The Opelousas journal. [volume], August 15, 1873, Image 3

About The Opelousas journal. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1868-1878

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THE OPGLOtSAS JOURNAL.
OI'EI.OUSAS, PBIDAT, AUGUST 15, 1873.
LOCAL ITEMS.
We have had showery weather this
week, and all feel grieved thereat.
Sugar cane has been peddled about
town for sale this week, at five cents a
stalk.
Some one was in town this week, from
about Big Cane, and said that they had
not been troubled with rain in that neigh
borhood and down this way on Bayou
Bœuf for ten days.
Religious .—The Baptists and Meth
odists have recently had protracted re
vival meetings, at Big Cane in this parish.
Thirteen converts joined the Baptist
church, and twenty-six the Methodist.
We see that Proctor &. Gamble's Ex
tra Olive Soap is becoming very popular
in our town, its quality we know is su
perior, and being nicely perfumed we
are not surprised that consumers prefer
it, and that it lias a large sale.
The caterpillars are now webbing up
the second time. The third crop will
break out in September. The third crop
is the last one, and the one that gener
ally sweeps the cotton. Sometimes it is
a small one and does not make a clean
sweep. Much depends on the size of the
third caterpillar crop this year.
Mr. R. A. Newell, a planter residing
on Bayou Bœuf in the upper part of this
parish, called on us last Tuesday. He
stated that the caterpillars Ave re worse
on his place than on the places of any of
his neighbors, but he did not expect them
to destroy his cotton. His reason was,
that last year they came earlier and did
not dest roy it.
It appeared from the list of town war
rants recorded in the warrant book as
issued, which we published last week,
that one party had been paid sixty dol
lars for digging a ditch. On referring
to the minutes of the proceedings of the
Board, wherein the warrant was order
ed, we discover that it was ordered for
only six dollars ; and the party receiving
it, says it"was made for only six, which
was the amount of Ihe claim. There
was probably a mistake in the entry.
One of the saddest occurrences hap
pened here last week. Our Sheriff lias
two grown sons. The marriage of one
was announced last week and last Sat
urday we printed funeral tickets for the
other. At the time of his brother's mar
riage he was not thought seriously ill ;
and being young, not twenty years old,
it was not thought that he could die.
But
There is a Keaper, whoso name is Death,
Anil, with his sickle keen,
He reaps the bearded grain at a breath,
And the flowers that grow between.
Hogs .—We call the attention of our
town council to the hogs running about
the streets in violation of the town or
dinance. In some parts of the town, we
are told, they are doing considerabfe
damage to ditches and sidewalks with
their snouts ; and we have heard com
plaints that the town have no right to
make people do their own ditching and
then let other people's hogs loose to fill
the ditches up again. We hope the town
will get after the hogs.
Not an Explosion —Last Wednes
day evening, at the residence of Col. J.
M. Thompson, in this town, a colored
woman fell, in the kitchen or servant's
room, with a burning lamp in her hand.
As she fell her hand flew up, giving the
lamp a toss, which struck something and
broke, scattering the oil, which caught
fire, about on things generally. Some
of her own clothing was injured and
burnt, but no serious damage done, t&e
fire being soon extinguished by slapping
it with a pillow.
Dentistry .—Dr. Stewart, referred to
in the following letter, is now in Ope
leusas, practicing his profession. He
can be found at Dr. Campbell's former
office on Church street. Dr. Kirkman
of Lake Charles, who recommends him,
is too well known in Southwestern Lou
isiana, as an intelligent physician and
gentleman for his statements and re
commendation to be questioned ;
Lake Charles, Parish op Calcasieu, )
July 5th, 1873. 5
t o Anderson t
Dear Sir—Allow mo to introduce to your ac
quaintance Dr. Steward, who is visiting your
town for the purpose of practicing dentistry.
The Doctor has been with us, here in Lake
Charles, for some time, doing a large practice,
and every one seems to be well pleased with his
work; f vi fact, X pin fully recommend his work
myself. Yours very respectfully.
W. H. KIRKMAN, M. D.
The Question of Ditching .—In com
pliance with the requirements of the
town Council some persons are opening
the ditches in front of their lots, and
some have not moved in the matter.
Now if that is the law, and they should
fail to comply with it, the town govern
ment should have the law executed. If
it is not the law, or if the town govern
ment fail to have it executed, the money
expended by those who have ditching
done, should be refunded ; and if only a
few do ditching, they should take steps
to recover the money spent by them from
the town. The town has no right to
make some ditch and let others off. The
town has no right to ditch for some at
the public expense, and make others do
their own ditching. The rule that works
this way, bears too heavily 011 one side.
The way to bring the law and constitu
ted authority into disrepute, is to let
them be disregarded. When the law is
promptly executed by the constituted
authorities, both law and authorities are
respected. At all events, the law-abiding
should not be made to do their own work
and that of those who disregard the law,
as will be the case if some are not made
to open their ditches. After the lapse
of sufficient or reasonable time, we will
call attention to this matter again; and
if necessary we will give names and
places where the ditches were not open
ed—not out of personal considerations,
bit to show the town government where
it neglects to have the law enforced.
