight years of age. The subject of tiiis sketch began life for himself at tiie age of twenty-one, as a clerk in a drug store, alter which he was made deputv sheriff for a period of two years. He was also assessor and parish treasurer for three years. Later he held the position of justice of the peace, and mayor of Abbeville, and for twenty-three years he was clerk ot the court. In 1879 '^^ ^^''** admitted to the bar, and has been engaged in the practice of his profession since 188S. In 1889 280 SOr/JIU'EST L oris J. \XA : lie L-nlered in jiarUiersliip witli Walter A. White, and he is now one ol the lead in^ uttorne}-s of Abbeville. He was married in 1861 to Miss Perpetue Mayard. To tliein have been born filteen children, six sons and nine daughters, \iz: Odile and Odelia, twins; Odalie, deceased ; Olive, Ophe'ia, deceased; Lastie Odelin. Oliver. Octavia, Ovide. Onesia. Olita. Otto, Otis. Omca, deceased, and Opta. .Mr. Ijroiissaul owns twentv-tive hundred acres of land in \'ermilion ])arish, two hundred of which are under cultivation: the principal products beins^ cane, corn, and rice. He also owns a considerable amount of property in Abbeville, Louisiana. Mr. Brousard and wife are members of the Catholic church. ^ " TIMOTHY BAGLEY, Ra.msicv. — Timothy Bagley, a prosperous sugar planter and manufacturer, of the Hrm of M. & T. Bagley, was born in Kings count\-, Ireland, 1845. He is the son of John Bagley. of whom mention is made in the sketch of Martin Bagle}'. Young Timothy attended the schools of Ireland and was engaged in farm- ing in that country until 1867, when he came to the United States and located in Lafourche parish, Louisiana, where he engaged in planting. In 1875 ^^*^ came to \'ermilion parish, and, in partnership with his brother, Martin Bagley, purchased a sugar plantation in \'ermi!ion parish of from tl-^ree to four hundred acres, in connection with which he now conducts a mercantile business. The Bagley Brothers are characterized by their energv, and their success since com- ing to Louisiana has been marked. Mr. Bagley was married, in 1884, to Miss Anna Fitzsimmons, a native of Ireland. To their union four children have been born. ^ * * V MARTIN BAGLEY, Ramsey.— Martin Bagley. of the firm of M. & T. Bagley, sugar refiners, was born in Kings county, Ireland, March 14, 1850. His parents came to America at an early day, but after a few years returned to Ireland, where young Martin received his education. John Bagley, the father of our subject, died in Ireland, 1852. He was the father of seven sons, of whom the subject of this sketch is the youngest. Martin Bagle}', in company with his brother, Timoth}-, came to America in 1866. They were first engaged in planting in Lafourche parish, and in 1874 came to Vermilion parish, since which time the\' ha\e given their attention to sugar planting and merchandising. Tlie}' own in Vermilion parish eighteen hundred acres of land and raise enormous crops of cane and corn. Their refin- ery is fitted up with the latest improved machinery and has the capacity for manufacturing about two hundred barrels of sugar per day. The plant was erected at a cost of $30,000. Besides this, thev also have a refinery for the manufacture of clarified sugar, erected at a cost of $10,000. Tlie present year. HISTORICAL AXD BIOGRAPHICAL. 2x1 1890, Baglev Brothers ha\e maiiufacuired five thousand barrels ot sugar. Tlieir business is rapidly increaisng and the\- contemplate, in the near future, enlarg- ing their mill and placing in machinery with the capacity for a more extensive manufacture. Martin Bagley has spent a good deal of his time in travel and has been engaged in various vocations. lie was contractor on the Rock Island & St. Louis Railroad. Since his location at this place, he has given his attention exclusively to his planting interests. He was married in 1877 to Miss Rosa Lyon, daughter of David Lyon, of Abbeville. The}- are the parents of five children, two sons and three daughters, viz: John J., Katie A., Mary R., LIugh M., Bessie. Mrs. Bagley was a lady of high culture; she died Januaiy i, 1881. She as is her husliand was a consistent member of the Chatholic church. * * JOHN M. BEAUXIS, Abbevii.le. — ^John M. Beauxis was born in France, September, 1849. He emigrated to x\merica in 1866, landing in Mexico, where he remained for six months as interpreter for the French government custom house at Zacatecas. He was driven from there by the Juarez government, after the battle of Queretaro. He thereupon came to Eagle Pass, Texas, and was employed at this place for three months in a saloon. In 1867 he located in New- Orleans and withstood a se\ere attack of yellow fever, which was then carrying off from three to four hundred people a day. Later Mr. Beauxis was engaged in the dairy business in New Orleans, until 1870, when he located in Abbeville, at which place he has resided up to the present time. He was appointed deput}' tax collector and served for three years, 1873-74-75, and then clerk in the as- sessor's office for three years, during which time he was engaged in mercantile pursuits. Mr. Beauxis owns three hundred acres of fine land and about thirt}- town lots. He has the most extensive grocery business in the town. He was married in 1873 to Miss Marie Trahon. To them two children were born, a son and a daughter, Fernand and Leontine. His wife's family were among the first settlers of the parish. Her grandfather came to Louisiana in 1792. Mr. Beauxis is a member of the Masonic fraternity, Oriental Lodge, also the I. O. O. F. He and his wife are members of the Catholic church. » * * ^ JOHN BAPTIST BECKER, Abbeville.— John Baptist Becker, a large sugar planter and manufacturer, was born in New Orleans, 1840. He is the son of Peter and Ellen (Moore) Becker. His father was a native of Alsace, Ger- man}-, and came wath his parents to the United States when he was about twelve 3'ears of age. Several 3'ears prior to his death he was a grocer in New Orleans. The mother of our subject is also a native of 'Alsace. She removed with her parents to New York Cit)^ and from thence to New Orleans. She died in that city. The subject of this sketch and his brother, Nicholas, are the only two survivinir members of the familv. ■js-2 SOU7'HU'ES7' L0L7S/A.VA : John Biiplist Becker spent his school cla\'S in New Orleans, and received a good business education. At the beginning of the civil war lie joined the Eighteenth Louisiana Infantry and served during the whole war. His field of operations was in Louisiana, and he participated in the battles of Camp Bisland, Mansfield and Pleasant Hill. After the war he engaged in planting, which he has since followed with good success. He was married, in 1867, to Miss Rosalin Lecour, of Vermilion parish. The}' are the parents of eleven children, eight sons and three daughters. He and wife are members of the Catholic churcli. ^ J. A. BROOKSHIER, Abbeville. — J. A. Brookshier is a native of North Carolina, born in 1845, as were his parents, Benjamin L. and Margaret A. (McCall) Brookshier. They removed from North Carolina to Green county, Indiana in 1846, where Benjamin L. worked at the blacksmith trade. In 1872 the}' removed to Vermilion parish, and Mr. Brookshier here engaged in planting. He ser\ed as registrar of Vermilion parish for a period of two years, and at the time of his death, in 1878, he was a resident of Morgan City. His wife died in Abbeville in 1848. They reared a family of seven children, of whom the subject of this sketch and his sister, Mrs. Eliza Ewing, of New Iberia, are the only surviving members. The subject of this sketch received his education in the schools of Indiana, and learned the blacksmith trade with his father. Since locating in Abbeville he has conducted a blacksmith shop; also a cotton gin, witli a capacity for baling twenty bales of cotton per day. Mr. Brookshier has served as tax collector of Vermilion parish for two years, and was inspector of customs at Redfish Point from 1870 to 1S75. He served for a number of years as president of the parish school board, and takes an active interest in public education. He married, in 1868, Miss Emeline Mimms, of Abbeville. Mrs. Brookshier died in 1872, having become the mother of a son, Claude O. Mr. Brookshier married again. Miss Zerida Harrington, daughter of Joseph W. Harrington, of Vermihon parish. They are the parents of one living son, John A. Mr. Ijrookshier is a member of the Masonic and Order K. of H. In politics he is a Republican, and for a number of years was chairman of the parish Republican committee, of which he is the present secretary. '^ ADAM BOUDREAU, Abbeville.— Adam Boudreau was born at Roy- ville, Lafayette parisli, Louisiana, April 27, 1862. He is the son of Joseph and Marie Eulalie (Nufiez) Boudreau, both natives of Louisiana. Joseph Boudreau died in 1888, at the age of seventy-one years. In his younger days he gave his at- tention to planting, and later in life engaged in merchandising; but the chief business in which he engaged during the whole of his life was stock raising, in HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL. 28:5 which he was abundantly successful. He removed from Roy\ille, Lalayette parish, to \^ermihon in iSSS, and to Abbeville in 18S2. He was a heavy loser by the war, but before his death had accumulated quite a fortune. He was active in the manipulation of party affairs and was alwaj'S a staunch democrat. During the late war he was in the Confederate States senice, and was detailed to duty on board a steamboat plving on the Teche and Vermilion Bayous. He was twice married, first to Miss JNIarie S. Bourke, of Lafayette parish; she died, and he afterward married the mother of our subject, who is the only surviving member of a family of five children born to this union. Adam Boudreau received his education in the schools of Royville and La- f:i3'ette. He subsequently pursued a course of book-keeping at Soulc's Busi- ness College, New Orleans. He was engaged with his father in business until tiie time of the latter's death; since which time he has conducted a business on his own account. That Mr. Boudreau is a business man of high qualifications, is attested by the success which has attended his business undertakings. He was married in 18S2 to Miss Farzalie Mouton, daughter of Onezime Moutor>, of \"ermilion parish. To this union have been born five children, ■four sons and a daughter. Mi". Boudreau and family are members of the Catholic church. In politics lie is a conservative democrat. »* WILLIAM CADE, Ramsey. — William Cade is a native of Lafayette par- ish, Louisiana, born June 7, 1853. He is the son of Robert and Martha (Marsh) Cade, of whom mention is made in the sketch of Hon. Overton Cade, of Lafaj-ette. Wm. Cade is one of a family of five children, three of whom are now liv- ing: William, Charles T., Overlon,the present representative in the State Legis- lature from Lafayette parish. Those deceased are Charles and Bancker. William Cade was reared on a plantation, and received the benefit of the best education the neighboring schools afforded. He has given his entire atten- tion to planting, and in this he has been successful. He owns seventeen hun- dred acres of land, with about two hundred under cultivation, the principal products being cotton and cane. His plantation is situated on Bayou Vermilion, eight miles south of Abbeville. In connection with his plantation Mr. Cade operates a large combined cotton and grist mill. He was married in Vermilion parish, in 18S2, to Miss Margaret Broussard. They are the parents of four liv- ing children, viz: Edith L., Bancker, Walter, Margaret O.; John T. is deceased. Mr. Cade is a member of the K. of H., and is also a member of the Episcopal cliurch. , * * ^ NEWTON R. CAMPBELL, Abbeville.— Newton R. Campbell, one of the leading citizens of ward 7, was born, near his present place of residence, 2JS4 sor'/7/u y:.sy j.urj.siAXA: Marcli 9, 1S36. He is the son of Levi Hampton and Delciiia (Landiy) Camp- bell. J^evi H. Campbell was born in Georgia, iSoi. His father was a native of Scotland, and removed to Georgia early in life. Young Levi II. was about four vearb of age when his parents removed to what is now Vermilion parish, thev being among the first English families who located in this section. Here Levi H. Campbell received a meagre education, married and became a successful planter. He died at the age of forty years. Newton R. Campbell's mother died in this parish in 1883, at the age of seventy-four years. The subject of this sketch is the sixth of ten ciiildren. He received his education principally in the home schools, which was quite limited, as he was about nine years of age when his father died, and it devolved upon him at an early day to labor for the support of the family. Mr. Campbell has gi\en his entire attention to planting through his whole life, and in this occupation he has been fairly successful. His plantation consists of five hundred acres of valua- ble land, which he cultivates principally in cotton, corn and potatoes. Campbell prairie, near this place, is the property of our subject. Early in 1862 Mr. Camp- bell joined Fournet's Battalion, then the Eighteenth Louisiana Infantry, in which he served until discharged. He was in the battle of Camp Bisland. and was there severely wounded, from which he was rendered unfit for further service. July 12, 1S65, Mr. Campbell married Mrs. Silina Shaw. To this union five children have been born, viz: Don A., Daisy J., Dora D.. Oralind B. and New- ton G. ^ EUGENE DEMARY, Abbeville. — Eugene Demary was born in France. in 1832. He is the son of Nicholas Demary and Mary Verio, both of whom were natives of France. They emigrated to America in 1837, locating first in New- Orleans, and afterward in Franklin, St. Mary parish. Here Nicholas Demary became a successful merchant and sugar planter. After residing there for a few years, he removed to Vermilion parish, and built the first house erected in Abbe- ville. For a number of years he served as justice of the peace, and was promi- nent in all local proceedings. He was a distinguished member of the Masonic fraternity. He died in 1S61. Our subject's mother died in 1844. Both were members of the Catholic church. The subject of this sketch and a sister are the onl}' living members of the family. Eugene Demary was married, in 1854, to Miss Josephine Boudreaux. They are the parents of eight children, four sons and four daughters; P.uiiela (deceased), Felix W. (deceased), Leon (deceased), Leopold, Paula, Paolitas, and Albert N. Mr. Demary owns one hundred acres of land near Abbeville, where he has resided thirty-four years. He has given his attention exclusively to planting. Mr. Demar}' was a soldier in the late war, having enHsted in 1S61 and served until May, 1865. He has at different times held the positions of lUSlXlRICAL AND BIOGRAPHTCAL. 2S5 deputy sheriff, constable, and treasurer, of the town of Abbeville, and is one of \'ermilion's most progressive and energetic citizens. « ^ JUDGE W. W. EDWARDS, Abbeville.— Judge Wakeman W.Edwards, a prominent member of the Abbeville bar, was born in Saratoga county, New York, September 13, 1826. His grandfather, Edwards, was born on Long Island, of English parentage. Our subject is the oldest of a familv of three children born to Henr\- and Betsy (Rogers) Edwards, both of whom were na- tives of New York. Henr)' Edwards was a prosperous farmer. He died in Xrw York in 1S52. His wife died in 1856. Judge Edwards received his education at Union College, Scheiiectadv, Xew York, of which institution he is a graduate. After leaving college young Ed- wards emigrated to Mississippi, where he was engaged in school teaching for five years, at the same time pursuing a course of stud}'. He was admitted to tliL- bar in Canton. Mississi]ipi, 1855, and began practice tlie following year in Conwax county. Arkansas. He served as a member of the Legislature from 1S5S to i860. In 1S59 Judge Edwards removed to Lake Village, Chicot county, Arkansas, where he practised law until 1863, when lie entered the Confederate Slates army, and served during the latter two years of the war. After the war he located in New Orleans, where he remained until 1875, in which year lie came to xAbbeville and practised law, and was editor and proprietor of the Ver milion Banner. He abandoned the Banner after one year, and since tiiat time lias piactissd his profession. Mr. Edwards was appointed district judge in 1889 to fill the unexpired term of Judge C. Debaillon. He was president of the parish school board tor several years; and for two years served as United States Com- missioner of the western district of Louisiana. Judge Edwards ranks high as a law\'.r, and as a citizen he is public-spirited, and is always identified with meas- ures originated for tlie promotion of the public good. * ^ C. J. EDWARDS. M. D., Abbeville.— Dr. Edwards was born near Little Rock, Arkansas, October 13. 1858. He is the son of Judge W. W. Edwards, whose sketch appears above. Dr. Edwards was reared and educated in New Orleans and first engaged in business in 1876 at Abbeville in the publication of the Vermilion Banner in conjunction with his father. In 1881 he entered the Kentucky School of Medicine, remaining there one year. In 1882-S3 he at- tended the University of Louisville, from whicli he graduated in 1883 at the head of his class. Tlie same j-ear he began die practice of his profession in Chicot county, Arkansas, whence he went to New Iberia, remaining one year, and tiien removed to Abbeville, where he formed a partnership with Dr. F. F. Young, and with him he was associated until January, 1888. Dr. Edwards has 286 SOUy-H] VES T LOL IS I A NA : a lucrative practice. He wa.s married Oclol)er 7, 1SS7, to Miss Kale M. Yount;-, daughter of Francis D. Young, M. D., and Mathilde Gut-goii. They are the parents of two sons, Harold G. and Mark H. Dr. Edwards is prominent in local affairs and is identified with the leading interests of his localit\-. He is president of the local fire department, member of the town council, and one ot the directors of the Abbeville Loan Association. He is health officer ot \Y'r milion parish. In 1891 he became associated with E. I. Addison in the propri- etorship of The Meridional. GUS GODCHAUX, Abbeville. — Gus Godchaux, a prosperous merchant and planter, was born at Franklin, Louisiana, October 17, 1853. He is the son of David and Brunet (Block) Godchaux, both natives of France. They moved to St. Mary parish, Louisiana, in the the forties, where they reared a family of ten children, si.x sons and four daughters; the subject of this sketch being the only one of the children now living. His father has for many years been en- gaged in mercantile business at Franklin, where he and his wife still reside. Gus Godchaux engaged as a clerk in a store at the age of fifteen years, in which capacity he worked for several years in New Orleans, Morgan City, and other places. At the age of twenty-three 3'ears he opened a mercantile business in Abbeville and has here been engaged since that time. He has prospered and owns a considerable amount of property in Vermilion parish. He has four hundred and ninety acres of land near Abbeville, and is the possessor of twenty- three town lots, some of which are improved. His mercantile business is large and under Mr. Godchaux's judicious management is constantly increasing. He is a large shipper of cotton, cotton seed and sugar, tie is a member of the Masonic Order and K. of H., and has held high offices in both lodges of which he is a member. JOSEPH T. GUIDRY, Abbeville. — Joseph T. Guidry was born in St. Martin parish, Louisiana, December 22, 1837. He is the son of Joseph T. Guidry, a native of St. Martin parish. Joseph T. Guidry, Sr., was a successful planter of St. Martin parish, and at the beginning of the war possessed a large fortune, but as it consisted of slaves and personal property to a great extent, he lost nearl}- everything by the war. He died about 1S75, at the age of sixty- eight years. Joseph T. Guidr}', Jr., was the second of a family of six children, and the only one now living. He received his education in St. Martin p irish, in the common schools, and remained with liis father on his plantation until he was wenty-one years of age, when he removed to Vermilion parish, and located where he now resides. His plantation is situated three miles west of Abbeville, and is noted for its beauty and fertilitv. Shortly after locating at this place Mr. HISTORICAL AXD BIOGRAPHICAL. iWl Giiitlry married Miss Marie Nunez, a sister of Adrien Nunez, whose sketch ap- pears elsewhere. To this union has been born a daughter, Rose Belle, wife of E. C. Kibbe. Since beginning business in Vermilion parish Mr. Guidry lias been a stock raiser and planter, and being possessed of the energy which characterizes the family he has been abundantly successful. Mr. Guidry was a soldier in the late Civil War, having joined Fournet's Battalion in 1862. Later he was transferred to the Eighth Louisiana Cavalry, in which he served until tlie war closed. .^ •^ HOWARD MOFFPAUIR, Inuiax Bayoi.— Edward Iloftpauir. one of Vermilion's best known citizens, was born near where he now resides, March 21, 1841. He is the second of a family- of six children now living born to Isaac and Eliza (Perry) Hoffpauir. His father is a nati\e of Vermilion parish, and his mother of St. Landry. Isaac Hoffpauir is a planter of Ver- milion parish. He is of direct German descent. Both he and his wife are members of the M. E. Church South. Howard Hoffpauir, the subject of this sketch, recei\-ed his education in the schools ol hislocalit}-. During the war he was in the heavy artillery service, C. S. A., at Vicksburg, then again in cavalry service in Louisiana. Immediatety after the war he began business as a stock man and merchant in Vermilion parish. In the latter occupation he only continued for the period of one year. To former he has given his chief attention to the present time. Of recent years, also, Mr. Hoffpauir has been quite extensively engaged in planting. He has about four hundred acres of land, the greater portion of which he cultivates in rice, cotton, and sugar cane. Soon after the war Mr. Hauffpauir was elected justice of the peace, and held the ofKce for man\- 3'ears, the last time he was elected refusing to accept the position. He has served as police juror from his ward for eighteen years, and the greater portion of this time has been its president. The present sound financial condition of Vermilion parish attests the efficiency with which they have been controlled. Mr. Hoffpauir married, December 19, 1868, Ada Spell, of Lafayette parish. They are the parents of six sons and five daughters. The subject and wife are members of the M. E. Church South, of which Mr. Hoff- pauir is a steward and active worker. J. T. HAMBLET, M. D., Perry's Bridge.— Dr. J. T. Hamblet was born in Lafayette county, Mississippi, May i, 1847. His parents, Samuel and Malissa (Beevers) Hamblet, were both natives of Georgia, but removed to Mississippi early in life, where they reared a family of fifteen children, of whom Dr. J. T. is the eldest. Mrs. Hamblet died in 1885, and Samuel Hamblet married a second time, December, 1890, a Miss Cobb. •i-^.s SOCTinVES'J' L OUISIANA ■ Dr. J. T. Ilamblel received the benefits of a good business education. At the age of eighteen vears he was engaged as overseer on a phuitation in Missis- sippi, in which capacity he served for about a year, when lie accepted a position a-* clerk in a drug store at Water Valley, Mississippi, where he remained lour \ears. From there he went to INIemphis, Tennessee, and was for a numbci- of vears engaged in a wholesale and retail drug house. In 1872-73 lie attended the Memphis Medical College, from which he graduated in the latter \ear. He liegan practice in Delav. Mississippi, May. 1874- Dr. llamblet was married in Oxford, Mississippi, 1875, to Miss Augusta K. Robertson, daugliter of G. W. and Mary ( Winfield) Robertson. Mrs. llamblet died October 31, 1886. at Perry's Bridge. Louisiana, where the Doctor had lo- cated the vear previous. Dr. llamblet was married a second time, 1887. to Mrs. Kate Nourse. widow of Hiram L. Xourse. of New Orleans. Dr. llamblet has a large jiractice and conducts a drug business at Pei'ry's Bridge. He and wife are members of the M. E. Church South. The Doctor is a member of the I. O. O. F. and K. of H., in botli of which orders lie is a prominent worker. ^ ^ JOSEPH \V. HARRINGTON, Abbevillk.— Joseph \V. Harrington, a prominent citizen of Ward 6. was born in \'ermilion parish, on Cow Island, March 4. 1S32. He is the son of William antl Sarah (Faulk) Plarrington. AVilliam Harrington was a native of Alabama, but his parents removed to Bavfiu Teche, Louisiana, when he was about three j-ears of age, being the first English speaking settleis who located on the Teche. Mr. Harrington died February 9, 1882, at a ver\" atlvanced age — probably from one hundred and one to one hun- dred and nine vears. He was a soldier in the war of 1812, and was on his way to New Orleans to participate in that celebrated battle, lut did not arrive on the scene of conllict uniil after the battle was over. Ilis principal occupation in life was planting and stock raising, lie was one of the most methodical of men, and in his habits was strictly temperate, and to this he ascribed the extraordiiiar\' age to which he attained. In politics he was a whig, and after that part}' was de- funct he voted the republican ticket. As a planter and stock raiser he had the reputation of being one of the most successful in the section in which he lived, but owing to extreme liberality he iiex'er amassed a fortune, though he was com- fortabh- situated. The mother of our subject died at the age of sixty-five \-ears. Joseph W. Harrington, the subject of this sketch, is the sixth of a family of tliirteen children. He received his education in the schools of his locality, and, at twenty-one vears of age, began life as a planter and stock raiser on the planta- tion where he now resides, which, at that time was wild prairie laiul. His plantation is a beautiful one. well improved and favorably located. In 1S62 Mr. Harrington joined Fournels Battalion, in which he served until he was dis- HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL. 28!) cliargt'd. jusl before the battle of Camp Bisland. By the war he lost lieavil)v but with patient energy soon regained a solid standing. In 1852 he married Miss Aitha Faulk, daughter of Benjamin Faulk. To them have been born five children, three of whom are living, viz: Augustus, planter and stock raiser of Vermilion parish: Zerilda, wife of John Brookshier, of Abbeville; Robert C.,. farmer and merchant of Vermilion parish. Mr. Harrington is a member of the Masonic order of Abbeville, and is president of the Farmers' Alliance at this place- ^ \V. G. KIBBE, M. D., Abbkvii-i.e. — Dr. W. G. Kibbe is a native of what is now Vermilion parish, born January 25, 1842. His father, William Kibbe, was a native of Minehead, Vermont, born in 1813. When a boy his parents removed to Louisiana, where Wm. Kibbe married Miss Louise S. Campbell. They became the parents of four children, of whom the subject of this sketch and Frances L., wife of Delmas Dubois, now residing in Houston, Texas, are the only surviving members. Mrs. Kibbe died in 1844, and the Doctor's father afterward married Miss Kisiah Campbell, a cousin of his former wife. There were born to their marriage five sons and one daughter. William Kibbe was a well-known attorney, and was, at the time of his death in 1878, parish judge. Dr. W. G. Kibbe received a good business education in the schools of the locality in which he was reared. He pursued a medical course at the medical school of what is now Tulane University from which he graduated. At the age of eighteen he enlisted in the Confederate States Army, and was in the first battle of Fort Jackson, in which he received a slight wound. From that time until the close of the war, he was engaged in hospital service, principally in New Iberia and Shreveport. After the war, in 1865, Dr. Kibbe located at Lake Charles. Louisiana, where he practised medicine for five years. He mar- ried ill 1863 Miss Sophie Walker, a native of Kentucky. Though her parents moved to St. Mary parish, Louisiana, when she was a child. At the time of her marriage, she was a resident of Nacogdoches, Texas, where her parents had removed as refugees during the war. To this union nine children were born, five sons and four daughters, six of wiiom are living, viz: Joseph E., M. D. ; Mary Lou, Nora Lee, Fannie E., M. U. Payne. Charles W. Dr. Kibbe moved from Lake Charles to Perry's Bridge in 1870, and in 1878 to Abbeville, where he has practised his profession since. WILLIAM W. KUEHLING. Abbkvillk.— William W. Kuehling. planter, ot Ward 2, was born in Virginia, October 8, 1S49. He is the son of John N. and Anna C. Kuehling. His father was a native of Strasburg, Germany, and re- moved to America when a young man. He married in Washington Citv, and 2!)(J .S O UTIl WES T LO UISIA NA : afterward removed to Virginia, wliere he became a prosperous planter. Mrs. Kuehling is still living and is a resident of Fairfax county, Virginia. William Kuehling is one of a family of five children, now living. In 1872, he removed from Virginia to Louisiana, locating in Vermilion parish. Here he married, October 16, 1881, Miss Leonline Loquex, a native of New Orleans. Mr. Kuehling was appointed sheriff of Vermilion parish in 1882, and, under President Cleveland's administration, served as inspector of customs for this section of Louisiana. Since 1881 he has conducted a mercantile business at Bayou Ligre. He also owns nine hundred acres of land, sixty of which lie cultivates in cotton and corn. His place is well improved, and he has on il an orange grove of one hundred and tift}'^ trees, besides a variety of other fruit. Mr. Kuehling is a member of the K. of H., at Abbeville, and is a member of the M. E. Church South. His wife is a member of tlie the Catholic church. They are the parents of six children, three of whom are living, viz : Bertha, Warren W., Esther. Those deceased are, William W., Lionel. Leloa. ^ SEVERIN LeBLANC, Abbeville. — Severin LeBlanc, merchant and planter, resides about ten miles northeast of Abbeville. He is a native of Vermilion parish, born within a short distance of where he now resides, February, 1833. ^^^ parents, Joseph and Clarisse (Trahon) LeBlanc were natives of Lafayette parish. His father died in 1850, at the age of fort3'-six 3'ears, and his mother, in i860, at the age of fifty-three years. Joseph LeBlanc was an extensive planter. He was a prominent citizen, and prior to his death served for ten years as member of the school board. He was the father of eleven children, five of whom are now living, the subject of this sketch being the second in order of birth. Severin LeBlanc, the subject of this sketch, pursued his studies in the local schools of Vermilion parish, acquiring a good English and French education. After the death of his father he assumed charge of the plantation, and in this, and a mercantile business, he has been engaged during the whole of his life. His plantation in Vermilion parish consists of one thousand five hundred and sixteen arpents of land. In 1882 Mr. LeBlanc opened a store at his present place of residence, and since has conducted a flourishing business in that line. Mr. LeBlanc has never sought political preferment, and, in fact, has steadfastly refused to be the recipient of any political honor. He was married, Jul}', 1853, to Miss Leontine Blanchet, of Lafayette parish. They are the parents of eleven living children, eiglit sons and three daughters. The family are catholics. Mr. LeBlanc in politics is a conservative democrat. He was a soldier through nearly the whole of the war, having joined, in 1862, Fournet's Battalion. Com- pany F, of which he afterward became first lieutenant. HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL. -ii)! Y LUCIUS LkBLANC, M. D., Gregg. — Dr. Lucius LeBlanc was born in this parish, February i6, 1861. He is the son of Severin LeBlanc, above mentioned. The subject of this sketch received his literary education at Holy Cross Collejje, New Iberia. On leaving school he conducted a drug business at Royville and New Iberia, in the meanwhile devoting his time to the study of medicine. From 1883 to 1885 he attended the Tulane University at New Orleans, from which institution he graduated in April of the latter year. He thereupon located at this place and has succeeded in building up an extensive practice. At one lime he was post-master of Gregg. Dr. LeBlanc married, in 1887, Miss Emma Broussard. Dr. LeBlanc is a democrat. JOSEPH ALCEE LeBLANC, Abbeville.— Joseph Alcee LeBlanc, police juror from ward i, was born in St. Mary parish, Louisiana, December 16, 1849. He is the son of John and Baptiste LeBlanc, both natives of this parish, where they were reared and married. They lived for some time after their marriage in St. Mary parish, but subsequently returned to Vermilion parish, where they have since resided. Mr. John LeBlanc has been a planter the whole of his life. He was a soldier in the late war, serving in Four- net's Battalion as sergeant of his compan}-, and afterward was transferred to the Eighteenth Louisiana Infantry, and later was an officer in the Fourth Louisiana Cavalry. The subject of this sketch spent his school da3S in St. Mary and Vermilion parishes, receiving a common school education. He has given his attention entirely to his planting interests since engaging in business and is one of the well-to-do planters of Vermilion parish. He was appointed member of the police jury in 1S84, and in 1S88 was reappointed. Mr. LeBlanc mar- ried, in 1872, Miss Broussard, of Vermilion parish. To this union four sons and five daughters have been born, all of whom are living. Politically Mr. LeBlanc is an unwavering Democrat. A. L. LeBLANC, Abbeville. — A. L. LeBlanc, sheriff of Vermilion parish, was born in this parish, September 10, 1855. He is one of a family of twelve children born to Richard and Ida (Moore) LeBlanc. Both parents were natives of this State. His father was a successful farmer and stock raiser. The LeBlanc family is one of the first of Louisiana, being descendants from French noblemen who sought refuge from the turbulent scenes of the old country in Louisiana. Richard LeBlanc is a successful planter of Vermilion parish. A. L. LeBlanc, the subject of this sketch, attended school in Jefferson county, Texas, for a period of five vears. After returning liome he was engaged in 292 SOUTHWES7 LOUISIANA: farming with his father for a number of years. He married, in 1878, Miss Louise Bourque, daughter of Ulger Bourque. Mrs. LeBlanc died in 1880. Mr. LeBhinc afterward married Mathilda LeBlanc, and to this union have been born five children, four daughters and a son, viz: Louise, Louis, Lelia. Clara, Aiphonsine. A. L. LeBlanc has served as deputy sheriff of Vermilion parish for a period aggregating fourteen years, and was elected sheriff of Vermilion parish in 1888, of which office he is the present efficient incumbent. He is a prosperous planter and owns considerable town property in Abbeville. Having been so long engaged in public services there are few men more competent to perform the official duties incumbent upon one occupying his responsible position than Mr. LeBlanc. He and his wife are members of the Catholic church. » ^ ALCIDE LeBLANC, Abbeville. — Alcide LeBlanc was born in Ver- milion parish, Louisiana, September, 1840. He is the son of Joseph and Clarisse (Trahon) LeBlanc, both natives of Louisiana. Joseph LeBlanc was a planter of Vermilion parish. To him and wife were born seven children, four sons and three daughters. Mr. LeBlanc died in 1861 and his wife in i860. Alcide LeBlanc began business at the age of twenty-one as a merchant in Abbeville, in which, however, he only continued for a short time. He was a soldier during the late war, having enlisted in the spring of 1862, and served until the close of the war. He was in the battles of Mansfield, Bisland, and numerous other minor engagements. His command was at Natchitoches at the time they received their discharge. Mr. LeBlanc was appointed deputy clerk of the district court January, 1883, and elected clerk in April, 1883, of which office he is the present incumbent. Mr. LeBlanc was married in 1867 to Miss Eliza Bernard. To them eight children have been born, five sons and three daughters, viz: Editha, Leonie, Bernard, Gabriel, Lucy, Eli, Joseph, Arthur, deceased. , » * L. LEOTAUD, Abbeville. — L. Leotaud was born in Harrison county, Texas, 1859. He is the son of Anthony and Maudeline V. (Ruddy) Leotaud, the former a native of Marseilles, France, and the latter of Germany. To them were born five children, three sons and two daughters, of whom our subject was the youngest. Anthony Leotaud was engaged in the hotel business in Galves- ton up to the time of his death. In his earlier days he had been captain of a vessel on the Gulf of Mexico for a number of years. He died in Texas in 1871. His wife died in i860. The subject of this sketch was reared principally in Abbeville. At the age of thirteen years he became a clerk in a store at Abbeville, Louisiana, and fol- lowed this occupation for a number of years. He owns residence property in HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL. l'!)S Abbtville, and a drinking saloon, which gives him a good income. Mr. Leotaud was married, in 1882, to Miss Louise Veazy, of Abbeville, daughter of Theo- phile Veazy. They are the parents of three children, two daughters and a son. viz: Lily, Anita and Sidney. Mr. Leotaud and wife are members of the Cath- olic church. „ » » \y MARTIN V. LAMPMAN, Abbeville. — Martin V. Lampniaii, a farmer. living about a mile east of Abbeville, was born in Columbia county. New York, Juhe 18, 1842. He is the son of C. J. and Lydia Lampman, both natives of New York. The father was a farmer, which occupation he followed until the time of his deatli in 1867. After his death liis wife and children removed to Pennsylvania, where she died in 1872. The subject of ihis sketch is the fourth of a family of five sons and one daugliter. He came to Louisiana in 1873, being the only member of his family who came to this countrj'. He owns a farm of one hundred and forty acres of land under fence, on which he raises corn, cotton and cane. He also keeps a dairy and furnishes milk to the town of Abbeville. He was married in New Orleans in 1864, while in the United States army, to Miss Hannah Leckert. They were the parents of four children, three sons and a daughter, viz: Charles A., Martin, Edgar and Jennie. Mrs. Lampman died in 1880, and Mr. Lampman was married a second time, to Miss Pauline Stephen. To them four children, two sons and two daughters, have been born. Mr. Lampman has been a member of the school board for a number of j'ears, and has been commissioner of election ever since he removed to this parish. He was president of the first Farmers' Union that was organized in this parish, and was vice president of the union for a 3'ear. He is also a member of the Build- ing and Loan Association of Abbeville. In religion he is a Methodist. « • REV. A. M. MEHAULT, Abbeville.