The star-progress., October 25, 1919, Image 1

About The star-progress. (Opelousas, La.) 1917-1921

Image provided by: Louisiana State University; Baton Rouge, LA

                
THE STAR-PROGRESS
VOLUME XI—NO. 1
OPELOUSAS, LA., SATURDAY, OCTOBER 25, 1919
SUBSCRIPTION: $2.00 PER YEAR IN ADVANCE.
BELLEVUE DRAINAGE
BOARD FORMALLY
ORGANIZED
Frank Dimmick, Prominent Cit
ixen Heads the Newly Or
ganized Project
TO CALL ELECTION ON
BOND ISSUE SOON
jHenfeers of Board Met at Plan
ters Bank and Permanent
ly Organize for Work
The Bellevue-Coulee Croche Drain
tgt District board was formally or
ggjuxed when the members of the
(jjeinage board met in this city on
lait Saturday afternoon. Frank Dim
nick was elected president; Valerie
Bourque, vice president ; L. A. Andre
pont, secretary; J. A. Perkins, tress
ant; Frank Roberts, engineer, and
j Franklin Schell, representative of
the board.
The taxpayers of the district,which
comprises more than 18,000 acres of
the beet lands of the Bellevue and
Coulee Croche sections of St. Landry,
ue vitally interested in the project,
ud it is said that when the bond is
ne is submitted to the voters of the
strict, the drainage proposition will
be overwhelmingly carried.
Prominent citizens of the district,
i uomber of whom were in town on
Saturday, are behind the project,
promising their undivided attention
nd support of drainage and express
t belief that the proposition will have
little or no opposition.
The area embraced in the new dis
trict is farm land iong settled, but in
the district are many acres that need
dninage badly and, once drained, will
be among the most fertile lands in the
entire state.
These low-lying lands were once
considered of little value and ohly fit
for summer pasture for during the
winter seasons there was entirely too
much water lying on their surface to
consider them good pastures. Now,
btwever, the once despised lands are
known to be of vast fertility and the
very best corn producing soils in the
itste and are being eagerly sought
after, for it is well known that these
lands can be cultivated for years
without once losing any part of their
original fertility. They are what is
known as "made" lands—that is, the
»il has been built up through gene
ntkms by the decaying vegetable
natter, and it is said that one can dig
nany feet below the surface before
finding the clay subsoil For this
mason there is practically little or no
"near" to the soil's fertility and ar
tificial fertilization is hardly ever re
quired in order to produce heavy
crop of corn.
Thousands of acres of these once
despised "black" prairie lands once
vent begging on the real estate mar
ket rt a ridiculous price. People
tWught that they 'were only fit for
dwk preserves and never once
thought that the high lands would be
so worn and good agricultural
mil so scarce that artificial methods
rf drainage would have to be resorted
to on these despised lands in order to
firaiah sufficient acreage to furnish
Pester crops *or the increasing pop
oktion. But such has happened, and
today there is a wild scramble for
Joosuiion of these lands. Years ag »
there were a few wise men in this
Phah who saw the immense natural
•eewntes of these soils and acumu
kted a number of acres while the
was low. Today their invest
fis proving how wise was their
I*"**, for the lands have quadra
tkd in value and there is no telling
the future has in store for the
possesor of many acres of
[k*oe rich St. Landry black lands.
ÎMONSTRATOR
ON TO WORK
Lulu Kirk Comes to Ope
•ten Highly Recommend
ed by Her Own People
krs. Lulu G. Kirk, who was recent
ï appointed home economic demon
for this parish to replace
Bv Giesen, who is now in
I vpiilu parish doing similar work,
to Opelousas highly recom
<1 by the people who know her
S»« is a highly cultured lady
1 sn indefatigable workeif having
made a large number of
1 friends in this parish.
Yazoo City (Miss.) Herald
me paper of Mrs. Kirk, upon
r departure for Opelousas, had this
Lulu G. Kirk left Tuesday
Opriousas, La., where she has
•tationed as home economic
or for the parish of St.
Mrs. Kirk is splendidly
I to fill the position as she is
da nceatk.c
HALL MONDAY
Members of Popular Order to
Again Give Entertainment
for Their Friends '
An announcement that will prove
of great interest among the younger
set is that the Knights of Columbus
will entertain at a subscription dance
at their beautiful Home on Main
street, on next Monday night. Mu
sic will be furnished by Toots John
son's band of Baton Rouge.