The law says: "The owner or occu
ltant of any house or lot, shall be bound
to keep clean and in good order the
ditches or drains in front thereof, so as
to admit a free passage of water therein,
to the satisfaction of the supervisor, un
der a penalty of five dollars for each
neglect." *
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A Battle in Old Grand Prairie.
caused CYAN old feud AND occasion
ed by a fisticuff.
carroll blackman, alexandre VI
drine and dreux guillory killed,
and augustin guillory mor
tally wounded.
Last Mornday morning one of those
terrible tragedies which all communi
ties are occasionally liable to, occurred
at Old Grand Prairie in this parish.
Recently"there was a Saturday night
ball in that neighborhood, which was
attended by two young men, Dreux
Guillory and Felix Soileau, who quar
relled. It was agreed that the difficulty
should be settled by a regular old Cre
ole list duel ; and Monday morning last
was fixed upon as the time, and the
place was Point Meyon,apointof woods
extending from the Bayou Cocodrie in
to Old Grand Prairie, near widow Alex
andre Fonteuot's house, two miles from
Stagg's store, on the right of the road
leading from Washington to Ville
Plate, about three quarters of a mile
from said road, about eight miles from
ashington, and thirteen or fourteen
miles from Opelousas.
Last Sunday week Guillory had had
one of these fist duels with a young
man named Auguste Pierre Fontenot,
at the coffee-house of Lucius Fontenot
in Ville Plate Prairie. This last men
tioned affair arose, it seems, from this:
Some twelve or eighteen more months
ago, Auguste Pierre Fontenot, now aged
about twenty-one, was with several
others younger than himself in the
-woods, probably near Guillory's, gath
ering nuts, and Guillory with his party
ordered him off ; and- Fontenot' s party
being the weaker, he thought it pru
dent to retire. Guillory was then about
sixteen years old. Fontenot, it seems,
expressed dissatisfaction at the way he
had been treated, did not think he had
been fairly dealt with, and wanted sat
isfaction. This came to the ears of
Guillory, and now being seventeen or
eighteen years of age, he went to Fon
tenot's house and informed him that he
had come to whip him. Guillory's fa
ther was with him as a second or friend.
The fight came off at the store above
mentioned and Guillory was the victor.
It is said that he had quite a number
of other fights of this nature on his
docket, but the next one was the affair
last Monday with Felix Soileau, whiçh
led to the battle of Old Grand Prairie.
Before giving an account of this, we
will endeavor to state some previous
• events which caused the hostile state of
feeling between the combatants, that
was likely at any time, under favorable
• circumstances, to precipitate bloodshed.
Mr. Augustin Guillory, an old gen
! tleman between sixty-five and seventy,
] but still vigorous and fierce and vindict
: ive, is the father of Benjamin, Cyriaque
and-Dreux Guillory, and father-in-law
of Angelas Prud'homme. A quarrel of
•one of the family is the quarrel of all;
-and their feuds are as fierce and deep
• and long enduring as were those of the
ancient Scotch highlanders. Indict
ments have been pending for a consid
erable time against Benjamin and
•Cyriaque Guillory and Angelas and
Louis Prud'homme for the murder of
■James McDaniel, 011 the 27th June
'1869. These indictments have been
pending since October 20th, 1871 ; and
from that time the parties accused be
came fugitives from justice. Louis
Prud'homme was arrested and turned
State's evidence. Angelas Prud'homme
was arrested and tried at the last term
■of our District Court, found guilty with
out capital punishment and sentenced
to the penitentiary where he is now
serving out his sentence. Previous to
this the two Guillorys, Benjamin and
-Cyriaque, had been pursued into Texas,
on a warrant from here, and arrested.
They obtained their release there on a
writ of habeas corpus, because the war
rant of arrest had not been endorsed by
the authorities in Texas. Three of the
persons composing the posse that made
the arrest were Aristide Ortego, Carroll
Blackman and Alexandre Vidrine
They reside in the Guillory neighbor
hood, or that section of the parish ; and
two of them were killed at the fight in
Old Grand Prairie last Monday morning.
From the time of the arrest in Texas
there have been mortal enmity and
never dying hate between the Guillorys
and them.
When the crowd assembled at Point
Meyon, last Monday morning, all these
parties were present, except the two
Prud'hommes —Angelas is in the peni
tentiary, and Louis does not inhabit
that section any longer—and Benjamin
and Cyriaque Guillory, who were and
are still refugees. Mr. Augustin Gjjil
loiy, it seems, was one of the seconds
or backers of his son, in the fight with
Soileau, and Carroll Blackman was the
friend of Soileau,
The account we first give is from
memory and from those who profess to
give an impartial one. Mr. Guillory
the old man, is very excitable, fractious
and insulting, and always quick to grab
his pistol, Before the first fight began,
he tried to pick a quarrel with Black
man by calling him hard names and
using insulting language to him gene
rally. Some of them coaxed him a little,
and asked him not to get up a row un
til the fist fight was over, when there
would be an open field for all who were
inclined to fight. The fisticuff began
and Soileau soon cried enough, because,
it is said, Mr. Guillory, the old man
came too near nervously handling his
pistol. Soileau expected to be shot and
as he ran off, was shot at by Guillory
and grazed but not seriously hurt.