— Rev. Father A. M. Mehault, parish priest of Vermilion, was born in France, June, 1843. He was educated for the priesthood in France, and emigrated to America in 1865, landing at New Orleans, where he was ordained priest in 1867. The same year he was located at Opelousas as vicar, and was also vicar at Abbeville for one year and a half, where, in December, 1868, he was sent. He became parish priest in 1870, and in that capacity has continued till the presenttime. Father Mehault is known throughout the parish as a high minded Christian gentleman. Under his abfe administration, his parochial affairs have been in excellent condition. A large $13,000 church house and $15,000 convent have been erected, the latter of wliich is attended by a great number of children. Rev. Father Mehault was one of the heaviest contributors to the building of these institu- tions, which by his untiring energy and perseverance are free from debt. 204 SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA ■ The immense parish of which he has charge is soon to be divided into three or four different ecclesiastical parishes. The new church is now entirely too small and inadequate to the growing population — population growing up from children born there. ^ ELI MONTAGNE, Abbeville. — Eli Montagne was born in Iberia parish, Louisiana, Februar)' 20, 1834. He is a son of Eli and Arthemise (LeBlanc) Montagne. His father was a native of France, who came to America when young. Our subject's maternal grandparents removed to Louisiana from Canada at a very early dav, and were among the first settlers of Louisiana. Here they reared a family of children, amongst whom was the mother of our subject. She is still living. The father died in 18SS, at the age of eighty-three years. Eli Montaone received a common school education. The first business in which he embarked was merchandising, in which he was engaged up to the beginning of the war. In 1861 he enlisted in the Confederate States army as second lieutenant in Captain Fuller's Independent Company of Fournet's Battalion. At the battle of Bisland, and in two subsequent engagements, Mr. Montagne re- ceived serious wounds, from which he was rendered unfit for active service, and was detailed to contract the manufacture of clothing for the Confederate States armv. In the latter part of the war he conducted a tan yard at Natchitocnes for a short period, and was afterward engaged in steamboating on Bayou Teche for some time. He subsequently opened a commission business in New Orleans, but was not successful; and after conducting it for a few years he removed to New Iberia and engaged in merchandising, in which he was more successful. In 1874 he removed to Vermilion parish and purchased at tax Sctles a large tract of land. He has served as surveyor since 1878. Mr. Montague conducts a grcjcery store in Abbeville. He was married, in 1856, to Odilie Segura, a de- scendant of the original settlers of the Spanish colony at Iberia. To this union ten children have been born, five of whom are living, viz : Fernand. Paul. Eli U., Henry, Elmira. ^ « » / ALEXANDER MOSS, Abbeville. — Alexander Moss was born in La- fayette parish, near Royville, in 1831. He is the son of Joseph and Clara (Thibodeaux) Moss. Joseph Moss was a native of Georgia, and came to Louis- iana with his parents when 3'oung, locating in Vermilion parish, they being among the pioneer settlers of this section. Joseph Moss afterward located in Lafayette parish, where he became a prosperous planter. He died in the prime of his life. The subject of this sketch is the second of ten children, of whom A. J Moss, of Lafayette, whose sketch appears in another part of this work, is a brother. Young Alexander worked on his father's plantation and attended HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL. •>!).> school alternately until he attained his majority. At his father's death he re- moved to Vermilion parish and assumed charge of the sugar plantation which his father possessed in that parish. He located permanently in his present phice of residence in 1868, where he owns two hundred and forty acres of land under the best of improvement, the principal product of his plantation being sugar cane. Mr. Moss has also a fine orange grove of from one thousand to twelve liundred trees, with a variety of other fruits. He was a soldier in the late war, having enlisted in 1862, in Fournet's Yellow Jacket Battalion, afterward being trans- ferred to the Eighteenth Louisiana. He participated in the battles at Bisland, Yellow Bayou and in other minor engagements. At Bisland he was taken pris- oner, and detained a short while at New Orleans. Mr. Moss was united in marriage, in 1861, with Miss Martha Rice, daughter of Samuel R. Rice. They are the parents of eight living children, seven daughters and a son. Our sub- ject is a member of the Farmers' Alliance, and is an ardent democrat. V * * HENRY J. MOSS, Abbevii.le. — Henr\' J. Moss is a native of Louisiana, born in what is now Vermilion parish, 1835. ^^ '^ one of a famih' of seven children born to Alfred and Joanna (Hartley) Moss. Alfred Moss was born in Georgia, removing to Louisiana with his parents when a boy, and here received his education. He was a soldier in the Mexican War. During the whole of his life he gave his attention to agricultural pursuits. He died in Vermilion parish in 1845, his widow surviving him until 1853. The subject of this sketch was educated in the schools of the localitv in which he was reared, and on beginning business life engaged in farming, to which he has devoted himself during the whole of his life. He served as a soldier in the Civil War, having enlisted in the infantry service. He only served a short while, when he was wounded and was disabled for active service and received his discharge. Mr. Moss owns six hundred acres of land in Vermilion parish, three hundred of which he cultivates, principally in corn, rice and cane. In 1858 he married Miss Jane Primeaux, of Vermilion parish. Thev are the parents of sixteen children, fifteen of whom are living, viz: Maticia, x\nna, Clarence, Franklin, Henrietta, Laura, Carrie INL, Hartlev, Oliver, Howard, Cornelius, Clifton, Lih', Lilian and Walter. ^ * * THOMAS J. MORGAN, Henry.— Thomas J. Morgan is a native of Alabama, born Januarj' i. 1830. He is the son of James S. and Susan G. (Lloyd ) Morgan. His father was a native of South Carolina, born December 30, 1804. His mother was born January 10, 1808. James S. Morgan was a farmer by occupation. He married in South Carolina in 1829, and became the father of eight children, six sons and two daughters, two of whom are living, our subject being the elder. Thos. J. was reared and educated in Alabama, where he iiiif, SOUTHWEST L OUISIANA . resided until 1S67, when he removed to Vermilion parish, and has here since been engaged in planting. He served in the Confederate army during the Civil War, having enlisted in 1861 in Company A, Third Alabama Infantry. He was in the battles of Corinth, Murfreesboro, and numerous other engagements. Mr. Morgan is prominent in local affairs. He was appointed member of the police jury from the second ward in 1884, and served in this capacity for four years. He is one of Vermilion's successful planters, and has amassed a comfortable fortune. The principal products of his plantation are corn, cotton and rice. Mr. Morgan is a member of the Masonic order at Abbeville. He was married in Ringold county, Alabama, September 16, 1867, to Miss Mary L. Jones, a native of Wilcox county, Alabama, daughter of Gray B. and Elizabeth (Kennedy) Jones, nativesof South Carolina and Alabama, respectively. Ten children have been born to their union, six sons and four daughters, nine of whom are now living, viz: Elizabeth M., wife of S. M. Henr}'; William J., Thomas J., Jr., Luke L., John G., Mattie A., wite of Clarence Moss; Susan G., Eddie K., and Mary R. Mrs. Morgan died October 26, 1888. She. as is her husband, was a member of the M. E. Church South. ^ ALBERT G. MAXWELL, Ramskv.— Albert G. Maxwell, one of the pioneer settlers of what is now Vermilion parish, is a native of Maryland, born in Chestertown, Kent county, October 6. 1815. He is the son of John and Rebecca (Coats) Maxwell. John Maxwell was a soldier in the war of 1812, as a m^ber of the Light Horse Company. He was in the battle near Chester- town, Maryland, where Sir Peter Parker was killed : and also in the bat- tle of Calksfield. Early in life he pursued a medical course, in which he gradu- ated, but the practice of medicine not proving congenial to his taste, he after- ward studied law, though he was never admitted to the bar; and tinally planting became his lifetime occupation. He was an extensive and prominent planter, and was a large slave holder. He was the first slave owner in Marjland who emancipated his slaves. This he did bv giving the young ones their freedom at the age of twenty-one years, and the old ones were liberated at his death. He died at the age of forty-nine years, Albert G. being at the time ten 3'ears old. He was a member of the Episcopal church, and an active worker. In politics he adhered strictly to the principles of the whig party. Rebecca Coats Maxwell was a daughter of John Coats, of Easton, Maryland. He was aprominent Mason, and served for a number of years as first worshipful master in the Stale Grand Lodge. He was a sergeant in the division that Arnold commanded during the Revolutionary War. After the war in recognition of his services the government bestowed upon him grants of land in Franklin county, Ohio. He was an inti- mate friend and associate of Jolin Knox, of revolutionary fame. Dr. Coats HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL. 297 never amassed a fortune, though his income was large. He was generous almost to a fault. Albert G. Maxwell, the subject of this sketch, is one of a family of four children, only two of whom are living — himself and Sophia, widow of Dr. Henry M. Robertson, of Huntsville. Susan Henrietta married J. C. Wallis, of Mary- land. She died at the age of twenty-one years. John M. was a merchant in New Brunswick, who came to Louisiana in 1851, and located in Lafayette par- ish, where he was married, and resided until the time of his death, at the age of forty-nine years. Albert G. Maxwell received a thorough academic education. At the age of seventeen j'ears, he removed to Louisiana, and was for some time engaged as a book-keeper for Smith & Sons, of Franklin, Louisiana. Two years after en- tering their employ, he opened an establishment on his own account, and was engaged in the business for a period of several years. Subsequent to this he was for twelve years occupied in planting in Lafaj-ette parish, when he removed to this parish, and has given his attention since to conducting his plantation. In 18S7 he purchased the Pecan Grove plantation, which consists of four hundred and fifty acres of fertile land near Abbeville. Mr. Maxwell v^'as married at the age of twenty-three years to Miss Martha Nixon, of Lafayette parish. Slie died in 1875. He afterward married Miss Mary E. Tilden, of Kent county, Mary- land, a cousin of Samuel J. Tilden. Mrs. Maxwell died in 1880. Before the dissolution of that part}', Mr. Maxwell was a Whig. He is a prominent member oi the Masonic fraternity. ^ * » ^ MARCUS L. MORTON, xAbbeville.— Marcus L. Morton was born in Vermilion parish, December 11, 1848. His father, John W. Morton, was a native of Kentucky, and on his way to join the United States army during the Mexican war he stopped in Louisiana, remaining for some time. While here he married Miss Adelaide Mouton, our subject's mother. Subsequently he removed to Jefferson county, Texas. He became sheriff of Jefferson county, and in 185 1 was killed in an attempt to make an arrest. Marcus L. Morton received his education in the public school.s of Vermilion parish. At the age of fourteen years he joined the State Guards and was afterward transferred to the Eighth Louisiana Regiment, dismounted cavalry, and with his regiment was a participant in the battles of Mansfield, Pleasant Hill, and the skirmislies on Lafourche bayou and the Mississippi river Since the war Mr. Morton has been successfully engaged in farming and stock raising. His place, located fifteen miles southwest of Abbeville, consists of four hundred acres of land on Cow Island and two hundred acres on Pine Island. Mr. Morton married, in 1870, Miss Begir Mouton. To this union five children have been born, viz: Augustus A., Adams O., Adelaide. Agnes and 298 SOUTHWEST L O UISIANA : Joseph A. Mr. Morton and familx' are members of the Catholic church. He is a Mason and a member ot the Farmers" Alliance. He is a Democrat. ^ HON. ADRIEN NUNEZ, Abbeville.— Hon. Adrien Nuiiez was born in what is now Vermilion parish, October 22, 1829. He is the oldest son of a family of five children born to Joseph and Mary (Loups) Nunez, both of whom were natives of Louisiana. His father was a large planter and stock dealer of Lafayette parish. He died in this parish in 1887 at the age of eight3r-seven years. The mother of our subject was born in Lafayette parish in 1806 and died in 1874. ^^ '^^'^ '^^^ children born to them four are now living. The subject of this sketch was educated in the common schools of Vermil- ion parish. Since engaging in business he has given his chief attention to plant- ing and stock raising. Mr. Nuiiez has taken a prominent part in public affairs, and was elected member of the Legislature from Vermilion parish in 185 1, serv- ing for one term. He was again elected in i860, and reelected in 1862. In 1874 he was elected to the lower house, and served until 1877. In iSSo he was elected member of the State Senate, and served four years. His public services have been marked by their conservatism, and the vigilance with which he has represented the interest of his constituency. Mr. Nunez enjoys an enviable popu- larity, and if he chooses to accept them, he is looked upon as the subject of high future honors. In a financial sense Mr. Nunez has been remarkably successful. He owns fourteen thousand acres of excellent land, bounded on the south bvthe Gulf of Mexico, and on the west by Vermilion Bayou. Three hundred acres are in a high state of cultivation, the principal products being rice, corn and cane. He also deals extensively in a fine grade of stock, and has on his planta- tion a number of Durham cattle, and a superior grade of horses, sheep, and hogs. Mr. Nunez was married in 1848 to Miss Olivia Guidry, a native of St. Martin parish, born 1832, and daughter of Oliver Guidry. To their union have been born two sons and seven daughters, eight of whom are living. His wife died in 1874. Mr. Nunez, in 1876, married Miss Lillie Breaux, of Vermilion parish. They are the parents of four children: Nellie, C. B., Maud and Olgar. >/ . . * * ADRIEN HEBRARD NUNEZ, Abbeville.— Adrien H. Nunez, a suc- cessful stock raiser, was born at Spring Hill, June 6, 1859. He is the son of Adrien Nunez, whose sketch appears above. He was but an infant when his father removed to what is now Nufiez Island, where he was reared. He received his education at Thibodeauxville and Lafayette, graduating from Thibodeaux- ville at the age of nineteen years. Mr. Nuiiez educated himself with the view of becoming a physician, but changed his mind and gave his attention to stock raising and planting. He is probably the most extensive stock dealer in this sec- HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL. 29!> tion of the country. He has on his place a huge number of a tine jfrade of horses and cattle. His plantation consists of three thousand acres of land, finely located and well improved. Mr. Nunez married, February 19, 1884, Miss Mary LeonaKibbe, daughter of Levi Kibbe, of Vermilion parish. The}' are the parents of two children, a son and a daughter. Both Mr. Nunez and wife are members of the Catholic church. He has taken quite an active part in the local affairs of his parish, and has served as deputy sheriff and tax collector. In politics he is an uncompro- mising democrat. ^ '^ HON. OLIVER H. O'BRYAN, Abbeville.— Mr. O'Bryan, assessor of Vermilion parish, was born in this parish, Februarj^ 20, 1862. He is the son of Daniel O'Bryan, whose sketch appears elsewhere. Mr. 0'Br3'an spent his school days in Lafayette and Abbeville, and was eight years of age at the time of his father's death. At an earl}' age he entered agricultural pursuits, and successfully pursued it until twenty years old; when, seeking a more active vocation, he learned the trade of carpenter, which, however, he abandoned for that of cooper, working at the last mentioned trade for the manufacturers of sugar in the vicinity for a period of two years. He then became a salesman, and for four years was justice of the peace. Having grown well acquainted with the parish, and established a reputation for his re- liability, he secured the deputy clerkship of the district court under Lastie Broussard, and served for a considerable period, during which time he became well acquainted with the business of the parish. In January, 1S89, he was appointed assessor of Vermilion parish, and is the present incumbent of that office. Mr. O'Bryan is a young man of prepossessing appearance, and the con- fidence which he has established between himself and the citizens of Vermilion parish makes him their probable subject of the future honors of her people. He is united in marriage with Miss Ruth Abigail Nourse, a native of New Orleans. They are the parents of two children: John Winford and Edwin Paul. Mr. O'Bryan and wife are stanch members of the Catholic church, and he is a prominent member of the K. of H., being reporter of his lodge at this place. "^ LEVI S. RICE, Abbeville. — Levi S. Rice was born in St. Mary parish on what was then known as Rice's Island, January 6, 1820. He is the son of Samuel Rice, who was born in Kentucky, and removed to Louisiana when he was a young man, while Louisiana belonged to France. He resided on Rice's Island until 1828, when he removed to what is now Vermilion parish, where he spent the remainder of his life. He died in 1848, at the age of sixty-two years. His wife died in 1839, '^' about the age of thirty-nine years. ;{(iO SOUTH WEST LOUISIANA : The subiect of lliis sketch is the oldest of a family of ten children. He spent his school days in St. Mary and Vermilion parishes. He remained with his father until his death, when he assumed charge of the plantation, and later beg;in planting for himself. Early in the Civil War Mr. Rice was appointed quartermaster of the Vermilion Regiment, in which capacity he served for a short while, subsequently engaging as department agent at Lafayette. After the war he taught school several years, when he again resumed planting, in which he is at present engaged. Mr. Rice was married, in 184S, to Miss Elmira Campbell, a native of Vermilion parisli, Louisiana. To them ten children have been born, four of whom are living, viz: Ella C, Olive, Reese and Weeta. Mr. Rice is a member of the Farmers' Alliance and has served as president of this union. • » • CORNELIUS L. RICE, Ramsey. — CorneHus L. Rice was born in what is cow Vermilion parish, August 15, 1835. He is the son of Samuel Rice, of whom mention is made in his sketch of Levi Rice. Young Cornelius L. received his education in his native parish, and through the whole of his life has been a planter and stock raiser. In 1861 he joined the Eighth Louisiana Infantry, C. S. A., in which he served for two years, when he was transferred to the Second Louisiana Cavalry, which was assigned to service in the Trans-Mississippi department. While in the Eighth Louisiana, his field of operation was principally in Virginia, and he participated in many engage- ments of the Virginia campaign. After he was transferred to the Trans-Missis- sippi department, Mr. Rice was on duty principally as a scout and a guide. The regiment disbanded on Red River; Mr. Rice, at that time, being home on a furlough. He married, in 1862, Miss Laura Perr}-, who lived three years after her marriage. Mr. Rice married again in 1867, Miss Nancy O'Brien. To them thirteen children have been born, five sons and eight daughters, all of whom are living. Politically Mr. Rice is a democrat. He is a member of the Farmers' Alliance, of which he has been vice president. He owns six hundred acres of very fertile woodland, a small portion of which is under cultivation. V' LORENZO C. RICE, Ramsey. — Lorenzo C. Rice, a prosperous farmer and stock raiser of the seventh ward, was born in V^ermilion parish. June 9, 1828. He is the son of Samuel R. Rice, mentioned elsewhere. Our subject spent his school days in this parish, receiving a fair education. At the age of twenty-one years Mr. Rice began farming and stock raising, in which he has been constantly engaged since that time. He was a soldier in the Confederate States service during the late Civil War, enlisting, in 1861, in Fournet's Battalion. He was atterward transferred to the Eighth Louisiana Cavalry, in which he served the remainder of the war. He was in the battles at HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL. ;W1 Camp Bisland and Donaldsonville. At the former place lie only escaped being captured by accepting the prerogative of untold hardships, having gone for eight days without food and with little water. At the close of the war Mr. Rice re- turned home and resumed planting. He owns three hundred and ninety acres of land of the greatest fertility, a portion of which is under cultivation. ^ JAMES B. RAMSEY, M. D., Ramsey.— James B. Ramsey was born in Chatham county, N. C, August 27, 1820. He is the son of Ambrose Knox Ramsey and Nancy Yancey, of Yanceyville, N. C. natives of North Carolina. Ambrose K. Ramsey was a wealthy farmer and mill owner and North Carolina legislator. Wlien James B. was but a boy, his parents removed to Alabama where his mother died. The father died at the age of ninety-one years in Meri- dian, Miss. James B. Ramsey's grandfather and two of his great-uncles were soldiers in the Revolutionary War — true whigs. James B. is the second of a family of ten children, seven now living. He re- ceived his literary education at the University of Alabama, at Tuscaloosa. Later he matriculated in the medical school of Transylvania University, Lexington, Ky., from which he graduated in 1843. He first practised medicine in Wash- ington county, Alabama, and subsequently in Mississippi. In 1871 he removed to Iberia parish, Louisiana, and in 1872 located at his present place of residence. During the late war he was surgeon of Harrison's Regiment. He had been a member of the Secession Convention in Mississippi, and signed the Secession Ordinance. Doctor Ramsey has given his attention to planting since 1847. He now owns four hundred acres of veiy fertile land where he resides, which he conducts to the best advantage. He was married in 1846 to Miss Elizabeth A. Cole, daughter of a prominent planter of Mississippi, and representative in North Carolina and Mississippi Convention in 1851. They are the parents of seven living children, three sons and four daughters. Doctor Ramsey is a member of the Masonic fraternity, Master of Royal Arch Mason. He is a whole-souled democrat and takes an active part in the manipulation of part)' affairs. Ramsey postoffice, at his place of residence, is named in his honor or from his former residence at the place. He is opposed to the Louisiana letter)' and all lotteries, and is using his influence to prevent a recharter. * * * "/ H. J. STANSBURY. Pkrrv's Bridgp:.— H. J. Stansbury, of the firm of S. Stansbur}' & Son, was born on the plantation where he now lives, December 2, 1858. He is the son of Summerfield and Rachael (Stakes) Stansbury. Summerfield Stansburj'^ is yet living and a resident of this parish, born on the plantation where he now resides. He is about fifty-si.K years of age. He has been a ver\- successful planter all his life. In 1868 he engaged in the manufac- 302 SO UTH WEST L O UlSIA NA : ture of sugar and syrup on a limited scale. In iSSi he erected a more exten- sive plant. For a while before the war he was in the mercantile business at New Iberia. On the breaking out of hostilities, he enlisted in the Confederate armj', his field of operation being on the east of the Mississippi River, where he participated in many hard-fought battles. He was taken prisoner, but only held in captivity one month. His wife is still living. Siie is a member of the M. E. Church South. He is a Mason, with his membership at Abbeville, and has alvvaj's been a stanch democrat. Our subject is tlie oldest of three sons, and the second of eight children. He spent his school days at Abbeville, later attending the Normal School of Chicago, Illinois, in 1875 and 1876. On leaving school he immediately com- menced farming on his father's plantation. In 1882 he was engaged on Mr. Putnam's plantation for the period of two years as overseer, later becoming a partner in the culture of sugar cane. In 1886 he took charge of his father's sugar house and in 1888 became his partner. In this he has been since engaged. His management is most effective and able, and his repeated successes have be- come proverbial. In 1876 Mr. Stansbury married Miss Rosa Feray, daughter of Capt. Feray, of this parish. To them have been born four children: Dora M., Francis V., Benny H. and Leon. The subject is a Mason, holding the posi- tion of secretary of Abbeville Lodge, No. 192, F. and A. M., and is a member of the K. of H., Lodge No. 3240. Politically he is a democrat. » » » ^ HON. GRANVILLE B. SHAW, Abbeville.— Hon. Granville B. Shaw, Representative in the lower house of the Legislature from Vermilion parish, was born in what is known as Nunez Island, August 14, 1848. He is the son of John Shaw and Rebecca Merriman. John Shaw was born in Raleigh, North Carolina, and came to Louisiana when a young man. He served as a soldier in the war of 1S12. After locating in Louisiana Mr. Shav\' became a large sugar planter, and operated the place now owned b}' Adrien Nuiiez. He died in what is now Vermilion parish, in 1867. The subject's grandfatlier was Commodore John Shaw, of the United States Nav}', a native of England, who removed to Ireland, and, later, to the United States. Granville B. Shaw is one of seven children. He received his education in Orange, Texas, in Dr. Houston's school, and was in attendance at this place when the Civil War broke out. Leaving school in 1862 he joined Company B, Selby's Brigade, and was in active service during the remainder of the war. He participated in the battles of Mansfield, Pleasant Hill, Yellow Bayou, and other engagements in Louisiana. In one of these engagements he was slightly wound- ed, though not rendered unable for active service. After the war Mr. Shaw learned the carpenter's trade, and in 186S came to Abbeville and engaged in mercantile puisuits. In 1870 he was elected sheriff of Vermilion parish and. HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL. 303 with the exception of the years 1873-74, occupied the office until 1883. In 1888 he became an independent candidate for the lower house of the Legislature and was elected by a handsome majority over the regular democratic nominee. Mr. Shaw was married, August 8, 1870, to Miss Zulma Marie Bernard. They r.re the parents of three living children: Daisy J., born August 2, 1871 ; Jolin Berwick, born August 7, 1873, and Mercedes, born March 30, 1878. * * * MARTIN SARVER, Indian Bayou. — Martin Sarver was born in Ver- milion parish September 17, 1832. He is the son of William and Denice (Rolen) Sarver. His father was born in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, and removed to Louisiana when a j^oung man. He located in Vermilion parish, where he married our subject's mother. He afterward removed to St. Landry parish, and was connected with a tan-3^ard. In this he was engaged until the lime of his death in 1870. His wife died in 1878. Mrs. Sarver was a lad}' of Frencli de- scent, lier parents having been natives of France. Martin Sarver is the eldest of a family of twelve children. He received his education in the schools of St. Landry parish, where he resided until 185 1 or 1S52. when he removed to his present place of residence in Vermilion parisli, which was then a wild prairie. He has always given his attention chiefly to farming and has been successful. He was elected a member of the police jury before the war and served in this capacity for seventeen consecutive years, a portion of which time he was the president. He also served for many years as justice of the 'peace from his ward. He is the present post-master at Indian Bayou, which position he has held since 18S2. Mr. Sarver served the latter two 3'ears of the Civil War, having enlisted in the Shreveport Battalion, or Sev- enth Louisiana Regiment, as sergeant, in which he served until the close of the war. Two of his brothers were [)rivates in the same regiment. Mr. Sarver was married July 4, 1S51, to Miss Altha Z. Morgan, of Vermilion parish. Thev are the parents of six living children, three sons and three daughters. The family are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church South, in which he is steward. , ^ JOSEPH THEALL, Abbeville. — Joseph Theall, planter and stock raiser, was born at Perry's Bridge, Vermilion parish, July 19, 1847. He is the son of Andrew J. and Marie (Nunez) Theall, both natives of what is now Ver- milion parish. Andrew J. Theall was a successful planter of this parish. He was for several years parish assessor, and was a well known and respected citizen. The subject of this sketch is the second of tive children. He received his education in the Lafayette high school. In the latter part of the late war he joined the Eleventh Louisiana Infantry, in which he served until the surrender. ;i04 SOUTHWEST LOU/S/ANA: After the war he again entered school, only remaiiiiiiy;, liovvever, a short while. On leaving school he took charge of a stock farm. Farming and stock raising has been his principal occupation through life; and by industry and judicious management he has been quite successful, being now one of Vermilion's well- to-do farmers. He owns over six hundred acres of land, situated twelve miles south of Abbeville. In 1870 Mr. Theall was united in marriage with Mathilde Guidry, of Lafayette parish. They are the parents of five sons and four dauofhters. AURELIEN THEALL, Abbeville.— Aurelien Theall was born in Ver- milion parish, February, 185 1. His father, Andrew Jackson Theall died wlien Aurelien was but three years of age. His mother is still living. Aurelien Tlieall spent his school days in Vermilion parish and recei\'ed a fair education. At an early age he accepted a position as salesman in a mercantile business in this parish, which he followed for some time, sub- sequently turning his attention to farming. This he pursued for several years, when he entered the store of V. Broussard as clerk, with whom he remained three years, at the expiration of which time he removed to his present place of residence, in 1880, and opened a store in partnership with his brother Joseph. In connection with this Mr. Theall owns six hundred arpents of land, which he concucts as a stock farm principally. He was mgrried, April 25, 187 1, to Miss Eusiede Guidry, of Lafayette parish. They are the parents of one son and five dauirhters. The familv are all Catholics. MAURICE VILLIEN, Milton. — Maurice Villien, a successful and ener- getic merchant and planter of Ward 4, is a native of Savoie, France, and came to the United States when a 3'oung man, locating in Louisiana. He first was engaged in business in New Orleans, later, Iberia, and subsequently removed to Vermilion parish. In all these places he has been engaged in merchandising. Maurice Villien has two living children, Joseph A., M. D., and John. Dr. Joseph Villien was born in Vermilion parish, and received his literary education at St. Charles College, Grand Coteau, graduating with the degree of B. A. in 1887. Immediateh^ after his graduation Joseph A. Villien began the study of medicine under the direction ot Dr. M. R. Cushman. In 18S7 lie matricul.ited in the medical college of the Tulane University, of Louisiana, from which institution he graduated in 1890- He is a member ot Attakapas Medical Association, also a member of tlie C. K. of A., at Abbeville, of which he was financial secretary in 1891. John \'illien is now attending school in Grand Coteau. All the family are practical Roman Catliolics. HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL. 305 W. L. VANSLYKE, Abbeville. — W. L. Vanslyke, a successful planter, who resides about two miles and a half south of Abbeville, was born in Green county, Indiana, in 1849. He is the son of Henry and Harriet (Leonard) Van- slyke, the former a native of New York and the latter of Indiana. They reared a family of nine children, two sons and seven daughters, of whom the subject of this sketch is the third. The parents both spent their whole lives in Green county, where Mr. Vanslyke was a successful farmer. He died in 1887 and his wife in 1873. The children are all living and are scattered over the different states, Mr. W. L. Vanslyke being the onl}' member of the family in Louisiana. Removing to his present place of residence in 1870 he engaged in farming, in which he has continued with success. He owns two hundred and seventy acres of land, mostly under cultivation and well improved. He has on his place a sugar-mill, in which he manufactures his own product. He raises about a hundred acres of cane annually, manufacturing a hundred hogsheads of sugar besides raising a large amount of corn. He is a methodical and successful business man. He was married in 1872 to Miss Margaret Vanslyke. To them have been born seven children, a son and six daughters, viz : Beulah, Ira, Neosha, Daisy, Birdie, Nita (deceased). Hazel. Mr. Vanslyke has served. for three years as member of the police jury and is an active participant in public matters. He is a member of the Knights of Honor. He and wife are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church South. ^ • * THOS. S. WINSTON, Ramsey.— T. S. Winston was born in Louisa county, Virginia, July 20, 1826. He is the son of John H. and Demarias (Campbell) Winston. The Winston family came from England and Scotland. They have always been noted for their longevity and handsome appearance. John H. Winston was by occupation a tanner and farmer, and in this was very successful. In politics he was a whig. He died in 1853, at the age of seventy years. His wife died in 1845, at the age sixty years. The subject of this sketch is the second eldest of five brothers, all of whom are living. He was educated partly in Virginia and partly in the schools of his locality. AH of his brothers are graduates of the University of Virginia. Early in life he turned his attention to farming, and in 1845 he left his home in Virginia and came to Louisiana, locating in St. Mary parish, and resided there seven years, when he returned to Virginia. Here he remained, however, only a short while, when he again came to Louisiana, and located in Vermilion parish. Soon afterward he bought a part of the plantation which he now owns, consisting of fourteen hundred acres of as fine land as there is to be found in the State. He has made a specialty of the culture of sugar cane, and in 1855 he erected a sugar house, and since then has manufactured sugar every year. During the late war he offered his services to the Confederacy, and was 19a 306 . SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA: detailed to furnisli tlie government with supplies. In 1S55 he married Miss Mary C. Moss, of St. Mary parish. The}- are the parents of three living children, viz: Frank E., of this parish, planter and stock raiser; Mrs. Mar}' C. Boiling, of Virginia; Rosa, at home. Those deceased are John H., wlio at the time of his death was a student at King's College, Bristol, Tennessee : Beulah and James. Mr. Winston is a Presbyterian. In politics he is a democrat. ^ W. D. WHITE, M. D., Abbeville.— Dr. W. D. White was born in Frank- lin. Williamson county, Tennessee, August 31, 1836. He is one of a family of nine children born to Benj. R. and Eliza M. (Kenny) White. His father was a native of North Carolina. He removed to Tennessee, where he received his education and learned the carpenter's trade. In 1859 he removed with his family to Opelou.«as, where he died in 1870. The mother of Dr. White was a native of South Carolina. She died in Opelousas in 1S73. Dr. White received his literary training at Shelbyville University. He learned the carpenter's trade after leaving school and worked at this for a short while. At the age of twenty-one years he entered the medical school of the University of Nashville, from which he graduated in i860. He first practised his profession in Franklin county, Tennessee, from whence he removed to Ver- milion parisli, and the last twenty years has resided in Abbeville. He has served as parish coroner for fifteen consecutive years. Dr. White's experience coupled with his extended learning make him a physician of high merit. The Doctor has been successful in a financial sense and owns considerable propert}' in Vermilion parish. He was married in 1862 to Miss L. R. Lyons, daughter of A- and Elizabeth (Reeves) Lyons. To this union fourteen children have been born, seven sons and seven daughters, eight of whom are living, viz: James E., Mary E., Carrie, H. Bascom, Elizabeth, Rosa, Thomas, Milton. Dr. White is a member of the Masonic fraternity. Knights Templar and K. of H. * * » J. N. WILLIAMS, Ramsey. — J. N. Williams, a planter of ward 2, is a native of Mississippi, born in Yazoo county, June 24, 1846. He is the son of B. and Anne (Newton) Williams. His father was a successful farmer. Early in life he removed to Mississippi, and in 1858 to Louisiana, locating in what is now Vermilion parish. He died in 1877. The subject of this sketch is one of a family of six children, three sons 'and three daughters, two of whom are now living, James N. and Anna, wife of Sidney Border, of Austin, Texas. James N. Williams received his education in Missis- sippi and Louisiana. He began life as a planter, to which he has devoted his full attention the whole of his life. He was a soldier in the late war, enlisting in 1862, HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL. 307 in the heavy artillery, and was one of the first who fired a cannon in the siege of Vicksburg. Soon after entering the service he was discharged on account of being under age. June 1864, he enlisted in the cavalry service, Company A, Eighth Louisiana Regiment, in which he served until the close of the war. After the war he returned home and engaged in farming. In 1S77 Mr. Williams was appointed member of the parish school board, which position he has held since that time. He is also clerk of the police jury and member of K. of H., 3240. He is a member of the Farmers' Alliance. Mr. Williams was married, March 5, 1874, ^o Miss Sarah A. Burt, daughter of Henry A. and Minerva (Brooks) Burt, natives of Massachusetts and Mississippi, respectively. To them have been born six children, five sons and a daughter, viz: Francis B., Newton P., Thomas H., James H., Herbert O. and Henrietta. « * • SOLOMON WISE, Abbeville. — Solomon Wise was born in Russia, May 26, 1824. He emigrated to America in 1854, locating at Perry's Bridge, Ver- milion parish, Louisiana, where he became an itinerant merchant in the dry goods line. In 1859 1^*^ located in Abbeville and opened a store with a stock of gen- eral merchandise. In this business he has continued until the presenttime. Mr. Wise came to Vermilion parish when it was sparsely settled and has been largely in- strumental in building up the country. He is ver}' successful in his business af- fairs. Beginning with a very small capital he has added to it until now he is the most extensive dealer and the largest business man in the town of Abbeville. His stock of general merchandise is worth fifteen thousand dollars. He has also two thousand acres of land, besides a sugar plantation of about seventeen hun- dred acres. He owns a residence and business propert}' in Abbeville assessed at forty thousand dollars. He was married in Europe before he came to Amer- ica, in 1849, to Miss Fanny Truskalaski. To them have been born four children, two sons and two daughters, viz: Anna, wife of J. A. Bergman; Isaac, Harriet, wife of L. Sakaloski; Eli. , ^ S. P. WATTS, Abbeville.