On account of the inclement wea
ther experienced for the last two
.dances, many of the young men and
young ladies of the surrounding
towns who are in the custom of at
tending the Opelousas dances, were
prevented from participating in two
very enjoyable entertainments. It is
hoped, however, that road conditions
will be such as to warrant the at
tendance of a large number of visit
ors from other towns next Monday
night.
j
DEDICATION PUT OFF
INDEFINITELY BY
MR. BOAGNI
Inability of Manufacturers to
Make Prompt Shipment
Cause of Delay
NOT KNOWN WHEN
MONUMENT COMPLETED
Big Dedication Celebration
Scheduled for Nov. 11 is
Now Put Off
The Victory Column, in memory of
St. Landry's soliders in the world
war, scheduled to be dedicated with
elaborate ceremonies on November
11, will not be completed in time for
that day, according to the advice of
Hon. E. M. Boagni, chairman c$f the
St. Landry Council of Defense. -
While Mr. Boagni deplores the dis
appointment caused by the indefi
nite postponement of the "big celebra
tion arranged for Armistice Day, yet
he is compelled to indefinitely post
pone the affair, due to considerable
delay on the part of the manufactu
rers, and so St. Landry's monument
will not be erected for several weeks
yet.
The Stone Granite Corporation,
which has the contract for the man
ufacture of the column, wrote Mr.
Boagni to the following effect some
days ago:
"We received your several letters
regarding the completion of the gran
ite work for this memorial. We have
assured you previously and reputed
ly that we are doing everything pos
sible and giving your work always
the preference over all other cus
tomers, but we can not do any better
and you will have to be patient. We
need three times the number of men
we have to push the orders on hand,
some of them of long standing. It
is absolutely impossible to hire any
additional cutters—they can not be
had. If we attempted to drive the
men, then they quit immediately.
The situation with the Granite Union
Cutere is deplorable and we, the man
ufacturers, are helpless. In addition
we had a breakdown of our largest
electrical crane, which stopped our
cutting in the shed almost two weeks.
"We again assure you that we will
do our very best with this particular
order, but it will be impossible for us
to ship before the end of this month
and considering these above mention
ed drawbacks, we know that we are
doing our best for you and we dare
say that no concern in the country
could do any better or as well."
.-o--
_Judge Basil C. Taylor, prominent
citizen of Palmetto, was here Tues
day on busines and while in the city
favored the Star-Progress with a call.
j
!
highly educated, being a graduate of
Salem (N. C.) College and has been
among the few who kept up with the
world by close contact.
"She has spent the greater part of
her life on the farm and is thorough
ly acquainted with the needs of the
country homes and what improve
ments will mean most to the women
and girls of the home. She is »
daughter of the late W. D. Gibbs, who
was one of the most prominent men
in the state and a man that the peo
ple of Yazoo county always loved to
honor. Mrs. Kirk has inherited the
personality of her father and the ease
and grace that made the women of
the South famous before the war.
Being refined and cultured with a de
sire to help in the work of bringing
about a better condition in rural life,
she has taken up the work with a glad
heart and enthusiasm which means
succès to her and great good to the
cause she is to serve."
MONDAY IS LAST DAY
pQR CANDIDATES
TO QUALIFY
All Office Seekers Urged Not
to Forget 27th is Limit
Placed by Law
LAST HOUR RUSH
SHOULD BE AVOIDED
Chairman or Secretary Opes to
Deposit Check and Inten
tion of Candidacy
Monday next is the last day on
which candidates for parochial and
ward offices can qualify and all as
pirants for office are urged to be
sure and deposit their money and no
tice of intention of candidacy with
John M. Prescott, chairman, or L. A.
Andrepont, secretary. The secretary,
who keeps all records of the parish
democratic executive committee, can
be found at tike Star-Progress office,
and he will be there all day Monday,
until nightfall.
Those wo are not qualified by
Monday night will be prevented from
being candidates for any office on
January 20, the date of the first or
pluarality primary. /
Quite a number of job-seekera have
already qualified. For parish offi
ces, the following candidates have al
ready deposited their entrance fee
and written notice of intention and
are therefore qualified for entrance
in the big free-for-all staged to be
run on January 20:
For sheriff—Ariel Fontenot and
Charles Thibodeaux.