Then a difficulty began between Guil
lory, fère, and Carroll Blackman
Guillory approached him with his pis
tol, and began abusing him and made
use of language that Blackman told him
he must take back and that he must not
draw his pistol. One of Blackmau's
friends jumped between them and
seized Blackman around the arms, and
endeavored to push or pull him away,
while Blackman endeavored to free
himself from his grasp, holding his pis
toi in his hand. Dreux Guillory. had
also got in front of his father.* Wliile
Blackman'i friend was holding him, and
pulled him about half round, Guillory
père, pushed up and put his pistol just
under Blackman's shoulder blade and
fired. The ball passed across under
both shoulders to the other side. Black
man fell in his tracks, and everybody
sprang out of the way. Blackman died
in about five minutes, but as Guillory
ran off he fired at him but shot too low,
being too weak to hold up his pistol.
He propped it up then on the other hand
and fired twice. Guillory fell, and it
was discovered afterwards that he had
been shot in three places during the
fight—his thigh bone was badly shat
tered just above the knee, a flesh wound
across the breast or stomach, and a ball
entered his back on one side and ranged
diagonally across to the 1 breast on the
other side, but did not come out. Two
of these wounds are thought to be mor
tal. In the mean time young Guillory re
ceived his pistol from a young man named
Pruett, an employé of the family, ran
in the crowd and shot Alexandre Vi
drine through the breast, who fell dead.
He then snapped a couple of caps at
the head of Blackman who was down
dying, and when Aristid^pOrtego re
monstrated with him for trying to shoot
a dying man, he turned on Ortego and
snapped two caps at him. As he was
about to suap the third time, Ortego
drew his own pistol, remarking in
French: "your pistol snaps, but here
comes one that never snaps." With
this lie fired at Guillory, the ball pass
ing through his stomach or chest.
Guillory dropped his pistol and asked
him not to shoot him any more, that he
had finished him, and started to run off,
but when a few paces distant he sprang
up and fell down dead. This ended
the battle of Old Grand Prairie. When
the shooting began the crowd of one
hundred or one hundred and twenty
five persons present stampeded, leav
ing only a few who were personally in
terested in the killed and wounded.
The statement given by Augustin Guil
lory differs from the foregoing. He states
that Felix Soileau had selected the place
for the fight last Saturday, and sent for
Dreux Guillory to meet him there. On
reaching the ground, on Monday, they
found about one hundred men there,
whom he supposed to be the friends of
Soileau ; and a large portion of them
went there to conspire against the life
of himself, Augustin Guillory. None of
those who conspired to take his life were
as near kin to Felix Soileau as Felix
Soileau was to Dreux Guillory—these
two being first cousins. When Felix
Soileau, in the fist fight, cried out enough,
Carroll Blackman parted them. After
parting them Blackman advanced on
him, Augustin Guillory, with a drawn
pistol, threatening to take his life. While
Guillory's friends were holding him,
Guillory, he told them to let him go,
asking them if they wanted Blackman
to shoot and kill him. They not lettin
him go, he filed while being held, at
Blackman w ho was pointing his pistol
at Guillory. Blackman fell and while
down fired three shots at Guillory. Guil
lory could have shot him again, but did
not like to shoot a man after he was
down. Immediately after Blackman had
fired at Guillory a volley of shots w r ere
fired ^it him, one ball taking effect in his
left thigh. He then fell, and while down
there were ten or fifteen more shots fired
at him, two taking effect in his body.
Whilst they Were firing at him, his son
Dreux went up to one of his, Dreux',
seconds and took a pistol from him, and
shot one of the parties who were firing at
his father. Aristide Ortégo then snap
ped a cap at Dreux, and Dreux snapped
a cap at Ortego ; and then Ortégo shot
Dreux and killed him. After the firing
ceased a good many of those present,
went to their homes and armed them
selves with shot guns, for the purpose,
he was told, of finishing him, that is,
killing him.
If there are any other variations from
these two statements, we would be
pleased to be furnished with them.
Mr. Guillory was not finished nor dead,
when last heard from 011 Wednesday
morning. The wounded leg was para
lyzed, but he was entirely free from phys
ical suffering, even from the other
wounds. It is thought that he can hardly
recover.
Of the three persons killed, Carroll
Blackman was about thirty years of age,
and left a wife and two children. Al
exandre Vidrine was about twenty-two
or twenty-three years of age, and left a
wife and one child. Dreux Guillory was
about eighteen years of age, and not
married.
Since the above was put in type the
report of the coroner's inquest has been
received, and from it, we furnish this
additional testimony. One witness says
he saw Augustin Guillory trying to get at
Carroll Blackman, saying: "Let me shoot
tiie damn son of a bitch." Blackman
was trying to get to Guillory, saying :
"You called me a,son of a bitch." Wit
ness says his brother was holding Guil
lory, and himself and another person
ran in to take his brother away, to keep
him frdni being shot. At the same time
Augustin Guillory shot Carroll piack
man, saying: "There, you son of a bitch. 1 )
(In French, enfant degarce.) Blackman
fell at the same time, and A. Guillory
started to get away. Blackman raised
on his elbow and fired three shots at A.
Guillory, who fell. This witness heard
other shots behind him, but does not
know who fired them.