— S. P. Watts, editor and proprietor of the Vermilion Star, of Abbeville, was born in Georgia, December 29, 1854. He is the son of S. B. and Anna (Pendleton) Watts, who were also natives of Georgia. They became the parents of eight children, three sons and five daughters. S. B. Watts was a merchant and planter at Palmetto, Georgia. He died in 1846 and his wife in 1857, being at the time of their death residents of Georgia. The subject of this sketch began life for himself at the age of eighteen as a farm hand. After working for a year he engaged, in 1880, as a clerk in a drug store at Shreveport, Louisiana. In 1881 he was a student in the law department of the Tulane University, of New Orleans, and was admitted to the bar in 1884. Hs began the practice of his profession the same year in Shreveport, 308 5 O UTH WES T LO U IS I ANA : being thus engaged until April, 1890, when he removed to Abbeville to take charge of his present business. Mr. Watts obtained some knowledge of the newspaper business by doing editorial work on the Louisiana Advance, pub- lished in Acadia parish in 1880. Becoming interested in newspaper work he moved to Abbeville and took charge of the Vermilion Scar, to which he now gives almost his entire attention. He is also agent for a loan and insurance company. Mr. Watts was married in De Soto parish, Louisiana, in 1884, to Miss Adele Wil- Hams. She died, January, 1886, in Shreveport. Mr. Watts next married, October, 1887, Mrs. Jodie Moraland, widow of L. E. Moraland. They are the parents of two children, a son, Lovice A., and a daughter, Anna May. Mr. Walts is a member of the Knights of Honor, being dictator of Acadia Lodge 3240. He is an ardent supporter of democracy, to the interest of which his newspaper is devoted. » » / N. C. YOUNG, Abbeville. — N. C. Young, druggist, was born in Ver- milion parish, Louisiana, January, i860. He is the son of Dr. F. D. Young, whose sketch appears in the Acadia biographies. Mr. Young received his education in the schools of Vermilion parish, and at the age of seventeen years entered a drug store in Abbeville as clerk. In 1880, in partnership witli F. R. Tolson, he opened a drug store in Abbeville and the business was conducted jointly until 1883, when Mr. Young purchased the interest of his partner and has since that time conducted an independent business. Mr. Young is a thorough business man and is public spirited. He was for two years treasurer of Vermilion parish, and is now president of the parish school board. He was married, in 1881, to Miss Pipillia Abadie, of Abbeville. They are the parents of four children, three sons and a daughter. Mr. Young and wife are members of tlie Catholic church. * * '^ R. J. YOUNG, M. D., Abbeville.— Dr. R. J. Young was born in VermiHon parish, Louisiana, October 10, 1865. He is the son of Dr. F. D. Young, whose sketch appears in this work. He studied medicine with his father and subsequently attended the medical school of Tulane University. In 1885-86 he attended the Hospital College, of Louisville, Kentucky, from which he graduated with high honors. Immediately after graduating he began the practice of medicine at Abbeville and is now recognized to be one of the leading physicians of the parish. He was united in marriage, in 1887, with Miss Olive Broussard, daughter of Laslie and Perpetue (Mayer) Broussard. They are the parents of two children, May and Mabel. Dr. Young and wife are members of the Catholic church. CHAPTER VII. PARISH OF ST. MARTIN. J. B. ANGELE, La Place. — Mr. Angele is a native of St. Martin parish, born April, 1843. He is the son of A. Ancrele, also a native of Louisiana. Mr. Angele received a limited education in the public schools, and began life on a plantation at the age of thirteen years. He served during the Civil War as a private in the Confederate service. After the close of the war Mr. Angele returned to St. Martin parish, where he began farming. Of recent years he has conducted a mercantile business in connection with his plantation. He is a successful business man and a respected citizen. Mr. Angele is united in marriage with Miss Arith Dupuis, daughter of Leon and Adelaide (Angele) Dupuis, of St. Martin parish. They are the parents of seven children. ^ JUDGE CARTER BASSETT, St. Martinville. — Judge Bassett was born in Washington, D. C, 1822. He is the son of Wm. H. and Eleanor (O'Neill) Bassett. Judge Bassett's father was for many years the captain of a vessel on the Atlantic. After the year 1834, ^^ was engaged in planting. The subject's mother died in 1852 and his father in 1873. Judge Bassett is the eldest of a family of nine children. Planting has been his principal occupation in life. At the breaking out of the war he en- listed in the Confederate service, serving in the Second Louisiana Regiment. He was wounded in the battle of Malvern Hill three times within the space of as many seconds, though not seriously. He enlisted as a private, but was sub- sequently promoted a captain, with staff appointment. He removed to St. Martin parish in 1870 ; was elected justice of the peace in 1871, which office he shortly after resigned, to accept an appointmeni as parish surveyor. He was elected judge of St. Martin parish in 1876, and reelected in 1878. In this capacity he served until the office was abolished by the constitution of 1879. Judge Bassett married in 1868, Miss Eugenie Richard, daughter of G. and Cora (Delahoussaye) Richard. They became the parents of seven children : Ameiie, Eleanor, Coralie, Eugene, Virginia, Wm. J. and Alice. Judge Bassett has always been a conservative in politics, and takes an active part in all public affairs. He and his family are Catholics. y 10 SOUTHWEST L OUISIANA ■ ^ MONROE BAKER, St. Martinville. — Mr. Baker is an enterprising citizen and successful planter of St. Martin parish. He is a native of St. Mary parish, born in 1S24. He is the son of Isaac and Margaret Baker, both of whom are natives of Nashville, Tenn. They moved to St. Mary parish at an early date, and later to St. Martinville. Isaac Baker was one of the leading mem- bers of the St. Martinville bar. He died in the prime of his manhood in 1832. The subject of this sketch is an only child. His father had accumulated quite a fortune before his death, and left his widow and son a competenc}-. He had good educational advantages, and improved them. Mr. Baker was married in 1S45 to Miss Mary L. Barrier, of St. Martin- ville, daughter of Felix and Harriet Barrier. To this union have been born twelve children: Gustave, Samuel, Rosa, Emily, Felix, Narinska, Anthony, Joseph, Gualbert, Valmort, Lanc}' and Anne. Mr. Baker has considerable property in St. Martinville, and has given all his children a good start in life. He and his family are Catholics. » * LOUIS G. BERNARD, Jr., St. Martinville. — The subject of this sketch is a native of St. Martin parish. He is the son of Louis and Pilina (Broussard) Bernard. Mr. Bernard commenced business as a planter in St. Martin parish. He has prospered, and is one of St. Martin's most successful planters and stock raisers. Politically he is a democrat, though he is not active in political affairs. He and his family are Catholics. » * LOUIS BERNARD, St. Martinville. — Mr. Bernard was born in St. Martin parish in 1821. He is the son of Francois and Constance CLeblanc) Bernard. Both were natives of St. Martin parish. Francois Bernard was a wealthy and influential planter and owned a large amount of land in the parish. The subject of this sketch received a good business education and began life as a planter, in which business he is still engaged. He now owns and operates a valuable plantation in St. Martin parish of four hundred acres of land. He is one of St. Martin's most successful planters. Mr. Bernard has been married five times, and is the father of nine children. He and family are members of the Catholic church. * « * CARLOS BERNARD, St. Martinville —Carlos Bernard is a native of St. Martin parish and is the son of Francois Bernard. Mr. Bernard received but a limited education in St. Martin parish, and began business life at the age of twenty-one years as a planter. He has a fine plantation four miles east of St. Martinville and is a prosperous planter. He is a member of the Catholic church. HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL. 311 ARTENARDBENARD, Arnaudville.— Mr. Benard is the son of Valsin and Madeline (Nezat) Benard. lie was born in St. Martin parish in 1837. He was reared in this parish and received a fair education in the schools of the place. At the age of seventeen he began farming, and at the age of nineteen married Miss Marie Dignaud, of St. Martin parish, daughter of Goesen Dignaud and Josephine Guilbeau, both natives of Louisiana. Mr. Benard has devoted his attention to planting, and has a good plantation, on which lie raises cotton and corn. He and his wife are the parents of three sons and two daughters, only one of whom is living. * * BERTRAND BELLNICE, St. Martinville. — The subject of this sketch is a native of France, born in 1837. ^^ emigrated from France in 1839, locating in St. Martin parish, Louisiana, shortly after arriving in the state. When young he learned the trade of carpenter, to which he has given his chief attention for a number of years. Mr. Bellnice was married, in 1S71, to Miss Inez Shakesn^-der. To this union have been born nine children. Mr. Bellnice is a public-spirited citizen, and is never called on in vain to support laudable enterprises. He and family are members of the Catholic church. • * AMAZAN BECNEL, St. Martinville. — Mr. Becnel was born in the parish of St. John the Baptist in 1824. He is the son of Florestan and Josephine (Haydel) Becnel, both of whom are natives of Louisiana. Mr. Becnel received a good business education in the schools of his native parish. When young he learned the carpenter's trade, which he has followed up to the present time. Mr. Becnel was married, in 1844, to Miss Clara Borne, daughter of Benjamin and A. (Laurent) Borne, of this State. Ten children have been born to this union, five sons and five daughter.s, all of whom but one are married and doing for themselves. Mr. Becnel and family are members of the Catholic church. ^ R. J. BIENVENU, St. Martinville. — Mr. Bienvenu was born in St. Martinville, March 4, 1863. He is the son of Alphonse and Angelina Bienvenu, both natives of St. Martin parish. Alphonse Bienvenu was for many years deputy sheriff of the parish. He is now retired from active life and is spending his declining days amongst his children. The mother died September 22, 1890. The subject of our sketch was reared and educated in St. Martinville". His education was rather limited, as he entered, at the age of fourteen, a mercantile store, where he remained for nine years, at the expiration of which time he opened a mercantile business for himself, in which he was engaged for two years. He was for several years employed as agent for the Southern Pacific 312 SOUTHWEST L OUISIANA : Railroad Company at Eola and Chene3ville. He is now traveling agent for the Singer Sewing Machine Company in this section. In 1883 he married Miss Gabrille Ratier, of St. Martin parish. Mrs. Bien- venii is a highly accomplished and educated lad}'. She attended school at the convent at Grand Coteau, Sacred Heart, of St. James and New Orleans, and completed her education at Maryville and at Natchitoches, Louisiana, in a school of the same faith. Mr. and Mrs. Bienvenu are the parents of four chil- dren, one son and three daughters, viz: Bernadette, Sj'dney, Helen, Angelina (died in infancy). Mr. Bienvenu and family are Catholics. • * * «^ ALBERT BIENVENU, St. Martinville.— Albert Bienvenu was born in St. Martinville in 1856. He is the son of Martial and Elodie (Broussard) Bienvenu. Martial Broussard was born in St. Martinville in 1836. Elodie Bienvenu is also a native of St. Martin parish. They were married in 1853 and became the parents of thirteen children, twelve of whom are still living. Albert Bienvenu received his education in the common schools. He opened up mercantile business for himself in 1881. He also owned a tele- graph line from St. Martinsville to New Iberia. He owned the telegraph line for nine years and the store for five years. He was appointed assistant post- master in 1886, which position he now fills. He founded a weekly newspaper in St. Martinsville in 1886 — the Messenger — which he now owns and which has an excellent local circulation. Mr. Bienvenu was married, in 1878, to Miss Emma Eastin, of St. Martin- ville. There were born to their marriage four children, three sons and one daughter. The father of Mrs. Bienvenu, Judge R. T. Eastin, was judge of the court here for a number of years and also a heavy sugar planter. He died in 1873- * * ^ HIPOLITE BARRAS, St. Martinville. — H. Barras was born in St. Martin parish in 1825. He is a son of H. and Sarah Barras, both of whom are natives of St. Martin parish. H. Barras, Sr., was a planter and stock raiser. The subject of this sketch followed the same business. He owns and con- trols about 1000 acres of land. He gives his chief attention to the raising of stock. Mr. Barras is united in marriage with Miss Clementine Barras. To them have been born six children. Five of tlie children are married, and all reside on our subject's plantation. Mr. Barras and family are Catholics. * ^ ALBERT BARRAS, St. Martinville.— Mr. Barras was born in St. Martin parish, in 1862. He is the son of H. and Clementine Barras, who are HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL. 313 natives of St. Martin parish. Mr. Barras is a large planter and stock raiser of St. Martin parish. Our subject's mother died December i, 1S90. The subject of this sketch was reared and educated in St. Martin parish. Brought up on the plantation he has chosen planting as the business of his life, and he is now a successful planter. Mr. Barras was married, in 1880, to Miss Belle Launchen, daughter of Wm. and Margaret Launchen, natives of Louisiana. They are the parents of six children. All the family are members of the Catholic church. * « * WM. BOUCNALT, St. Martinville. — Mr. Boucnalt, a native of St. Martin parish, was born in St. Martinsville, November 24, 1849. He is the son of Alphonse and Eliza (Frye) Boucnalt. His father was a native of Louis- iana of French descent. He died at Richmond, Virginia, in 1862, while in the Confederate service, at the age of forty-four years. Eliza (Frye) Boucnalt, the mother of our subject, is a native of Mississippi, born in 1825. Having lost her father when quite young, she removed with her mother to Louisiana, where she was reared and married. She is still living in the town of St. Martin- ville, and is the mother of seven children, four sons and three daughters, of whom William is the eldest. William Boucnalt was reared in St. Martinville, where he received a com- mon school education. Being left fatherless when quite young he began active business life ere his childhood days were past. At the age of eight he com- menced to work at such labor as he was able to secure and perform, and all he has accomplished in his life is due to his own individual effort. He is now engaged in the retail liquor business. In February, 1880, lie married Miss Albertine Horrent, daughter of Charles Horrent, whose parents were natives of France and resided in New Orleans at the time of their death. Mr. Boucnalt is conservative in political affairs, taking very little interest in such matters. He is a member of the Crescent City Association, a benevolent order. He and his wife are members of the Catholic church. ^ FELIX BERARD, St. Martinville.— Mr. Berard is the descendant of one of the oldest Louisiana families. His father, Rosamond Berard, was a native of St. Martinville, born 1807, died 1867. The subject's mother, Odile Hubel, was also a native of the parish. She died in 1857- Feli.x Berard was born September, 1847. He was reared in St. Martin parish, and received his education at St. Charles College, Grand Coteau, where he was in attendance on the breaking out of the war, being at the time seventeen years of age. He entered as a volunteer Company C, Second Louisiana Cavalry. He was a gallant soldier, and fought for the cause which he believed to be right y 1 1 SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA : until the close of the war; after which lie returned to Louisiana, and in associa- tion with his father engaged in agricultural pursuits. Upon the death of the father the care of the family devolved upon him. He was thus brought to face the realties of life when quite young. He now resides upon the old homestead plantation, which he operates with success. In 1872, he was married, in St. IMaitlnville, Louisiana, to Miss O'Rouke, daughter of James and Juliet Bienvenu. Her parents have been dead a number of years. To tliis union have been born five cliildren, Marie, Therese, Alma, Anita and Rosamond. Mr. Berard and family are all Catholics. * ^ ULGER BOURQUE, St. Martinville.— The subject of this sketch was born in St. James parish, Louisiana, in 1827. He received a fair education and began life as a planter. He now owns three hundred acres of fine su- gar land in St. Martin parish, and is one of St. Martin's prosperous plant- ers. In 1848 he married Miss Aglas Pettavin, a native of St. James parish, Louisiana. This union has been blessed with seven children, all of whom are residents of this parish. Mr. Bourque and family are Catholics. * * « "^ LUDJUR BOURQUE, St. Martinville.— Mr. Bourque was born in St. Martin parish in 1864. He is the son of Ulger and Aglas (Pettavin) Bourque, whose sketch appears above. Mr. Bourque received a common school education and began life as a farmer, in which business he has since continued. He married, in 1885, Miss Eliza LeBlanc, daughter of Oglus and Mary LeBlanc. They are the parents of two children, viz: Oglus and Nulla. Mr. Bourque and family are members of St. Martinville Catholic church. • * "^ JULES BOURQUE, St. Martinville.— Mr. Bourque is a native of the parish in which he resides, and was born in 1874. ^^ '^^ ^'^ ^°" °^ J* '^'^^ ^• Bourque, also natives of Louisiana. J. Bourque died in June, 1874, ^^ ^^ '^S^ of seventy-four years. His wife still survives him, and resides with our sub- ject. Jules Bourque married Miss Ailene Girard, a native of Lafayette parish, and daughter of Dominique and Eusid (Valet) Girard. To this union have been born six children, viz: Ellis K., Joseph, Calles, Jules, Felix Belsil. Mrs. Bourque died in 1886, and in 1887 Mr. Bourque married Miss L. Mail- lot, daughter of Dominique and Christina (Blaze) Maillot, of Lafayette par- ish. They have one child, Alena. Mr. Bourque owns and operates a caneplan- tation. He and famil}' are Catholics. v HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL. 315 ALADIN BROUSSARD, Cade.— Mr. Broussard was born in Calcasieu parish in 1854. ^'^ father, Napoleon Broussard, is a native of Iberia parish, born in 1813. Asp.isie Broussard, his mother, was born in Lafayette parish. His parents now reside near Lake Arthur, Louisiana. The subject of this sketch is one of a family of five children. He began business for himself in 1877 as a merchant, and this has been his business since. He married in 1886 Miss Augusta Tenney, daughter of John P. and Anna Tenney, natives of this State. They became the parents of two children. Mr. Broussard and family are Catholics. SAVIQUE BROUSSARD, Bkeaux Bridge.— Savique Broussard is a successful planter, residing near Breaux Bridge. He is the son of Z. and Car- melite (Martin) Broussard, both of whom are natives of this parish. Z. Broussard was for six years sheriff of St. Martin parish. He was a successful sugar planter. He died in 1878. His wife died in 1859. Savique Broussard is the eldest of a family of three children. He received his education in St. Charles College, Grand Coteau. After leaving school he engaged as clerk for a period of two years in a mercantile establishment in St. Martinville. Later he removed to his plantation, and has since given his atten- tion to agricultural pursuits. Upon his plantation he raises principally cotton, to which the land is specially adapted. Mr. Broussard married, October, 1850, Miss Alice Mouton, a native of Lafay- ette, born 1835, and daughter of Edmund and Eulalie Mouton. They became the parents of seven children: Edmund, Albert, Paul, Louise, Alice, Elise and Angel. , » * A. G. BROUSSARD, Breaux Bridge.— Mr. Broussard was born in St. Martin parish, February 21, 1832. He is the son of Z. and Carmelite (Martin) Broussard, both of whom are natives of the parish. Mr. Broussard received a liberal education, having attended St. Charles College for a period of three years, afterward completing his education in the West Military Institute, of Kentucky. Upon the completion of his Hterar}' studies, Mr. Broussard entered the law department of the Tulane University, New Orleans, where he pursued a course, and was admitted to the bar at St. Martinville. He practised his profession at St. Martinville for a period of three years, when, finding plantation lite more congenial to his taste, he retired from his profession, and has since been engaged in planting and school teaching. During the " late unpleasantness " he was in active service. He entered the army on the breaking out of the war as sergeant in the New Orleans Guards. He dien volunteered in the regular service for three months, and engaged in the battle of Shiloh; after which he had an attack of sickness, which so disabled 316 SOUTHWEST L OUISIANA : him as to unfit him for service, and he received his discharge and returned home. Mr. Broussard is united in marriage with Miss Cecile Mouton, daughter of Edmund and Eulalie (Voorhies) Mouton, of Lafayette parish. They are the parents of ten children, seven of whom are living. » * '^ JOHN A. BOYD, M. D., Breaux Bridge.— Dr. Boyd was born in Newbur}' district, South Carolina. He is the son of John Boyd and Mary Wilson, both natives of South Carolina. He was reared in his native county and attended the schools of that place, from which he received a thorough academic education, chiefly at Beaver Dam Academy. After completing his literary studies he began the study of medicine under Dr. William G. Dierson, of Franklin, Tennessee, where he pursued his studies for four years, when he entered the medical college at Lexington, Kentucky, and, after attending one session, received his diploma. He began practice in Giles county, Tennessee, and removed after a short while to Hines county, Mississippi. After practising in this place for three years, he emigrated to Breaux Bridge, St. Martin parish, Louisiana, where he continued to practice. The Doctor stands high in his pro- fession, and has a large practice at this place. He is united in marriage with Miss Belzere Ledoux, daughter of August and Ludsin (Cormier) Ledoux, of St. Martin parish. They have two living children, John L., and Boyd. » • * ^ N. A. CORMIER, St. Martinville. — Mr. Cormier was born in St. Mar- tin parish, July 6, 1853. He is the son of N. and E. (Ledoux) Cormier. He received a good education and began business for himself as a planter and stock raiser. He has a good plantation of nine hundred acres in this parish which he has operated with success. Mr. Cormier is united in marriage with Miss Josette Olivier, daughter of C. M. and Aminlhe (Berard) OHvier. They are the parents of three children, viz: Anna, Joseph, and Louise. Mr. Cormier and family are Catholics. # * » V ANATOLE CORMIER, St. Martinville.— The subject of this sketch is a native of St. Martin parish, born 1855. He is the son of N. and E. (Le- doux) Cormier, mentioned elsewhere. Anatole Cormier is the youngest of a family of three children. He was reared in his native parish, and received fair educational advantages. He has been a planter since he began business for himself, and has prospered in his vocation. He married, in 1882, Miss Aminthe Oliver, daughter of C. M. and Aminthe (Berard) Oliver, of St. Martin parish. To them have been born two children, Isabella and Jane. Mr. Cormier and family are Catholics. HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL. 317 ^ NUMA CORMIER, Breaux Bridge. — Mr. Cormier is a successful planter and merchant of this place. He is a native of St. Martin parish, and was born near where he now resides. He is the son of Emile and Julie (Broussard) Cor- mier, both of whom are natives of St. Martin parish. Mr. Cormier was born in 1850, and was reared on the homestead where he now resides. He attended private school at this place, where he received a good education, principally in his parent tongue — French. Completing his studies, he engaged with his father in carrj'ing on the plantation, in which occu- pation he still continues. In 1874 ^^ ^'^^ united in marriage with Cecile Domengeaux, daughter of A. F. and Julia (Guidry) Domengeaux, of St. Martin parish. To this union have been born six children, one son and five daughters: Corinne, Lota, Julie, Ar- thur, Edith and Magda. Mr. Cormier is a prosperous planter. He has a planta- tion of one hundred and sixty acres, which he cultivates in a variety of products, chiefly in cotton and corn. He also operates a large cotton gin on his plantation. Of recent vears he has added to his business a grocery on his plantation. Beginning witti a very small stock he has increased his business until he now carries a large stock of general merchandise, and does an annual business of fifteen thousand dollars. Mr. Cormier's father is still living witii him, being about sixty-seven years of age. His mother died in 1850, at about thirty years of age. # * * LAURENT CULKIN, M. D., St. Martinville.— By birth, Dr. Culkin is a Mississippian, but by adoption a Louisianian. He was born in Yazoo (now Sharkey) county, Mississippi, November i, 1839. ^^'^ father, Edward Culkin, was born in Ireland, but removed to America when a boy. After attaining the years of manhood he located in Yazoo, Mississippi, where he began planting, and was very successful, and at the beginning of the war he operated a large and valuable plantation. By the war he lost nearly everytliing he possessed. But, accepting the decree of fate, he began with determined zeal to amend his fallen fortune, but ere he attained his hope he died, in 1866. Our subject's mother was Miss Mary Conley; she became the mother of five sons and two daughters, the Doctor being the youngest of the family. Dr. Culkin was reared in Mississippi, where he received good educational advantages. When eighteen years of age he entered Trinity Medical College, Dul)lin, Ireland, where he remained four years, graduating with honors. Return- ing to his native State with the intention of practising his profession, he entered the Confederate service, and was surgeon in the command of Bedford Forrest until the close of the war. After the war he resumed his practice in Mississippi. In 1871 he removed to Louisiana, and first located in New Orleans in 1882. He then removed to this place, where he has since practised and 318 SOUTHWES7' L OUISIANA : become recognized as one of the leading pliysicians of his section. Dr. Culkin married quite early in life Miss Dorothea Owen, a native of Kentucky, though reared and educated in Mississippi. To this union were born two sons; one died in infancy tlie other when just on the verge of manhood. * E. G. CROWSON, St. Martinville — Mr. Crowson is a native of Ken- tucky. He is the son of Hucal and Nanc)' (Morris) Crowson, natives of North Carolina. The father of our subject was a large land holder in Kentucky, where he had removed early in life. E. G. Crowson received his early education in Kentucky, and began busi- ness for himself at the age of seventeen years. Since living in St. Martin par- ish he has been engaged in conducting a mercantile and lumber business. He has a good plantation of about two hundred and twenty-five acres in St. Martin parish. Mr. Crowson has been married twice, first in 1855, and a second time, in 1864, to Miss Gabrille Lafountian, daughter of Jules and Amelia (Tenneson) Lafountian. Mr. Crowson is one of St. Martin's successful business men. * » J. U. CHAMPAGNE, Breaux Bridge. — Mr. Champagne, a merchant of Breaux Bridge, is a native of Louisiana, born September 27, 1863. He is the son of O. and Pilama (Thibodeaux) Champagne, both of whom are natives of Lafourche parish, Louisiana. J. U. Champagne is one of a family of eight children, seven of whom are living. He was reared and educated in Lafourche parish. He began business at the age of nineteen as a clerk in the mercantile establishment of F. M. Sey- mour, of Abbeville, where he remained for two years, when he removed to St. Martin parish, and engaged in merchandise at Breaux Bridge. He began busi- ness on a capital of $250 in a rented building. He has been very successful in his business undertakings, and now carries a stock of $3000 worth of goods, and does an annual business of from $15,00010 $18,000. He owns his own business property, having agood two-story building, eighteen by sixty feet. Mr. Champagne is a thorough-going, energetic business man. He was married. May 18, 1890, to Miss Hebert, daughter of A. Hebert, of St. Martin parish. Both Mr. Champagne and wife are members of the Breaux Bridge Dramatic Association, and he of the Breaux Bridge brass band. / F. D. D. DeLaCROIX, St. Martinville. — The subject of this sketch was born in Jefferson[parish, Louisiana. He is the son of Joseph Dusuan De- LaCroi.v, and Estelle D. DeBlanc, both natives of Louisiana. Joseph Dusuan DeLaCroix was at one time a ver}' extensive planter and land holder of St. Martin parish. He died in 1841, his wife surviving him until 1885. The HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL. 319 / DeBlanc family has been in this country since 1696; and the DeLaCroix since 1740. The ancestor of the DeBlanc family was Jussereau DeBlanc de St. Denis, who founded the city of Natchitoches in 1703. The subject of this sketch received a good education, and is a gentle- man of culture and intelligence. He has been planting a great part of his life, and now operates in this parish a plantation of thirteen hundred acres, belonging to his sister. Miss Elizabeth D. DeLiCroiv. In the beginning of hostilities, Mr. DeLaCroix enlisted in tlie Confederate army and served for three years. He was married in 1878 to Miss Mary J. Frankford, of New Orleans. They are the parents of three children, viz: Albert, Eliza- beth, Georgiana. Mr. DeLaCroix and family are Catliolics. * f * * O. J. DURAND, St. Martinville. — Mr. Durand is a successful planter of the third ward of St. Martin parish. He is a native of the parish, born in 1846. His father, Charley J. Durand, is a native of France, but removed to Louisiana when a young man, where he married and became a successful and extensive planter. He was twice married and became the father of twenty- four children. He died in 1876 at the age of sixty-two years. Our subject's mother is a native of St. Mary parish, born in 1832, and died in 1882. O. J. Durand was reared and educated in St. Landry parish, and com- menced active business life at the age of eighteen, as manager of his father's plantation. Planting has been Mr. Durand's chtef occupation. He now owns a plantation of 430 acres, which is in a high state of cultivation and yields him a handsome income. It is generally conceded that Mr. Durand is one of the most successful planters of this section. He married in 1867 Miss Felicie DeBlanc, a native of St. Martin parish. They are the parents of thir- teen children, viz: Louise, Gilbert, Agnes, Blanche, Felicie, Oscar, Albert, Stella, Osward, Therese, Eveline, Corinne and Marcel. Mr. Durand and family are Catholics. « « * RENE M. DURAND, St. Martinville. — Rene Durand was born in St. Martin parish in 1855. He spent his early school days in New Orleans, and subse- quentl}'^ attended school at Cape Girardeau, Missouri. He entered the mercantile business as a clerk, and subsequently followed planting until 1882, when he entered the employment of the Morgan Railroad Company, in whose employment he still remains. He was married in the year of 1875 to Miss A. Bienvenu, of St. Martinsville. To them have been born seven children, of whom four are living, two sons and two daughters. Mr. Durand is a most efficient employe, standing well with the company, to wliose business he attends assiduousl}'. He also gives general satisfaction in dealing with the public. S 20 SO UTN IVES 7' L O UISIA NA : DANIEL DeBLANC, St. Martinville. — Mr. DeBlanc, telegraph oper- ator at St. Martinville, was born April 5, 1858. He is a son of Alcibiade and Mathilde (Bryant) DeBlanc, who were the parents of ten children, our subject being the eighth in order of birth. Daniel DeBlanc spent his school days in Bloomington, Indiana, where he received a common school education. On leaving school he entered the em- ployment of the Morgan Railway Company, and is now a telegraph operator. He has been in their employment about ten years, and has been stationed at the following places: Sunset, Garland, Carencro, Broussardville, and is at present in St. Martinville. , • * ^ A. DUPUIS, Jr., Arnaudville. — Mr. Dupuis was born in St. Martin parish, September 21, 1847. He is the son of A. Dupuis, Sr. His parents were both natives of Louisiana, and his father a successful planter. A. Dupuis, Jr., was reared in the parish in which he was born and now re- sides. He attended the public schools, from whicli he received a good education. Early in life he engaged in farming, to which he has given his full attention since. He now owns a good plantation of one hundred and sixt}' acres of land, upon which he raises corn and cotton chiefly. He also conducts a flourishing mercantile business in connection with his plantation. Mr. Dupuis served for three years as post-master of Leonville, and is the captain of the Breaux Bridge militia. Mr. Dupuis is united in marriage with Miss Em'ilise Cormier, a native of St. Landry parish, and daughter of Z. Cormier. They are the parents of five children, viz: Adolphena, Adolph, Celeine, Leonce and Eugenie. * * » JOS. V. DUGAS, Breaux Bridge. — Mr. Dugas was born in St. Martin parish in 1845. He is the son of Valerian and Victois (Guidry) Dugas; the former is a native of Lafaj-ette parish, the latter of St. Martin parish, Louisiana. The subject of this sketch at the age of thirteen entered St. Charles Col- lege, attending two sessions, when he entered the Confederate service, and served for a period of two years, after which he returned to St. Martin parish, and was shortly afteward married to Miss Josephine Thibodeaux, daughter of Olive and A. (Melangon) Thibodeaux, of St. Martin parish. Jos. Dugas is a planter, and to this vocation he has given his whole attention. He has a small fertile plantation near Breaux Bridge, which he has operated with success. Mr. and Mrs. Dugas are parents of eight children. » / » * EUGENE D. DUCHAMP, Cade.— Mr. Duchamp is a native of the par- ish and was born in .1863. He is the son of E. A. and Emily Duchamp, natives of New Jersey, but who removed to St. Martin parish early in life. They have reared a large family and now reside near St. Martinville. HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL. 323 The subject of our sketch grew to manhood and received his education in St. Martin parish. He has been a planter since he began business, and now owns and controls a fine plantation seven miles west of St. Martinsville, where he cultivates sugar cane. He was married in 1883. Mr. Duchamp and family are members of the Catholic church. ♦ » E. A. DUCHAMP, St. Martinville. — The subject of this sketch is a native of New Jersey; born in Morns county in 1837. He is the son of G. B. and Emily (Sandoz) Duchamp. G. B. Duchamp is a native of the West Indies; born on the Island of Martinique. He removed to Morris county, New Jersey in 1830. After remaining here thirteen years, lie returned to the home of his youth on a visit in 1846, remaining about four years. After his arrival in the United Siates he removed to New Orleans. Our subject's mother was a native of New York; born, 1809; died, 1848. The subject of our sketch removed to St. Martin parish in 1853, wliere he began the operation of the plantation wliere he now resides, three miles west of St. Martinsville. This plantation consists of about one tliousand five hundred acres of as fine land as there is in the parish. He also owns a large plantation in Iberia parish of more than three thousand acres. He has been very successful in his agricultural pursuits. Mr. Duchamp married, in i860. Miss Emily Sandoz, daughter of David and Claire C. (Labbe) Sandoz. Mrs. Duchamp's father was a native of Switzer- land ; her mother, of St. Martin parish, Louisiana. Mr. Duchamp and family are Catliolics. , « » ^ LOUIS C. DUCHAMP De CHASTAIGNE, St. Martin Parish.— Mr. Duchamp is a native of Morris county, New Jersey, born February 8, 1842. He is the son of J. B. Eugene Duchamp de Chastaigne and Marie Louise Jose- phine Sophie Merope Martin de Lamartiniere, both from the Island of Marti- nique. At the age of three years Mr. Duchamp's parents left New Jersey for Mar- tinique, in 1845, and at the age of eight years left Martinique (in the year 1850) for New Orleans, Louisiana, and thence for St. Martinville, in 1853, where he attended school. When the war broke out he was a druggist, assisting his father in that capacity. He enlisted in the Confederate service on the 5th of May, but left for active service with his two brothers on June 5, i86i,in Company C, Eighth Louisiana Regiment, First Louisiana Brigade, under the command of General Dick Taylor, and made the campaign under Stonewall Jackson. He was severely wounded on the 27th of June, 1862, at Cold Harbor (Seven Days' Fight before Richmond), and was detailed intheTrans-Mississippi department, as druggist, for a few months. After recovering frorii his wound he reenlisted for active service 20a 324 SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA: and assisted at the battles of Mansfield and Pleasant Hill, Louisiana. At the close of the war he went back to his family and occupation. September i8, 1866, he married Miss Marie Philomene Emma Voorhies, daughter of Edgar Voorhies, a prominent lawyer, and Marie Eugeide Martin, of this parish. To this union have been born six children: Theobald E., Marie Louise (wife of Eugene Olivier), Louis Joseph, Marie Emma, Marie Cidalise and Francis T. Mr. Duchampis a successful planter, and owns a sugar plantation of five hundred acres in St. Martin parish, which he cultivates principally in sugar cane. Mr. Duchamp and family are Catholics. J. ARTHUR DOMENGEAU, Breaux Bridge.