For clerk of court, JohnM. Pres
cott and Henry Lastrapes, Jr.
For assessor, R. C. Fontenot and
A. L. Andrus.
For representatives to the state
legislature, Gilbert L. Dupre, E. K.
East ham, Alex. Lafleur and J. Frank
lin Schell.
Candidates are urged to avoid the
last hour rush. All should be qual
ified before Monday night. If neces
sary to qualify at night, the secre
tary will be glad to receive applicants
at his home on Main street,, next to
the Masonic Temple.
a
MARINE RECRUITS TO
CHANCE TO GO TO
COLLEGE
Knights of Columbus Donate
School to Corps at Pans
Island Camp, S. C.
The Knights of Colubus have do
nated a school to the United States
marine corps recruiting camp at
Paris Island, S. C., according to an
order recently received by Captain
M. H. Kingman, officer in charge of
the United States marine corps re
cruiting station, 617 Common street,
New Orleans.
This is a free school—everybody
is welcome and everything is free,"
said Captain Kingman, "and all sup
plies, equipment including books, are
given to each enlisted man, who may
choose any of the following courses:
Mechanical drawing, Mathematics,
Mechanics, Drafting, Motor Trans
port, Complete Business Courses,
Modern Languages, Gas Engineering,
Electrical Engineering, Civil Engin
eering, Science, Literature, Writing
(Palmer System), Law, Tool Making,
Music, Telegraphy and Radio."
The school hours are from 5:30
p. m. to 8 p. m. every evening, ex
cept Saturday and Sunday, and the
Knights of Columbus are offering
one hundred scholarships to ex-serv
ice men in fifty of the leading uni
versities of the country.
Captain Klingman further stated
"that he was in urgent need of me
chanics, electricians, wire-workers,
carpenters, etc., for the marine avi
ation section. These men will be sent
through our mechanical school at
Great Lakes, HI., after which they
will be transferred to one of our fly
ing stations. Then men may enlist
for two, three or four years.
"I will be glad to give further in
formation to all young men who will
write me, and will answer all letters
as soon as they are received. Don't
go to the expense of coming to New
Orleans to enlist, because I can tell
you a way that you may enlist in the
marine corps at home and thus save
you from this unnecessary expense,
etc." '
-o-
_Misses Armide Broussard, Anna
Broussard, Willie Broussard of Car
encre, and Carmen Breaux of La
fayette were guests of Miss Louise
Bellard Wednesday.
NEVER TOO OLD
TO GET MARRIED
Alcin Vidrine,. Aged 75, and
Mia« Seüma Thibodeaux,
Aged 52, Marry
Dan Cupid, the mischievous little
god that controls the lives and des
tinies of the human race,_has never
met a barrier and still remains un
conquered. He has always come out
ahead in the game of hearts and will
always prove a victor in this kind of
strife.
He again showed his cleverness and
that he was supreme in the world of
love and fiction when, on Tuesday
evening, at 6 o'clock, Alcin Vidrine,
well known retired planter of the
Grand Prairie section, who resides
in this city) took unto himself a
blushing bride of 49 years. The bride
was Miss Selima Thibodeaux, the ami
able sister of Charles Thibodeaux,
candidate for sheriff, and a member
of one of St. Landry's most promi
nent families. The groom celebrat
ed his seventy-fifth anniversary the
day after the wedding.
Rev. Father Coulliard, pastor of
the local Catholic Church, performed
the ceremony in the presence of a
very few of the relatives of the con
tracting parties, at the Catholic
Church here Tuesday afternoon at 6
o'clock. Following the wedding, the
bride and groom weer entertained at
a supper at the groom's son-in-law,
Yves Andrepont. Mr. and Mrs. Vid
rine are residing in their home on
East Grolee street, andare receiving
the congratulations of their many
friends, all of whom wish them a long
joyous married life.