Another witness states, that when Fe
lix Soileau and Dreux Guillory came to
the ground to fight a fist fight, which
had been agreed upon between them,
they came up with two witnesses each for
the fist fight. When they had advanced,
one towards the other, within five steps
of each other, Carroll Blackman, one of
the seconds of Felix Soileau, asked
Guillory's witness what were the con
ditions of the fight. He replied that, he
did not know. Blackman said, our con
ditions are that if one man is so fast
that he cannot halloo, then we will part
them. Dreux Gaillory said, that was
all right. Blackman said, during the
fight let them fight it out and no one
speak. Augustin Guillory then said,
you want to have it your way, but lam
going to have it my way. A Guillory
then made a mark on the ground, and
measured off ten steps. He stood then
■with his pistol, a little five shooter, in
his hand. While he stood there, still
"
holding his pistol in his hand, he called !
to Blackman saying : "Come here you j
damn son of a bitch." Then Dreux
Guillory asked Blackman not to go to
meet his father, saying, do not listen to
him until our fist fight is over. After
the fist fight was over Blackman asked,
" where is the old son of a bitch, who
called me a son of a bitch awhile ago ? "
A. Guillory then went up to Blackman,
having his hand in Iiis pocket. When
Blackmail saw A. Guillory coming, he
pulled out his pistol. Then some of the
'crowd got hold of Blackman, and some
got hold of A. Guillory, and tried to
prevent their shooting each other. Wit
ness and one other held Guillory, When
they saw Guillory and Blackman were
determined 011 shooting they let Guil
lory loose and stepped aside. Black
man was held by another person at the
moment they let Guillory loose. At
the moment they let A. Guillory loose,
he fired his pistol at Blackmail, saying
at the same time: "Here, you damn
rascal." Blackmail fell, and Guillory
walked oft as though he wanted to get
away from there. Blackman being
down, after being shot, rested on his
knees and attempted to point Iiis pis
tol, by supporting his arm with his oth
er hand he did point it and fired twice.
From his movements lie seemed to be
trying to shoot A. Guillory. Witness
heard several other shots, but the smoke
was so thick that he could not tell at
whom they were fired nor who fired
them.
Several witnesses testify to the effect
that Guillory got a pistol from Keys
Pruett or Prewett and shot Alexandre
Vidrine. If Vidrine was aimed he did
not draw or attempt to dra* his pistol.
He staggered a few paces and fell. He
lived for half an hour but was speech
less.
One witness testifies that lie saw
Dreux Guillory get a pistol from a per
son generally known as Keys Prewett,
and shoot Alexandre Vidrine with said
pistol. Dreux Guillory then tried to
shoot Carrol Blackman, who was dying
at the time, in the head, by snapping
one or two caps at him. Aristide Or
tego then pushed Guillory off, telling
him not to shoot a dead man. Dreux
Guillory then snapped one or two caps
at Ortego, who drew his pistol and shot
Dreux Guillory.
Another witness testifies about the
same, that he saw Dreux Guillory com
with a pistol in his hand towards
Blackman, wiio was already shot down.
When Guillory got to Blackman, he
snapped twice at him. Aristide Ortego
pushed Dreux Guillory off and told him
not to shoot a dead man. Guillory
then raised his pistol and snapped once
in Ortego's breast. Then Ortego point
ed his pistol at Guillory, remarking
that his pistol was not going to snap,
and shot Guillory.
In regard to the wounds the physi
cian who examined them, states that
the ball entered Dreux Guillory's breast
bone just above the stomach and seemed
to take a straight course, and probably
cut the great artery. The ball struck
Carroll Blackman, 011 the left side just
behind the lower part of the arm-pit
and, as was shown by the probe, pene
trated the chest. (The pistol used by
A. Guillory who shot him, was a Smith
&,Wesson revolver.) The ball entered
Alexandre Vidrine between the fourth
and fifth ribs on the left side, passing in
all probability through the diaphragm,
stomach and liver, and the ball ^vas
distinctly felt under the skin on the
right side about half way below the pit
of the stomach and spine.
Augustin Guillory's wouuded leg was
amputated last Wednesday morning
It had been paralyzed, and the use of
chloroform was not necessary, as there
was no pain.
The preliminary examination of the
parties complained of, as having con
spired to take his life, is fixed for next.
Monday morning, before the District
Judge, in Opelousas.
No Fences for Hogs.
The following petition to the Police
Jury, against hogs running at large, for
the reasons therein set forth, is a good
move and deserves the mature consid
eration of that body. More names
will be added from week to week :
To the Hon. the President and Members of the
Police Jury of the Parish of St. Landry :
The undersigned residents of that
portion of the Parish of St. Landry, ly
ing west of the Bayou Teche and in
cluded within a line passing through the
Town of Opelousas extending due east
to said bayou and due west to a point
five miles from Opelousas, and thence
running due south to the northern limit
of the Parish of Lafayette, respect
fully represent
That they are engaged in agricultural
pursuits and have at heart any law
which will promote the interests of the
tillers of the soil without regard to color
or previous condition.
That experience and observation have
convinced them that much good to this
class of your fellow-citizens would be
the result of a law which would prohib
it hogs from roving within the afore
said described territory.
Among the advantages of such a law,
it will suffice to point out the following,
to-wit :
1st, A decrease of expenses in fencing
of at leaat 011 third.
2d, The cultivation of a large extent
of lands now idle and non-productive
on account of the cost of fencing.
3d, The saving of a laçge amount of
corn and potatoes annually destroyed
in the fields by the hogs.
4th, Less vexation, annoyance, and
better feelings among the neighbors.