— The subject of this sketch is a native of St. Martin parish, born October 11, 1849. He is the son of J. S. Domengeau and a native of St. Martin parish. Young Arthur received a good preparatory education in the public schools, and at the age of thirteen he entered the St. Charles College at Grand Coteau, where he remained for a period of six years. He began life as a merchant in partnership with his father. In 1874 he retired from this business, and, with the exception of the time he has given to his official duties, he has given since his chief attention to planting. In 1874 ^"<^ 1879 ^^ served as justice of the peace from his ward. At the expiration of this time he was elected assessor of St. Martin parish, in which capacity he served until 1884. In 1885 he was appointed notary public under Governor S. D. McEnery, and was again elected as justice of the peace in 1888, and is the present incumbent of this position. His strict attention to business and the faitlifulness with which he has discharged his official duties has gained for Mr. Domengeau something of a local reputation. He was married in 1870 to Miss Emily D. Gallagher, the daughter of F. W. and Emily Gallagher, the former a native of Ireland and the latter of Louisiana. They are the parents of nine children — ^J. Randolph, Frank, Azele, Dora, John, Zachery, Arthur, Etta and Ward. Mr. Domengeau and family are Catholics. , * » A. F. DOMENGEAUX, Bre.\ux Bridge. — Mr. Domengeaux is a merchant of Breaux Bridge. He was born in 1855, in St. Martin parish. His parents were F. A. and Julie (Guidry) Domengeaux, both being natives of the same parish. A. F. Domengeaux received his education in the public and private schools of this parish. He began business life at the age of seventeen as clerk in the store of O. Broussard, Breaux Bridge, with whom and other mercantile firms he remained for a period of four years, when he opened business for him- self. Beginning with a small stock of merchandise, he has increased it by care- ful management and business tact, until he now does one of the chief businesses of the place. His business amounts to about $20,000 annually. He is an HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL. 325 extensive cotton buyer and shipper. He also owns and operates a steam cotton gin and grist mill. Mr. Domengeaux has taken an active part in the political affairs of St. Martin parish. In 1884 he was elected clerk of the district court, but he did not serve. He has represented his party in the last three guber- natorial conventions, and has been a member of numerous congressional and judicial conventions. He is a member of the Breaux Bridge Literary and Dramatic Association, and the Breaux Bridge Turf Association, of which organ- ization he was first president and is now one of the directors. Mr. Domengeaux was married, January i, 1883, to Miss Edmie Ledoux, a native of St. Martin parish. They are the parents of three children, Leta L., Louise L., and Henry Clay. , ^ JEAN DOMEC, Arnaudville. — The subject of this sketch is a native of France, born February 9, 1848. His father, John Louis Domec, was a native of France and spent his whole life in that country. Our subject's mother was Miss Jennie Frechen, also a native of France. John Domec was reared in his native country and received his education from good private schools. He began life as a farmer and was for nine years engaged on his father's farm in France. He was subsequently engaged in the same business for himself for two years, at which time he emigrated to America and located in St. Landry parish, near Grand Coteau, where he purchased a plantation and began planting, which he continued for a period of eighteen years. He then removed to St. Martin parish and purchased a tract of land of eighteen hundred acres, eight hundred of which are under cultivation. He raises cotton chiefly. Mr. Domec was married to Miss Ozemia Lier, of St. Landry parish. To them have been born three sons and two daughters, viz: Firmin, Jean, Louis, Hypolite, Alice, Clara. Mr. Domec is one of the most extensive and successful planters in this sec- tion. , » * 1/ HERVILLIEN DAVID, Jr., BreauxBridge.— The subject of this sketch is a native of St. Martin parish, born September 12, 1837. He is the son of H. David and Elise Guidry, of Louisiana. H. David, Jr., received a good educa- tion in the private schools of St. Martin parish, and began life as a planter. His father having died while he was a boy, the responsibility of the family devolved upon him; and he remained upon his mother's plantation until she died. Since that time he has operated the plantation with success, and is considered one of the most progressive planters in his native parish. Mr. David was married, in 1873, to Miss Cecelia Babin of this parish. She only lived for a short while after her marriage; and in 1881 Mr. David married a second time. Miss Azelie Martin, daughter of Balthazar and Julie (LeBlanc) Martin. To them have been born one daughter, Elise. 326 SO UTH WEST LO UISIA NA : WILLIAM B. EASTIN, St. Martinville.— William B. Eastin, chief deputy clerk of the court of St. Martin parish, Louisiana, was born in St. Martinsville, July 4, 1849. lie is the son of Richard T. and Octavia (Fontenette) Eastin. Richard T. Eastin was appointed second lieutenant and afterward first lieutenant in the Mexican war by President James K. Polk. Octavia Eastin was born in St. Mar- tinsville, Louisiana, 184S. Ten children were born to this marriage, of whom our subject was the oldest. His mother is still living. William B. Eastin spent his earlier school days in Grand Coteau College, Louisiana, and subsequently attended St. Johns College, Fordham, New York, where he completed his classical course. On his return home he read law for two years in the office of Jules Gray in St. Martinsville. lie preferred the freedom of the plantation, however, to the confinement of the office, and at this period turned his attention to planting, at which he remained for three years. He was then appointed justice of the peace and served two years, after which he was appointed chief deputy recorder of St. Martin parish, which position he held until 1880, at which the recorder's and clerk's offices were consolidated into one. He was appointed chief deputy clerk of the court, 1881, and still occupies that position. He was married in December, 1882, to Miss Gabrielle Guereniere. She was born in St. Martinsville, 1851. Nine children were born to this marriage, seven sons and two daughters, all of which are now alive. Mr. W. B, Eastin stands high in public favor and is looked upon as a rising man of St. Martin parish. , * • " ALEXANDER V. FOURNET, St. Martinville.— Mr. Fournet, clerk of the court at St. Martinville, was born in St. Martin parish, August 2, 1849. He is the son of Valsin A. Fournet, who was born at Breaux Bridge, St. Martin parish, in 1818. He enlisted for the war with Mexico, but on reaching the City of New Orleans found that the City of Mexico had been captured and that there was no necessity for going further. Alexander V. Fournet received excellent educational advantages. He attended St. Charles College, Grand Coteau, from 1861 till 1863, and was then sent for a short period to St. Mary's College, Montreal, Canada, after which he attended St. Johns College, Fordham, New York, uniil 1868. Having completed his course of mental discipline he I'eturned to his home at St. Martinville and engaged in planting until 187 1, at which time he was appointed assessor of St. Martin parish by Governor Nicholls. He served until the con- stitutional convention of 1879, when he tendered his resignation to Governor L. A. Wiltz and returned to his plantation, where he remained until he became deputy clerk of the court at St. Martinville, 1881. In 18S2 he was appointed HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL. 337 clerk of the court by Gov. McEnery, and has been elected to the same position twice since that time by the people of St. Martin parish, and still fills the office in a most efficient and satisfactory manner. Mr. Fournet was married to Miss Mary L. Monge, in May, 1S70, and there has been born to this marriage twelve children, all of whom are now alive. Mrs. A. V. Fournet is the daughter of the late Edmond Monge, a prominent citizen, who was recorder of St. Martin parish for a number of years. * » » "^ L. P. FOURNET, Cade.— Mr. Fournet is a native of this parish, born 1843. He is the son of A. V. and Pauline Fournet, both of whom are natives of St. Martin parish, and of the early settlers of this section. A. V. Fournet was quite a prominent man in St. Martin parish, and for a number of years prior to his death was clerk of the district court of this place. He was an extensive planter. He died in 1879. Mrs. Fournet died in 1863. The subject of this sketch spent his early days in St. Martin parish, and received the benefit of such schools as then existed. At twenty years of age, in 1863, he enlisted in the Confederate service and served until the close of the war. He commenced active business life for himself in 1865, upon his return from the army. He has given his whole attention since that time to planting. He now owns a plantation of six hundred acres in St. Martin parish, which yields a handsome income. Mr. Fournet is united in marriage with Miss Edmie Morge, of this parish. They became the parents of nine children: Michael, Alfred, Leon, Lee, Paul, Charles, Walter, Darcaine and Andin. Mr. Fournet and family are members of the Catholic church. , * • ^ ALFRED FUSELIER, St. Martinville.— Alfred Fuselier was born in St. Martin parish, Louisiana, December 22, 1848. He is the son of Alcide Gabriel and Auron (Gadenego) Fuselier. The father was born in St. Martin parish, Louisiana, in 1816, and is now a resident of this parish. He has occu- pied many official positions in the parish, and takes an active part in social and pohtical affairs. The mother was born in Italy about 1828, and died in Louis- iana in 1855. There have been born to them fourteen children, nine sons and five daughters. Of these nine are living, the oldest being fifty-two years of age. The subject of our sketch was reared in Louisiana, and educated at St. Charles College, Grand Coteau. He received a liberal education, which has fitted him for a successful business life. He entered the Confederate army in 1863, enlisting as a private in the Eighth Louisiana Infantrj^ and with them served until the close of the war; upon whicli event he returned to his home and engaged in the sugar industry. In 1884 he married Miss Elouido Beraud, a native of St. Martin parish, the 338 SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA : daughter of a prominent and highly respected planter of this parish. Both of her parents are dead. The result of this marriage is three children: Amelia, Loranzo and Philomene. Mr. Fuselier is deputy sheriff of St. Martin parish, and has performed the duties of his office with the greatest vigilance. He, as were his ancestors, is of the Catholic religion. , * « L. FOURGEAUD, M. D., Breaux Bridge. — Dr. Fourgeaud is a native of France, born in 1856. He is a son of Charles and A. S. Fourgeaud. The subject of this sketch received his literary education at Bordeaux and his medical in the Faculte de Medicine of the same place, of which institution he is a grad- uate. Upon the completion of his course he emigrated to Louisiana in i88l. In 1883 he received the degree of M. D. from the Tulane Universit}'. He first practised at Rockport, Bayou Lafourche, remaining there until 1885, when he came to Breaux Bridge, where he has since practised. The Doctor married in June, 1880, Isabelle, daughter of J. M. Lawson, a prominent business man of New Orleans. Dr. Fourgeaud has an extensive and remunerative practice. , « • J. A. GUERRIN, St. Martinville. — J. A. Guerrin was born in New Orleans, i860. He is the son of A. and Amelia (Fonrugu) Guerrin. A. Guerrin was born in New Orleans 1822, and Amelia Guerrin was also born in New Orleans, 1845. They became parents of thirteen children, our subject being the youngest boy. A. Guerrin was a hatter by trade and lived in New Iberia. He was a Confederate soldier during the war and served first as a private and sub- sequently in the tin shop. He spent his school days in New Iberia. He worked in his father's tin shop till he was twenty-four years old, when he married Miss Eva Bonin, of St. Martin parish. She is the daughter of A. Bonin, a large planter in St. Martin parish, who died of yellow fever in 1867. J. A. Guerrin is father of three children, all of whom are now living. Mr. Guerrin is now proprietor of a hotel in St. Martinville. • » LOUIS C. GAUTHIER, St. Martinville.— The subject of this sketch was born in St. Martin parish in 1850. He is the son of A. C. and Mary (Lebert) Gauthier. A. C. Gauthier was a native of New York, born in 1796 and died in 1878. He was an extensive planter and stock jraiser of St. Martin parish. Louis Gauthier, as a boy, had good educational opportunities, and obtained a good practical business education. He began business in 1875 as a planter and stock raiser, in which he has since continued with marked success. He now own a plantation of six hundred acres of land, five miles north of St. HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL. 829 Martinville. He has on his place about $5000 worth of hve stock. His plan- tation is chiefly cultivated in sugar, cane and cotton. Mr. Gauthieralso operates a cotton gin. He was married in 1876 to Miss Mary Locker, a daughter of Joseph and Leontine (Billeaud) Locker, natives of France. Mr. and Mrs. Gauthier are the parents of eight children, viz: Leona, Angelina, Charles, George, Francis, Henry, Lorenza, Amelia. Mr. Gauthier js giving his children the best educational advantages, having employed a teacher who gives them instructions at their home. Mr. Gauthier and family are Catholics. » * ^ A. GAUTHIER, St. Martinville. — The subject of this sketch was born in St. Martin parish in 1856, and is the son of A. C. Gauthier, mentioned above. The subject of this sketch spent his j'outhful daj's in St. Martin parish. He received his education at St. Charles College. He has followed the same business in which his father was engaged, and is now a prosperous planter and stock raiser. His plantation, six miles northwest of St. Martinville, consists of three hundred and sixty-five acres of valuable land on the Teche. Mr. Gauthier is united in marriage with Miss Lucy Thimecourt Bienvenu. She is a native of St. Martin parish, and is the daughter of Thomas E. and Eliza (Potier) Thimecourt Bienvenu. Mr. and Mrs. Gauthier are the parents of seven children, viz : Edgar A., Regina M., Lucy, Virginia E., Helen, Syd- ney, Cornillie. Mr. Gauthier and family are Catholics. » « • ^ C. M. GAUTHIER, St. Martinville.— Mr. Gauthier was born in St. Martin parish in 1830. He is the son of Charles and Marselite (Cormier) Gauthier, natives of France and St. Martinville, Louisiana, respectively. Charles Gauthier died in 1878. His wife died in 1844. At the age of seventeen C. M. Gauthier began life for himself as a farmer, and to this he has given his chief attention since that time. He is also quite an extensive stock raiser. Mr. Gauthier has a fine plantation in this parish of about twelve hundred acres, on which he cultivates principally sugar and corn. He is considered one of the most successful planters of this section. Mr. Gauthier was married in 1859 ^° Miss Alice Andrus, a native of Cal- casieu parish, and daughter of Hiram Andrus, of Louisiana. To this union have been born six children. Mr. Gauthier and family are members of the Catholic church of St. Martinsville. * * » GABRIEL GARDEMAL, St. Martinville.— The subject of this sketch is a native of Louisiana, and was born February 18, 1858. His father, Titus Gardemal was a native of French Island, Guadeloupe. He was partly reared 330 SOUTHWEST L O ITS J ANA : and educated in Guadeloupe. He attended college in Paris, France, where he completed his education. After leaving college he emigrated to America in 1848 and was for a time engaged in steamboating on the Teche and the Missis- sippi. During this time he was a resident of New Orleans. For many )'ears before his death in 1864, he was a resident of St. Martinville. Our subject's mother was Miss Eu^olie Josephine Fontenette, died December, 1883, having become the mother of six children, four of whom are living. Both father and mother were devoted Catholics. Mrs. Gardemal gave much of her attention and means to the furtherance of the interest of the church. Our subject was reared and educated in St. Martinville, subsequently pur- suing a business course in New Orleans. His father dying when he was quite a boy, he was thrown entirely upon his own resources and compelled to map out his own course in life. Beginning at the age of fifteen as a common laborer, he devoted all his leisure time to the study of telegraphy, which he soon mastered, and at the age of twenty became operator at Vermilionville (now Lafayette). For many years he was engaged as agent at different points on the Southern Pacific Railroad. Desiring a change, he removed to Texas, where he was engaged in the same business. In 1884 he returned to his home to attend his mother in her dying hours. After her death he embarked in the mercantile business in St. Martinville. The success which has attended his business undertaking is en- tirely due to his tact and energy, of which he possesses a large amount. Dur- ing four years in which he was engaged in this business, he served as deputy sheriff, and in 1887 he was elected mayor of St. Martinville. In 18S8 he was elected sheriff of St. Martin parish, of whicli position he is the present incum- bent. Politically, he is a Republican. While taking an active interest in his respective party, he is by no means a partisan. Indeed, so conservative is he in the discharge of his official duties that he enjoys the utmost respect even of his strong political opponents. He was married, in 1884, t° MissMalvina Faurries, a native of New Orleans, but a resident of St. Martinsville at that time. She is the daughter of Pierre and Mary (Wolf) Faurries. Her father is of French descent, and her mother German. To this union have been born three children, viz: Louise Eudolie, Volina Marie, Mozella Jeanne. » » PROFESSOR ALBERT GABRIEL, St. Martinville.— Professor Gabriel is a native of France; born near Marseilles, April, 1846. His father, Antoine Gabriel, was a native of the same place; he died at Marseilles in 1881. He was a man of extraordinary ability and culture. He was a graduate of the College of Langues, of Lyons, and was president of a college at Marseilles for thirty-six years. The mother of our subject, Miss Isabelle Coer, was also a native of Marseilles. She died in 1854. Professor Gabriel was reared and educated in his native land. Attending HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL. 331 school at Marseilles, he graduated from one of the best institutions of that city with high honors. He chose as his profession teaching, and, with this in view, he attended the Normal School at Aix, of which he is a graduate. After leaving school he became secretary to one of the government engineers, and during the four years he was engaged in this capacity he visited Africa and other foreign countries. He entered the army in 1866, enlisting in the Third Regiment Zou- aves. Here he remained for seven years, as was made compulsory by the laws of France at that date. He was in many of the hard-fought battles in the Franco-German war. Two of his brothers fell in service. After the war he returned to his home, where he remained for two years, when he emigrated to the United States, landing in New York in March, 1873, He procured a position as teacher and remained there for nine years. With a view to being located in a milder climate he removed to Louisiana and located in St. Martinville, where he resumed school teaching, which he still follows. In 1884 he married Miss Emily M. Griswold, an accomplished young lady of New York. Like her husband, she is a teacher of high standing. The Pro- fessor has prospered and now owns considerable property in this parish. » • * ^ CHAS. GUTEKUNST, Bayou Chene.— The subject of this sketch was born in Wurtemberg, Germany, January 14, 1848. His father, Jno. G. Gute- kunst, was a native of the province of Wurtemberg. He was born 1820 ; and gave his chief attention to his milling interests in this province. He enlisted as a soldier during the French Revolution of '48, and fell in one of the battles. The mother of our subject, Fredrica Gans, was also a native of Wurtemberg, where she now resides. The whole family are Lutheran in religion. Charles Gutekunst is one of a family of two children. His father died before he was born. Young Charles was reared and educated in Germany. He is a graduate of Heidenheim College, receiving his diploma in 1868. While in college he gave special attention to the study of civil engineering, in which he has become practically proficient. Believing that the New World offered better inducement to a young man, and more scope for the exercise of his ambition, Charles emigrated to America in 1870. He located in St. Martin parish, Louisiana, where he soon found profitable employment. He entered the timber industry, in which he has since been more or less interested. Since 1878 he has devoted considefable of his time to civil engineering. He was elected justice of the peace in 1882. He is also a member of the poHce jury from this ward. Many beneficent measures owe their origin to his efforts as a representative of the people's interests. In March, 1874, Mr. Gutekunst married Miss Eloise J. Mendoza, a de- scendant of an old Spanish famil}'. She is a native of Louisiana, and the daughter of Jos. and Mary Mendoza, who are now residents of St. Mary 332 SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA : parish. To this marriage have been born three children, one son and two daughters, to-wit : Octave Orto, Charlotte and Laura. Mr. Gutekunst has prospered, and owns considerable property in this parish. , « • ^ CHAS. GUERINIERE, St. Martinville.— Chas. Gueriniere, a planter of St. Martin parish, was born in St. Martinville, January 21, 1848. He is the son of Chas. and Hersilie (Delahoussaye) Gueriniere, both of whom are natives of St. Martin parish. Chas. Gueriniere, Sr., was a planter and miller by occupation. He died in 1883. His wife died in 1856. The subject of this sketch received his schooling in his native parish. When only fourteen years of age Mr. Gueriniere enlisted in the Confederate service, and served two years. He began business for himself as a merchant and miller, in which occupations he has been chiefly engaged ever since. In 1876 Mr. Gueriniere was elected sheriff of St. Martin parish, and was reelected in 1878. He was married, in 1870, to Miss Pearl Oliver, a native of St. Mar- tin parish, and daughter of Chas. O. and Elodie (Mouton) Oliver. To them have been born seven children: Elodie, Hersilie, Charles, Oliver, Pearl, Laure, Blanche and Gaston. Mr. Gueriniere has given his children good educational advantages. He and family are members of the Catholic church. » » ^ EDWIN GUERINIERE, St. Martinville.— The subject of this sketch is a native of St. Martinville, born in 1855. He is the son of Chas. and Her- silie (Delahoussaye) Gueriniere. Mr. Gueriniere received a liberal education. He is the manager of a large saw-mill, of this place, and is a progressive, thoroughly wide-awake business man He married, in 1874, Miss Darcin Bienvenu, of St. Martinville, the daughter of Numa Bienvenu, of St. Martinville. Mr. and Mrs. Gueriniere are the parents of four children: Adrinin, Edwin, James and Darcum. He and his family are members of the Catholic church at St. Martinville. » • « LEON F. GILLARD, Breaux Bridge. — Mr. Gillard was born in Rapides parish, Louisiana, January 5, 1837. He is the son of G. B. Gillard and Celes- tine Robin, natives of Louisiana. Leon F. Gillard at the age of nine years entered St. Charles College, Grand Coteau, where he pursued a course of study for a period of four years; after- ward pursuing a private course, until the age of eighteen, when he entered a general mercantile store at Washington, Louisiana, as a clerk. Here he re- mained for four years, when he removed to St. Martin parish and engaged in planting, in which he continued until the breaking out of the war, when he en- HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL. 333 listed in the Confederate service, Company A, Fournet Battalion. On the or- ganization of the compan}' he was elected second lieutenant. After having served for a short period, he was discharged on account of ill health. After recruiting for awhile, he again volunteered in the cavalry service, and remained until the close of the war. After the war was over he resumed the operation of his plan- tation at this place. He now alternately gives his time to school teaching and the management of his plantation. Mr. Gillard is united in marriage with Miss Alzima David, of St. Martin parish. They are the parents of nine children. » » » ERNEST J. GILLARD, Arnaudville.— Ernest Gillard, a planter resid- ing near Arnaudville, is a native of St. Martin parish, and was born March i8, 1837. His parents, Joseph B. Gillard and Celestine Robin, are natives of Lou- isiana, the former of Avoyelles and the latter of St. Landry parish. Ernest Gillard was attending school at St. Charles College when the war broke out, and he left school to enlist in the Confederate service. He enlisted as a private and was in the service for about fourteen months. After his return home he was engaged in the general mercantile business at this place. After having been engaged in this business for a short period he married Miss Aspasie, daughter of Valsin and Madeline Benard, of St. Martin parish. Since that time he has been engaged in agricultural pursuits. Mr. Gillard owns and controls a plantation of two hundred and twenty-five arpents of land, on which he raises a variety of crops. He has never taken any special part in politics, but is inter- ested in all public affairs. Mr. Gillard and wife are the parents of ten children. » * « ^ G. ARISTA GUILBEAU, La Place.— Mr. Guilbeau was born in St. Martin parish December 28, 1858. He is a son of Alphonse Guilbeau and Ophelia Dugas, natives of Louisiana. The subject of this sketch was reared and educated principally in Lafayette parish, where he married Miss Mary Rose Bernard, daughter of Odile and Car- melite (Broussard) Bernard. After his marriage he removed to Breaux Bridge, St. Martin parish, where he resided for two years. Since that time he has devoted his attention to planting and merchandising, in which he has pros- pered. Mr. Guilbeau and wife are the parents of eight children, viz : Ophelia, Desamon, Mary, Rita, Carmene, Carmelite, G. Arista, Jr., Blanche. * * » JOHN GILLESPIE, St. Martinville.— Mr. Gillespie is a native of North Louisiana, born January i, 1856. He is a son of John Preston Gillespie, a native of Pennsylvania. John Preston Gillespie removed to Louisiana early in 334 SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA: life, where he was engaged in mercantile pursuits. He died from yellow fever in 1855. The subject of our sketch was one of a family of five children. He was reared in his native parish, and received his education in the Jesuit College of New Orleans. At the age of nineteen years he engaged in planting, and since that time he has given his attention exclusively to this business, in which he has been fairly successful. He was married, December20, 1881 , to Miss Marie Amelia Melancon of St. Martin parish. To them have been born two children, Marie Rose and M. Theresa. Mr. Gillespie and family are members of the Catholic church. , » » EDGARD HARDY, Arnaudville. — Mr. Hardy was born in St. Martin parish January 4, 1845. He is the son of J. J. Hardy and Ehza Broussard, the former a native of New Orleans and the latter of St. Martin parish. Young Edgard Hardy attended school in St. Martin parish until seventeen years of age, when he enlisted as a private in the Confederate service and served for a period of one year. Immediately upon his return home he married Miss ErminieLeBlanc, daughter of J. B. LeBlanc and Adrienne Guilbeau, now of St. Martin parish. Mr. Hardy is a planter and has alwa3's followed that vocation, in which he is successful. He and wife are the parents of nine children, four sons and five daughters, six of whom are living. Mrs. Hardy died July 29, 1890. » * • FREDERIC W. HART, M. D., St. Martinville.— Dr. Hart is a native of Canada and was born November 22, 1814. His father, Benjamin Hart, was also a Canadian and a prominent merchant of his province. He died in 1884. Our subject's mother, Harriet Hart, was a native of New York. To this union were born seven sons and seven daughters. Dr. Hart was reared and educated in Canada. He pursued a thorough classical and scientific course at McGill's College, of which institution he is a graduate. He studied medicine in Montreal, after leaving college, graduating in 1835. In 1836 he emigrated to the United States and located at Grand Gulf, Mississippi, where he remained two years. He subsequently removed to Yazoo county, and two years later to New Orleans, where he remained for nine years. Tiring of the constant labors connected with his professional duties, the Doctor purchased a plantation in Iberville parish and removed to that place, where he attended to his agricultural interests. In 1857 he went to Colorado and invested in the mining interests; remaining there for three years. Being a strong South- ern sympathizer, he moved to Mississippi and enlisted in the Confederate ser- vice, Regiment 6, Mississippi Cavalry. He was assigned to the staff of Gen. Witherspoon, and served with him until the close of the war. Since that time he has devoted his time and attention to his profession. The Doctor is the HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL. 335 author of several essa3'S on difierent medical subjects which have been of much benefit to the profession. He has been thrice married and is now a widower. JAMES O. HALPHEN, St. Martinville.— James O. Halphen was born October 7, 1858. He is the son of Michael and Fanny D. (De La Croix) Halphen, both natives of Louisiana. Michael Halphen was born and reared in Natchitoches parish, Louisiana, where he resided until the time of his deau.. The subject of this sketch is one of a family of seven children, four sons and three daughters, four of whom are living, to-wit : Zalina, wife of Albert Gillaud ; James O., the subject, Dussnan and Zoe. James O. Halphen was educated in Paris, France. At the age of eighteen ■years he accepted a position as steamboat clerk. This he followed for some time, and since then he has been engaged in various occupations. At the pres- ent time he is deputy sheriff of St. Martin parish. Mr. Halphen possesses superior business qualities, and has made a success of whatever he has under- taken. He was married, March, 1859, t*' Mary Zalina Chretien, of St. Mary parish, a daughter of D. and Ruth Chretien. Mrs. Halphen died May i, 1881, having become the mother of ten children, seven sons and three daughters, seven of whom are living; Francis, Ferdinand, Joseph O., Robert Albert, Mary Teresa, Fanny and Nolle. Those deceased are, Andrew, Achille and Zaline. Mr. Halphen married a second time. Miss Harmonia Fuise, of New Orleans. They are the parents of two children ; a son, Garbriel, and a daughter, Louise. Mr. Halphen and family are Catholics. ■^ J. O. HALPHEN, Jr., St. Martinville.— J. O. Halphen, Jr., is a son of J. O. Halphen, whose sketch appears above. He was born in Opelousas, St. Landry parish, Louisiana, March 28, 1861. He received a fair education in early life and began business as a salesman in a general mercantile store at the age of sixteen, in which he was engaged for a short period. He has been engaged in various occupations since that time and is at present the constable and deputy sheriff of St. Martin parish. As a public official Mr. Halphen has been strictly attentive to the interests of the people and is a popular officer. He was married, January 9, 1885, to Miss Emilie DeBlanc, a daughter of Louis DeBlanc, of St. Martin parish. Mrs. Halphen is a highly educated lady and a graduate of the college of Mobile, Alabama. Mr. and Mrs. Halphen are the parents of three children, viz: James F., Conrad F., Fabio. The family are all members of the Catholic church. In politics Mr. Halphen is a Republi- can, though conservative in his views. 336 SOUTHWEST L O UISIANA : JNO. ALFRED HITTER, St. Martinville.— The subject of this sketch was born in St. Martinville, November 4, 1848. His father, Sebastian Hitter, is a native of France. His ancestors were prominent in the French Rev- olution. He came to America in 1848. While on the journey across the ocean, cholera broke out among the passengers, and of the twenty-eight sufferers from this dreadful disease he was the only survivor. Shortly after his arrival in New Orleans he removed to St. Martin parish, where he now resides. Louise (Gei- ger) Hitter, the mother of our subject, was also a native of France, and ra«Jkved to Louisiana when a child. John A. Hitter was reared in St. Martin parish, and received his chief edu- cation at St. Martinville. At the age of sixteen years he accepted the position of salesman in a mercantile establishment in New Orleans, in which capacity he served four years, when he returned to St. Martinville and entered a mercantile business on his own account, in which he was engaged until 1882. In this, however, he was not successful, and he retired from busmess, embarking in other pursuits, which were attended with better success. He soon accumulated sufficient capital to put up a manufacturing and repairing establishment, where he manufactures and repairs buggies, harness, etc. On the 22d of September, 1873, he married Miss Marie Broussard, of St Martin parish. To them have been born six children: Josephine, Joseph, Louise, Celonine, Alphonse and Beatrice. Mr. Hitter and wife are members of the Catholic church. , ROBERT HUGHES IRVIN, St. Martinville.— Mr. Irvin is a native of Kentucky, born October 19, 1S69. His father. Col. Wm. J. Irvin, was a native of Ireland, though reared and educated in the United States. He was a gal- lant soldier in the Civil War, and was a colonel in the Sixth Indiana Regiment. He was severely wounded during sen'ice, from the effects of which he subse- quently died, December 3, 1875. R. H. Irvin's mother, Eliza O'Neil, was of Scotch parentage. She was reared in Louisville, Ky., where she married the subject's father in 1853. To them were born three sons and five daughters, of whom our subject is the third. He was reared and educated in Louisiana. He completed his education at St. John's College. After leaving school he took a course of civil engineering in Cincinnati, serving as an apprentice for five years. On the completion of his apprenticeship he became engineer fer the F. O. & I. M. Railroad, where he was engaged for the period of one year. Since that time he has been engaged on different roads, until recently, when he became identified with the timber business of this parish. Mr. Irvin is an ardent Democrat, and has figured prominently in the local politics of the parish. He was appointed census enumerator for the second ward, in St. Martin, parish, 1890. HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL. 337 JULES JEANMARD, Breaux Bridge. — Mr. Jeanmard was born in St. Martin parish January 15, 1840. He is the son of Francois and Eulalie (Artache) Jeanmard, the former a native of Italy and the latter of St. Martin parish, Lou- isiana. Francois Jeanmard removed to Louisiana when quite a 3^oung man, and resided here until the time of his death, in 1S64. His wife died in 1845. At the age of ten years Jules Jeanmard removed to Texas, where he remained until he was eighteen years of age. He received his education in the schools of Beaumont; during this tmie he alternately went to school and tended a stock farm. At the breaking out of the war he came to Louisiana and joined the De- clouet Guards, which was afterward attached to the New Orleans Guard Bat- talion. He was in the engagements at Shiloh and Vicksburg, where he was prostrated with measles and sent to the hospital at Jackson, Mississippi. Having recuperated he went to Camp Moore and received his discharge. Later he en- tered the Thirteenth Louisiana Regiment, Company A, and participated in the battles at Baton Rouge and Port Hudson. With his division he was ordered back to Vicksburg, where they were detained until the 4th of July, and re- ceived orders to return to Jackson, Mississippi. Here they were engaged in the ten days' bombardment. They were then dispatched to Mobile, Alabama, and attached to Longstreet's division to assist in the Tennessee campaign, and were in the retreat from Atlanta. At Jonesboro, Tennessee, Mr. Jeanmard was se- verely injured and sent to the hospital at Montgomery, Alabama. He was at home on a furlough when the war ended. He suffered a complete loss of property from the effects of the war and had to begin life anew. Shortly after the war was over he entered an employment as ferryman for the parish of St. Martin, for which he received five hundred dollars a year. He was subsequent- ly engaged in running a private ferry for a short period. He then removed to New Orleans, and was engaged in an ice factory there for one year, when he re- turned to St. Martin parish, and was there engaged as a mail carrier from Breaux Bridge to New Iberia. Shortly after this he began a mercantile business with his brother-in-law, C. C. Brown. In this they were not successful, and after conducting business for a short while dissolved partnership. He was assist- ed by Levi Loeb & Co., and our subject reopened a store in which he has been remarkably successful. He also owns a store in West Melville, St. Landry par- ish. Mr. Jeanmard is the father of six sons and three daughters, viz: Joseph R., Rosa, Charles, Frank, George, Jules, Jr., Anna, Henry. * • FRANK L. JEWELL, M. D., St. Martinville.