CITY GETS ANOTHER
TRIAL IN BIG CLARK
PAVING CASE
Supreme Court Grants Rehear
ing In Celebrated Lit
igation
ATTORNEY HOPES FOR
FINALLY WINNING
Principle Involved More Than
Actual Loss As Losing
Would Affect Charter
The city of Opelousas has another
chance to win the case of H. T. Clark
versus the city of Opelousas, as the
supreme court last week, just after
meeting following the summer recess,
granted Attorney P. R. Sandoz, rep
resenting the city, a rehearing in this
celebrated case. In this connection
it will be recalled that the city lost
the case in the district court and al
so in the high tribunal on appeal.
Application for a rehearing was im
mediately entered and the court took
cognizance of the motion and granted
the rehearing asked for. This means
that the action in the high court will
come up before long, and City Attor
ney Sandoz is hoping for better luck
next time and is girding his loins for
the new effort to win, as, according
to his version, an adverse decision,
will have a bad effect on the present
city charter as it will tend in great
measure to nullifying many of its
important provisions.
Briefly stated, the suit is based on
its face on the refusal of several a
butting property owners to pay their
prorata of the. paving costs. Mr.
Clark was tjie contractor who laid the
paving, accepting in payment cer
tificates of indebtedness resting on
each of the property owners whose
property abutted on the streets
paved. Practically all these property
owners have met their obligations
for paving as they fell due, but two
or three refused to pay and Mr.
Clark entered suit against the city on
these few unpaid certificates, claim
ing, if we recall correctly, that it
was a matter up to the municipality
to see that these certificates were
paid as the city had to see about the
enforcement of the collection. This
contention of plaintiff the city de
nied, and on this principle the case
went to trial in the district court,
judgment being rendered against de
fendant city. An appeal was forth
with taken to the high court and
judgment was affirmed. A rehear
ing was applied for and same w33
granted, as above noted.
If the contentions of the city are
finally upheld, it will be up to Mr.
Clark to enforce collection of the un
paid paving certificates as it will re
lieve the city of any obligations a
long that line. Final judgment will
have a far-reaching effect and the
decision of the case will be watched
with much interest. Attorney W. J.
Sandoz represented H. T. Clark, the
plaintiff in the case.
—--o
—Charlie Craighead of Krotz
j Springs was here Monday.
in
a
to
RIG ORGANIZATION
TO START IN THIS
CITY SHORTLY
To Deal in Hardware and Kin
dred Lines of Business on
Great Scale
CAPITAL STOCK IS
ABOUT ALL SUBSCRIBED
Large Brick Building, Facing
Market Street, Will Be
Erected at Once
One of the largest businesses of its
kind in this section of the state is
about to be launched in Opelousas,
the capital stock having been practi
cally all subscribed and all prelimi
naries arranged. The men behind
the proposition are enthusiastic over
their venture, and Mr. R .B. Christ
man, who will probably be the pres
ident, stated to a reporter of the Star
Progress that the new company had
in sight all the capital necessary to
make the concern a paying business
right from the jump.
The new company will engage in
a wholesale and retail business of
hardware, farm implements and lines
akin to these articles, and the paid-in
capital—all of which has been sub
scribed—will be sixty thousand dol
lars, and this amount will be increas
ed if the necessity for more capital
ever arises, as the promoters of the
concern have every assurance that
any amount of capital can be easily
gotten, as would-be stockholders have
been flocking in and literally begging
to be admitted on the ground floor.
Mr. Christman said that those in
terested in the new affair with him
are Messrs. Ben Riseman, M. Wins
berg, J. P.\ Barnett, Simon Stelly, E.
L. Loeb, L. A. Fontenot and Adolphe
Jacobs, and they have purchased
from L. A. Fontenot the big lot fac
ing Market street, in the rear of the
Riseman building, and will erect
thereon as soon as possible a large
brick structure, one hundred and fif
ty feet deep by fifty feet wide, and
the entire front will be plate glass.
People here know that when Ben
Christman goes into anything he does
so with all feet, to use a vulgar ex-
pression, and he is enthusiastic over
this new venture and is very confi-
dent that it will not only be a "going"
concern quite soon, but a paying one
as well. His presidency of the new
corporation and his determination to
place it in the front rank is double as-
surance that it will take front rank
„right at the jump. The new build-
ing will be an ornament to that sec-
tion of the city and will relieve some
of the nakedness of the vacant lots
in that particular block.