5th, The raising of finer hogs and in
greater number in lots kept for their
special benefit and enclosed with a small
portion of the fence saved from that
around the cultivated fields.
6th, A marked reduction in criminal
prosecutions and the costs entailed by
them. Respectfully submitted,
Charles Richard, E. T. Lewis,
Arthur Richard, J. Bloch,
James 0. Cliachere, C. B. Audrus,
H. T. Goodloe, John Posey,
C. C. Duson, W. 0. Posey,
J. C. Sittig, Solomon Loeb,
John Butler, Augustin Steen,
Charles F. Burr, E. S, Audrus,
C. A. Frazee jr.,
B. A. Martel,
Jos. V. Roy,
John Miller,
L. F. Lastrapes,
T. C. Anderson,
C. C. Swayze,
E. D. Estilette.
F. Dejean,
T. S. Richard,
W. L. Truman,
C. S. Truman,
L. Daly,
C. M. Daly,
B. A. Ealand,
J. C. Arnold.
A warm spring, on the bank of a lake
which was glowingly described by a Pe
oria reporter, proved to be the mouth of
a waste pipe from a neighboring brew
ery.
Obituary Notice.
OrELOUSAS, Aug. 10th, 1873.
On Saturday the 9th inst., at ten min
utes of 11 o'clock, a. m ., in the town of
Opelousas, Pierce Franklin Haves
breathed his last. He died at the age of I
twenty years, and met his death with
that characteristic fortitude that proved
in his case, that "death had no sting and
the grave no victory." Conscious of ha v
ing led a blameless life, satisfied of hav
ing behaved honorably towards all men,
lie looked into the face of death without
fear, and passed into the other world
without regret. The most painful fea
ture of this sad occurrence, was the
extreme youth of the subject of this no
tice. Just entering upon the threshold
of life, lie was suddenly pushed back
by the sting and relentless hand of
death and denied the privilege of living
longer in a world into which he had
been brought to make a brief and tran
sient stay, and was then re-taken to a
more congenial clime, "where the wick
ed cease from troubling and the weary
are at rest." As some writer says,
"Those whom the Gods love die early,
but those whose hearts are dry as sum
mer's dust burn down to the socket ;" and
so it was with our young friend. Not
having been thrown in contact with
this world long enough to imbibe its
folly and court its vice, he was through
the wise dispensation of providence
taken to his eternal home iu a better,
mirer state than might have been his
-ot had he lived longer in a world so
wicked, and breathed more of this at
mosphere of corruption. The ways of
God are inscrutable, and we are taught
to believe that he doetli all things for
the best, and that at times the' heart
may rebel and question the mercies of
God, especially when we become the
prey to some great domestic grief. Yet
in our cool aud reflective moments
when the piqvrnt grief has passed and
we have softened down to a feeling of
composure and became in a measure
reconciled to our lot, it is then that all
can see the hand of Providence and we
are fo ced to admit that our repinings
are wrong, and that to indulge in grief is
a sin. The sudden and unexpected de
mise of our esteemed young friend will
110 doubt cast a, gloom over the whole
community, and many a heart will feel
a void that nothiug but time can fill.
But nowhere will his death be so keen
ly felt as in the hearts of those who
were nearest and dearest. Ali, who can
tell the agonv of that young and lone
ly sister, whose heart rending sobs
filled the listener's ear with a sympa
thetic grief, and forced the unbidden
tears to start and trickle down Iiis
cheek in mute and mournful acknowl
edgement of the sadness of that scene.
The funeral processiou started
from his father's residence at ten o'clock
this morning, and proceeded to the
protestant cemetery, where the service
was performed and the body interred.
The 011g line of carriages and the many
riders on horseback, besides the crowd
of pedestrians that followed our young
friend to his grave, was sufficient evi
dence of the love the people bore him
while living, and the respect they paid
llim when dead. May his spirit rest in
in peace, and may his death be a warn
to many of the uncertainties of this
life, aud assist us in preparing for that
inevitable day beyond which we can
not. go. "In the midst of life we are in
death." Farewell, farewell, aud again
farewell. * * *
Westward, Ho!
[Baton Rouge Gazette-Comet.]
We are informd that the cars are now
running to Ken more, three miles above
Musson and that by the fifteenth of
September or first of October the Grosse
Tete road will be opened to Lombard's,
twenty-eight miles from this city. New
track will be laid for a short distance to
open up communication with the For
doche, ten miles by a good open bayou
road through a well settled country to
the Atchafalaya. It is proposed to
stage this ten miles and connect at
Churchville by means of a steamer now
running to Big Cane, on the Bayou
Rouge with £he heart of Avoyelles
parish, a distance of 78 miles from this
city. A letter from a prominent citizen
on Atchafalaya states that "the carry
ing capacity of this steamer is 250 bales
cotton, with occommodations for pas
sengers. Passage from Churchville to
Big Cane, a distance of 38 miles, $1.
