DEVELOPMENT AND RESOURCES - Calcasieu Parish, La Submitted by margaret Rentrop Moore Source: Southwest Louisiana Biographical & Historical by William Henry Perrin; published 1891 page 131 - 135. ********************************************** Copyright. All rights reserved. http://usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://usgwarchives.net/la/lafiles.htm ************************************************ 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 gat-den 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 general reader. There is no guess work about it, but they are compiled from practical 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. The situation here is unsurpassed. We have all the characteristics necessary 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 bout rightly distributed. No blizzards in winter, nor droughts in summer to contend with. Here we can distance our more northerly neighbors 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 Railway. 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 vegetables 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 infancy. 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 prominently 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 manufacturing 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 anywhere 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 highest 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. It is not the common hard pine known to the commerce of the North, but a finer grained, 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 everywhere is the fires. The long-leaved pine tree is immensely tall, straight, of nearly uniform size from bottom to top and with but few limbs, just at the top; no underbrush. 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 years. 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 perpetuity. 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 determine 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, cypress, 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 corn 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 days, 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 abundant. Here and there the tame grasses have taken hold, showing that clover, red top, orchard grass, timothy and blue grass wilt uitimately 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 bushels of oats 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 fifty dollars per acre. Mr. Clark produced last year one him dred and fifty barrels of sweet potatoes per acre, and Mr. Adams one hundred and fifty-seven barrels. Five thousand cabbages have been produced by a gar- in Lake Charles on one acre, and four other crops of vegetables on the same land in that year. 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. Tile 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. Avery's Island, near New Iberia, covers a quarry of solid rock-salt as white as marble, containing more than ninety- 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 successful operation. Ten miles west of Lake Charles is a bed of pure sulphur sixty feet thick. A wealthy company commenced mining operations and discontinued, but it is rumored they will soon resume operations. [They have already 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 sufficient 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 ranches 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, weighing from eight to nine hundred pounds, which he considered all profit to him, except the expense of branding and gathering for market. The Perrys 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 Pacific Railroad are the Hon. Wm. M. Perkins, Mr. W. E. Gill and the Iles. 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, says this section has largely the advantage over Waxeyland 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.