— Dr. Jewell is a native of Louisiana, and was born in St. Landry parish January 16, 1839. He is the son of John M. Jewell, who was a native of Kentucky, reared and educated there, but removed to Louisiana when quite a young man. He located in St. Landry where he married our .subject's mother, Miss Clarissa Lewis, a native 338 SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA : of this State and a member of one of the prominent families of St. Landry. The issue of this marriage was four children — two sons and two daughters. John M. Jewell was killed in 1845 in a duel fought with a man b}- the name of Marshal. The subject of this sketch left his parental roof at the age of about seven- teen and entered the Centenary College. He afterward studied medicine in the Medical College of New Orleans, Louisiana, from which institution he grad- uated with high honors in i860. Upon the completion of his course in medicine he began to practise his profession in St. Bernard, Louisiana, but not being sat- isfied with the location he removed after a few months to New Orleans, where he practised for eleven years. Tiring of his arduous professional duties, he re- moved from the cit}' and gave his attention to agricultural pursuits for two years. Not being as successful as he anticipated, he removed to New Iberia, where he resumed the practice of his profession. Twelve years later he removed to St. Martin parish, locating in the town of St. Martinville, where he now resides and practices his profession. The Doctor has been thrice married, his last wife being Mrs. Corinne Four- net, a native of St. Martin parish. Dr. Jewell is a gentleman of fine literary attainments and superior profes- sional ability. He has had a large amount of experience in his profession and enjoys the confidence and esteem of those with whom he has cast his lot. * * » Mrs. EDWIN KNIGHT, St. Martinville.— Mrs. Edwin Knight was born in St. Martinville, September 2, 1842. She is the daughter of George and Evelina (Armstrong) Foster. George Foster was a native of Boston, Mas- sachusetts, where he received his education. He was born April 22, 1818, and was the son of Thomas Foster, an early settler of Massachusetts. Evelina Armstrong Foster is a native of St. Martinville, born July 20, 1820. She is the daughter of William and Agnes McCormick Armstrong. She is still alive, and makes her home with her daughter, the subject of this sketch. There were two children born to this marriage, both girls — Agnes, born October 17, 1839, and our subject. Mrs. Edwin Knight received her education at St. Martinville and Franklin, and has a fair knowledge of the English and French languages. She was married at the age of twenty-seven years to Edwin Knight, a native of St. Louis, Mis- souri, born December 27, 1844. His death occurred July 31, 1887. They were the parents of nine children, viz: George B., born Ma}' 17, 1870. Ella E., born June 17, 1871; Samuel R., born June 12, 1872; Percy, born February 4, 1874; Mary A., born January 24, 1876, died November, 1882; Lizzie R., born August 24, 1877; Edwin R., born June 12, 1879; Isabella E., born November 14, 1880; Lee, born August 25, 1882. 'George B., the oldest son, is a worthy HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL. 330 young man just entering manhood, and has a good business (Education. He is at present engaged as salesman in a general store in East St. Martinville, where he was born and reared. By his upright and manly conduct he has obtained the confidence and respect of those with whom he has associated. He is full of energy and integrity. * * * Mrs. a. p. LASTRAPES, St. Martin Parish.— Mrs. A. P. Lastrapes, born December 30, 1859, is a native of St. Martm parish. She is the daughter of P. D. D. DeLaCroix and Rosa Dt. DeBlanc. Mrs. Lastrapes was reared in this parish. She entered the Convent of the Sacred Heart at New Orleans at an early age, where she remained for live years, after which she returned to her home and was shortly afterward married to Andre P. Lastrapes. They became the parents of one son, Andre. Her husband only lived two years after their marriage. Shortly after his death Mrs. Lastrapes was appointed post-mistress of LaPlace post-office, which position she has occupied since that tim'^, discharging the duties with eminent satisfac- tion. She also teaches a private school at this place. » ^ W. H. LIVINGSTON, St. Martinville.— Mr. Livingston was born in St. Martin parish in 1854 ^""^ ''^ '^^ ^°" °^ George and Caroline Livingston. George Livingston was a native of Ewson, Indiana; born 1829 and died 1864. He moved to Louisiana in 1844 and was engaged in what is known as " swamp- ing, " or getting out cypress from the swamps of St. Martin parish. He enlisted in the Confederate army in 1862 and served for two years, but owing to physi- cal inability he was discharged. The subject of this sketch received a limited education and has been en- gaged in the timber business from the time of his boyhood until 1890, when he began a mercantile business in St. Martinville. He was married in 1887 to Miss Louise Cozine. To this union have been born six children, viz: George H., Percy M., Charles G., Lilian, John E., William E. Mr. Livingston is a mem- ber of the Episcopal church. * "^ THEOBALD J. LABBE, St. Martinville. — Mr. Labbe, a prominent young business man of St. Martinville, was born in St. Martin parish, Novem- ber 6, 1867. His father, Arthur Labbe, is a native of St. Martin parish. He was born near St. Martinville about 1845, where he has since made his home. For many years he has been engaged in agricultural pursuits and stock raising. The mother of our subject is a native of the Island of Martinique. She came to Louisiana while a child, where she was united in marriage with our subject's father in 1866. They are the parents of eight children, four sons and four daughters, six of whom are living. 21a 340 SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA : The subject of our sketch is the oldest of the family. He received the best educational advantages the schools of the parish afforded and entered the State University of Baton Rouge, but on account of ill health he was compelled to leave college before having completed his course of stud}'. After leavin"' school he devoted himself to the study of pharmac}' at the National Institute of Pharmac}' at Chicago. Two years later he passed his examination before the State Pharmaceutical Board of Alabama, there being no examining board of pharmac}- in Louisiana at that time. He entered the drug business in associa- tion with his father at about the time he began the stud}^ of pharmac}'. The business, under the firm st3'le of Labbe & Son, was continued for two 5-ears : at the expiration of which our subject purchased his father's interest and became the sole owner and proprietor of the business. He has the leading drug business of the place. Mr. Labbe has also taken a thorough course in stenography, and hopes to be able to facilitate his business by its use. He married, May 24, 1889, Miss Corinne Fleming, a native of St. Martin parish, the daughter of August and Alice (Broussard) Fleming. Both Mr. Labbe and wife are members of the Catholic Church. Mr. Labbe is a member of the Knights of Honor, and has occupied the office of dictator of the lodi-e. ^ S. V. MARTIN, St. Martinville. — There are few families of St. Martin parish that occupv a higher social standing than the Martin famil)-. The subject of this sketch is a son of Placide Martin and Eroisie Bernard, both natives of St. Martin parish. Placide Martin was a successful sugar planter of St. Martin parish in the earlier days of that industry. Both he and wife were of French descent and members of the Catholic church. Mr. Martin died from injuries received irom being thrown from a horse in 1846. Mrs. Martin died in 1832. Three sons and one daughter were born to tiiis union. The subject of this sketch was reared and educated near the home of his birth. He was married early in life to Miss Celima DeBlanc, the daughter of Aspasie Caslille and Derneville DeBlanc, one of the prominent families of St. Martin parish. Mr. Martin and wife are the parents of nine children, viz: Louise, who is the mother superior at the convent at Charenton, Louisi- ana, Agnes, Robert, Marie, Aspasie, Bertha, Lucie. Philomene and Joseph. Mr. Martin is by occupation a civil engineer, and to this profession he has devoted most of his life and made a success of it. He has been parish survej'or for twenty years and is the present parish 'assessor. He and his family are Catholics. All his children have received a classical education in academies of Louisiana. The last son, Joseph, is now at Georgetown College, Washington, D. C. HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL. 341 F. R. MARTIN, M. D., Breaux Brid(;e.— Dr. F. R. Martin is a native of St. Martin parish, born June 15, 1859. ^^^ ^® '''^ ^^"^ °^ Omer and Elise (Estilette) Martin. Omer Martin was a native of St. Martin parish, born in 1832. He is the son of Placide Martin. Elise Estilette is also a native of this parish, and was born in 1S36. She is the daughter of Alexander Estilette. a native of St. Landrj- parish. The subject of this sketch is one of a family of nine children, seven of whom are living, viz: Dr. William Martin, of Arnaudville ; Francis R. Martin, Dr. George A. Martin, of Breaux Bridge ; Joseph A. Martin, student at Louisi- ana State Agricultural and Mechanical College ; Eva Martin, Theolinde,Juanita, student at the Mount Carmel Convent at Lafa3'ette, Louisiana. His father hav- ing lost nearl}' everything from the war. Dr. Martin was thrown on his own resources for obtaining an education. He attended the common schools at Breaux Bridge until the age of twelve j'ears when he engaged as a workman in the fields until he secured sufficient means to attend college. He pursued a ht- erarv course at Hiwasse College, Tennessee, from which institution he graduated in 1878 with the degree of B. S. After leaving college he entered the office of Dr. N. Betournay, where he pursued the study of medicine for four years, when he entered the medical department of Tulane University, from which institution he graduated in 1885. Returning to Breaux Bridge, he immediately began the practice of medicine. He has succeeded, and he now has one of the largfist practices in this section. As a surgeon the Doctor has been especialh' success- ful, and lias performed many diflicult and intricate surgical operations. His practice extends over the parishes of St. Martin, Lafayette and St. Landry. Dr. Martin is a close thinker and a hard student; he has a fine library and keeps well posted on everything pertaining to his profession. Subsequent to 1886 Dr. Martin was engaged in the drug business in partnership with A. H. Vander Cruyssen until recently. The Doctor is now associated with his brother in the business. Though Dr. Martin gives his chief time to his profes- sional work, he is also interested in all the affairs of this section and is a leading citizen. The Doctor owns a plantation located east of Breaux Bridge, which is cultivated in cotton. He also owns a sugar plantation and stock farm near this place. He has been president of the Literar}- and Gymnastic Association since its organization. He is also president of the Breaux Bridge Turf Association, which was organized in 1889. He is the local president of the Columbus, Georgia, Building and Loan Association. He is a member of the Attakapas Medical Association, and is the parish correspondent for the experimental sta- tion at Baton Rouge. He is also a member of tlie Public School Board of St. Martin, appointed by Governor Nicholls. In October, 1878, Dr. Martin mar- ried Miss Constance Thibodeau, daughter of Hypolite and Elise (Zeringue) 342 SOUrj/WEST L OCJSIA.YA : Thibodeau, of St. Martin parish. The}' are the parents of five children, viz: Joseph Aimes, Anna, Lewis, Francis, George (deceased). The Doctor and his family are members of the Catholic church. CYP. MfiLANCON, Breaux Bridge.— Mr. Melancon is a native of St. Martin parish, born in 1832. He is the son of Marcelin and Scholastic (Guidry) Melancon, who were both natives of St. Martin parish. C. Melancon is one of a family of sixteen children, seven of whom are now living. He began planting at the age of twenty-one years, in which he was en- gaged until the war broke out, when he enlisted in the Confederate army and served until the latter part of 1864, when he was discharged as unfit for duty on account of ill health. After recovering he again enlisted in the service for about six months, when his health gave way, and he was again discharged. January, 1866, Mr. Melancon opened a mercantile business at Breaux Bridge, beginning with a small capital; he has since increased his business until he now carries a large stock and does a good business. He carries a general stock of merchan- dise, and deals in cotton extensively. He also owns four plantations in this par- ish, aggregating about eight hundred acres, upon which he raises cotton and corn. In politics Mr. Melancon is a Democrat, though not partisan. In 1S66 he filled the office of constable, and was afterward post-master at Breaux Bridge eighteen years, and since that time has refused to accept public positions. He was married in 1853 to Miss Fclicie Broussard, .daughter of Sasthine and Mar- celite (Begnaud) Broussard. Two children, a son and a daughter, are the re- sult of this union. , * » JOS. MALONSO, St. Martin Parish.— Mr. Malonso is a native of St. Martin parish, born in 1841. He had very poor educational advantages as a boy, and, consequently, his literar}- education is limited. He is a successful planter of St. Martin parish, owning a good plantation near St. Martinsville. Mr. Malonso is united in marriage with Miss Emilice Savoy, a native of St. Martin parish. They are the parents of six children. Mr. Malonso and family are consistent members of the Catholic church. » * ^ JULES J. MOUTON, Cade.— Mr. Mouton was born in Lafayette parish in 1857. He is the son of Eraste and Corinne Mouton, natives of Lafa- yette and St. Landry parishes, respective!)'. Eraste Mouton was an attorney of Lafayette parish, and served for a period as judge of the Sixteenth Judicial District, embracing the parishes of Lafayette, Vermilion and Calcasieu. He also edited for a time a newspaper in Lafayette. He was one of the most prominent men of the place. During the Civil War he served as captain of his company. HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL. 343 The subject of this sketch received a liberal education, and early in life engaged in a mercantile business, and lately has undertaken planting. He was married in 18S4 to Widow F. Oliver, a native of St. Martin parish. The)- are tlie parents of four living children, viz : Alice, Anna, Pauline and Daniel. Mr. and Mrs. Mouton are communicants of the Catholic church of St. Martinville. , H. M. NIBLETT, M. D.. Biieaux Bkidge.— Dr. Niblett was born in Petersburg. Virginia, in 183S. He is the son of Dr. Sttrling Niblett and Anne (McFarland) Niblett, both natives of Virginia. Dr. Sterling Niblett was prominent in political affairs of the State, though he never held an office. Prior to his death he had accumulated an immense fortune of over a million of dollars. He was interested in many of the banks of Louisiana before the war. Profes- sionally he was one of the most distinguished surgeons in the State. The subject of this sketch is one of a family of eight children, viz : William, Robert, Sterling, James, Collins, Norman and Nannie, of whom the Doctor is the sixth in order of birth. He received his primar}^ education in the schools of his native count}'. At the age of eighteen he entered the University of Vir- ginia, where he remained four \-ears. Three years of this time he devoted to literar}' studies, and the fourth year to the studj' of medicine. He subsequently attended the Jefferson Medical College at Philadelphia and graduated from there in 1861. The same year he enlisted in the Confederate service as assistant sur- geon of the Ninth Virginia Cavalry. With this division he was in the battles of Fredericksburg, Williamsburg, Five Forks and many others. He was twice wounded. Three days before the surrender he was taken prisoner and sent to Washington, where he was kept for about a month, when he was sent to John- ston Island, where, after being confined for five weeks, he was paroled. After the war he returned to \'irginia, where he practised his profession until 1868. He then removed to St. Martin parish, where he took charge of his father's plantation near this place, and on the death of his father he became heir to 1200 acres of valuable land. Since that time he has devoted his chief atten- tion to planting and stock raising. His plantation is well improved and he has a large sugar mill, which manufactures a capacity of ten hogsheads of sugar a day. Dr. Niblett was married in 1870 to Miss Annie Wilkins, daughter of Benjamin Wilkins, a noted physician of Virginia, and Sadie Overton. * * * ^ P. D. OLIVIER. M. D., St. Martinville.— Dr. Olivier was born in Lafayette parish November 26. 1840. His father was a native of the same place and was for many years recorder of the parish. He filled with distinction the office of parish judge for nearl}' six years. He was also sent to the Legis- lature from St. Martin parish. His name is well and favorably known. Our 344 SOUTHWEST L O UISIANA : subject's mother was Miss Amyntha Berard, is a native of St. Martin parisii, where she now resides and has spent most of her useful hfe. Dr. Olivier was one of a family of ten children. He was educated at St. Charles College, Grand Coteau. At the age of nineteen 3-ears he determined to study dentistry and went to the Philadelphia College of Dental Surgery, where he graduated in iS6i. Soon after his return he enlisted in Company C, Eighth Louisiana Regiment. He was with the Hayes Brigade and under Stone- wall Jackson's command. He was made lieutenant of his company and was in the most hotly contested engagements of the war, viz: Front Roj'al, first and second battles of Winchester, Cross Keys, Port Republic, Cold Harbor, Mal- vern Hill, both battles of Fredericksburg, second battle ot Bristow Station, Manassas, Harper's Ferry, Sharpsburg, Gett3-sburg. He was captured at Rap- pahannock, and consigned to Johnston Island and there endured all the hard- ships of prison life. In June, 1865, he was discharged, and, returning liome, found all that he had possessed lost. In 1S66 he married Miss Corinne Bossier, a native of St. Martin parish. She is the daughter of Diogene Bossier and Corralie Weber. Her parents are dead. The Doctor and his wife are the parents of six children — four sons and two daughters, viz: Eugene, George, Henry, Louise, Andre, Eliza. He and familj- are members of the Catholic church. In 1878-79 Dr. Olivier was tax collector of St. Martin parish. He is now engaged in' the improvement of the public schools, and the people of the place are indebted to him for the excellent condi- tion in which they are now in. ^ '' C. M. OLIVIER, Jr., Cadj;.— Mr. Olivier was born in this parish in 1851. He is the son of C. M. and Amanthe (Briard) Olivier. Both were natives of St. Martin parish. C. INI. Olivier was judge of the Sixteen Judicial District for several years before his death. He was a gentleman of culture and refinement. He died in 1876. His wife still survives him and is a resident of St. Martins- ville. They became the parents of ten children, eight of whom are living. The subject of our sketch has devoted his full attention to planting, in which he has been quite successful, .and now owns a fertile plantation of over three hundred acres of land in St. Martin parish. He was married, in 1S79, '^° Miss Josephine Cormier, daughter of Nicholas and Emilie (Kedoux) Cormier. Tliey are the parents of two children, viz: Maurice and Amelie. Mr. Olivier and family are devoted Catholics. * * * FELIX Y. POWER, St. Martinville. — Mr. Power was born in New Orleans in 1862. He is the son of Philip and Mathilda Power, both natives of New Orleans. Philip Power is in the tax and mortgage department at New Or- leans. He is also clerk of the court in that city. HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL. 345 The subject of our sketch was educated in the pubhc schools of New Or- leans, and was prepared to enter the graduating class when he left school to be- gin busness. He began life as a merchant, in which business he has since been principally engaged. He now conducts a good mercantile business in St. Mar- tinsville. Mr. Power was married in 1888 to Miss Louise Durand, daughter of O. J. and Felicie Durand. Mr. Power and wife are members of the Catho- lic church at St. Martinville. ^ * * ^ CHAS. POTIER, Jr., St. Martinville. — Mr. Potier is a native of St. Martin parish, born August 25, 1828. He is the son of Charles and Marcelete Potier, both of whom are natives of this parish. At the age of eighteen years Mr. Potier entered a private school, where he pursued a four years' course of study, upon the completion of which he engaged with his father in phmting until ■ the latter's death, after which event he managed the estate for twenty-five years. In 1876 he bought a tract of two hundred and forty acres, one hundred and eighty of which is under cultivation, and has since given his attention to its op- eration. He raises corn, cotton, potatoes and cane. His plantation is a pro- ductive one and yields him a good income. Mr. Potier was married, 1855, to Miss A. Berard, a native of St. Martin parish, born 1S39. ^^^ '^ '^ daughter or Hjpolite and Canence (Barras) Be- rard, both of whom are natives of St. Martin parish. To this union have been born nine children, five sons and four daughters, Clemence, Benjamin, Hypo- lite (deceased), Cecile, Corinne, Lora, Laurent, Rene and Charles. Mr. Potier served in the latter j-ear of the war as sergeant under Captain Holland Hayes, in the Foiirnet Battalion. * * ^ J. ROUSSEAU, Breaux Bridge. — Mr. Rousseau is a merchant of this place, born in 1847. His parents, Jules and Felician (Martin) Rousseau, are both natives of St. Martin parish, Louisiana. Our subject is the eldest of two sons born to this union. He received his education at St. Charles College, which he entered at the age of twelve years, and remained until 1864, when he left school and enlisted in the Seventh Louisiana Cavalry, remaining until the close of the war. After the war he engaged as a clerk in St. Martin parish for about two years, when he removed to New Orleans and was employed in a wholesale shoe store for a similar period. Returning to St. Martin parish he opened a store in partnership with M. Boudier, in which business he was engaged for about six years. From 1874 ^^ 1880 he was engaged in the sugar industry. In 1880 he again engaged in merchandising, in which he has pros- pered. Mr. Rousseau married, February 12, 1877, Miss Clemence Buillard, a native of St. Martin parish. They are the parents of seven children, four boj'S and three girls, viz: Joseph Jules, Gaston Laurent, Henry Gabriel, Joseph, 34C SOUTHWEST L OUISIANA : Jean Martin, Marie, Anna and Agnes. Mr. Rousseau, in 1884, was appointed parish treasurer, which office he still holds. He is treasurer of the Breaux Bridge Turf Association, also treasurer and secretary of the Literary and Dramatic x^ssociation. He is secretary of the local branch of the Columbus, Georgia, Building and Loan Association. He and family are Catholics. * * J. A. RESEWEBER, St. Martinville. — J. A. Reseweber was born in New Orleans in 1849. He is the son of Antoine and Mary Reseweber, both natives of France. Mr. Reseweber received a fair education ana commenced business as a merchant, in which he has been occupied during the whole of his business life. He is at present doing a good mercantile business, and owns about one hundred and twenty-five acres of land, on which he raises principally cotton and corn. He was married, in 1876, to Miss Nativa Lasseigne, of St. Martin parish. To this union have been born seven children. » * ^ ADRIEN F. ROY, Arnaudville. — The subject of this sketch is a native of St. Martin parish, born June 27, i860. He is the son of Ceprien Roy and Adolphena Guilbeau, both of whom are natives of this parish. i\drien F. Roy was reared in St. Martin parish, and at the age of filteen entered a private school, which he attended for a period of two years, when he began planting. He owns a good little plantation, where he raises corn and cotton chiefl}-. He was married, in 1883, to Azema Trahan, a native of St. Martin parish. To this union have been born one son and three daughters, Adolphine, Ema- rant, Louis and Bettina. * ^ A. D ROY, Arnaudville. — Mr. Roy is a native of St. INLirtin parish, born July 6, 1862. He is the son of Alexander Roy and A. Bernard, the former a native of St. Martin parish, the latter of Lafayette. Alexander died in 1873: his wife in 1867. Thus left an orphan at an earl}- age, young A. D. Ro}- was thrown upon his own resources. After his father's death he lived with his uncle, with whom he remained five years, when he engaged as clerk in a mer- cantile establishment at Arnaudville, Louisiana, where he remained three years. While there he improved the plantation which had been left him by his father and superintended its operation. Since this time he has been entirely engaged in agriculturtU pursuits. Mr. Roy is united in marriage with Miss Kidder, the daughter of A. Kidder and O. Bergeron, both of whom are natives of this parish. To them have been born three sons and one daughter. HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL. 347 Mr. Roy has prospered in his agricultural pursuits and now possesses six hundred arpents of land, a good portion of which is under a high state of cultivation. 101890 Mr. Roy was appointed police juror from the fifth ward and is at present the incumbent of the position. * * ^ R. N. ST. GERMAIN, Breaux Bridge. — The subject of this sketch was born in St. Martin parish, 185 1. He is the son of Chas. P. and Aurelie (Gau- thier) St. Germain, the former a native of France, born 1814; the latter of St. Martin parish, born 1833. Chas. P. St. Germain was a merchant in St. Mar- tinsville, where he had removed when young. He was engaged in business at this place for thirty-five years prior to the time of his death, in 1878. His widow still survives him. R. N. St. Germain is one of a family of three children, all of whom are liv- ing. He was educated in St. Martinsville, and began business life at the age of seventeen as a clerk in liis father's store. Here he remained for two years, when he took charge of his father's sugar plantation, and continued to control it for about five years. December 9, 1873, he married Miss Corinne Ledoux, daughter of August and Annis (Begnaud) Ledoux, of this parish. After retiring from his sugar in- dustry, Mr. St. Germain was on the road for about a \ ear as commercial tourist. After the death of his father, 1878, he took charge of his mercantile business, in which he continued till 1883, since which time he has been a cotton planter. He has also in charge a cotton gin, and will gin this season (1890-91) about one thousand bales. He has a good plantation of about one hundred and forty acres. In 1888 Mr. St. Germain was appointed police juror fiom the fourth ward of St. Martin parish and now serves in that capacit}-. J. A. SCHLESINGER, Breaux Bridge.— Mr. Schlesinger is a native of St. Martin parish, born January 29, 1852. He is the son of Edward and Adveline Schlesinger, the former a native of Bradford, Yorkshire, England, born 1809, the latter a native of St. Martin parish, born 1822. Edward Schlesinger was a school teacher in Louisiana and Texas for man}' \'ears; he now resides in New Orleans. The subject of this sketch received his early education in New Orleans. At the age of seventeen years he accepted a position in the custom house, where he remained for a period of seven years. Since that time he has taught school in the parishes of Orleans, Vermilion, St. Tamman}' andSt. Martin. He married, June 14, 1873, Miss Agatha Navarro. To this union were born four children, three of whom are now living, viz: Edward Albert, Frank T., Charles Louis. In January, 1886, he married Miss Mathilde Palonabo, of Vermilion parish. 348 SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA: They are the parents of two children, viz: Frederic and Charles. In 1867, Mr. Schlesinger was appointed United States cotton weigher, which position he held for eighteen months. In 1S70-71 he held the position of deputy collector and inspector of customs at Calcasieu parish. During the year 1872 he served as deput}' coroner. In 1877 he was appointed justice of the peace of Plaquemine parish, and in 1881 was post-master at Pilot Town in the same parish. Since that time he has been teaching school. * * GEO. SILLAN, St. Martinville. — Mr. Sillan is of French nativity. He was born in Paris in i860, and is the son of Emile Sillan, one of the pioneers of Southwest Louisiana. At the age of thirtj'-five Emile Sillan emigrated to Louisiana and located in the parish of St. Mary, where for many years he was engaged in the sugar industrj^ He is now a resident of Baldwin, St, Mary par- ish. The subject's mother, Zeido (Sorrell) Sillan, is a native of St. Mar}' par- ish, Louisiana, and is of French extraction. She became the mother of three children, two sons and one daughter. The subject of this sketch was reared and educated in Paris, France. His early educational advantages were good. He graduated from one of the best schools of Paris. He removed with his father to Louisiana at the age of twenty- eight, and began the publication of the Reveille, a weekly Democratic newspaper, at St. Martinville. The paper is published in French, and has a good local circulation. ^ ^ WILLIAM D. TxALLEY, Breaux Bridge.— Mr. Talley is a native of St. Martin parish, and was born October 3, 1827. He is the son of John and Mary (Hartach) Talley, the former a native of Georgia and the latter of Havana. William D. Talley was reared in St. Martin parish, where he received an excellent education in the French language. He has since acquired a good English education and speaks it in preference to his native tongue. Mr. Talley began the mercantile business at the age of twenty-one years, on the Atchafalaya river, in this parish, in which he was engaged for about nine years. He then engaged in cutting and selling timber from the swamps for about ten years. Since that time he has devoted his full attention to planting. His plan- tation is six miles northeast of Breaux Bridge, and consists of one hundred and fifty-six acres of valuable land, upon which he raises cotton and cane. In 1861 Mr. Talley enlisted in the Confederate service, and served in the engineer corps until the close of the war. He was in the batdes of Fort Bisland, Fort Donelson, Mansfield, Yellow Bayou and Bayou Fordoche. Mr. Talley has twice married. January 19, 1S49, he married Miss Anais Guilbeau. They be- came the parents of four children, viz: Gideon, John, Mary and Hyacinth. HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL. 349 Mrs. Talle}' died in 1863, and Mr. Talley married the second time, Miss Mary Hill, of West Baton Rouge. They are the parent's of two sons and four daughters, viz: Julia, Ida, Ahda, Emma, Wilfred and David. "^ VALERY THIBODEAU, Bre.\ux Bridge.— The subject of this sketch is a native of St. Martin parish, born October 20, 1828. He is the son of Nar- cisse Thibodeau and Lucy Potier, both natives of St. Martin parish. As a boy- he attended the public schools of this parish and afterward attended a private school at Breaux Bridge for about two j-ears. He began life as a planter, first on his father's plantation and subsequently on a plantation which he pur- chased himself. Mr. Thibodeau owns a plantation of about three hundred and twenty acres of land upon which he raises chiefly cotton and corn. He has also on his place a saw-mill which he has operated for many years. In i860 Mr. Thibodeau was elected justice of the peace and notar}- public of the fnurth ward, in which capacity he served for fourteen j'ears. In 1862 he enlisted in Companjr A, of the Fourteenth Louisiana Battalion, of which company he became lieu- tenant and after a 3'ear captain. He served until the close of the war. In 1852 Mr. Thibodeau was married to Miss Emily Thibodeau, of St. Martin parish. She is the daughter of Treville Thibodeau and Aspasie LeBlanc. both of whom were natives of St. Martin parish. Treville Thibodeau was one of St. Martin's most successful planters and prominent citizens. ^ COL. FELIX VOORHIES, St. Martinville.— Without a sketch of the Voorhies family, a history of Southwest Louisiana would be incomplete. Mem- bers of this family have figured prominently, not only in local affairs, but in the history of the nation. The family is of direct Holland ancestry, the first mem- ber in America, Corte Alberts Van Voor Hies, having been a native of Holland. He located in New Jersey about the year 1600. The latter part of the name, signifying " near the town of Hees," has only been retained by the descendants of this ancestor. Cortc Alberts Van Voor Hies was twice married ; first in Holland, and the second time in New Jersey. He became the father of ten children, most of whom were born in Holland. They located in different States of the Union, a son, Cornelius, becoming domiciled in Kentucky. He was the father of three children, of whom Cornelius, the grandfather of the subject of this sketch, was one. Cornelius Voorhies was reared and received his education in Kentucky. He removed to St. Lar.dry parish, Louisiana, early in life, where he married Aimee Gradenigo,a descendant of the distinguished Gradenigo family of Venice. Cornelius Voorhies afterward removed to Avoyelles parish, where he served as sheriff and parish judge. He reared a family of six children, to-wit: William, 3oO SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA : Cornelius, father of our subject; Clarissa, Horace F., Gradenigo P., and Eulalie. Cornelius Voorhies, the father of Felix Voorhies, was born in 1803, in Avoyelles parish. He received a limited education, and at an early age began the study of law in St. Martinsville, being admitted to the bar in 1825. He first located in Lafayette parish, where he practised for four or five years, when he located in St. Martinville, and devoted himself to his law practice for several years. He was elected district attorney, in which capacitj* he served for some time, and was afterward elected State Senator. Subsequent to this he served for a period as district judge, and in 1853 he was elected associate justice of the Supreme Court, in which position he served until within a short while before his death, August, 1859. Mr. Voorhies was noted for his firmness and the closeness with which he adhered to his principles. Further mention is made of him in the history of the bench and bar of St. Martin parish. Col. Felix Voorhies was educated at St. Charles College, Grand Coteau; Spring Hill, Alabama; and completed his studies at the Jesuits' College, New Orleans. He studied law in St. Martinville, and was admitted to the bar before the Supreme Court in Opelousas in 1S60, since which time he has practised in St. Martinville. Mr. Voorhies enlisted in the Confederate service in 1861 in Company C, Eighth Louisiana Regiment, and was assigned to duty in Virginia. He was in active service until the latter part of 1862, when he was discharged on account of disabilit}-. After recuperating he again entered service as captain of the Independent Cavahy Company' in the latter part of 1863, and was stationed in Louisiana for about a year. Later he was detailed to bureau duty. After the war Col. Voorhies returned home and resumed his law practice. In 1874 '^^ ^'^^ elected representative of St. Martin parish in the State Legisla- ture, and served one term. Col. Voorhies, as have been his ancestors, is an ar- dent Democrat, though he does not take an exceedingl}' prominent part in local affairs. Since his service in the Legislature he has never held any public office. The Colonel has devoted much of his leisure time to literature, and is a writer of recognized merit. He has written a number of comedies in French, some of which have received high commendation. His " Blanche Duvart." or "A Louisi- ana Romance," was reprinted in both Canada and France. Col. Voorhies has for many j'ears been a regular contributor to the leading French papers in the United States, and his "Louisiana Sketches" in the New York Independent have been widely read and admired. His " Reminiscences of an Old Acadian " is his onl\' attempt in English. Col. Voorhies has largely contributed to local papers, and was for four years editor of the Observer, now the Reveille, of St. Martinville. He was married in October, 1859, to Miss Modeste Potier, of St. Martin parish. To them have been born twelve children: Edward G., attorney, of La- fayette; Felix E., engineer and mechanic, of St. Martin parish; Dan. W., at HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL. 351 torney, at St. Martinville ; Charles L., engineer and mechanic, of St. Martin- ville; Robert E., druggist, at Thibodeauxville; Albert P., who is at present a student in dentistry- ; Cecile, Paul E., Walter, Lucie, J. Sasthene and Modeste. L. C. VAUTIER, St. Martinville. — Mr. Vautier was born in New Orleans, October 6, 1867. He is the son of Charles and Louise (Klar) Vautier, both natives of Louisiana. Charles Vautier is engaged in the cotton trade in New Orleans. The subject of this sketch received a good business education, and began life as a planter in 1883, to which vocation he has since given his full time. He owns and controls a good plantation of about one hundred and sixty acres, in St. Martin parish, near St. Martinville, upon which he raises principally sugar cane. Mr. Vautier was married, in 1888, to Miss Bertha Bienvenu, of St. Mar- tinsville. He and wife are strict members of the Catholic church. * ^ H. A. VANDERCRUYSSEN, Breaux Bridge.— The subject of this sketch is a native of Ghent, Belgium. He is the son of Licvinand Seraphin (Van de Putted Vander Cruj-ssen ; the former a native of Bruges, the latter, of Eecloo. Our subject was one of a family of twelve children, of whom four are now living: Luc}', Alphonse, Ida and himself, Mr. Vander Cruyssen's father was a prom- inent manufacturer of Ghent. He gave employment to a large number of men, and was prominent in political and social affairs. He was three times President of the Third Board of Elecdons of Ghent, and refused the position of Mayor of Hevst. At the time of his death, in 1875, he w.is very wealthy. His widow still survives, and resides in Ghent. The subject of this sketch is the only member of the family in America. He received his early education in Alost in the college of Freres des Ecoles Chreiennes. Subsequently he attended the Jesuit college of St. Barbe at Ghent, where he remained for some time, when he matriculated in the Academy of St. Luke at Ghent, a school of art and design, completing his studies with an architect (Van Assche) at Ghent. After his study of architecture, he was engaged as supervising architect and builder. He also made a special study of chemistry and drugs in the Ecole Industrielle, afterward serving with a druggist. Mr. Vander Cruyssen has been twice married. His first wife, Alice de Wulf, died two years after their marriage. In August, 1884, Mr. Vander Cruyssen came to New Orleans, and engaged in the drug business. Two years later, at the solicitation of Dr. Martin, he removed to Breaux Bridge, and enter- ing into partnership with the Doctor, has conducted the drug business of this place since that time. The Breaux Bridge Union being about to discontinue publication, Mr. Vander Cruyssen was solicited by the patrons of the paper to 352 SOUTHWEST LOUIS/ANA. take charge, which he did in 1889. Under his management the paper, which is Democratic in sentiment, has increased twenty-five per cent, in circulation. In October, 1S88, Mr. Vander Cruyssen married a second time, Miss Con- stance, the eldest daughter ot Oliver Broussard, of St. Martin parish, born October 26, 1870. One child, Alice, is the result of this union. Iler death occurred in the year of her birth. Mr. Vander Cruyssen has never held public office, but has served his party in various ways and takes an active interest in all political affairs. He is one of the founders, and the first manager and director, of the literary and gymnastic association of Breaux Bridge, and is secretary of the Breaux Bridge brass band. He is also local agent of the Columbus, Georgia, Building & Loan Association. He and his wife are communicants of the St. ]3ernard Catholic church, of which Mr. Vander Cruyssen is organist. « * * v^ CHARLES H. VOORHIES, St. Martinville.