Terrebonne County Louisiana Archives News.....Caillou Island in 1836 (part 1) December 19, 1891
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Savanna King savanna18king@gmail.com August 10, 2023, 11:37 pm

The Thibodaux Sentinel December 19, 1891
Each time that I write an article for a paper, I think it may be the last, as I 
am no writer, and have not, during a long life, forced myself on the community 
as one. I have always been considered, I suppose, better at wielding the birch, 
rather than the pen. But affairs have now changed. On account of my situation 
and certain infirmities, I am compelled to be idle. According to an old adage, 
taught me when I was a boy, (an idle head is the Devil’s workshop.) If it is not 
the Devil’s it is some other workshop. If I do not conduct mischief against my 
neighbors, or some harmless or innocent person, like some old crone while 
sitting in the chimney corner, I do something which is nearly the same. I 
attract the attention of the reader to the heading of a column in some 
newspaper, and then coax him through to the end of the subject, where he finds 
only some trifling incident, or something that has happened more than half a 
century ago, which everybody has forgotten, and no one cares about knowing; or 
some old hackneyed subject, which everybody knows. Of course when such is the 
case, one class of readers would pronounce it a humbug; another class would 
exclaim: “c’est une blague;” another would declare that the writer had certainly 
swallowed some book. But I have to console myself with the idea that if I do no 
more mischief than this with my idleness, I will get off scot free.

It is my intention here to describe a journey to Caillou Island, fifty-five 
years ago–and if I do not commence now; I fear I will make a prelude of the 
whole thing, and have no history–so I had better commence at once.

A few weeks after my arrival in Houma, an opportunity occurred for me to take a 
trip to the Sea-shore. The offer was made by an old gentleman whose name was 
Gautier, who lived about a mile below Houma. He and his son were getting ready 
to go to Caillou Island. Mr. Gautier was a Canadian by birth; but he had raised 
his family in this country. His son, Bartholomew was a boy about my age. I was 
pleased to learn that they could both speak good English, as I had yet learned 
no French. Mr. Gautier was glad to take me along as a companion for his son, and 
to help pull the oar. I assisted them in packing up and getting ready; we made 
an early start next morning. Bartholomew and I composed the crew, and Mr. 
Gautier was the captain and pilot. The outfit consisted of a tent, a sail, 
bedding, provisions, and a jug of whiskey; this last was the private property of 
Mr. Gautier. It must be remembered that in those times no expedition, 
enterprise, or voyage was undertaken without a full supply of whiskey. Even 
those who did not use it, when at home, were certain to take a supply of that 
article when they went to the sea-shore. The temperance reform had not yet 
entered this part of the country. Every man, young and old, was allowed to drink 
when he pleased. When I learned that fact, I was surprised, after I had been 
taught through life about the evils of drinking, that there were so few 
drunkards in proportion to the population. I was surprised not to find the 
country filled with poverty, crime, and distress, when whiskey was only fifty or 
sixty cents a gallon. There was also cognac, claret, and other French liquors 
sold in all the stores; but it required a deep pocket to indulge in these 
drinks. Whiskey was the universal drink, and easily procured by all classes. I 
noticed, however, there were many men, though the greater part were from other 
countries, who were not very particular neither in regard to the quantity nor 
the quality of the liquor they drank. I was one day sitting in the store in 
Houma, when three men came in to purchase some goods.

It was the custom, when a man entered a store, and bought no more than ten cents 
worth of goods, he was treated to a drink, sometimes two or three. When these 
men had completed their purchases, the bottle was handed to them, so they could 
help themselves. After they took one drink, the first one remarked that it must 
be rifled whiskey, and a dead shot a hundred yards off; the second one remarked 
that it was mean enough to make a man steal; the third one said something about 
red eye, and denounced it in the lowest kind of terms. These were names and 
phrases that I had never heard before, and I thought, of course, they were 
satisfied with one drink of such mean stuff. But I noticed they remained and 
drank more from the same bottle; that after the third drink they did not seem to 
care a fig how mean the whiskey was. They were as merry when they left as if 
they had drank the best of Bourbon. During our trip down the bayou, we fell in 
company with a middle aged gentleman. He was very polite and communicative. He 
was also very fond of a wee drop of something a little stronger than water. He 
appeared to be on the best of terms with every body, and most particularly with 
himself. He was one of those kind of men we sometimes meet, who is very fond of 
talking about something that he thinks nobody else knows. As if I was a stranger 
he seemed to notice me, and appeared anxious to draw me into a conversation. 
While young, I was inclined to be reserved and silent, particularly when among 
strangers. I preferred to let them meet me half way, rather than be too forward. 
I commenced by asking him why people had to drink so much in a country like 
this. I had been taught and educated almost from childhood, that the love of 
strong drink was one of the greatest evils that infested society. That the first 
drink a man took was certain to lead him to a drunkard’s grave. That it filled 
the jails and penitentiary; it also filled the poor-houses and houses of 
correction; it increased the number of widows and orphans in the land; it 
produced poverty and distress in families; it reduced the rich to beggary; it 
made men beat their wives and run their children into the woods; some times both 
wife and children were compelled to flee from his presence, and conceal 
themselves as if from a demon. That it made men, who met as friends, part as 
enemies; perhaps murder each other; that it produced diseases and shortened 
life. Temperance was preached from the pulpit; it was proclaimed from the 
rostrum; teachers delivered lectures to the scholars on the evils of strong 
drink. The spelling book was almost filled from beginning to the end, with 
phrases and sentences denouncing the evils of intemperance. In one place, it 
mentioned something about the slavish drinkers of rum; in another about the 
evils produced by the love of whiskey; and in another place it mentioned that 
whiskey, rum, gin, and brandy were destructive enemies to mankind. The subject 
was extended through all the readers. It was in the geography. There was 
something said in the arithmetic about liquors. I believe that it was even 
mentioned in the grammar and dictionary.

[To be continued.]


Additional Comments:
Pierre Gautier was married to Pelagie Rosalie Crochet. 

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