Distance from where she strikes' the
Atchafalaya to where the Fordoche road
conies out, 21 miles. There is a good
road from the Fordoche road to
the Ferry, which is immediately be
low the mouth of Baton Rouge. As to
the assistance the citizens might give
towards bridging Johnson's Bayou,
I am happy to tell you that they have
already anticipated you. By petition
ing the Police Jury of Point Coupee par
ish to appropriate a sufficient sum to
build the oridge across Johnson's Bay
ou, which is the principal obstruction
on the stated road leading from M01
ganza to the Atchafalaya, which road is
the only one practicable for a stage from
the terminus of the Railroad to the
mouth of Bayou Rouge. Now if we can
get your people's influence, together with
our petition to bear on the Police Jury
of Point Coupee parish, we may get it
to appoint a committee to examine the
road and see what the probable cost
would be to put it in good travelin g con
dition, and appropriate accordingly.
1 have not seen the Commander of the
Bayou Rouge packet since I received
your letter, but I am satisfied that any
arrangement you wish can be made
with aim. Hoping that you will not
let this matter rest at this, but continue
to agitate it until we do succeed."
The railroad authorities have been at
work the past three months and have
pressed on as rapidly as their very li
mited resources would admit. Our
citizens who have been called upon to
aid, have liberally responded and a loan
of three thousand dollars lias, as will
be seen, been quickly subscribed for by
the following parties, who by their
promptness and liberality, have en
couraged this enterprise and warranted
it completion :
W.S.Pike $500
O. B. Graham... 500
Hart & Hebert 200
Montan & Huguet 200
Burke & Colwell 200
Randolph & Bates 100
Wm. Garig 100
L. & A. Rosenfield 100
Jas. McVay 100
Chas. Wieck 100
Max Mayer 100
C'apt. John Brown 100
Joshua Beal 100
W. H. Simral 100
C. J. Barrow 100
Willis & Blouin 50
Henry Jones 50
W. S. Booth 50
J.M.Hart &. Co 50
F.M.Brooks.».. 50
A. J, Bogel 50
A. M. Bazin 50
A. P. Allain 50
T. G. Sparks 50
J. J. Capdevielle 35
A man may conceal his name, his age,
the circumstances of his life, but not his
character. That is his spiritual atmos
phere, and is as inseparable from him as
the fragrance of a rose from the rose it
self. In the glance of the eye, in the
tones of the voice, in mien anil gesture,
character discloses itself. All the com
pany may be equally well dressed, but
not even a child snail mistake Blue
Beard for St. Nicholas, nor Circe for
Diana— [ Celia Burleigh.
An Irish editor says that in the ab
sence of both editors, the publishers
have succeeded in securing the services
of a gentleman to edit the paper this
week.
A Lesson sor Some Women.
w r hat an iowa woman has done.
[St. Louis Globe Letter from DesMoines.]
Mrs. Tupper was born at Providence,
Rhode Island, in 1832. She was a daugh
ter of Noah Smith, afterwards a promi
nent politician in Maine, and for fifteen
years First Assistant Secretary of the
United States Senate. Her mother was
a sister of Henry Wheaton, author of
the well known treatise on international
law.
Mrs. Tupper was educated at Provi
dence, having all the advantages that
wealth could give ; and with that prac
tical turn of mind characteristic of her,
she studied many subjects not usually
taught then to girls, but which since
have been beneficial to lier. She made
good use of her opportunities, for at the
age of sixteen she wrote an essay to
compete for a prize offered by a leading
and popular magazine, and won it oyer
many competitors. The motto which
actuated her then has been her beacon
through life, "to win success."
In 1843 she married Mr. Allen Tupper,
a successful lumber merchant at Houl
ton, Maine, lier father having already
removed there and engaged in the lum
ber business. There she resided ten
years, enjoying all the luxury that
wealth couid give, when her husband
removed to Newton, Massachusetts,
where lier health failed and she became
a confirmed invalid. Her physicians
pronounced her heart diseased, and her
stay on earth very short. Thinking a
change of climate might be beneficial,
the family came to Iowa, in 1851, locat
ing at Brighton, Washington county,
she so feeble as to be unable to leave
her bed. The fresh and invigorating
air of lier new location soon revived her
wasted energies, and she regained her
health. Her husband in the meantime
had invested his money in a tract of
timber land and steam saw-mills. His
health soon failed, and being unable to
attend to his business, his wealth mel
ted away like dew before the sun, and
poverty and bankruptcy came upon
them. Thrown thus upon her own re
sources, Mrs. Tupper sought some way
of relief. She had never doue a mo
ment's manual labor. Necessity stared
lier in the face, and several small chil
dren, one a babe, rang their demands in
her ears. She engaged as a teacher of
a school, three miles distant, at $20 a
month, and, with her babe in her arms,
she 011 horseback daily went to her task,
attending to her household duties when
out of school. After the close of this
school she established a school in her
own house; she loves little children, and
soon she had a house full of pupils.
Thus she managed to support her
family until 1857, when she turned her
attention to bees. She purchased two
colonies and began to work with them,
meanwhile reading everything which
she could relating to bee culture ; but
she soon learned that theory and prac
tice were two quite opposite matters.
Her two colonies increased îapidly.
She bought improved hives as fast as
she could afford them. She soon after
became interested in Italian bees, and
procured a few. She then began to
write about bees, giving the result, of
her practical knowledge. Her first ar
ticle was published in the Burlington
Hawkeye, she receiving pay therefor.