— Mr. Voorhies is a native of Louisiana, born in the town of St. Martinville, in St. Martin parish. He is the son of Alfred Voorhies, who was also a native of St. Martinville, where he resided until the time of his death. His mother, Euphrosine (Olivier) Voorhies was born in St. Martinville, where she was reared and married. She is the daughter of Diflonville and Enoine Olivier. Charles Voorhies was reared in St. Martinville, where he obtained a com- mon school education. He began life at the age of fourteen years, as a manual laborer. In 1886 he was elected chief constable, which position he has held since. He married Miss Amelia Campbell, daughter of Levi and Almide (Landry) Campbell. She is a native of St. Martinville, and was born Ma}' 8, i860. Her mother is still living in St. Martinville. Her father has been dead for a number of years. Mr. and Mrs. Voorhies are the parents of three living children, viz: Erme, Charles, Birdie. In politics Mr. Voorhies is a stanch Democrat. Mr. Voorhies is descended from an old and highly honored family of the Acadian pioneers, and is proud of his descent. ^ * * PERLEY POORE Wx^RD, St. Martinville.— Prominent among the rising, thorough-going, business young men of St. Martin parish is the subject of this sketch. Mr. Ward is a native of Louisiana. He was born in East Feliciana, November 29, 1856. His father, Frederic W. Ward, was a native of New York, born iu Dutchess county, near the city of Poughkeepsie, about the year 1814. He removed to Louisiana in 1846. Here he spent the remainder of his daj'S. By occupation he was a merchant tailor. He prospered in his voca- tion, and at the breaking out of the Civil War he had accumulated considerable HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL. 353 property; but by the war he lost it all. He died August 15, 1876. Our sub- ject's mother was a native of Germany, though reared and educated in Amer- ica. She died in i860. The subject is one of six children. He at an early age, being thrown upon his own resources, entered the printing office of the Clinton Patriot-Democrat, where he remained for three years. His health failing he removed to Amite, Miss., where he engaged in agricultural pursuits and school teaching alternately for a period of four years. February', 1866, he removed to Iberia parish, Lou- isiana, where he engaged in ihe timber business. Subsequentl}' he located in St. Martinsville, where he still conducts his timber interests. SASTHEN ZERINGUE, LaPlace.— The subject of this sketch is a na- tive of St. Martin parish and was born October 7, 1841. He is the son of Z. and Mar}' (Suderic) Zeringue, the former a native of St Landry parish and the latter of St. Martin parish, Louisiana: they are both deceased. Sasthen Zeringue had very limited educational advantages and at an early age began work on a plantation. After having attained his majority he began planting for himself, in which he has since continued with more or less success. He owns a plantation of about one hundred and fift}' acres in this parish, on which he raises cotton and corn chiefly. His land is fertile and his plantation is one of the best in this section. At the age of twenty-one Mr. Zeringue was united in marriage with Miss Clemence Guidry, a native of St. Martin parish, and daughter of Edmond and Joset (Sanier) Guidry. They are the parents of five children. ^iJ'-J^J^ CHAPTER VI 11. PARISH OF ST. MARY. ALBERT C. ALLEN, Franklin.— Albert C. Allen was born in Frank- lin, Louisiana, 1847. His father, Wm. P. Allen, was a native of Tennessee, born in Gallatin, in 1806. He removed to St. Mary parish early in life and became an extensive contractor and builder. Many of the extensive sugar houses of St. Mary parish are his architecture He died in 1889. Our subject's mother, Caroline P. Nixon, was a native of Arkansas, born in Helena, 181S. She died December, 1879. Albert C. is the eighth of a family of nine children. He spent the years of his minority in Tennessee, and at the age of nineteen he entered the pro- fession of teacher in the common schools. He subsequently attended the law department of Tulane University, New Orleans, Louisiana, graduating there- from in 1871. He practised as an attorney in the Nineteenth Judicial District till he was elected judge in 1886. He was reelected in 1S88, and now fills that position. He was married in 1874 ^'^ Miss Katie E. Johnson, of Franklin, Louisiana. There have been born to their marriage six children, four sons and two daughters. * * * ^ INDEPENDENCE ALPHA, Franklin, an old and estimable citizen of Franklin, was born in Jeffersonville, Indiana, July 4, 1821. He is the son of P. and Claria (Cissna) Alpha. P. Alpha was born on the eastern shore of Maryland, 1780. They were married in 1820, and our subject is their third child in order of birth and the only one now living. Mr. Alpha was one of General Jackson's staff at the battle of New Orleans, 1S15. He also served as circuit judge, of Spencer county, Indiana, which appointment he received from Jackson while President of the United States. He held the position from 1830 until 1832, when he resigned to emigrate to Louisiana. Independence Alpha received a fair education in the common schools of his day. He was thrown upon his own resources at the age of eighteen years and immediately entered tlie office of the Franklin Republic, wiiere he served an apprenticeship as a tvpesetter. His fidelity to business soon placed him in 358 SOCTZ/UESr LOUISIANA: charge ol llie journal, and in 1S40, on the death of Phil. Parrett, he practically assumed its control and held the position until 1844, when he removed to Mobile, Alabama, where he entered the trade of carpenter and builder, in which he remained three years. He linall}^ returned to Franklin and reentered the printing business, which he followed for a series of years. During the last few years, having retired from the publishing business, he opened a wagon shop, and this business now engages his attention. Independence Alpha was married in Franklin, 1842, to Miss Caroline C Campbell, of Franklin, Louisiana, and there were born to this marriage twelve children, nine of whom are now livinjj. V NARCISSE ALLEMAN. Centrevii.le. — Narcisse Alleman was born in Assumption parish. Louisiana. August 10, 1841. He is the son of Jean B. and Angelina (Trahan) Alleman, both natives of Assumption parish, Louisiana. Narcisse Alleman, at the age of fourteen years, entered the privates chools of his parish and pursued his studies for a period of two years, when he left the school room for the farm. He gave his attention to farming for several years, and at the age of twenty-four engaged in merchandising, in which he continued until 1875 at that place. That year he removed to Centre\ille, St. Mary parish, ^where he again engaged in merchandising, in which he has continued until the present, and does a flourishing business. He carries a stock worth eight thous- and dollars and his annual sales are twent3'-five thousand dollars. The success which has attended Mr. Alleman is due to his business tact and judicious management. The comfortable circumstances which Mr. Alleman has attained is the result of his own efforts. He was married in 1865 to Miss Orela Simoneaux, daughter of Joseph A. and Angelina (Landry) Simoneaux, both of Assumption parish, Louisiana. They are the parents of ten children, five sons and five daughters, viz: Lawrence S., Robert, Alcee J., Lenesse J., Avella C Stella N., Laura S., Lucj' O., Corine E.. and Charles J. Lawrence S. and Robert are associated with their father in his mercantile interests in Centreville, while Lawrence S. is also interested with his father in a sugar plantation adjoining the above town. » » WILLIAM II. ADAMS, Baldwin.— William H. Adams, blacksmith and carriage maker, was born in Mississippi. He is the son of James A. and Mar- garet (Floyd) Adams, natives of South Carolina. Our subject grew to maturity in Mississippi, where he received his educa- tion. He learned tiie blacksmitli trade with his father, at which, on his own account, he worked for a number of years. He then left Mississippi, and made HISTORICAL AXI) BIOG RAPIl IC AL. 3o& a tour through eiglit ditterent States, alter which he located in the town of Baldwin, wliere he has since worked at his trade — bhicksmithing and carriage making, his being the only estabhshment of the kind in Baldwin March 24, 1873, he married Julia Forbes, a native of Mississippi, born in 1854, '^"^ daughter of Jonathan Forbes. Mr. and Mrs. Adams have a family of four children: Minnie, Medora, William Albert and John Quincy. Our subject was at one time constable of Leberton, Mississippi, and held the position for the period of one vear. K * ^ \V. S. BORAH, M. D., Baldwin.— Dr. W. S. Borah, of St. Mary parish. was born in Fairfield, Illinois, February 18, 1849. He is the son of William N. and Eliza (West^ Borah, who were also natives of Illinois. W. S. Borah was educated in the public schools until he reached the age of eighteen years, when he was sent to Michigan, where he attended a commer- cial college for a short period. He then returned to Illinois where he married Miss Martha Creighton, a daughter of John M. and Mar}' Ann (Crews) Creigh- ton, a native of Illinois, born June 22, 1851. Dr. Borah and wife became the parents of four children, three sons and one daughter, viz: Carrie Lee, Ernest L., Tom G., William C. Dr. Borah engaged in agricultural pursuits in Illinois lor a \ear but desiring to engage in commercial business of some character he .sold his farm and entered the grain business, which he follow-ed for three years but meeting witii heavy losses was obliged to retire from that pursuit. He then determined to study medicine, and for a year and a half read medicine under a preceptor and opened practice in Arkansas, where he met with excellent suc- cess for three vears, at the end of which time he emigrated to Louisiana, where he had long desired to make his home. He practiced medicine here and still has a very remunerative practice. When the Doctor came to Louisiana his circumstances were not affluent, but he now owns a drug store at Baldwin and carries a stock of six hundred dollars. He is also proprietor of a livery stable in which he has invested fifteen hundred dollars. In these two businesses he is in co-partnership with his brother. Dr. Borah is an energetic business man. PHILIP BODENHEIMER, Glencoe, partner, and manager of the firm of Bodenheimer & Bro., is a native of German}-, born November 24, 1865. He is the son of Lazarus and Therese (Mendelbaum) Bodenheimer, both na- tives of Germany. Philip Bodenheimer was reared in his native country, and at the age of five entered school, attending constantly until he had attained the age of sixteen years, when he left school and engaged as a clerk in a factory, in which he served for two years. Later he became traveling agent for this fac- tory, and was employed in this capacity for a similar length of time. In 1884 SfU) SOCri/HJiS'/' L O/VS/AA'A : lie removed to New Orleans, where he was located for a period of five months. In 1885 he removed to Glencoe, St. Mar\' parish, and has since conducted suc- cessfully at that place a large mercantile business. Mr. Bodenheimer is a shrewd manager, and his business is continually growing. The firm carries a stock of about eight to ten thousand dollars, and does an annual business of forty thousand dollars. The firm is conducted in partnership with Mrs. B. Bo- denheimer, under the Hrni name of Bodenheimer & Bro. L^ J. M. BURGUIERES, Louisa. — Jules Martial Burguieres was born April 17, 1850, in Terrebonne parish, Louisiana. He is the son of Eugene Dennis Burguieres and Marie M. Verret. Eugene D. Burguieres was born in Paris, France, and removed to Louisiana early in life, where he married in 1836. To his union three sons and four daughters were born: Ernest Dennis, Pauline Camila, Jacqueline Annette, Marquerite Annette, Jules M. and Lenfro}-. all of whom were reared in Terrebonne parish. Jules M. Burguieres attended private and public schools in Terrebonne parish, principally in Houma, and received a good business education. At the age of sixteen years he began work in the Clerk's office under the well known Herry Newell, one of Terrebonne's most honored citizens. Young Burguieres continued work in the clerk's, record- er's, and sheriff's offices of Terre'oonne parish until the year 1874, when he leased a plantation near Chacahoula, in Terrebonne parish, and embarked in planting. His crop was destroyed by the overflow of that year, and he suffered a loss of ^3.000. The same year he bought a half interest in a plantation on Bayou Cypremort, which a few years afterward he sold, and purchased Cjpre- mort plantation for $90,000, upon which he spent a large amount of money and made substantial improvements, among which was the erecting of a refiner^-, and five-rolier sugar mill of large capacit}'. In June, 1889, he bought Scalh' place, now known as Florence plantation. This plantation is one of the finest in the State, and its soil is of inexhaustible fertility. It was purchased at a cost of $80,900. The combined sugar capacity of Cypremort and Florence plantations amounted in 1890 to 3,300,000 pounds. Mr. Burguieres is the possessor of a comfortable fortune, which he has amassed by his own unaided efforts, not hav- ing inherited a dollar of propert}-, and constantly having to help others less for- tunate than himself in their business undertakings. Mr. Burguieres in the summer of 1890 employed the J. M. Ware Well Company to sink an artesian well on C3'premort plantation, which has proved an entire success. Our subject was married April 21, 1873, to Miss Marie Corinne Patout. They are the parents of eight living children, six sons and two daughters : J. P. Dennis, Joseph E., Marie Louise, Florence Clolhilde, Jules M., Jr.. Ernest I., Henrv S. and Charles Patout P)ur!'uieres. niSTORlCAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL. :!(jl LENFROY BURGUIERES, Baldwin.— Lenfroy Burguieres was born in Louisiana, April 27, 1S52. He is tlie son of E. D. and M. M. (Verret) Bur- guieres, natives of France and Louisiana, respectively. Our subject was reared in Terrebonne parish, where he entered a private school at the age of twelve years, and remained until he had attained his majority, when he engaged in merchandising, which, however, he abandoned later, and turned his attention to planting. From Terrebonne parish he removed to St. Mary, and is still a resident of this place. By energy and industry Mr. Burguieres has achieved the highest success. His plantation consists of four hunih-ed and fifty acres of fine land, three hundred of them being under cultiva- tion. He raises principally corn and cane. That his plantation products might be more remunerative our subject erected a fine sugar house, which manufac- tures syrup and sugar. He was for seventeen months recorder of Terrebonne parish. He married, December 30, 1885, Elodie Bonin, a native of this parish, born August 5, 1843. O. D. BERWICK, Foster. — O. D. Berwick is a native of St. Mary par- ish, born in 1842. He is the son of David and Louise (Garrett) Berwick, both natives of this parish. David Berwick was an extensive planter and owned and conducted three plantations on Bayou Sale. He died in 1874, and his wife in 1865. Joseph Berwick, father of David and grandfather of our subject, was the first settler in the vicinity of the bay which bears his name. O. D. Berwick is one of a family of nine children, four of whom are living, viz: Louisa, widow of Dr. S. Allen ; Oscar Dudley, our subject ; Addie, wife of N. K. Todd, Mary, wife of J. D. Capon. O. D. Berwick was educated in Hanover College, Virginia. In 1861 he entered St. Mary Cannoneers and served during the whole of the war in the department of Louisiana. After the he engaged in planting on the place where he now resides, he being among the very few planters who occupy the same plantation they did before the war. His place is located on Bayou Sale, six miles west of Foster. It consists of fifteen hundred acres of land, four hundred of which are under cultivation, the remainder being swamp land. He grows chiefly sugar cane, and averages two thousand pounds per acre. Its yield in 1890, was over three thousand pounds per acre. Mr. Berwick married, in 1866, Miss Virginia A. Dungan, of St. Mary parish ; she died in 1888, leaving eight children, six sons and two daugh- ters, viz: James D., Louis, Oscar D. Jr., Joseph W., Virginia, David, Walter and Edward. He is a member of the K. of H., and was police juror for two years, having been appointed by Gov. NichoUs. In 1889 he married, again. Miss Eve- line Dungan, daughter of Dr. Jas. B. Dungan, a prominent physician of this parish. 0t!2 SOVrilWES-J- 1. ()( IS/ANA : DOLZE HODIN, Baldwin. — ^Dolzc Bodiii was born in Si. Maiy parish, Februaiy 4, 1832. He is the son of Gregoire and IVlagie (LeBlanc) Bodin, natives of Acadia and Lafayette, respectively- Our subject was reared in St. Mary parisli, attending schools in the neigli- borhood. At the age of fourteen he became an overseer, and for three years was engaged in that business. He married Celeste Langlinay, a native of St. Mary parish, born August 10, 1834, ^"'^' daugher of Alexander Langlinay. To this marriage five sons and three daughters have been born: Emma, Celestine, Jules O., John U., Esparie, Joseph B., Alexander and Gregoire. Our subject owns three hundred acres of land, one hundred and twenty-five of which are in cultivation, principally in corn, potatoes and sugar cane. On his place he has erected a four-foot, three-roller sugar mill. * * * '■^ EMILE BODIN, Cypremort. — Emile Bodin was born December i, 1834, in Vermilion parish. He is the son of Gregory and Pelagie (LeBlanc) Bodiii, the former a native of Acadia parish and the latter of Lafayette. Emile Bodin was reared in St. Mary parish, where he received a limited education in the common schools of that locality. Since beginning business life he has given his attention to agricultural pursuits, which occupation he still con- tinues. He was married to Miss Celestine Bourque, daughter of Jean T. and Josephine (Tebeau) Bourque, both natives of Vermihon parish. Mrs. Bodin died December, 1888, having become the mother of four sons and three daughters, viz: Emile, Jr., Naurbert, Celestine, Joseph, Desire, Cecelia, Albert. Josephine, wife of Arthur Prevost; they are the parents of five children, viz: Arthur. Celestine, Clara, Olivia (deceased), Eurcile. Mr. Bodin owns one thousand acres of land, two hundred being under cultivation, principal!}' in cot- ton and sugar cane. He lias a steam power roller mill on his place. JAMES B. BROWN, LorisA. — James B. Brown was born in Terrebonne parish, Louisiana, February 8, 1857. He is the son of Simon and Elmira (StoufHet) Brown. He was educated in tlie common schools of the parish and afterward in the University at Baton Rouge, where he was for a period of eighteen months State cadet. On leaving school he engaged as an overseer of a plantation and served in this capacity for different parties at various times. He was engaged in 1887 as overseer of the Ivanhoe plantation, south of Bayou Cypremort and north of C3'premort branch railroad, owned by Mrs. E. D. Burguieres. Upon this place Mr. Brown resides with his family. He was married in 1879 to Miss Bridget Burguieres, a native of St. Mary parish and daughter of Ernest D. Bur- guieres, of Lower Cypremort. The}' are the parents of three children, viz: Robert L., Joseph Clifford and James ^E., Jr. Mrs. Brown stands high as a His'roRn:AL and biograi'UIcal. ;5r,» planter and his success is due to tlie intelligent care whicli he pursues in grow- ing cane. , C. P. BINNINGS, Jr., Baldwin. — C. P. Binnings, Jr., was born in Thibodeaux, Louisiana, 1856. He is the son of C. P. and S. A. (Lawless) Binnings. C. P. Binnings, Sr.. was a native of London and his wife of Kentucky. He was a painter, and died in 1S72: his widow is living and resides in Thibodeaux. C. P. Binnings, Jr.. received a common school education when quiet young, and at the age of thirteen years he entered business on his own account by learning- sugar refining, and continued in this until 1878, when he engaged in planting in Iberville parish, where he remained for about four years. He then took charge of Capt. Nolan's plantation on Bayou Lafourche, where he remained for about a year and a half. Afterward he engaged in steamboating, and gave his attention to this in the summer and during the winter months boiled sugar. In September, 1886, he took charge of the Des Lignes and Saule plantations, where he now resides. That year they made four hundred and fifty-one thousand pounds of sugar, and in 1890, on the same property, made three million seven hundred and fifty thousand pounds of sugar. Mr. Binnings was married, April, 1S90, to Mrs. Lily B. Hamilton (nee Sharp), a native of Ascension parisli. ^ MILLARD BOSWORTII, Cvprkmort.— Millard Bosworth was born in New Orleans in 1850. His father, A. W. Bosworth, was a native of Maine, and his mother, Matilda Weir, was of English extraction, and was born in the West Indies. A. W. Bosworth was an ice manufacturer for a number of years. He served during the entire Civil War, starting out as a major of tlie Crescent Regiment: he was promoted to colonel, and, upon the death of General Mouton. was placed at the head of that command. He served as alderman in New Or- leans both before and after the war. He was vice president of the Mutual National Bank, of New Orleans. He died October 9, 1886, his widow sur- viving him two years. Millard Bosworth is the second son of a famil}- of five children: C. H., Millard, the subject, W. S., Emily, and Anna B. C. S. Bosworth occupies a position in the post-office in New Orleans. Millard Bosworth in his boyhood attended schools in New Orleans, and afterward was sent to college at Belle View, Virginia. Upon leaving college he was engaged as clerk, afterward entering the ice business. He married in 1875 Miss Lucy Moore, of New Or- leans. In 1876 Mr. Bosworth disposed of his ice business and became interested in sugar planting, purchasing Matilda plantation, which consists of seventeen hundred acres of land lying along the west bank of the Teche. Over one thousand of the seventeen hundred acres are susceptible of cultivation. He 364 SOUTH WEST L O UISIANA : grows chiefly sugar cane. The soil on his place is very fertile and yields an average of three thousand pounds of sugar per acre. Mr. Bosworth's refiner}' is operated on the central system, and has a capacity of fifty thousand pounds of sugar per da}'. It uses the products of over forty different plantations. The refinery is equipped with large vacuum pans and first-class machinery through- out. The products of this refinery are classed as high as those of any other of the State. In his refinery as well as on his plantation, Mr. Bosworth is his own manager, and to this fact is due, no doubt, the superior results of his enterprises. Mr. Bosworth is not a politician in the sense that he desires public oflice. He was appointed police juror of the first ward in 1882, and has held the position ever since. He is a member of the American Legion of Honor, a mutual benevolent association. He is the father of eight children, five sons and three daughters— RachaelW., Millard M., Nannie M., Mary W., Albert S.. Abel W., Charles A., Lawrence S. » M. BLOCK is a thrifty merchant of Franklin, Louisiana. He is the son of Isaac and Fannie (Tugenheim) Block. Isaac Block was born in France, 1799, and never came to America. He was by occupation a merchant. Fannie Block was born in France, 1793. Our subject received a fair elementary education in France, and after hav- ing left school and served as a clerk in mercantile business for a short period, he came to America, 1848. He landed at New Orleans and soon located in Franklin. His first experience here was as a clerk in a gents' furnishing goods store. He quit this business and went on the road as a peddler till 1856. He then opened business for himself at Berwick City, where he remained till the breaking out of the war, when he removed to New Orleans and remained till the war closed, when he removed to Franklin and opened business for himself, and in this still remains and has been highly successful. He was married in 1871 to Miss Annette Levy. Eight children were born to this marriage — six sons and two daughters. His wife is a native of France, but came to this country at the age ot four- teen years. ^ Z. T. COOK, Bkrwick. — Z. T. Cook was born in Louisiana, March 24, 1848. He is the son of William H. and Marcelite (Hayes) Cook, the tormer a native of Tennessee and the latter of Louisiana. Z. T. Cook was reared in St. Mary parish, where, at the age of si.x years, he entered a private school, attending until he had reached the age of ten years, after which time he engaged in farming, which he has continued up to the present time. He was married in 1873 to Mrs. Aleda Salvo, a native of Louisiana, and daughter of A. J. Stansbury and Florence Boudreau. botk HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL. ?^<^h natives of this State. To this union eight children have been born, viz: Alden Andrew, Allen, Horace, Allison, Alonzo, Albert (deceased), Alfred and Z. T., the subject of this sketch. Mr. Cook operates the Glenwild plantation, which is located on the Teche, about six miles below Pattersonville, in St. Mary parish. It consists of six hundred acres, all of which are under cultivation, principally in cane and corn. The capacity of the mill is very great, one of the vacuum pans having a capacity for fifteen thousand pounds of sugar in six hours, and the other twelve thousand pounds in the same time. In 1890 they grew fifteen thousand tons of sugar cane, and three hundred thousand pounds of sugar. ■^ LOUIS CALLERY, Glencoe. — Louis Gallery was born in St. Mar}- par- ish, Louisiana, March 14, 1861. He is the son of Gustave A. and Clara Emilie (Sigur) Callery, both of whom were natives of Iberville parish, Louisiana. Gus- tave Callery was born July 28, 1832. He is the son of Dulreil A. and Adele (Sigur) CallerV, the former a native of Paris, France, and the latter of Louis- iana. Gustave Callery was reared in Iberville parish and received his educa- tion in St. Charles College, Grand Coteau, and at Bardstown, Kentucky. Afterleaving school he returned to his home, and five years later he married our subject's mother. To this union were born five sons and one daughter, viz : G. Ambroise, died November 5, 1882; Louis Emile, the subject of this sketch ; Edward J., Charles H., John A., Bertha Rosa. Later in life Mr. Callery re- moved to St. Mary parish where he purchased a plantation of twenty-four hun- dred acres of land on Bayou Cypremort, upon which he erected a sugar mill and engaged in the sugar culture, in which he continued until recent years when he retired from business and placed the plantation under the control of his sons. The subject of this sketch was reared in St. Mary parish, where he re- ceived his primary education in the neighboring schools. Later he attended St. Charles College for six years. Afterleaving college Mr. Callery assumed charge as manager of his grandmother's plantation, which he at present conducts. The plantation consists of six hundred acres of land, which is cultivated chiefly in cane and corn. Mr. Callery was married September 18, 1S89, to Miss Mary Lambremont, a daughter of Dr. P. M. Lambremont. of Iberville parish. To this union a daughter has been born, Louise. JOHN T. DUNESNIL, Baldwin.— John T. Dunesnil was born in St. Mary parish, January 7, 1834. ^^ ^^ ^^*^ ^o" °f Theodore and Adele (Ten- hold) Dunesnil, the former a native of France and the latter of Lafourche parish. John T. Dunesnil was reared in St. Mary parish, and at the age of ten years he entered a private school and received a good education. He began business life as a planter, which he followed until 1886, when he engaged in the butcher :;(■,(; SOUT/JWESy L OUISIANA : business and followed it for four }'ears. He then engaged in planting and nier- cliandising for eight years and subsequently gave his whole attention to planting, lie owns one hundred and sixty acres of land, one hundred and thirt\' being under cultivation. He was married twice. His first wife was Miss Emma Butand, a native of St. Mary parish and daughter of Alexander and Emma Butand, natives of France. They were the parents of nine children. His first wife died after having been married twenty-two 3'ears, and our subject married the follow- ing year Mrs. A. Bernard, a sister of his former wife, and six years .subsequent to this she died. * ALEXANDER DOTY, Scai.i.ey. — Alexander Doty was born in the par- ish of St. Mary, September 24. 1835. He is the son of Robert Doty, who was also a native St. Mary parish, born about 1827. Robert Doty was a successful planter, and had accumulated quite a fortune at the time of his death in 1867. He served as a soldier through the entire Civil War, and two of his brothers fell in the battle of Port Hudson, one killed, the other mortalty wounded, and died soon after. Alexander Doty is one of a family of seven children, six of whom are living: Oscar, planter of St. Mary parish; Alexander, the subject of this sketch; Hen- derson, planter of St. Mary parish ; Alice, wife of Abnel Dary ; Frank, and Mar}-, wife of Alfred Tonson. Alexander Doty was reared in St. Marj' parish and received a limited education in its schools. His father having died when our subject was but ten years of age, it became necessary for him to enter active business early in life. Thus thrown upon his own resources he became a laborer on the farm, and in this he has since continued. Mr. Doty has always used the greatest business tact in the management of his plantation, and has become one of the successful planters of his section. He and his brother own a good plantation, which they cultivate in cane and corn. The place is also well stocked. Mr. Dot\^ was married August 16, 1889, to Miss Anna Idell, of St. Marv parish. * * R. D. ETIE, Bai,ij\s'in. — R. D. Etie was born in New Iberia. April 8, 1865. He is the son ot R. 1). and Leontine ( Broussard ) Etie, natives of Iberia parish. Our subject entered the schools of New Iberia at the age of twelve years, remaining two sessions. On leaving school he engaged in farming with his brother until 1884, wlien he matriculated in St. Stanislaus College, Mississippi, staying at this place for one year. He then found employment as teacher in the public schools of St. Mary parish, removing two years later to Galveston, Texas, where he engaged in clerking in the grocery store of L. Harris &i Co., for nine months. After this he came to Baldwin, and clerked for some time with mSTORJCAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL. ■•!«7 E. D. Martin, eventually becoming manager of the store, which position he still holds. He was married, August 22, 1888, to Miss Aimee Sanguinette of St. Mary oarish, the daughter of J. R. and Hetmina (Bertrand) Sanguinette. One daughter has been born to them. April 26, 1890, named Hida. J. W. FOOTE, Irish Bend. — J. W. Foote was born in St. Mary parish. Louisiana, in 1849. ^^^ *^ ^'^^ ^"^^ °* J- ^- ''"*^ CaroHne (Dunesnil) Foote. J. M. Foote was a native of Tennessee, who removed to Louisiana earl}- in life, where he married and enged in sugar planting. He died in 1863, and his widow still survives him. The subject is one of a family born to the above union, six of whom are living; A. J., Mrs. Catherine Queen, J. W., Jr., Mrs. Mary Moffitt, N. J. and F. T. J. W. Foote received a limited education, and when young learned the carpenter trade, which he followed until i88.[, since which time he has been chiefly engaged in planting. He took charge of the Oak Lawn plantation in 1887. and under his management it has been extremely successful. ^ W. B. GRAY, MoKGAX City.— W. B. Gray, Morgan City, was born in Boston. Massachusetts, in 1842. He is the son of Wm. Howard and Mary Ann (Capen) Graj'. Mr. Howard Gray was born in Andover, Massachusetts, 1824. Mary Ann Gray was born in Maine. They were married in Boston, Mas- sachusetts, 1844. Two children were born to their marriage, W. B. and C. S. Wm. H. Gray died in 1S90, and his wife, Mary Ann, is still living in Maine, and is a remarkably stout person for her years. Wm. B. Gray lived for a period at Morgan City, where he became a successful ph\'sici:in, finally retiring and going to Maine, where he spent his last years. The mother of our subject belongs to the Dustin Capen family, one member of which figured so prominently in the earh- New England Indian troubles. Mr. W. B. Gray spent his school days at South Acton. Boston, Massachu- setts. His education was limited, the last school he attended was a night school taught by John G. WHiittier, the poet. Having his spirits all aroused by the breaking out of the civil war, on April 19, 1861, he got in a box car and rode to Boston, Massachusetts, where he climbed up a lightning-rod to get into a room to join Capt. Prescott's Company G, Concord Artillery, Fifth Regiment of Volunteers. During three months' service he and his regiment participated in the first battle of Bull Run. Subsequent to this he was for a short while engaged in the hospital service. November 3, 1861, he enlisted in Company E, Twenty-fourth Massachusetts Volunteers, as duty sergeant. They went to Annapolis. Maryland, and joined General Burnside's expedition to the Carolinas. 368 SOUTJIWESI^ LOUISIANA: Mr. Gray was engaged in the following battles: Roanoke Island, Nevvburn, N. C, Planters' Creek, Kingston, White Hall, Goldsboro. He also took part in the siege of Fort Wagner and lead the grand charge that captured the fort September 6, 1863. He was a commander of one of the boats that made the night attack on Fort Sumter September 8, 1863. He was afterward engaged in the battle of the Tog at Fort Darling under General Butler. July 4, 1864, he was commissioned first lieutenant in First N. S. C. C, and commanded the first squadron that went into Richmond on the north side upon the fall of that city. He served throughout the entire war and was mustered out of ser- vice in New Orleans. After the war until the year 1878 he was an actor. Louisiana has been practically his home since the war. He has been en- gaged in the publishing business for a great many years. He founded the Morgan City Free Press, which he conducted till 1890. He is at present editor of the Commonwealth, a monthl}'^ journal, and is also doing printing for the State. Mr. Gray was married in 1878 to Miss Marie Louise Markstein of New Orleans. They are the parents of three children, Wm. Howard, Leroy Capen and Leonard Wise. * F. R. HABERT, Franklin. — F. R. Habert is a native of St. Mary parish, born in Franklin, 1857. He is the son of Augustin and Adeline Habert. both natives of France. Augustin Habert became a merchant of Franklin, and died in France in 1871. His widow survived him until 1883. She was one of of the pioneers of this parish. F. R. Habert is the only child of his parents now living. He received his early education in Franklin, and in 1864 he went with his parents to France, where he remained until 1872. During that time he attended college. In 1S73 he re- turned to France, and completed his studies in the Lyceum of Poitiers. He then returned to his native State and engaged in merchandising. In 1879 he married Miss Sidonie DelaHoussaye, of St. Mary parish. She is the daughter of Arthur DelaHoussaye, a merchant of Franklin. In i8Sohegave up his mercantile business and engaged in planting. His plantation, known as Central Park, is located on the west bank of Bayou Teche, four miles from Franklin. It consists of four hundred acres of land, two hundred of which he has put in cultivation since he owned it. He grows principally sugar cane and corn. He averages about three thousand pounds of sugar per acre, and uses a single mill and open kettle process. He raises eighteen barrels of corn per acre. His land is well improved, and all his buildings are first class. He is the father of si.x children, viz: Rene, Arthur, Adeline, Sidonie, Edouard and Lucie. HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL. 3(59 R. HAUF, Glencoe. — R. Haul, a successful merchant of Glencoe, St. Mary parish, was born in Germany, February 26, 1844. He is the son of Isi- dore and Rachael (Levy) Hauf, both natives of Germany. R. Hauf was reared and educated in Germany, and at the age of seventeen years he emigrated to America, locating at New Orleans, where he entered business as a clerk, in which capacity he served for a period of five years. He then went to Glencoe and engaged in a general mercantile business. Since that time he has been very successful and his business has rapidly increased. He is now sole proprietor of the store in which he carries a stock of three hundred thousand dollars, and does an annual business amounting to about twentj'-five thousand dollars. He owns ten acres of land, upon which he has built tenement houses. He was married in 1870, to Miss Lena Seligman,born October 3, 1847, a native of Germany, and daughter of Gustave Seligman. To this union was born a daughter, Annie. Mr. Hauf has taken an active part in social affairs, at the same time giving strict attention to business. He has been justice of the peace of the second ward of St. Mary parish since 1888, and in 1880 was appointed member of the parish school board. He is also a member of the Democratic Parish Committee. "^ XAVIER R. HALBERT, Baldwin.— Xavier Halbert a native of France, was born Febfuary 20, 1833. He is the son of John Pierre and Mary (Herve) Halbert, both natives of France. Xavier Halbert was one of a family of four children, two sons and two daughters, born to this union, viz: John, born 1827: Xavier, the subject of this sketch: Philomene, born 1835, and Emile, born 1837. Xavier Halbert was reai-ed in France, where he received a liberal education. At the age of twenty years he came to New Orleans, where he remained for a short while, removing to St. Charles parish, Louisiana, where he engaged in coopering, in which he was employed for two years. From there he went to St. John the Baptist parish and for two years conducted a bakery. At the expiration of this time he located in St. James parish, where he continued to conduct a bakery business for twelve years. Later he ran a freight boat betwt en New Orleans and Cincinnati, Ohio, for a j-ear, when he came to Char- ington, Louisiana, and engaged in merchandising, and continued his business at this place for nineteen years, since which time he has conducted a flourisliing mercantile business at Baldwin. He carries a stock of seven thousand dollars and his annual business amounts to about twelve thousand dollars. Mr. Halbert was married in Lafourche parish, August 30, 1875, to Miss Rosine Cascarine, daughter of Charles F. DeZanche, a native of France and for many years a resident of New Orleans. Mr. and Mrs. Halbert are the parents of three sons 370 SOUTHWEST L OUISIANA : and three daughters, viz: Mary Emilie, Heloise Anne, Xavier Cliarles, Einile, Eugenie Elodie, Andrew G. « * » ^ JOSEPH P. JOHNSON, Franklin.