---------------- o-
WAXIA DISTRICT TO
VOTE DRAINAGE
TAX SOON
Vaut Area to Be Drained When
Big Bond Issue is Carried
By Taxpayers
Another drainage project was set
under way Monday morning, when
Mr. Thistlethwaite, prominent land
owner and stockholder in the big
planting company of the same name,
in the fifth ward, was selected as
president of the Waxia Drainage Dis
trict, at a reorganization of the
board of supervisors.
According to the plans of the
drainage commissioners, it is propos
ed to call an election to submit a bond
issue to the taxpayers of the district
within the next few week*. The tax
will carry, it is understood, and work
of dredging Bayou Waxia will be
started without delay.
Prominent taxpayers of the district
have lined up behind the project and
it is said that the engineer will have
all necessary information for the call
ing of a bond issue election within a
few days.
The Waxia district is one of the
best agricultural sections of St. Lan
dry, thousands of the acres of the
very best lands of the parish being
in dire need of drainage, which, if
properly drained, would double in
value and would produce considera
bly more crops than at present is pos
sible under existing conditions.
The board of commissioners will
meet here in a few weeks for the pur-
pose of calling the election.
-o
— Theogene Bertrand, prosperous
and prominent farmer of Prairie
Ronde, and Eddie Ledcux, popular
young business man of the Plai
sance section,, were business visitors
here on Tuesday.
ALBERT PAVY TO
PUT UP OFFICE
Young Army Captain in Medi
cal Corps Returns to Prac
tice His Profession
Dr. Albert Pavy, prominent and
well known young Opelousas physi
cian, who served for two years with
much credit in the medical corps of
the United States army, returned to
his home city last Friday w'th his
honorable discharge papers.
Dr. Pavy is a native of this parish,
being a brother of Judge Pavy of the
district court, but for the past seven
or eight years has been practicing
medicine in North Carolina. While
in the army he married Miss Bettay
Dupre of this city and now he very
appropriately admits that there is no.
"better place than home,* 'and con
sequently expects to begin the prac
tice of his profession in the city of
his birth within a short while.
PRESCOTT IS HERE
TO STAY AND TO
CAMPAIGN
Candidate for Clerk of Court
Moves Family Here in Or
der to Enter the Race
WILL JUMP IN FIGHT
WITHOUT ANY DELAY
Race for Second Place on Par
ish Ticket Promises to be
Intensely Interesting
In the opinion of the political wise
acres of St. Landry, one of the pret
tiest raaes pulled off in this parish
for many years will be that for clerk
of court, with Hon. Henry Lastrapes,
Jr., incumbent, and John M. Pres
cott, Washington boy, opposing one
another.
The two are highly polished men,
enjoying warm personal and political
friends in every section of St. Lan
dry, and both will conduct a clean,
aggressive campaign.
Mr. Prescott'will move his family
to Opelousas today, having leased the
home of Hon. L. J. Dossmann, on
North Market street. When quali
fying for the race, on last Wednes
day, Mr. Prescott had this to say:
I will be in Opelousas to stay on
Saturday, when I expect to move my
family. Just as soon as I alight from
the Gulf Coast Lines train, Saturday
afternoon, I will begin my campaign,
expecting to make a canvass of the
entire parish and to interview per
sonally every voter possible. .1 will
let my friends know that I am in the
race to the finish and I conscientious
ly expect to win."
Mr. Prescott's announcement has
stirred his opponent's friends consid
erably, and Mr. Lastrapes has not
been letting grass grow under his
feet, he being busy for the past two
or three weeks bolstering up his po
litical fences.
PRINCESS HAS BIG
TREAT FOR PATRONS
Louise Glaum, Favorite Actress
Will be in Leading Role in
"Sahara" on Friday
There is no going Around it, Mana
ger Frank J. Dietlein of the Princess
Theatre is bent upon giving his pa
trons the very best pictures obtain
able, regardles of the cost. There is
not a week that passes unless he has
specially attractive pictures at ex
ceptionally low figures for admission,
compared to prices charged in other
cities.
The feature program of next week
will be beautiful and fascinating,
Louise Glaum in "Sahara,' 'a picture
that has made a decided hit through
out the country. This picture will
be shown here on next Friday night,
and if reports coming from New Or
leans are correct, will be one of the
most attractive and pleasing photo
dramas exhibited here in many weeks.