In 1865; she wrote an essay on bees for
the United States Agricultural Report,
which was pronounced by good judges
to be the best essay ever published by
the department, aud a Washington pa
lier said of it, " Though written by a
woman, it is a model for efforts of that
kind. She knew what she wrote about,
and told it—not one waste word iu six
teen pages." Her reputation soon be
gan to be established, she was sought
out by various journals, and she now
writes regularly for the National Agri
culturist and Bee Keepers' Magazine,
the New York Tribune, National Bee
Journal and Colmau's Rural World.
She also has the position of lecturer on
bee keeping, natural history of bees,
etc., iu the State Agricultural College
at Ames, whither she goes regularly.
With the officers of that institution she
has visited different parts of the State,
holding Farmers' Institutes, and wher
ever she goes never fails to elicit much
interest in her subject.
is
of
to
to
A
In the spring of 1872, she, with her
family, removed to Des Moines, in order
to gain a more central location. She
formed a partnership with Mrs. Annie
Savery, thereby adding abundant capi
tal to lier practical knowledge, and the
firm was known as the Italian Bee
Country. An agent was dispatched to
Lake Como, Italy, to procure queeu
bees, and the business was rapidly in
creased. In the fall of that year she
purchased the interest of Mrs. Savery in
the business, and placed her bees for
the winter in the cellar of her house, at
Cottage Grove, about one mile from
the city.
Early this spring, while she was in
the city, with lier family, her house
took fire and her two hundred hives of
bees were destroyed. Writing to
friend, she said: "I came home «at
dark to find my house a wreck and the
two hundred stocks of bees ruined. Is
it not hard sometimes to believe that
' all things work together for our good V
I have worked so hard and am so tired,
that I can form no plans for the future."
It was an hour of trial which would
have discouraged many a brave man.
After years of toil and labor, with a
large indebtedness to her late partner,
a large family, an invalid husband,
thus to find herself almost where she
begun, was soul-trying, but, with the
indomitable will which she possesses,
she marshaled her energies for a new
battle of life, and amid all her misfor
tunes there was not a shadow on her
face. Moneyed men came forward and
tendered lier means, but she refused it,
choosing to paddle her own canoe.
With two hundred dollars she pur
chased four Italian queens, and with a
few stocks of bees Which she secured
elsewhere she started again. Soon af
ter a farmer from a distance offered her
fifty colonies of black bees, to be paid
for when she pleased and at what price
she pleased. Sir. James Smith, the well
known horticulturist, who resides a
mile south of the city, and two miles
from her residence, offered her the use
of his fruit farm, on which to set up
lier new colonies, and she accepted the
kind offer and removed her bees there
and immediately set about removin
them to movable comb-hives an
Italianizing them.
This colony will tais season increase
from fifty to one hundred and two, and
will produce over seven thousand
pounds of honey. So that before the
year is gone she will have recovered
very much from her loss. At her home
she has twenty colonies of royal blood,
from which she supplies her trade, to
gether with importations by each ocean
steamer. She will soon bo able to fill
all orders again. In reply to a question
the other day as to what hives she used,
she replied, "The cheapest I can get
they do not cost over a dollar and fifty
cents each ; but I want one side so it
can be removed, a movable cap, and the
inside filled with movable frames,
The worst enemies I have are patent
hive agents. They cannot buy me nor
will I buy their hives. I own the right
for several States for hives, and have a
hundred patent hives piled up on my
lot, but I do not use them nor sell them,''
"Well," said I " how about moths and
worms?"
" I don't have any about my hive, as I
will show you," said she, and she re
moved the side # of a hive, and laid out
side frame after frame of comb filled
with honey and covered with bees,
standing the frames around outside the
hive, inspecting them carefully. This
she does nearly every day, to find the
queen and any bug or worm that may
get in. These frames she has filled
with the comb which she saved from
the ruins of the fire, and the bees are
filling it nicely.
What a lesson does this resolute wo
man teach the women of this country ?
She might, as a thousand others, have
been a useless woman, despite her edu
cation and mental attainments ; and yet
siie might have been obliged to sit down
and be helped, but for the advantages
which her early education gave her,
ard which gave her the first money she
ever earned. Realizing this, she has
given her eleven children the best op
portunity possible to acquire an. educa
tion. One of them, her oldest daughter,
is now filling a pulpit as preacher, at
Webster, Mass., at a salary of $5000 a
year—a noble woman, as talented and
eloquent as she is quiet and unassum
Mrs. Tupper in person is of small
stature, dark blue eyes, thin features,
well developed brain, somewhat bent
with toil and the weight of years, ner
vous sanguine temperament, speaks
rapidly and uses 110 superfluous words,
modest and unassuming in manner, and
what would be called in plain words
homely. To a casual observe:, she is
the last person you would selcct as Mrs.
Tupper. She is an active member of
the Baptist Church, and her special
pride in church work is the Infant
Class in the Sabbath School, to which
she devotes much of her over-burdened
mind, and she lias the satisfaction of
knowing the children love her.
As a business person she is one of the
most active and resolute in the city.
She tits into the business of the Capital
City aud fills: her place just as nicely
and as fittingly as anybody. Business
men accept it courteously and admire
her modest demeanor and perseverance.
She attends personally to all shipments
of bees, honey, extractors, hives, etc.,
to all correspondence and her bees.
There was not a day during the last
severe winter and the cold, wet spring,
that she was not in the city attending
to business.
A Weekly Retrospect of Events.
I
[Prom Applcton's Journal.]