— Joseph P. Johnson was born in New Orleans, September i6, 1853. He is the son of Charles H. and Eloise (Dulany) Johnson. Charles H. Johnson, an Englishman by birth, came to America during one of the political disturbances in France, he being a resident of that country at the time, and settled in New Orleans. He was a civil engineer by occupation. He prospered financiall}- and left his widow and children well provided for at the time of his death. Eloise Johnson was a native of France, born in 1820. .She was married in 1840 to the father of our subject, and to them four children were born, three son.s and one daughter, of whom two sons are living, Charles H. and Joseph P., the former a marble engraver and stone cutter of Philadelphia, the latter a liquor dealer of Frankhn, Louisiana. Alfred died young, and Eloise at the age of seventeen, both deaths occuring in New Orleans. The mother died in the same city in 1877. Our subject began business in New Orleans as salesman, and was tluis en- gaged for three j'ears, when he turned his attention to railroading, which he fol- lowed twelve years. In 1884 '^'^ settled in St. Mary parish, at the town of Baldwin, where he entered the retail liquor business. In this he was engaged for five years, and made money very rapidly. He established himself then at Franklin, though he did not discontinue his business in Baldwin,. and now has interests at both places. He is doing well, and has gained by his thrift and in- tegrity the confidence of his fellow citizens. In religion he is a Catholic, and in politics a Democrat. » ^ W. W. JOHNSON, Franklin. — Mr. Johnson was born in St. Mary parish in 1833, son of J. A. and Mary (Nickelson) Johnson. J. A. Johnson was born in 1806, in Virginia, and moved to Louisiana, locating in St. Mary parish in 1828, where he resides at present. Mrs. J. A. Johnson was born in St. Mary parish. W. W. Johnson is a graduate of Brown University, Rhode Island. He became especially proficient in mathematics and has made civil engineering his chief occupation. He has been successful in an eminent degree in most of his undertakings and owns an excellent sugar plantation close to the town of Franklin. W. W. Johnson was married to his first wife, Miss L. Smith, in 1866. She is a native of St. Mary parish, born in 1837, ^■'"^ there were born to their mar- riage three children, viz: W. B., born in 1867; Ella, born in 1869; Simeon, bornini87i. His first wife, the mother of these children, died in 1874. ^" 1878 Mr. Johnson married Miss Mary Anderson, daughter of Hiram and Mary If/STORICAL AXD BIOGRAPHICAL. 371 (Carson) Anderson. Our subject and family are of strong religious conviction and live in pure and moral atmosphere. • * **' MRS. WILLIAM P. KEMPER, Glencoe.— Mrs. William P. Kemper is a native of Maine, born November 8, 1835. She is the daughter of Michael and Elizabeth (Reynolds) Rogers, both natives of New York. Mrs. William P. Kemper was reared by Stephen Young, of Gardiner, Maine. She received the best educational advantages and came south, locating in Louisiana in 1856 In 1858 she was married to William P. Kemper, who was a native of Louisiana, born June 26, 1826, and the son of William P. Kemper, Sr., and Eliza Hulick, the former a native of Louisiana and the latter of New Jersey. William P. Kemper and wife became the parents of eight children, viz: Stephen Y., who died October i, 1859; Eliza B., William B., Kate G., Mary J., James P., Walter Y.. Charles D. William P. Kemper was one of the most highly re- spected and prominent citizens of the State. He died very suddenly at his home, Glencoe plantation, on Wednesday, November 26, 1890. Mr. Kemper had been for many years the only planter in St. Mary parish who owned after the war the same plantation on which he resided before that period. Mrs. Kemper owns two plantations, Glencoe and Patagonia; the former consists of one thovisand three hundred and twenty-six acres of land, eight hundred and forty of which are under cultivation in sugar cane and corn. The cane yields twentj'-seven tons per acre and the corn fifteen barrels. In Glencoe sugar house there is a three-roller sugar mill and refinery which cost about twenty thousand dollars, with a capacity for a hundred and fifty tons of sugar cane per day. They manufacture three grades of sugar. Patagonia plantation is used as a stock farm. ^^ HON. J. A. LORET, Patterson. — Hon. J. A. Loret is a native of Louisi- ana, born 1S61. His paternal grandparents were of Norman French descent, while his maternal grandparents were natives of Virginia. Mr. Loret's father. Captain Loret, was a successful planter of the State. During the late Civil War he served as captain of the home militia. Hon. J. A. Loret received a liberal education in Assumption parish, where he spent his youthful days. In 1880 he removed to Patterson, at which place he has since engaged in business. When quite young he embarked in mercan- tile pursuits, to which he has given liis chief attention in business life. His business in Patterson is one of the leading of the place. Mr. Loret has for many years taken an active interest in political affairs, and in 1878 he was elected represen- tative in the lower house of the Legislature from St. Mary parish, of which body he is still a member. As a member of the Legislature, Mr. Loret has been noted for the firmness with which he adheres to his convictions. In the 373 SOU7 'II H 7iV> T I. O (IIS I A NA : recent lottery issue, which so much agitated the people of the State, he was one of the most unwavering opponents to a recharter. Mr. Loret is still a single man. * * ELAIRE LONCEON, Louisa. — Elaire Lonceon was born in Terrebonne parish, 1851. He is the son of Polete and Armena (Arceneaux) Lonceon, both natives of Terrebonne parish, Louisiana. Elaire Lonceon was reared in his native parish and lived with his father until he was eighteen years of age, at which time he left his home and came to St. Mar}' parish, where he married Miss Elodie Bonvillain, also a native of Terrebonne parish and the daughter of Marcelin and Amalie (Thibodeau) Bonvillain, who were also natives of the same parish. Mr. Lonceon and wife are the parents of eight children, all of whom are living. Mr. Lonceon entered business as a planter, working on shares for five years. He then accepted a po- sition as overseer on a plantation, which position he held for seven j'ears, after which time he purchased a plantation consisting of two hundred and fifty acres of land, seventy of which were under cultivation when he bought it. He raises sugar cane and corn, and has succeeded in putting it all in a high state of cul- tivation. * /* * * THOMAS C. LAWLESS. Franklin.— Thomas C. Lawless was born in Thibodeaux, Terrebonne parish, Louisiana, February 8, 1855. His father, Solomon C. Lawless, was a native of Kentucky, born about 1815. He removed to Big Cane, St. Landry parish, Louisiana, in 1856, where he became a suc- cessful planter. The mother of Thomas C. Lawless, Harriet Cheny Lawless, is a native of St. Landry parish, born in 1834, and now a resident of Mobile. Ala- bama. She married a second time in Big Cane, Mr. A. B. Haskins. Thomas C. Lawless was reared in St. Landry and St. Mar}- parishes, Louisiana, and received a limited education in the common schools of the vicinities in which he resided. At the age of fourteen he became an apprentice to the blacksmith trade, working at this a short while, when he learned the carpenter trade, and in this was employed for a period aggregating ten 3'ears. In 1S82 Mr. Lawless engaged as a sawyer for Wm. A Hansen and served as such for a term of seven years. In 1889 he engaged in the lumber business as a partner with Capt. Wm. Kyle. Their success demonstrates the business tact and energy characteristic of the firm. Mr. Lawless was married, November 13, 1883, to Miss Margaret A. Hanson, a daughter of Albert and Anna Hansen, both natives of Europe, who removed to Louisiana early in fife. As a result of this uiiinn two children ha\'e been born: Alberta and Willie. * *'' AUGUSTE LESSEPS, Jr., Cvpremort. — Auguste Lesseps is a native of Piaquemine parish, born in 1855. He is the son of Auguste and Carmen HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL. 373 (Ribas) Lesseps, the former a native of New Orleans, the latter of Spain. They were married in New Orleans, where they now reside. Mr. Lesseps, Sr., was for tort}' years a sugar planter in Plaquemine parish, and was for a number of years treasui'er of that parish. During the war he was a Union man, but took no active part in the contest. He is a cousin of DeLesseps of Panama canal fame. Our subject was educated in Mississippi, at Trinit}- High School, Pass Chrislian, where he rem;iined four years. After leaving school he engaged in sugar planting, at the age of seventeen years. He went to Plaquemine parish, remaining there eight years, when he removed to St. Landry, at whieli pi. ice he resided one year. Then he returned to Plaquemine, and lived therefor a period ol three years. He married, in 1882, Miss Augusta Story, a native of St. Ber- nard parish, and daughter of Clement and Amelia (Lesseps) Story. She was reared and" educated in New Orleans.' Auguste Lesseps removed from Plaque- mine to St. Charles, where he remained a _\ear, when he returned to Plaquemine and there lived two years, after which he removed to Avoyelles, staying there two years, when he located in St. Mar}' parish in December, 1889. There lie took charge of a plantation. He is the father of four children: Hamilton, Mnrguerite", Edgar and an infant. Our subject and family are members of the Catholic church. « # » / H. M. MAYO, Morgan City. — H. M. Mayo, the efficient editor and proprietor of the Morgan City Review, was born in London, England, 1862. He is the son of H. AL Mayo, Sr., and Emma Wood, who were married in 1851. Three sons weie born to this marriage, of which our subject is the oldest. H. M. Mayo, Sr., was born in England, and was a seafaring man. He was a bold navigator, and snved a crew in the British Channel at his own personal risk. For this brave deed he had the "Cross of the Legion of Honor" bestowed upon him. He finally located at Morgan City, where, in the employment of the Morgan Line, he had charge of the wharf at Morgan City. He subsequently entered hotel business, and continued in it till his death in 1876. Our subject spent his school days in Morgan City. He was for eight years in the stationery business, after which he was appointed post-master of Morgan City, in 1884, ''"'^ \^v\di. the position six years. He took charge of the Morgan City Review, July i, 1890, and subsequently purchased the Free Press, which two papers he has consolidated. His paper now is well edited and published, and in the front ranks of progressive journals of the State. Our subject was married, in 1885, to Miss Jennie Shannon, and two children have been born to this marriage: Ara Lilian, Kenneth. JOHN W. MORRIS, Louisa.— John W. Morris was born in St. Mary parish, January II, 1840. He is the son of B. and Hanna (Herran) Morris, •23a 3 74 SO urn WES T L O (7/ SI A NA : both of vvhoin were reared and married in Mar^-land, and immigrated early in life to St. Mary parish, Louisiana. John W. Morris, the subject of this sketch, was reared in St. Mary parish, where lie attended school until sixteen years of age, when he learned the car- penter trade. After working continuously at this for lifteen years, he became an overseer, which business he has followed up to the present time. Our sub- ject has been married three times. First to Amanda Presler, a native of Texas; one son, John, being born to them, who died in infancy. His second wife was Miss Adelide Chapman, of Mississippi. One daughter was the result of this union, Lovenia Ellen, now the wife of D. Breaux. Our subject's last marriage was with Julia Edgerly, a native of Louisiana, and daughter of Samuel S. Edgerly. Four sons have been born to them: Henderson D., Samuel 'S., Jr., Ernest J., and John W., Jr. Mr. Morris is at present overseer on Alcide B. plantation, which is located on the north side of Bayou Cypremort, and is his permanent place of residence. ^ * * WILSON McKERALL, Franklin.— Wilson McKerall, mayor of Frank- lin, was born at Hyde Park, New York, August 19, 1847. His father, Wilson McKerall, Sr., was a native of South Carolina, born 1813. The latter daysof his life he spent in St. Mary parish, having come there a carpenter. He became one of St. Mary's most prominent and substantial citizens and amassed a large fortune. He held various positions of public trust, among which was that of parish assessor and ma3for of Franklin. The latter position he resigned some time before his death, in 1881, on account of failing health. Wilson McKerall's mother, Emily Whitcomb, was a native of Connecticut. She died in Franklin in 1861. Wilson McKerall was an only child. He spent his school days at Harrods, Kentucky', and received a fair business education. He left school at the age of thirteen years and began life for himself. In 1861 he engaged as engineer on the steamboat T. D. Hine, which was in the Confederate service, engaged in transporting troops. Shortly afterward Mr. McKerall accepted a similar posi- tion on the steamer St. Mary, plying between Morgan City and New Iberia. In 1862 he went aboard the gun-boat Diana, which was burnt above Franklin shortl}' afterward. Afterward Mr.' McKerall was on the government transport boat A. G. Brown, engaged in transporting government supplies and troops on the Bayou Teche and to New Orleans via the gulf, and from New Orleans to Mobile Bay. The A. G. Brown was in the engagement at the Spanish Fort, Mobile. From her Mr. McKerall was transferred to the steamer St. Charles, which was in the Confederate States service transporting troops from New Orleans to Montgomery, Alabama. For a number of years antecedent to 1880 Mr. McKerall was engaged on HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL. 375 the United States mail boat Anna E. Since 1880 he has jiiven his attention to his banking and real estate business at Franklin. As a citizen Mr. McKerall is identified with everjthing tending to the promotion of his town and parish. Recognizing his public-spiritedness his fellow townsmen have honored him by electing him mayor of this thriving little city, and in this capacity Mr. McKerall has demonstrated liis executive ability. He was married, January 27, 1S68, to Miss Frances E. Gordy. To them have been born five children, two sons and three daughters. * » * •^S. C. MELANCON, Baldwin. — S. C. Melancon, merchant, was born January 6, 1856, in Assumption parish. He is the son of S. J. and C.(Boudreau) Melancon, natives of Assumption parish. Our subject was reared in his native parish and there spent his school days, after which he was engaged as clerk for a period of four years, when he turned his attention to carpentering, and this he followed for fifteen years. In 1880 sugar boiler became his chief occupation, in which he is still engaged. He bought in 1S86, one-third interest in the Baldwin Saw Mill Company, and acted as its manager for two years. In 1887 he purchased the property and mercantile stock of E. Dosher, worth five thousand dollars, and is doing therewith a large and increasing business. He married, February 8, 1877, Matilda Ohlmeyer, a native of Assumption, born February 19, 1854, ^"'i daughter of William and Elizabeth (Nobe) Ohlmeyer, natives of Hanover and Oldenberg, Germany, respectivel}^. To them have been born ten children, six sons and four daughters: Mary, de- ceased ; NichoUs, Delia, Lydia, deceased; Henry, deceased; Frank, deceased ; Edward, Stella, George, and Sidney, deceased. Mr. Melancon is the treasurer of the Baldwin Dramatic and Social Club at this place. » E. D. MARTIN, Baldwin. — E. D. Martin is a native of Canada, born March 15, 1841. He is the son of John and Marceline (Lucier) Martin, both natives of Canada, who afterward emigrated to the United States, locating in Illinois. E. D. Martin received his preparatory education in the public schools of Illinois and afterward entered St. Anne's College, where he completed his course of mental discipline. After leaving college he entered the mercantile business as a clerk. After having served in that capacity for two years, the war broke out, and as a patriotic soldier he enlisted in the Seventy-sixth Illinois Volunteers, serv- ing throughout the whole of the struggle. After the war he reiurned to his home and then removed to Iowa, where he married Miss Fannie Harper, a native of Ohio, and a daughter of Samuel Harper, one of the earlj' settlers of Ohio. Mr. and Mrs, Martin became the parents of four children, viz: Edward a 76 so IJTII H EST L O VI SI A NA : S., Carrie, Marceline, Johnnie. In 1878 they moved to Louisiana, locating at Baldwin, where Mr. Mariin became the overseer of a plantation in this State. He was for eight years engaged in that capacity, and is now engaged in the mercantile business at Baldwin. He commenced business with a capital of about $1000, and has steadily increased his business until now he does a hirge business and carries a stock of $13,000, and his annual sales is $25,000. JAMES C. MAHON, Foster.— Jamrs C. Mahon is a native'of the British West Indies, born 1845. He is the son of William E. and Christian (Clarke) Mahon, natives of Ireland and Scotland, respective!}'. They were married in Barbadoes, British West Indies, where each emigrated when young. William Mahon was aplanter, and followed that business all his life. He died in 1869. His widow survives liim and is still a resident of Barbadoes. She is the mother of eight children, seven of wliom are living, James Malion being the onlv one in America. James C. Mahon received his early education in Barbadoes and subse- quently in England. After having completed his literary studies in England he returned to Barbadoes and engaged in a dr}' goods business, and after one \ear's experience in that line became a planter, in which business he continued for seven years, when he emigrated to the United States, locating in Illinois, and be- gan farming. This did not suit his tastes; so he entered an insurance business in which he remained until 1872, when he removed to St. Mary parish, Louis- iana, where he engaged in sugar planting for four years. From '80 to '86 he served'as man;'ger of a plantation and then purchased South Bend plantation on Bayou Sale, consisting of three thousand six hundred and sixty acres, eight hundredof which is arable land, live hundred swamp and two thousand and sixt}' sea mar^h. On this extensive tract of land he has been engaged in sugar making and slock raising. He has over five hundred head of cattle and makes a ton and a half of cane per acre. He has an efficient sugar mill, with a capac- ity of one hundred and fifty tons in twenty-four hours, which heintends increas- ing to a greater capacity. Mr. Mahon married in 1876 Miss Florence Hud- son, a native of this parish. She is the daughter of Benjamin Hudson, a promi- nent plantfer and a descendant of one of the early families of St. Mary parish. Mr. and Mrs. Mahon are the parents of three children, two daughters and one son, viz: Anna, Beatrice, Hubert. Mr. Mahon is a charter member of tlie K. of P. Lodge of St. Mary No. 44, of Franklin. * * PIERRE MAILLARD, Cypremort.— Pierre Maillard was born February 4, 1841. He is a native of Switzerland, and is the son of Pierre and Mary Maillard, the former a native of Switzerland, who is still living and a resident HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL. 377 of his native country, and tlie latter a native of France, born 1805 and died 1886. They were the parents of eight children, three of whom are living, viz: Kate Louisa, Francois Xavier and the subject of this sketch, Pierre, Jr. Pierre Maillard was reared and educated in Switzerland. He came to America in 1855, locating at New Orleans, where he was taken sick with the yellow fever. After having recovered he went to St. Mary parish and lived with his uncle until 1859. At this period he went to Louisville, Ky., and there engaged in keeping a restaurant, and remained there until 1861, when he joined the Federal army, in which he served until 1864 in the First Kentucky Regi- ment of Volunteers. He was discharged at Covington, Ky., at the close of the war. He then went to Cincinnati, and thence to Memphis, Tenn., where he en- gaged as general laborer, and remained there until 1882, during which time he engaged in tool repairing for himself. He came to St. Mary parish, where he engaged with his uncle as a clerk for three years, and then in copartner- ship with Nicholas Cerl, opening a mercantile store and operating a planta- tion, and this..business they are pursuing with success. Our subject was mar- ried in 1865, at Memphis, Tenn., to Miss Mary King, a native of Dublin, Ire- land. She died in 1875, and he married two years later Miss Annie Hotter, a native of Memphis, Tenn., and of German extraction. Her brother, Henry Hotter, is secretary of the Cotton Exchange at Memphis, and one of the young- est men in the United States acting in that capacity. Mr. Maillard has no chil- dren of his own, but he having made a trip to Europe in 1886, adopted a girl, a native of Switzerland, Mary Louisa. When she came to Louisiana she was only able to speak French, but she has now mastered English, French and German. She was born in 1878. In politics Mr. Maillard is ati active Re- publican. He is a member of the Masonic Lodge of New Iberia. He and lamily are members of the Catholic church. * » ^ WALTER A. O'NIELL, B.\ldwin.— Walter A. O'Niell was born in the city of New York, September 22, 1855. His father, John A. O'Niell, is a native of Ireland and came to New York when quite young. He married Isabella Burnham, who at an early age emigrated from England to New York. They were the parents of eleven children, of whom eight are now living, viz: Walter A., the subject of this sketch ; R. Emmett, Florence, wife of Judge Smith; Annie, wife of David Todd, of Iberia; Bella, wife of C. E. Schrenk; John, Charles and George. Of these, Bella and Annie are twins. When Walter O'Niell was two years of age his parents removed to Louisiana, stopping first at Morgan City, from whence they removed to Franklin, where his lather engaged in the mercantile business, i-n which he is still interested, his store being the largest establishment in Franklin. He was formerly sheriff, and now hold the position of treasurer of St. Mary parish. During the war he served four years 37S SOUTHWEST L O UISIANA : in the Confederate States army. The subject of this sketch received his educa- tion in the schools of Franklin, and, after coinpleting his studies, engaged for several years in business with his father. He was married, January i, i8So, to Miss Carrie Lienicke, a native of New Orleans. She is the daughteV of Conrad Lienicke, a i-etired manufacturer, of New Orleans. In 1882, Mr.O'Niell retired from his mercantile business, purchased Linwood plantation and engaged in sugar raising. His place is situated on the east side of Bayou Teche and consists of one thousand acres; three hundred of which are under cultivation in cane and corn. He averages about twenty-five hundred pounds of sugar per acre and twenty bushels net corn per acre. In addition to his own plantation he leases Oxford plantation, nineteen hundred acres, on the east bank of Bayou Teche, upon which he cultivates eight hundred acres of rice and corn, and makes an average of twelve barrels of rice per acre. The sugar house at Lin- wood is open kettle process, he makes only syrup, which is shipped on barges down the Teche to the Baldwin refinery, where it is granulated. Mr. O'Niell gives employment to from forty to seventy-five hands at different periods of the year, and is the largest producer of rice in St. Mary parish. He is the father of three children, viz: Laura Isabelle, Herbert Edwin and Conrad Lienicke. Mr. O'Niell is an enterprising planter and is fully alive to the interests of his section of the country. He gives his assistance in furthering any worthy project. ^ FRANCIS PLACIDE FERRET, Franklin.— Francis Palcide Perret was born in St. John the Baptist parish October 4, 1834. ^^ ^^ the son of Placide and Mathilde C. (Darenbourg) Perret, both natives of St. John the Baptist parish, and the latter of French and Swede origin. The grandfather of our subject's mother was Chevalier Darensbourg, who emigrated to Louisiana in June, 1722, at the head of two hundred and fifty Germans to colonize Louisiana. The father and mother of our subject became the parents of seven children: Helene L., Mathilde, Isabelle Emma, Francois Placide, Irene Eleanore, Philomene and Anne Heloise. Isabelle Emma and Philomene are now deceased. Francis Placide Perret, the subject of this sketch, attended school in his native parish till he was fifteen 3'ears of age, when he entered college at Bards- town, Kentucky, where he remained until the spring of 1851. He began life for himself in St. Mary parish, where he had removed with his parents in 1848, as a druggist, in which he continued for some time. In 1880 he was appointed dep- uty clerk of the court at Franklin, and in 1888 was elected clerk of the district court, and is the present incumbent of that office. He was married November, 1858, to Miss Fannie Perret, a native of this parish, born May 19, 1836. She is the daughter of Ursin and Fannie (Pain) Perret, the former born in St. James parish, 1795, and died in 1877, and the latter born in St. Charles parish, 1803, HISTORICAL AND 'BIOGRAPHI'CAL. 379 and is still living. Mr. Perret and wife are the parents of seven children, viz: Helen Emma, Marie, Fannie, Corinne, Mathilde, SylvainUrsin, Frank Placide, deceased. Mr. Perret and wife are members of the Catholic Church, tie is a member of the Masonic Lodge, and is a stanch Democrat. Mr. Perret has worked assiduously during his life, and holds the confidence of many of the best people of St. Mary parish. '^ HENRY PENN, Baldwin. — Henry Penn was born in St. Mary parish, September i6, 1839- ^^ '^ '^^ ^°" °^ Henry and Eugenie (Detice) Penn, both natives of St. Mary parish. Our subject was reared in his native parish, where he attended the public schools for a period of eight years. After completing Ins studies he became an overseer, and was engaged at this for four years, when, the war breaking out, he volunteered in Pecot's company. Third Louisiana Regi- ment, of Harrison's brigade, and served four years, until the close of the war.. Returning home, he engaged in planting, which has been his principal occupa- tion until the present time. He owns three hundred acres of land, two hundred and fifty being under cultivation. He married, July 26, 1859, Azama Bodin, a native of St. Mary parish, born September 11, 1841. To this union were born seven sons and four daughters: Anette, Henry, Jr.: William, Alice, Eugenie, Felicity. Charles, Tice, Robert, Gregois and Clara. '^ CAPT. A. A. PECOT, Cypremort. — The story of the Pecot family is an interesting one, and complete in its detail would constitute a history of itself. The first of the name of whom we have any definite information was Francois Pecot, an Acadian. Upon the occupancy of Acadia by the British, he was ex- iled to San Domingo, where he accumulated, in after years, considerable prop- erty. Among his fellow exiles was Madame Marie Prejean Dupuis, widow of Jean Baptiste Dupuis. Shortly after locating on the Island, Francois Pecot married Madame Dupuis, and they became the parents of seven children, viz : Luc, Jacques, Marie Rose, Marie Antoinette, Charles, Marie Louise, Marie Anne. Luc Pecot was a soldier during the Revolution of San Domingo an-d fought under the French flag, as was also his brother, Jacques. Though under age he entered the service in order that his father, who was at that time an aged man, might be spared the hardships incident to a soldier's life. In this revolu- tion Francois Pecot and his sons, Luc and Jacques, were captured and con- demned to death, and the lives of the whole family placed in jeopardy. But by the assistance of a negro, a family slave, they escaped, and the family removed to Jamaica, and from thence for a time to New Orleans. Luc, the eldest son of Francois Pecot, died without leaving any children. Jacques became the father of four sons, viz: Pierre, Edward, Aglae, Octave. Marie Rose married Jean 380 SO UTHWEST L O UISIA NA . Armelin and became the mother of ten children, viz : Jean, Josephine, Coralie, AspasieE., Charles, Theodore, Aristide, Ulysses, Adele, Joseph. Marie Antoinette married Gabriel Bouillet and they became the parents of a son, Joseph Sully, and a daughter, Hermina, who maried Balthazar Martel, to whom, assisted by her son, J. Sully Martel, we are indet)ted for the sketch of the Pecot family. Charles Pecot married Felicity Sigur about 1817 or '18. They became the parents of eight children, four of whom are now living, viz: Alexander Al- cide, Ernest, Denis Mozart, Cornelie. Marie Louise married Alexander Frere and Marie Anne married Frederick Pellerin. Alexander Alcide Pecot was born, 1822, in St. Mary parish. He was educated entirely at home, and while yet a youth engaged as secretary and assistant to his older brother, who was manager of his father's plantation. After the death of his brother, young Pecot took charge of the plantation, and after his mother's death became administrator of the succession. Under his able management the estate has been greatly increased in extent and value. In the late war Mr. Pecot was an active participant, and when Louisiana called for volunteers for home defence, he organized an indepen- dent company of cavalry, of which lie was first lieutenant, and afterward was captain. Capt. Pecot has served in many responsible official positions and always with satisfaction. In 1858 he was elected to the State Senate. He was appointed by Francis T. Nicholls tax collector of St. Mary par- ish, and in this capacity served four years. Capt. Pecot is a life-long Dem- ocrat, and it may safely be said that he is a leader of that party in St. Mary parisli. Capt. Pecot is a man of marked abilit}- and broad views. Being pos- sessed of a remarkably keen perception, he is not slow in reaching a con- clusion, and after it has been -reached is firm in his adherence to it. With- out a family of his own, he never having married, the Captain labors for the benefit of others, and there are many who t:an testify to his beneficence. * * LOUIS PELERINjCypremort — Louis Pelerin, sugar planter, is the son of Nicholas and Eufaula (Dartey) Pelerin. He w.is born in St. Mary parish in 1843, where he worked on his father's farm until fifteen years of age, when his father's death occurred. Soon after this he joined Captain Murphy's com- pan}? of Louisiana Volunteers, in which he fought bravely and served with honor until the close of the war, wlien he commenced planting, which is his present avocation. Soon after ilie close of the war he married Josena Goula, of St. Mary parish. To them nine children have been born: Filamon, Louis, Jr., Mar}", Nicholas, Julia, Baltliazar, Eugenia, Eufamia and Antoinette. Mr. Pelerin owns a fine plantation on which he makes a specialty of raising corn and cane. HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL. 381 ^ FRITZ RODE, Glencoe. — Fritz Rode, merchant and planter, was born in Germany, November 22, 1849. ^^ '^ ^^^ ^*^" ^^ Charles and Caroline Rode. At the age of four, and thereafter for eleven years, he attended private school, when he turned his attention to general merchandising as salesman. In 1867 he came to the United States, locating in Galveston, Texas, in which place he was engaged in a confectionery store for a short time, when he removed to New Orleans. A few months later he took up his abode in St. Mary parish, turning his attention to planting, in which he continued for eight years, then entered the- mercantile business, in which he is still engaged, and is meeting with much suc- cess. He owns different plantations, aggregating five hundred and forty acres,. on one of which he has established a large store. He also has an interest in a branch store. Mr. Rode is united in marriage with Miss Eufenile Roderiges,. a native of Louisiana, born in 1856, and daughter of Rustache Roderiges. To- them six children have been born: Alma, Charles, Anna, Jean, Caroline and.' Sasthene. * CHARLES STEINACKER, Franklin.— Cliarles Steinacker was born in New Orleans, February 22, 1845. He is the son of Frank Steinacker, who was born in Bavaria in 1810. Francis Steinacker was lieutenant in the Bavarian arm}^ and served as a patriotic soldier for several years. He emigrated to America in 1841 and landed in New York City, where he remained until 1843, wlien he came south, locating in New Orleans. Here he was married, in 1843, to Miss Roch, and they became the parents of two children — our subject, Charles Steinacker, and a daughter, Elizabeth. Frank Steinacker died in 1850, Charles Steinacker was reared in New Orleans, and received a good busi- ness and literary education. He then served an apprenticeship as a blacksmith, and subsequently entered the employ of a large retail mercantile house in New Orleans, with whom he remained as salesman for eleven 3'ears. He came to Franklin in 1885, and accepted an engagement in one of the largest mercantile houses there. Desiring to enter business for himself, he opened a general mer- cantile house on his own account in 1889, where his efforts have been attended with the greatest success. He is now doing one of tiie most active and paying businesses in St. Mar\' parish. Mr. Steinacker is a natural salesman, and is in his element when handling goods and dealing with the public. He is a member of the Catholic churcli. « V GEORGE B. SHEPHERD, Franklin.— George B. Shepherd is a native of Massachusetts, born July 10, 1824. He is the son of Nathaniel and Mary (Whelden) Shepherd, both of whom were natives of Massachusetts. Nathaniel Shepherd was a jeweler by occupation and was a successful business man; in politics he was a Democrat. Our subject's mother was born in 1804 and was 382 SO UTII WES T LO VIS I A NA : married in Massachusetts. She became the mother of one child, the subject of this sketch. George B. Shepherd received an excellent academic education, and in 1845 came to Louisiana from Massachusetts and engaged as a salesman for Cyrus B. Whelden, in which capacity he was employed for three years. After this he devoted his time to civil engineering, and in 1857 became editor of the Attakapas Register, a weekly Democratic paper published in Franklin. He was thus engaged until i860, when he was appointed register of the State land office, which posi- tion he held until 1862, when he enlisted in the C. S. A. under General Miles, Louisiana Volunteers, in which command he served until the close of the war. After the war he became a notary public, and in 1870 he turned his attention to law. In 1872 he was chief clerk of the McEnery House of Representatives, and in 1887 was appointed post-master by President Cleveland, and held this office until July, 1890, when he returned to the practice of law. He was married, March, 1853, to Miss Elizabeth McMillan, a daughter of Robert McMillan and Janet Douglas, native of Scotland, born in 1833 and died in 1882. Mr. and Mrs. Shepherd are the parents of five children: Emma, Georgie, Edwin, George and Robert. Mr. Shepherd and famil}^ are members of the Episcopal church. He is a stanch Democrat. » * * '^ THOMAS SHAFFER, Franklin.— Thomas Shaffer is a native of Terre- bonne parish, born October 9, 1842. He is the son of William A. and Emilie (Bourgeois) Shaffer. William A. Shaffer was a planter by occupation, and was first engaged in his pursuit in Lafourche parish and subsequently removed to Terrebonne parish, where he established what is known as the Crescent Farm. He died at a ripe old age in 1886. His wife died in 1875. They were the par- ents of three sons and four daughters, viz: John J., W. R., Lizzie H., wife of T. T. Brooks ; Belle W., wife of Dr. J. H. Sanders of St. Mary parish ; Thomas J., the subject of this sketch; Benjamin F. died at the age of 25 years, in Texas, in 1871. Thomas Shaffer received his early education in the private schools of Terre- bonne parish, and in 1854 went to Shelby College, Kentucky. He returned home in the fall of 1858 and then went to the Centenary College, at Jackson, Louisiana, where he remained until the war, when he left school, and going to Richmond, Va., joined the First Louisiana Battalion, under General Magruder, and after having served about a year he was promoted to the position of Lieu- tenant of the Twenty-sixth Louisiana Regiment, a command of volunteers from Southwest Louisiana, composed mostly of Creoles. The command was organ- ized at Berwick City, under Alexander Declouet, and numbered about eleven hundred strong. This regiment was engaged in the fall of New Orleans, and was then ordered to Vicksburg with the Army of Mississippi. This regiment HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL. 383 participates in many of the engagements on the Yazoo River, Deer Creek and Battle of "Chickasaw, and went into Vicksburg before the siege, where he (Shaffer) was made Inspector General under General N. L. Smith. July 4, 1863, he was taken prisoner and shortly after was paroled by General Grant. He then went home and remained inside the Federal lines until 1864. He took passage on a boat to attend a camp of reorganization at Alexandria, but only went as far as Natchitoches, where he remained for some time and then returned home. After the war he engaged in planting on his father's place, and after re- maining here for a year he engaged with T. T. Brooks and Charles Taenant in a mercantile business at Houma. April 23, 186S, he married Miss Anna P. Pel- ton, a native of Terrebonne parish, born 1846. She is the daughter of the late John M. Pelton, one of the most energetic and successful planters of Terrebonne parish and the owner of the celebrated Du Lac plantation, of which our subject took charge- in 1868. The same year he purchased his present plantation, known then as Cherokee Edge and now as Anna plantation. Since that time he has given his attention to the growing of sugar cane and rice. His plantation lies on both sides of the Teche, between the famous Oak Lawn and Bellevue plan- tations. Mr. Shaffer is the father of five children, viz : Susan Margaret, Will- iam A., Katie L., Ben F., Edna, Our subject was for three years president of the police jury. He is a stanch Democrat. He is a charter member of the Knights of Honor and of the American Legion of Honor. He and wife are members of the Episcopal church. J. Y. SANDERS, Franklin. — J. Y. Sanders is a native of St. Mary par- ish, born January 29, 1869. He is the son of J. Y. Sanders, Sr., and Bessie Wafford Sanders. J. Y. Sanders was a native of St. Mary parish, and was a planter by occupation. He married, in 1867, our subject's mother, a daughter of James M. and Diana (Coco) Wafford. They became the parents of nine children, five sons and four daughters, of whom our subject, J. Y. Sanders, Jr., is the eldest. The other children are: Mary, S. K., B. W., J. W., H. L., Thomas ; those deceased are Francis, Leila R. J. Y. Sanders, Jr., received a limited education, and began business in a mercantile house at Franklin, where he remained two years, when he turned his attention to overseeing, in which business he contmued until 1S89. He then moved to Texarkana, Arkansas, where he became editor and proprietor of a weekly newspaper. In March, 1890, he became editor of the St. Mary Banner, a weekly paper published in Franklin. Mr. Sanders is a gentleman of high mental discipline and excellent ability as an editor. His editorials always reach the point, and he is one of the best informed young men in St. Mary- parish. 