Manager Dietlein's special adver-
tisement on this picture is published
elsewhere in this issue and in an at-
tractive manner tells much of the
beauty and charm of this exception-
ally fine picture.
- « -
—Hon. L. J. Dossmann and son-in
law, Hartwell Guillory, were here
several days this week, aranging for
the moving of Judge Dossmann's
furniture and household effects to
Fordoche, Pointe Coupee parish,
where they are bow residing.
—Miss Ura Dejean it now on a
visit to Boyce, La.
pa
of
to
by
the
six
all
ice
of
to
SUGAR SHORTAGE TO
BE RELIEVED BY
GOVERNMENT
Local Situation Hu Been Acute
For Some Time—Relief
Expected Shortly
NAVY TO RELEASE
THREE MILLION POUNDS
Some of the ■ Opelousas Mer
chants Have Been Complete
ly Out of Sugar for Days
a
The sugar shortage situation, pre
dicted for some time, has become
acute in this city, as well as in practi
cally every section of the United
States, many of the local merchants
being completely out of sugar for
several days.
According to reports emanating
from Washington, however, what
threatens to be a very serious situa
tion may be avoided, as the navy de
pa rment contemplates the releasing
of three million pounds of sugar to
the general public.
Following is a news despatch from
Washington which indicates the sugar
situation may be relieved and which
will doubtless be of great interest
to the lovers of "sweets" of this city:
Washington, Oct. 21.—Three mil
lion pounds of sugar will be released
by the navy department to relieve
the shortage existing throughout the
country, it was intimated today by
Secretary Daniels. The present sup
ply of the navy, 9,000,000 pounds,
the secretary said, was sufficient for
six months. As only a three months'
surplus usually is kept on hand, Mr. '
Daniels said it would seem unjust to
retain more than that amount now,
when the entire country was experi
encing a shortage.
The war department, however, un
like the navy, found today that its
supply is running low, the supply be
ing estimated as barely sufficient to
last until December 15. Quatermas
ter General Rogers accordingly wired
all zone supply officers that sales of
sugar to any one person in the serv
ice must be limited to not more than
twenty-four pounds per month for
each family.
Secretary Daniels also said he had
sent a message to all ships and sta
tions of the navy, calling for strict
economy in the use of sugar as waste
fulness in the navy even if its abun
dant supply would "not only be un
pardonable, but would reflect dis
credit upon the navy itself."
The sugar shortage came in for
discussion today before the senate
agricultural committee, C. A. Sprec
kles, a New York refiner, making the
charge that the situation was due to
governmental interference. He op
posed federal control of the crop, de
claring there was no real shortage,
but that the supply was "dislocated."
Philip F. Spitzfaden of New Orleans,
assistant secretary of the Louisiana
Sugar and Rice Exchange, and E .A.
Pharr of Morgan City, La., a sugar
planter, also were heard. Mr. Pharr
told the committee that while Louisi
ana growers had less than 50 per cent
of their normal crop this year, it had
been produced at a higher cost. Mr.
Spitzfaden protested against the re
tention of sugar licensing powers by
the government.
Senators Ransdell and Gay of Lou
isiana and Louisiana cane growers
conferred with representatives of the
sugar equalization board in an effort
to agree upon a fair price for the
1920 crop in Louisiana, but no final
conclusions were reached.
ALEX LAFLEUR
ENTERS RACE
Washington Farmer Fourth to
Join Procession in Race
for Legislature
Alex Lafleur, prominent young
farmer of the Washington section of
St. Landry, a native of Grand Prai
rie, made the fourth entry in the race
for representative from St. Landry,
by qualifying as a candidate for tile
democratic nomination the early part
of the week.
Mr. Lafleur is well known through
out St Landry and enjoys a large
circle of friends, who have urged
him to enter the fray. He is a mem
ber of one of the most influential
families of the fifth ward and will
doubtless make a splendid race.
.............-- o
—Mrs. L. A. Andrepont and chil-
dren spent several days this week in
Mallet at the home of Mrs. Andre-
pent's parents.
-Mias Anita Moolis returned from
a trip to 8an Antonio, Texas.
—Hon. Alide Lafleur of Lawtell
neighborhood, president of the new
had: at Lawtell ,was here yesterday
and gave -s a plumant sell.