July 18.—Oscar II. and Sophia crowned
King and Queen of Norway, at Dront
heim.
A reception at the Crystal Palace,
London, and a testimonial purse of fif
ty thousand dollars given to Edward
Mialt, the leader of the English dis
senters.
Death, at San Francisco, Cal., of
Delos R. Ashley, ex-member of Con
gress from Nevada.
July 19.—Samuel Wilberforce, D. D.,
Bishop of Winchester, killed by a fall
from his horse, near Leatuerliead,
England.
Report of an insurrection in Persia.
A new cabinet formed at Madrid,
Spain, with Salmeron as • president;
Minister of Finance, Fernando Gonza
lez ; of State, Soler ; of Justice, Rodri
guez ; of War, General Gonzalez ; of the
Interior, Maisonave; of the Marine,
Oviedo; of the Colonies, Palanca; of
Public Works, Gonzales.
Don Carlos marching with ten thous
and men on Bilboa. Carlists driven
from Estella. Carlist report that Gen
eral Cabrinety was killed by his own
men.
The Brooklyn Trust Company sus
pend payment.
July 20.—Death of the Right Hon.
Richard Bethell, Baron Wesbury, ex
Lord-Chancellor of England. Death, at
Concord, N. H., of ex-Governor Colby,
of New Hampshire; and at Boston,
Mass., of Rev. Dr. Guinzburg, a dis
tinguished Hebrew divine.
An unsuccessful attempt made on the
life of Marshal Serrano, at Biarritz,
France.
The Spanish provinces of Andalusia,
Murcia, Valencia, and Catalonia, pro
claim themselves independent ; also the
cities of Seville, Cadiz, and Barcelona.
Strike of workmen ended at Barcelona.
General Lagunero resigns the command
of the republican forces in Biscay.
July 21.—Intelligence of the death, in
Switzerland, of Reuben Atwater Chap
man, Chief-Justice of the Supreme
Court of Massachusetts.
Dispatch that Carlists had captured
jualada after a heavy battle, and had
sacked and burned the town.
The crews of the Spanish sanadron at
Carthagena having surrendered and
one over to thé Internationals, the
panish Government proclaims them
pirates, and authorizes their capture by
any foreign power. General Pavia ap
pointed Captain-General of Andalusia
and Estremadnra. The Governors of
Cordova, Murcia, Ponte vedra, Leon,
and Orense, removed, and Generals
Contreras and Pierrad dismissed from
the public service of Spain.
July 22.—Dispatch of the assassina
tion of the Mayor of Albocacer, in
Alencia, Spain, owing to election dis
turbances.
Mézières and Charleyville, France,
evacuated by the German forces.
July 13.—Death, at Berlin, Prussia, of
Gustav Rose, a distinguished chemist
and mineralogist.
The Spanish Cortes authorizes the
imposition of extraordinary war taxes,
and a council of generals at Madrid ad
vise President Salmeron to call out
uinety thousand men of the reserves.
Seven thousand republican troops at
Vittoria reported demoralized, and
several municipal officers murdered by
the soldiers. An Iberian regiment sent
against the insurgents at Carthagena
reported to have mutinied and joined
the rebels. Intelligence of the arrest of
the Governor of Alicante for treason on
account of a declaration of the inde
pendence of the city during the presence
of the rebel steamer Vittoria.
July 24.—Death of the Right Hon.
George Carr Glyn, Baron Wolverton, of
England.
Intelligence of the destruction, on
14th inst., of the town of Elmina,
West Africa, by British troops from
Cape Coast Castle, the Elminas having
furnished arms to the Ashantees. The
Fantees had been defeated by the
Ashantees on the 4th and 6th inst., at
Donquah, and thirty thousand Fantees
had sought refuge at Cape Coast.
President Baez's troops in Santo Do
mingo reported defeated by insurgents
in the north.
Several small engagements reported
in Cuba, near Zarzal and Jacaro. Gen
eral Martinez appointed Captain-Gen
eral of Valencia.
July 25.—Dispatch that a Prussian
frigate sent by the German consul at
Madrid in pursuit of the Spanish rebel
war-steamer Vigilante had captured her
en route for Almeria from Alicante.
Internationals at Carthagena reported
to have enlisted ten thousand men in
their cause, and enforced a loan of
eighty thousand dollars. Intelligence
that a number of Carlists, including
six priests, had been arrested at Figue -
ras, in Gerona, on suspicion of intrigu
ing for Don Carlos, and that two hun
dred and fifty gendarmes in Barcelona
had deserted to the Carlists. Dispatch
that Colonel Naza had left Madrid for
Jaen to foment an insurrection, and
that the government ordered his arrest.
Destructive fire in Baltimore; eight
squares of houses destroyed, mamly
dwellings.
Announcement of conclusion of treaty
between Russia and Khiva. The khan
promises to pay two million rubles to
Russia, and to abolish capital punish
ment ; in return, Russia guarantees the
independence of Khiva. Russian troops
to occupy Khiva until indemnity is paid.
Carlists reported to be marching on
Madrid; Contreras threatens to seize all
German vessels in the harbor of Cartha
gena, if the Vigilante, captured by a
German man-of-war, is not restored.
It is useless for physicians to argu»
against short sleeve dresses. The Con
stitution of the United States says that
"the right to bear arms" shall not be
interfered with.