384 SOUTHWEST L OUISIANA : EDWARD A. SANDERS, Franklin.— Edward A. Sanders was born in New York, July 2, 1817. He received a meagre education in the public schools of Ohio, where he spent his boyhood. He started doing for himself at the age of twenty-one years as a brick maker and bricklayer, and has been thus engaged most of his life. He was married to Miss Geff, who was born in Virginia in 1820. There were born to this marriage eight children, five of whom are still living: Delicia, wife of George Howard; Flora, Helena, wife of Jules Meyeret; John H. and Gordan. Those dead are: Anna, died 1861 ; Cyrus, died 1873; Borena, died 1854. The mother of these children died in 1866. Our subject has had a checkered career. During the Civil War he was pressed into service (though neutral) by the Federal authorities. They also destroyed a great amount of property in the way of boats and stock for him. They also appropriated twenty-four bales of cotton belonging to him. In recent years all his property was destroyed by fire. Notwithstanding that, he still has a comfortable house in Franklin. He also has 160 acres of limber land in St. Marj^ parish, and some interests in Virginia. Our subject is a Methodist in belief, though not a communicant. The rest of the family are Roman Catholics. ^ JOSEPH O. SIGUR, ScALLY.— Joseph O. Sigur was born in St. Mary parish, Louisiana, September 18, 1853. He is the son of Hermogene and Louise E. (Decuir) Sigur, natives of Iberia parish. Our subject was reared in St. Mary parish. He received his primary edu- cation in the private schools of St. Mar\' parisli, and pursued a three 3'ears". course in St. Charles College, Grand Coteau. Prior to this he had been a student in Spring Hill College, Alabama. After leaving school Mr. Sigur returned to St. Mary parish, and was engaged with liis grandfather in the man- agement of his plantation until the time of the hitter's death. By his grand- father's will he was made heir to one-half of the estate, consisting of eight hundred acres of land, two hundred oi them being in a state of cultivation. Mr. Sigur since that time has given his entire attention to conductmg his planta- tion, and has become one of the well-to-do farmers of the section. Mr. Sigur was married, December 26, 1886, to Miss Mary Emma Gravenberg, of St. Mary parish. They are the parents of two sons, Edward and George;. * » ^ J. F. SHAW, Franklin. — J. F. Shaw was born in New Orleans, Febru- ary 15, 1859. ^^ ^^ ^^^^ son of J. F. Shaw, Sr.,and was reared in New Orleans and educated in the public schools of that city. He began life as a clerk for Taylor & Logan, commission merchants in that cit}', and remained in their employ for eight months, when he engaged with John Calder & Son, as clerk. HIS TO RICA L A ND BIO GRA PHICA L. 385 and was in their employ for three j'ears. He then entered the employ of the Southern Pacific Railroad Company, and, after remaining with them for seven years, resigned his position and returned to the employ of Calder & Son, iis agent of two separate plantations in St. Mar)- parish, the Alice E. and Choupique. He has held this position since 1885. Mr. Sliaw was married in 1886 to Miss Nel- lie Riley, a native of St. Paul, Minnesota, and a daughter of Cornelius Riley. They are the parents of two children, a son and a daughtt-r, viz: Catlierine R. and Cornelius D. ^ N. K. TODD, Foster. — N. K. Todd is a native of St. Mary parish, born in 1842. His father, James Todd, was born in Xenia, Ohio, the son of John Todd, a farmer and resident of Madison, Indiana, where he lived to the age of seventj'-five years. James Todd received his education at night schools, labor- ing on a farm during the day. He became a man of considerable prominence ill St. Mary parish, where he h.ad located in 1841. He was a distinguisiied Mason, receiving every degree conferred in that order. He married, in 1842, Nancy Kemper, a native of St. Mary parish, daughter of Nathan Kemper, a native of Virginia, who removed to St. Mar)' parish early in life, where he became an extensive sugar planter. Mrs. Todd died of j^ellow fever in 1854. James Todd afterward married Mrs. E. H. Rice, and to them were born five children: Lee, James, Helen, Henry and Mar)'. James Todd died in 1887 at the age of seventy-one years. The subject of this sketch is one of four children born to James and Nancy Todd, only two of whom lived to maturity: John R. and N. K. N. K. Todd received his early education in Franklin, and completed his studies at North Hampton, Massachusetts, where he was pursuing a course preparatory to enter- ing Yale College, when the war breaking out prevented him from carrying out his intentions. He entered the Confederate service in 1862, and served until tlie close of the war as a corporal in St. Marys Artillery, participating in the battles of Bisland, Franklin, Yellow Bayou, Mansfield, and a number of other minor engagements. In connection with this may be mentioned the fact that Admiral Porter, in his report of the fight of Cane River, makes the statement that there were eighteen pieces used by the enemy, and every shot fired struck a vessel. Instead of eighteen pieces there were but two twelve-pounders, smooth-bore, and two howitzers supported by only 200 riflemen, who after firing began withdrew, leaving the battery without support. Mr. Todd served as No. 4 on one of the twelve-pounders. The guns mentioned belonged to Nims' famous Boston battery, which were captured at Mansfield, and afterward used as we have seen above with such telling effect in the hands of the victors as to cau>e Admiral Porter to believe them more than four times their real num- ber. After the war Mr. Todd was for some time engaged as clerk in a mer- 386 SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA: cantile establishment, and later conducted a mercantile business for a period of about fifteen years in Centerville. In 1878 he engaged in planting, but still continued his mercantile business until 18S2, since which time he lias devoted his entire attention to planting. Garrett plantation, located five miles southwest of of Centerville on Bayou Sale, consists of about one thousand acres, of which 350 are cultivated principally in cane and corn. Mr. Todd was married in 1869, to Miss Addie Berwick, daughter of David Berwick, of St. Mary parish. To them have been born seven children, of whom si.x are living : James, Louise, Lizzie, Kate, Nannie, Addie, and Mary, deceased. Mr. Todd was reared in the Episcopal church, of which he and his family are members. He is a Democrat, and under Gov. McEnery served two years as police juror from his ward. » » » ^ J. R. VERRET, Louisa. — J. R. Verret was born in Lafourche parish, March 28, 1855. He is the son of J. R. and Charlotte (Romagosa) Verret. the former a native of Terrebonne and the latter of Lafourche parish. The subject of this sketch received his education in Houma, where his par- ents removed when he was quite young. He began life as a deputy in the clerk's office at Houma, where he remained for about two years. He then en- gaged in a grocer}' business, and in this he continued until 1877, after which time he was appointed registration clerk, and held this office for two months, at the end of which time he removed to St. Mary parish, Februar}', 1879, where he took charge and managed the plantation store of Mrs. E. D. Bur- guieres. In March, 1883, ^^ was married to Miss Elodie Bodin, a native of Terrebonne parish, born February 5, i860. She is the daughter of N. Bodin and Emma Bonvillain, both natives of St. Mary parish. Mr. and Mrs. Verret are the parents of four children, viz: Louise Elodie, Emma Cecile, John Robert, Mary Beatrice. , » » FRANK C. VIGNERIE, Louisa.— Frank C. Vignerie was born, February, 1856, in Terrebonne parish, Louisiana. His father, D. P. Vignerie, was a native of France, whence he removed when a young man to America, locating in St. Mary parish, where he married and became a planter. The subject of this sketch received his education in St. Charles College, Grand Coteau, and at the University of Louisiana. After completing his studies he engaged as clerk in the mercantile establishment of J. P. Viguer & Co., at Houma, Louisiana. Subsequent to this he conducted a mercantile business on Waterproof plantation. He later retired from mercantile business and engaged in agricultural pursuits in Terrebonne parish. Here he remained until 1885, when he became manager of the Alice B. plantation at this place, in which capacity he is still engaged. Mr. Vignerie was married, January 13, 1885, IIlSrORICAL AND BIOGRAPIIJCAL. 387 to Miss Ernestine L. Burguieres, daugiiter of E. D. Burguieres, Terrebonne parish. Mr. and Mrs. Vignerie are the parents of two sons and a daughter, Frank C, Jr., Ernest D. and Rose M. Mr. Vignerie is an active participant in local affairs; and while a resident of Terrebonne parish he served for three years as deputy tax collector. « • ALCIDE VEEDER, Charenton.— Alcide Veeder was born in St. Mary parish in 1851. He is. the son of John and Felician (Ward) Veeder. John Veeder was a native of New York, and came to St. Mary parish when young. He was a bricklayer by occupation. He died in 1854. Felician Veeder is a native of St. Mar}- parish. She married a second time, Frederick Wolford. Alcide Veeder is the only living member of a family of tliree children. He received his education in the public and private schools of his neighborhood, and has been working on his own account since sixteen years of age as a planter and cooper. His plantation consists of one hundred acres, and lies on the east side of the Teche, three-fourths of a mile above Charenton. Its principal products are sugar cane and rice. His carpenter shop is located on his plantation and gives employment to four men. In January, 1S90, our subject entered into partnership with Hubert Delaj-e, in a general mercantile business, carrying an average stock of about five thousand dollars. He married, in 1871, Anna Minderman, a native of St. Mary parish, bornin 1852, and daughter of Leander Minderman. They are the parents of seven children: John, Ida, Winifred, George, Ella, Lena and Aimie. Mr. Veeder and family are mem- bers of the Catholic church. * * ^ ANATOLE WALFORD, Charenton.— Anatole Walford was born in St. Mary parish, February 17, 1858. He is the son of Frederick and Feliciane (Mora) Walford, the former a native of Germany, the latter of St. Mary parish. At the age of fifteen 3'ears our subject commenced the cooper's trade, at which he worked for seven years. During that time he married Miss Louisa A. Bien- venu, a native of Iberia parish, born September 30, 1858, and daughter of Ar- mantel and Clelie (Megney) Bien\enu, both of Iberia parish. To them were born two sons and five daughters: Louise (deceased), Martha, Barnadette, Louise, Anatole, Antonia and Paul. After working at his trade for a number of )'ears Mr. Walford turned his attention to merchandising at Charenton, but with limited means at his disposal. Since that time his stock has continuously increased, until he now carries about six thousand dollars worth of goods, and does an annual business of eigliteen tliousand dollars. In 1883 he was appointed post-master at this place, which position he still holds. He has also an interest in a saw-mill in this localit)-. 3»e SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA , G. G. ZENOR, Patterson. — G. G. Zenor is a native of Adams county, Mississippi, born October i8, 1833. He is the son of M. and S. M. (Waller ) Zenor, the former a native of Kentucky and the latter of Louisiana. They removed to Concordia parish, Louisiana, when G. G. Zenor was a child. He received his finishing education in the High School of Natchez, Mississippi, after which he assisted his father in planting until 1868. He then removed to St. Mary parish and enoaged in sugar planting on his own account, and has become one of the most successful sugar growers of the State. He has seventeen hundred acres of land under cultivation, two-thirds of which is in cane and the rest in corn. He has a five-roller mill, made by the Reading Iron Works, of Pennsylvania, which is the same mill thai was on exhibition at the E.vposition at New Orleans. He can grind four hundred tons ot cane in twenty-four hours, and has one vacuum pan with a capacity for fifteen thousand pounds of white clarified sugar, or ei'feteen thousand pounds of yellow sugar at a strike, which requires about four hours. He operates the centrifugal process — has four Weston and six German centrifugals. Mr. Zenor was married in St. Mary parish, in 1855, to Miss Lu- cretia Robbins, a native of this parish. They aix* the parents of seven children, viz: Webb, Sallie, Inez (deceased), Mollie, Lulu, Oscar, George. INDEX. Page. Abadie, Red Francis 56 Abbeville, the Town of 255 Acadia, A Tale of 357, 223 College 237 Sentinel, The 242 Parish of 224, 223 Farm, An 193 Lodge 257 Acadians, The 103, 17 Historical Sketch of the 327 Academy, St. Charles 148, 147 Act Creating Calcasici: Parish 129 Advertiser, The 204 Advocate, The 51 Agassiz, Prof g Agriculture 42 Agricultural Resources 29 Alpha, Oscar L 242, 205 American, The 139, 131 American, Cotton and Financial Reporter.... 148 Andrews, Joseph 34 Anself, Lieutenant Jacob 66 Attakapas County, The 12 Indians, The 13 Atchison, Topeka Si Santa Fe Railroad 21 Avery's Island 96 Bagdad, Town of 166 Bailey, Wm. B 205,192 Adolph 198 Bar, The Present .'... 55 The Pioneer §4 Bayou Cypremort 214 Beau Basin „ 183, 182 Bell, Guy H 54 Bench and Bar, Tile 53 Benevolent Associations 251 Bervvick, The Town of 222 Bilbo, Thomas... 125 Bradley-Ramsey Company 164, 156 Brashear, Judge 199 Brandt, William 192 Creaux Bridge 80 Brent, William 89 Brier, Judge 197 Bronson, John 89 Broussard, Lieut 66 Village of 202 Gaupert 188 Broussard's Commission, Gaupert 1S9 Bridges 254 Perry's .55 Brown, George C 172 Bryan, Capt. J. W 158 Boarding in College 238 Bonin Brothers too BoundarieSi etc 169 Page, Bullard, Henry A 53 Lieutenant C. D 66 Buchanan, J. H 166 Bunker, C 165 Burke, W. R no Business Directory 249 Burt, Miss Mollie 148 Caffrey, C. D 202 "Cajans," The 104 Calcasieu Parish 119 " The soils of 120 Invincibles, The 65 The Settlement of 123 The Pine of 132 Ranches 134 The Towns of 164 The Bar 150 River, The 163 Cameron Parish 169 " Organization of 172 Campbell, William 198 Canadians, The 14 Carencro Tradition, A 193 Carr, Mortimer 172 Town of 202 Catherine Cole 246 Catholic Church, The 200, So, 55 Capital, The Parish no Central Pacific Railroad 20 Chattanooga Tradesman, The 113 Character, A 190 Characteristics 216, 191 Churches 179, 146, 1 15, 44 Clarion, The 51 Climate 234, 213, 122, 10 Clegg, John 198,192 Code of Practice 86 Co-Education 239 College, The Lake Charles 148,146 College Uniforms 239 Commercial, The 159 Confederate States Rangers 66 Confidence Lodge, No. 17 165 Cote Gelee Hills 184,181 Blanche Island 214 Cotton Seed Oil as Medicine 113 Constitution of 1S79 273 Cormier, V 198 Country Towns 159 Courier, The 49 Court House, The 105 Cow, A Stolen 73 Coward, Hardy 124 Christian Visitor, The 159 Creoles, The 37 Crop Statistics 68 390 INDEX. P«ge. Grossman, Miss M. J 147 Crow, R. C 19S Culloni, Judge E. North 50 Cullom, Judge E. North fSecond Part) 11 -Darby, Prof 1S2 Davis, W. W 165 DebaUion, C 19S Deblanc, Capt. A 68 Raphael 89 Dees, E. H 164 Delahoussaye, C 89 Claude 216 Louis Le 216 Democrat, The 50 The New Iberia 116 Dennett, Col. Daniel 95 Sketch of 208 Derbes, Alexandre 89 Description and Topography 120 Development, etc 131 Devillier, Louis 35 Francois 35 Doctors, The 253, 149 Dolau, Thomas 173 Dolby, Prof. O. S 147 Donahue, D. W 170 Doxey, William 171 Drew, Andrew 174 H.C 1571, 40 Dunn, Oscar J 172 Duperier, Frederick iii Dr. Alfred 108, iii, 102 Duperier's Battalion of Cavalry 174, 68 Major St. Leon 68 Dupre Family, The 36 Hon. Jaques 54 Lucius 53 Early Settlements 228, 171, 33 Courts 219 Echo, The Lake Charles 170, 158 Eclectic Club, The 252 Eden of Louisiana, The 14 Education, Early no Edwards, N. N 198 Elliott, W. M 165 Enterprise, The New Iberia 115 Evangeline, The Story of -103, 82 The Poem of 257 Evening on the Calcasieu, An 142 Everett, Z. L 159 Fabacher, Joseph 228 Fallon, Rev. Father 146 Farmers Should Understand their Soils 9 Farmers Union, No. 5S70 185 Ferry Question, The 166 Fig, The 137 First National Bank, The (Opelousas) 52 The (New Iberia) 117 Fontenots, The 36 Formation of Parish 217 Fournett, Col. V. A 68 Judge G. A 126 Frazer, D. D., Rev. George 146 Franklin, The Town of 220 Page. Friendship Lodge, G. T 165 Freight Received 200 Fruit Culture 245, 211 in Calcasieu Parish 135 Fusilier, Agricole 112 Gant's Experience, Elbert 30 Garland, Capt. H. L 66 Garrique, Gen 39 Gales, Judge Fred 112, 106 General Description 244 Geology, etc 9 German Poem, A 231 Benevolent Association 16^ Girard, M. E 189 Glendale Institute, The 148 Globe, The Council Bluff 145 Go-Ahead Town, A 152 Government, The Parish 69 Governor's Proclamation, The 77 Grand Cote Island 95 Grand Coteau 51 Chenire 170 Gray, Dr 149 Grieg Carlos 56 Goospcrt, Village of ..164 Guegnon, E. J 251 Eugene 251 Gunn, R. J 165 Hall, James 171 R 139 Hammond, R. E. J 146 Hardy, Dr 149 Harper's Magazine 96 Haskell, Frank 165 Hays, Lieutenant J. G 66 Hay Making 232 Herron, Andrew S 77 Hirsch, L 165 Hickman, Lieutenant J. C 66 Highways, etc 41 Hoernicke, Rev. S 148, 146 Hornet, The 118 Hope Council No. 1112 165 House, The Court 247 Hubbell, Rev. H. L 149, 147, 146 Hudson, W. F 118 Iberia, the parish of , 91 Parish, organization of 104 Independent, The 251 Indian Legend, An 13 Indians, The 37 Incident, An 217, 190 Jackson, Stonewall 68 Japan Plum, The 136 Jeannerette, The Churches 118 The Town 117 Jefferson, Joseph 99 Jenkins, Miss M. A 147 Johnson, Capt. Wm. M 66 Jones, Rev. J. R 148, 119 Joseph 170 Mill, M. T 156 Jurors, Police 237, 150, 69 Page. Justice, The Seat of 130 Of the Peace 236 Kansas City & Gulf Railway..i8i, 178, 176, 153 14s. 144 Kaufman, L 165 Kirby, Samuel L 149 Kearney, M. D 165 King, Rev. C. A 146 of France 15 George S3 G. R - 197. S3 Kline, Rev. W. H 159 Knapp, Prof 140 W. A 165 Knights, The Catholic 252 LaBesse, J. C 165 Lafayette Incorporated 192 Mayors 192 Parish 118 Lafayette, Town of 199 LaGrange Emilien 77 Lake Arthur 164 Calcasieu 164 Charles 164 Settled 150 Municipal Government.. 151 The City of 121 Lastrapes, Captain Louis 66 Latiolas, Leon 190 LaVergier, Celestin 34 Lawton, J. B 115 Lawyers, The 2^2, 149, 109 LeBiue, L. C .,..: 16^ Lee, Robert E 68 Leesburg, The Town of 173 Legal 252 Leveque, Miss Louise 147 Levy, Adolph 52 Lewis, Hon. Seth 53 E. T S3 Little, Mrs. C. W 148 Literary Society 2S2 Lisbon, The Town of 166 Longevity 36 Louaillier, J. J 52 Louisiana, the State of 85 Louis XV, King 2i6 Lumber Interests, The 140 Mills, The 156 Magill, Augustus 89 Many Things of Many Kinds 165 Manufacturing Industries 153, 112, 89 Manufacturers' Record, The 113 M»rtel, Judge B. A 19S, 158, 54 Andrew 187 Martin, E. H 59 Robert 89 Marsh, Miss Ida 165 Miss Jennie i6s Mayne, George 173 Mavo, Mrs.Thad 165 Mctall, Millege 171 McCauley, Lieutenant S. D 66 McCormick, John 159 INDEX. 391 I'age. McCormick, C. M 159 Mechanics' and Traders' Exchange 117 Medical Profession 198, 107 Methodists, The 45 Meridional, The 251 Military History, The 250, 229, 116 Milmo, Stokes & Co 117 Miller, John M _ 171 E. D 171 Mississippi Valley Lumberman, The 141 Monnier, Aug 192; Moore, Judge s3 Morgan Railroad, The 194, 41 City 221 Morse, Isaac E 88 Moses, L 165 Monnot, A. L 117 Mouton, Gen. Alfred 78, 68 Gov. Alexander iq8, 78, 54 Chapeaux 188 C. H 89 E 198 Julian 198 Mouton, J. E S9 John and Marin 188 John O 19S O. C 198 Salvator 188 William 198 Mount Hope Mill 158 Carmel Convent 200 Mudd, Dr. Jerome 108 Neal, Dr. Benoni 108 Miss Delia 159 Neda, Col. Francis 35 New Iberia, Advantages of 115 Fires in 117 Laying Out of iii New Orleans, A Trip iS Newspapers, The 115, 48 Nicholls, Thomas C 89 Norris, W. B 163, 157 Mill, The 157 Northern and Southern Lumber 142 Offutt, William 35 Nathaniel 35 Jr., Capt. N 66 Ollivier, C. M 197 Oonshiu Orange, The 136 Opelousas, The County of 40 Guards, The 57 " Killed and Wounded of the 65 The Town of 51 Volunteers, The 66 Opinion ot an Ex-Governor 248 Orange Island 99 Culture 197 Organization of Parish 235, 191 Orleans Guards, The 68 Territory _ _ 40 Oveiton, Hon. J. H 197, 53 Paris, Le Petit 71 Parish Seat, The ly 892 INDEX. Page. Parish of St. Landry 27 of St. Martin 67 Officers 253, 236 Parker, R. A 66 Parrot, Joseph 89 Peace Lodge of K. of P 165 Pecan Island 247 Peigneur, Lake 100, 99 Pelican Hook and Ladder 166 Perkins & Miller 163 Reese 163, 156 " An Incident of 124 A.T 163 Petit Anse Island 96 Perry, Judge Robert 109 Perry's Bridge 249 Phoenix Hook and Ladder Company 165 Physicians, Early 55 Pioneers History, More of 3S The 125, 102 Pilleron, Lieut. S. M 66 Pinhoop Village 192 Population, The Increase of 18 The 194 Porter, Judge James 53 " Alexander 89, §7 Poste des Attakapas 14 Poem, A.... 142 Police Jurors 253, 237 Post-Offices 254, 237 Planters' Banner 100 Platz, Peter 165 Prairie Au Large 92 Prescott, Maj. William 35 Lieut. Willis ^ 66 Preston, Gen. John 34 Press, The 251, 15S, 23 Proclamation, A 74 Products of the Parish 184 Professions, The 179 Promised Land, The ici Prudhomme, Michael 55, 34 Lieut. M. S 66 Public Improvements 106 School, The 22 Pujo, A. P 165 Queue Tortue, Bayou 1S2, 77 The Battle of 79 Railroads, etc 144, 41, 19 More about 52 Shipments - 20 Ray, Dr. James 55 Rayne, The Town of 241 Reese, D. H 165 Reed, J. A 165 J. D 158 Reliance Lodge 3278 165 Reporte r, The Jennings 139 Richart, Capt. V 78 Ritchie, Lieut. H. B 66 Riverside, Village of 174 Rivers and Bayous 22 Rio Honda Claims, The 124 Rip Van Winkle 99 Ri'e Culture 231, 13S Page. Rice Train, A 140 Roane, Percy W 118 Rogers, Col. Benjamin 35 Rev. G. 6 149, 146 Rosteet, J. W 139 M.J 165 Root, James 171 Ryan, John 124 Sabine Station 163 Sallier, Charles .T 125 Salles, G. C 192 Salt Mines, The ,. 97 Sanders, Dr. J. B 149 Sandoz, J. H 49 Savage, T. B 53 Science of Geology 9 School Board, The 10 Fund, The 70 Schools, The Public 194, 146, 69, 44 Scott Village 203 Schwing, W. F 159 Seaton, Lieut. E. D 66 Settlers, The Earliest 123 Settlement, Early 254,216, 187, loi, 33 Sekendorff, Aug 165 Silling, Frank 147 Mary 165 Laura 165 Sisters of Mercy, Convent of iiS Simms, Judge Edward 88 Jr., Edward 89 Skipper, J. T 52 Solenge, Dr _ 112 Sketch of : 107 South Before the War, The 10 Southerc Pacific Railway, The 19 Southwestern Land Co., The 52 Soil and Crops 244 South, The New 225 Spanish Occupancy 15 Emigrants 17 Veil, Marriage under the 16 Spence, Lieut. J. A 66 John 145 John A 15S Spencer, Death of W. H 65 St. Charles Academy-, The 14S St. Landry, Crops of 31, 10 Fruits in 31 Light Guards 66 Parish, Organization of 39 " Towns of 59 Volunteers of 66 St. Mary, Parish of 207 Geology of 20S Agricultural Resources of 208 Products of 209 St. Martinsville, from iSii to 1861 70 St. Julien, Maior 98 State Board of Education 69 Steam Navigation on the Teche ill Statistics of Crops 210, 39, 32 Stafford, Wm 174 E. A 174 Stock Raising 349, 234, 181 Steam Fire Company « .'...165 INDEX. Page. Shattuck, S. O 165 Smith, John M _ 171 W. 192 Dr. Raphael 108 Sugar Bowl, The : 116 Sugartown 163 Sulphur Mines, The 145 Sweeney, Dr. Arthur 173 Tasse, Lake 100 T.nylor, Lieut. John 61 Killed, Lieut. John 65 Teche Club, The 117 Temperature of Southwestern Louisiana 12 Territory of Orleans, The 40 Texas & Pacific Railroad 41 Tobacco 213 Toll, H. E „ 197 Tx)pography 207, 204 Usher, Miss Ella R 141 ^'an Shaack, A. G 14S Vauttrey Refinery, The 117 Vermilion River, The iSi Parish of 243 Vigilance Committee, The 71 Vindicator, The Attakapas 205 Voorhies, Lieut. Alfred 68 Judge Cornelius 71 Dan VV 89 Felix 89, 12 393 Page. Voorhies, E. G i L- J 89 Waddill, Col. J. O 114 Wagnou, Lieut. J. W 66 War Record igg, ^y Warner, Charles Dudley g6 Warmoth, Hon. H. C 172 Washington, The Town of 56 Water Courses 29 Ways, etc \a Watkins, J. B 144 Banking Company 153 Wakefield, Geo. W 171 Walsh, Hon. Henry 160 Western Editor's Opinion, A 224 Western Company, The 15 Westlake, Tlie Town of 113 Wetherill, John : 174 Welsh, Capt. James 174 Whitworth & Co 117 Joseph S 117 Wickliffe, Gov. R. C -.77 Willis, Rev. Joseph ,. 44 Wilson, S. J 52 Women's Christian Temperance Union 165 Yellow Jackets, The 68 Yellow Fever Epidemics 108,71 Young America Fire Co 166 Young M. P 192 Young Men's Christian Association 165 PART II. Page. Abshire, John, Jr 277 Abshire, Joseph D., M. D 37S Adams, William H 35S Addison, E. 1 277 Alpha, Oscar L 201 Alpha, C. P 201 Alpha, Independence 357 Allen, Albert C 357 Alleman, Narcisse 358 Aiigele, J. B 309 Anding, Henry W 251 Anthonoiz, Rev. J 251 Andrus, C. B 3 .\ndrus, D. D 137 Andrus, B. C 137 Anderson, Joseph \ 138 Arenas, Mathiag 251 Ashford, Wm. R 3 Bailey, William B 201 Bailey, Frank E 10 Bailey, Jonas W 5 Bagley, Timothy 2S0 Bagley, Martin 2S0 Baggett, Dennis E 140 Baker, Monroe 310 Page. Bardy, Rev. M 98 Barnard, Alfred G 95 Barousse, Homer 253 Barry, E. S., M. D 5 Barry, R. H 6 Barras, Hipolite 312 Barras, Albert 312 Bartels, Henry H 279 Bassett, Judge Carter 309 Beauxis, John M 281 Becker, John Baptist 2Sr Becnel, Amazan 311 Bellnice, Bertrand 311 Benard, Artenard _..._..3ii Berard, Felix 313 Berard, Ernest 97 Btiraud, M. D., Paul D 202 Bercier, A. J.,D.D.S 7 Bernard, A. C 94 Bernard, Hon. Jos. D 253 Bernard, Pierre 20S Bernard, Louis G., Jr 310 Bernard, Louis 310 Bernard, Carlos 310 Bertrand, O 207 Bertrand, J. G 208 394 INDEX. Page. Bertrand, Ernest 208 Berwick, O. 361 Bihin, Lewis 10 Billatid, Leon 209 Billaud, Martial 210 Bienvenu, R. J 311 Bienvenu, Albert 312 Binnings, C. P., Jr 363 Bird, Thompson 140 Bloch, Joseph 7 Block, M 364 Boagni, Edward 9 Bodenheimer, Philip 359 Bodin, Doize 362 Bonin, J. E 21 1 Bosworth, Millard 363 Borah, W. S. M. D 359 Boucnalt, Wm 313 Boudreaux, John 10 Boiidreau, Adam... 2S2 Boudreaiiy, B. A 207 Boutte, Henry T 98 Bourque, Sasthene V 99 Bourqui?, J. B 99 Bourque, Ulger 314 Bourque, Ludger 314 Bourque, Jules 314 Boyd, John A., M. D 316 Bradford, Wei man 254 Breaux, Joseph C 210 Breaux, Numa 210 Brinkhaus, F. G 6 Broussard, Aladin 315 Broussard, Savique 315 Broussard, A. G 315 Broussard, John Dorville 92 Broussard, Robert F 93 Brousard, C 94 Broussard, N 94 Broussard, Lastie 279 Brou.'^sard, L A 203 Broussard, Joseph Zeno 203 Broussard, J. 204 Broussard, Valsin 205 Broussard, Joseph S 205 Broussard, Leonard 205 Broussard, Alcee 205 Broussard, A. Cleophas .......206 Brown, Chas. C. 206 Brown, James B 362 Brookshier, J. A 2S2 Brooks, George E., M. D 4 Bruner, E. O. 252 Bryan, Captain J. W :6S Bussey, J. C 98 Burke, Walter J 96 Burke, W. R 96 Burleigh, James 8 Burleigh, Joseph 8 Burleson, E. H 141 Burguieres, J. M 360 Burguieres, Lenfroy 361 Burton, Captain Walthall 4 Burr, C. F 9 Cade, William 283 Cade, Hon. Overton 213 Page. Cage, Henry Hays 22 Gallery, Louis 36s Campbell, Wm 212 Campbell, Newton R 28} Gary, W. H 254 Gary, S. L "45 Gary, Wm.. 146 Carver, H. W 260 Carron, Martm 20 Carbello, Chas 142 Carbello, Emile 145 Castex, Jean 259 Chappuis, Philip J 259 Chappuis, A b 258 Chachere, 'Iheog, M. D ij Ghachere, Joseph 14 Chachere, Robeit 15 Champagne, J. U 318 Charles, Rev Julee L 100 Cherry, Prof 1 C 25/ Chiasson, P A 215 Chi Ids, W. M , M D '9 Chevis, Wm C 2S7 Clark, Raymond T 2^8 Clark, A. , M. D 214 Clegg, Judge John 212 Clements, J B 16 Clopton, W F , M D J9 Gloney, John Y 143 Golev, J. M , M D 14' Cole, A. L 144 Colgin, Geoige T 10 1 Gottingham, James R '4 Gorkran, G. W 144 Coreil, Theodore 16 Cook, Z. T 364 Gonstantin Ernest 214 Conway, E. J 2t Comeau, H P 15 Comeau, Cliftord H 15 Cormier, N A 3>6 Cormier, Anatole 3>6 Cormier, Nu-na 3'7 Cooper, Joseph 14s Creightoii, Lmile 212 Crowson, E G 3<8 Gurrie, John D 16 Culkin, Laurent, M. D 3>7 Curtis, F. R ■45 Cullom, Hon E North It Gyr, Madame Emilie (iloffherr) 100 Darby, Gesaire lOI Darby, E. H 105 David, Her\illien, Ji 525 David, Homei 262 David, Lucius 31 Davies, Thos P 147 Dauterive, B D 105 DeBlanc, Leopold 106 DeBaillon, Louis, M D 3^ DeBaillon, Judge C 217 DeBlanc, D iniel 320 DeClouet, Paul L 215 Dees, Elly H 148 Decuir, A. J lOJ Decuir, Zenon -104 INDEX. 395 Delahoussayc, Gustave Delahoussaye, Ihtogene Delahoussave, Frank Dulanv, T.'l Delhome, All red A Deshotels, H II Dejean, Arthur De La Croix, TDD DeMary, Eugene Derouen, T. A Devilliers, Notle^ C Dietlein, Christopher Dimmick, Add^^on Dimitry, D. A Dodge, Capt- L\inan J Dodez, Capt. G'V Domengeau J Arthur C Doniengeaux, A F Domec, Jean Dossmann, L J Doty, Alexandci Doucet, Clebule C Doucet, Marlm Doucet, Melon Drouet, Louis N Druelhet, Narcisse Diury Isaiah. Duplantias, Toussain Duchamp, Eugene D Duchamp, E. \ Duchamp, De Chastaigne Louis Duclos, Louis Alphonse Dugas, Joseph V Duhon, Vior. Duhon, J. V. Dunesnil, John T Dupre, Hon. Gilbert L Dupuis, Victor E Dupuis, A., Jr Durand, O. J Durand, Rdne M Durio, Erasti Durio, Diomel Durio, Adlin Durio, Alexander L Durio, Homer Durke, Walter S Duson, Hon. C.C Duson, W. W P»ge. I02 io6 1 06 102 219 30 30 318 2S4 lOI 30 34 27 21S 28 29 V-\ V-^ 325 31 366 23^ 262 262 ^^S 107 174 104 320 323 323 261 320 219 148 34'; 28 218 320 319 319 32 32 33 220 35 ....22 ..261 Ealer, Charles N Eastin, William B Edwards, Judge W.W.. Edwards, C. J., M. D.. Eltie, R. D Erath, August Estilette, Judge E. D.... Estilette, E. L Escoubas, Edward Estorge, H. E Evans, W - 37 .326 ..28s .,28s .366 .107 - 3.'; ■223 .149 .. 36 ..38 Faggot, J. A Fabacher, Joseph- Flash, Theodore Foote, J. W Foster, Paul, M. D . 263 ■367 • 40 Page. Foster, T. D 108 Foster, Lewis C 147 Foster, George W 149 Foster, Dennis M 150 Fourgeaud, L., M. D 328 Fournet, Alexander V 326 Fournet, L. P 377 Fontenot, T. S 38 Fontenot, Ozeme 39 Fontenon, O. B : 39 Foreman, Phineas 225 Francis, George 109 Francez, Jean Pierre 224 Francez, Roman 225 Frere, Leonard .S log Fritsche, Otto loS Fruge, Ulysse 150 Fuselier, Alfred 327 Fitzhugh, Geo. N 41 Gabriel, Prof. Albert 330 Gates, Judge Fred . L 1 10 Gardernal, Gabriel 329 Gauthier, Louis C 32S Gauthier, A 329 Gauthier, C. M 329 Gauthier, A. M 152 Gay, S. R., M. D 112 Garland, Hon. Henry L 46 Gellert Rev. H 155 George, T. E 156 Girac, P 227 Generes, A. H 41 Geneux, E. C in Gibbs, Joseph C 152 Gibbens, Capt. Thos. C 43 Gillespie, Col. Jno. Crawford 44 Gillespie, John 333 Gillard, Leon F 332 Gillard Ernest J - 333 Girouard, J. 231 Godchaux, Gus 286 Gonsoulin, Adrian HI Gordon, Capt. S. J. C 45 Go&selin, S. J 42 Goodman, Joseph 155 Gray, W. B 3^7 Gray, Reuben Flanagan, M. D 151 Gray, John G 152 Greig, Carlos 43 Guilbeau, James L 4? Guilbeau, Prof. A. L 22S Guilbeau, A. C 229 Guilbeau, G. Arista 335 Guidry, Joseph T 286 Guidrv, Antoine 229 Guidrv, H D 228 Guidry, Albert ,-.230 Guidry, Leonard 228 Guerrin, J. A 328 Gueriniere, Edwin 332 Gueriniere, Charles 332 Guterkunst, Charles 331 Guth, Jacob iia Haas, Capt. S 46 Haas, J. A., M. D 47 396 INDEX. I'agc. Habert, F. R 366 Hall, Capt. Greene 161 Halbert, Xavier R 369 Halphen, J. () 335 Halphen, Jr., J. O 335 Hamblet, J. T., M. D 287 Hansen, Capt. Thos 160 Hampton, C.P ,.... 162 Harrington 288 Hanchev, J. F 163 Hart, Fred W., M. D 334 Hardv, Edgard 334 Haskell, \V. H 157 Hawkins, E. C 47 Hawkins, Dr. J. E 48 Hauf, R 369 Hayes, D. B 263 Haves, Mrs. M. M 4S He'berl, A. P 157 Hebert, Pierre A 158 Hebert, Dossillee H. 158 Hebert, D 1^9 Hennigan, J. E. M 163 Henrv, Andrew 265 Hewett, A. P 161 Hicks, Thos. H 49 Hitter, Joiin Alfred 336 Hockadaj, W. E 264 Holliday, Wm 163 "tloltman, John F 113 Iloftpauir, Howard 2S7 Holipauir, Preston 231 Hortpauir Ford 232 Howell, S 50 Hogsett, R0I11 113 Huber, Zeno 264 Hudson, Wn\ I , 114 Humble, John U 49 Hutchins, Wm. L 159 Hutchinson, Hugh 232 lies, Demcy 164 Irion, V. K., D. D. S 50 Irvin, Robert Hughes 336 January, D. P., M. D 265 leanmard, Jules 337 ■(enkins, W. T., M. D 266 J.;i,kins, W. A., M. D 266 Jewell, Frank L., M. D 337 Johnson, Joseph P 370 Johnson, W. VV 370 Kemper, Mrs. Wm. P 371 Keneson, J. W 267 Kibbe, W. G., M. D 2S9 King, Henry A., M. D 115 Kissock, E 115 Kleinpeter, Hon. Thos 164 Knapp, W. A., M. D 165 Knight, Philip 53 Knight, Mrs. Edwin 33S Kock, Julius 116 Kuehling, William W 289 Labbe, A. A 234 Labbe, Theobald J 339 Page Labove, Joseph T 121 Lacoste, G 233 Lacy, T. Jay 57 Lacy, Alonzo 235 Lafleure, Ertemon 59 Lefleur, Dorsin P 59 Legarde, A. L 116 LaNeuville, G. A 234 Landry, J. A 166 Landry, Alphonse 121 Landry, R. C 235 I^andry, Alcee , 235 Lampman, Martin V 293 Lassalle, Joseph ... 57 Lastrapes, Mrs. A. P 339 Lastrapes, Wm. Robertson, M. D 58 Latreyte, E 56 Lawless, Thomas C 372 Lawton, J. B 117 Lazaro. Mark 58 . LeBlanc, Severin 290 LeBlanc, Lucius, M. E) 291 LeBlanc, Joseph Alcee 291 LeBlanc, A. L .- 291 LeBlanc, Alcide 292 LeBlanc, Simonet 234 LeBlanc, Aurellin 234 LeBleu, Joseph C '. 167 LeBleu, Z 166 LeBron, Pierre 116 Ledoux, V. D 57 Leonce, Elaire 372 Leota,ud, L 292 Lesseps, Auguste Jr 372 Levy, Alphonse 55 Littell, Robt. M., M. D .53 Littell, Benj. A., M. D ^4 Littell, L. E 54 Livingston, W. H 339 Lobdell, J. B uS Loeb, Sol 55 Loret, Hon. J. A 371 Lozes, Leon 121 Lyle, Wm. F 167 Lyons, M. L 236 Lvons, J. C 267 Lyons, E. W 267 Lyons, R. R., M. D 268 Lyons, E. J., M. D 167 Lyons, John L 16S Maignaud, V 269 Mail lard, Pierre 376 Malonso, Joseph 342 Martin, James F 122 Martin, George W 65 Martin, E. D 375 Martin, J. E 244 Martin, J. M 244 Martin, Paul A 245 Martin, S. V 340 Martin, F. R., M. D 341 Martin, Sidney 244 Maxwell , Albert G 296 Mayo, Thad 170 Mayo, H. M 373 McCormack, John 179 Page. ' -Cov, J. B 64 .Farlain, A. D 178 cGowen, C. A., M. D ~ 123 iKerall, Wilson 374 ^IcMillan, J. A 268 'IcXeese, John 170 M-Pherson, Mrs. Virginia 65 Me,;inlev, B. F 60 M-'h.urlt^ Rev. A. M 203 Melar.con, -S. C 375 Melan con, Cyp 342 Mrquex,, Theomilc 122 Mtquex, Drozen 122 Mevers, Andrew 123 Mever, VVm 174 M"'"*".!, Adolph 174 Mi I'burn, E. C 61 I^Ii'trs, Elias 174 Mi ;rs, Wm 174 Mi.frs, John F 174 Mi|l lard, Mrs. Elanora A 65 j^jl ler, Dennis 270 I^mi'er, Chas 172 J^lil; er, Levi A 172 Min", E. D 173 Mit '5> '- '^ '77 Mr hell, Col. A. R i(x) ,t tagne, Eli 294 Morgan, Thomas J 295 Morris, James F., M. D 269 Mor is, John W 373 Morris, J. M. & Co 63 Mor on, Marcus L 297 Moore, Joseph \V 175 Moo.e, Judge Joseph Murtaugh 63 Mon lot, A. L 124 Mosi, L. H 176 Mos, , J. V 176 Most.. Alexander 294 Moss , Henry J 295 Moss. A. J 236 Mos^s, Nathaniel P., M. D 237 Mouton, A. K 62 Mouton, Jules J 342 MoiiDn, Julian 238 Mout )n, Alexander 238 Mouton, Judge Orthee C 241 Mouton, J. E 242 Mouton, Jacques D 242 Mouton, J. S 243 Mouton, Alcide V 243 Mudd, F. S., M. D 238 Neely, J. M 100 Nelson, Wm. N 179 Nelsor, Paul 125 Niblett, H. M., M. D 343 Nichols, Isaac :8o Nunez, Hon. Adrien 298 Nunez, Adrien Hebrard 29S O'Brvan, Hon. Oliver H 299 O'Brvan, Robt. P iSc Olivier, P. D., M. D_ 343 Olivier, C. M.Jr , 344 Olivier, Robt. A , 1 2 1, O'Niell, Waller A 377 25a INDEX. 397 I'age. Oge, John M 66 Patout, H 126 Pelerien, Louis 380 Penn, Henry 379 Pecot, Capt. A. A 379 Perrv, Judge Robt. S 126 Perkins, A. J., M. D 182 Ferret, Francis Placide 378 Perkins, C. T 181 Pitre, Chas 68 Poe, John H 183 Posev, T. L 67 Powers, E. M 181 Power, Felix Y 344 Potier, Charles, Jr — 345 Prentice, Nathaniel 1S2 Prejean, Ursin, M. D 245 Provost, Joseph A 129 Pujo, Arcene P 182 Ramsey, James B., M. D 301 Ray, James, M. D 69 Ray, lames O., M. D 69 Read," Dr. Henry 70. Read, Stephen D., Judge ....* 185' Reid, E. J., Jr 191 Reon, Lastie 191 Reseweber, J. A 346 Reynolds, Virgil C.,M. D 69 Rice, Levi S 299 Rice, Cornelius L 300 Rice, Lorenzo 300 Richard, A. \ 70 Richard, J. V 184 Roberia, Judge M 73 Rpberts, John H 190 Rode, Fritz 3S1 Robertson, George M 127 Robin, Joseph N 71 Roger, E. C 72 Rogei , L. N 72 Rose, Daniel 270 Rosleet, M. J 1S6 Rosteet, J. W 189 Rougeau, Landry 68 Rousseau, J 34S Rov, Adrien F 346 Roy, A. D 346 Roy, P. B 246 Rovve, Francois M 186 Ruppert, Christian 271 Ryan, T- L 184 Ryan, M. W ....189 Ryan, Jacob 185 Sabin, W. C .- 19S Saizan, J. P., M. D 75 Saizan, David P 7.^ Sampson, Junius 130 Sanguinett, J. C 132 Sandoz, Leonce 73 Sanders, J. Y 383 Sanders, Edward A 384 Sarver, Martin... 303 Salterfield, W. E 130 Savant, J. P 78 398 INDEX Page. Savoy, Valentine 80 Savoy, Francois 272 Scranton, G. W., M. D 246 Schwing, Win. F 192 Schlessinger; J. A 347 Segura, P. H 132 Shattuck, lion. S. O 193 Shaffer, Thomas 382 Shankland, E. R 192 Shaw, Hon. Granville B 302 Shaw, J. F 304 Shepherd, George B 381 Sherlev, E i94 Shute.'l. E., M. D 77 Sisur, Joseph O • 384 Sillan, George 368 Simon, Felix : 272 Simon, George 131 Simon, Judge Arthur 78 .Simmons, James 196 Simpson, W. H 195 Singleton, George S 79 Skipper, |. T ...'. 73 Slaydon, E. A 196 Standfield, James D 193 Sloane, Robert B 271 Sloane, Ferguson 272 Smith, Millard F 129 Smith, Rev. Stethen 197 Smith, Capt. Jones P 76 Souathe, V. A 131 Stansbury, H. J 301 Steele, Charles R 79 Steinacker, Charles 381 Stewart, J. T 74 St. Germain, C ,. 196 St. Germain, R. M < '. 347 St. lulien, J. G 247 Swillev, M. Q •. 194 i5>vift,'Dav:d R 195 Sylvester, Capt. E. W 76 Talley, William D 348 Tavlor, E. Sumter 82 Ta'vlor, Capt. John M 273 Tarleton, T. T., M. D 82 Theall, H 248 Thibodeau, Valery 349 Theall, Joseph 303 Theall, Aurelien —-304 Thompson, J. J So Thomp»on, Wm. M., M.D 83 Thompson, Edward, M. D S3 Thompson, C. M..1 84 Todd, N. K 385 Tolson, F. R., M. D 247 P«Et. Trainer, Luke 13- Vautier, L. C 3. Vander Cruyssen, H. A 3_ Vanslyke, W. L 30, Veazie, Edward P ?+ Terret, Alexander "97 Verot, A. D 248 Verret, J. R 306 Veeder, Alcide •• 3^7 Vidrine, Yves 87 Vidrine, Aurelie 88 Vidrine, Aloin 88 Vigneaux, Jean 248 Vignerie, Frank C 3^6 Villien, Maurice 3'M Voorhies, Col. Felix ,i49 Voorhies, Charles H J.-ii \'oorhies, E. G 248 3.52 <» S8 90 307 Walford, Anatole 387 Wallis, S. R Ward, Perley Poore Ward, S. P., M. D Ware, John M Wartelle, Ferdinand M Watts, S. P Webb, RufusC 274 Webb, Col. James 274 Webb, Rev. Thos. F 250 Weeks, Wm. F 135 Welborn, Wm. B 197 Welch, John 273 Welch, Felix K 198 Wells, Hon. George 'I99 West, James L 198 Wilson, Major M. R 89 Williams, J. N 306 Wise, Solomon 307 Winston, Thos. S 305 Whitman, Joseph A i^ Wilson, S. Jos 92 Welte, Rev. Marius 349 White, John T 133 White, W. D., M. D 306 Whitworth, G. W 134 Young, Francis D , 27% Young, N. C 3C^ Young, R. J., M. D 308 Zawadsky, R. M., M. D 200 Zeringue, Sasthen 353 Zernott, Robt 91 Zenor, G. G 388 r p