The star-progress., January 10, 1920, Image 1

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

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THE STAR-PROGRESS
OPELAUSAS, LA., SATURDAY, JANUARY 10, 1920.
SUBSCRIPTION—$2.00 PER YEAR, IN ADVANCE
Er r iv.. WHh
(Eunice Kecei a es l ontenot 111^
Open Arms as He Appeals
to People Who Know
Him Best.
irgest Political Meeting of the Year Held In
Interest of the Candidacy of the Next
Sheriff of St. Landry Parish and Eunice
Turns Out En Masse to Greet Him.
■since the opening of the earn
ed the people of Eunice show
Merest in the parochial con
|th«y did on Wedrwwday^after
j*nd night when Ariel Fonte
ste for sheriff, and his co
of "mosquitoes," members of
, celebrated fleet that "lit" en the
al banks of the Courtsbleau
t so hard on the backs of a few
lore-back politicians, invaded
ceful metropolis of western
the arrival of the Gulf Coast
passenger train, Mr. Fontenot
were met by more than
ndied staunch, loyal support
headed by the Port Barre
and a banner "Fontenot for
l," inarched to the hotel, as an
t to the next sheriff of St Lan
i scheduled hour of 7:30 Wed
> night every one of the almost
ed seats in the big Picou
occupied and a larger crowd
A number of sub
citizens of Eunice sat with
not throughout the meeting,
ria, just fresh from France,
! the most popular young men of
selected by the young
! Eunice to call the meeting to
Mr. Morris took occasion to
: Ms reasons for su porting the
I independent candidate for she
I expressed the hope and desire
Eunice would give Mr. Fonte
a substantial majority on the
T. Guillet, manager of the
! Hardware and Implement Co.,
of the most representative
1 substantial business men of Eu
j to introduce the speak
de a short, but forceful and
address in behalf of Mr. Fon
candidaey. He then iatro
Morton H. Thompson, of the
bar, who took occasion to
veil off the people's eyes"
ed in a logical manner to
tie various interesting fea
the present campaign.
said that he had al
i an independent voter, had
voted against ward-boss
and ring rule, and that
' Orleans had a terrible ma
Landry had a worse one,
t an "unholy alliance," a trick
r the votes of this parish over
abbs forces, when Judge
Other distinguished fcnti
l of former years weraget
| «very house-top to prafce a
cams they had abused so
f years ago. He charge# the
faction with attanpt
> "gobble up" every office i| the
usd that it was a regular
*ffair," citing that eight
principal officeholders of St.
w*r# related to one another,
sj right on down. Hecrit
Pavy's attempt to prej
( voters of St. Landry oi the
that Sheriff Fontenot, who
!«andidate for re-election, was
ent officer, retorting by
*uch a statement tame
l grace from one who presid
* tourt he compared to a
*®urt." Mr. Thopmson
did impression on his
,uras roundly applaeded
■ bia address, His was said
of the most logical and
heard in Eunice in
L Andrus, presesd into
* last moment to make an
John M. Parker, sent by
committee to represent
the meeting delivered
by a locâl speaker
campaign heard in Eu
He kept the crowd in
ARIEL FONTENOT,
St. Landry'* Next Sheriff
an uproar of laughter and applause
as he refuted the arguments being
used by the Pavy faction that Parker
was not a good democrat, by saying
that while the men who are most ai
dent supporters of John M. Parker
in St. Landry were shouldering guns
in 1896 to purge the parish of negro
voters ,the Pavys were doing the re
^prse.
He took occasion to briefly go into
his campaign, explaining the present
day manner of assessing. He was
well received and given a hearty ap
plause.
Oscar Mistric, the next speaker,
flat-footedly denied the statements
made by Dr. Phvy that he had de
clined to run for sheriff, when ap
proached on the subject by himself
and a few friends, stating that the
Leonville doctor had readily "fell for
the proposition" and had dispatched
Mr. Mistric to Opelousas to bring
some of Mr. Fontenot's friends to a
conference held in Leonville, and that
Dr. Pavy had pictured himself resid
ing in St. Landry as the sheriff and
Charles Thibodeaux as a down-heart
ed, disappoited office-seeker. Mr.
Mistric stated that Mr. Fontenot
had declined to entertain the propo
sition offered by Dr. Pavy—that of
serving as his chief deputy at a sal
ary, such as Charles Thibodeaux's
friends had offered him to withdraw
from the race. He said that Dr.
Pavy having learned that the judge
had "fits" and Raoul "hydrophobia,"
decided it would be a bad move on his
part to wrest St. Landry from the
grip of Charles Thibodeaux.
L. A. Andrepont, editor of the Star
Progress, said a few words in behalf
of Mr. Fontenot's candidacy, denying
the statements made by Mr. Fonte
not's opponent that he was not the
candidate of any faction or set of
politicians by simply calling the at
tention of the voters of Eunice that a
"flock' 'of job holders and profess
ional politicians had been tagged on
to Charlie's tail for the past three
days in the very town of Eunice.
Mr. Fontenot was the last speaker.
When he was introduced by Mr. Guil
let as a "Eunice boy" who would be
elected sheriff by a tremendous ma
jority, the five hundred voters pres
ent shouted and applauded for several
seconds. He surprised his friends
when he showed them that he had de
veloped into "quite" an orator. Mr.
Fontenot made a very forceful appeal
to his many Eunice friends. He cited
his records in public office, his serv
ice to the people, his attention to
duty, his competency. He pointed out
that he had nothing against his oppo
nent, but that his opponent's speech
makers were the very men to raise a
voice against Charles Thibodeaux
four years ago—that they had said
enough against Mr. Thibodeaux four
years ago for the people to judge
whether they are telling the truth to
day or were falsifying four years ago.
He promised a fair, impartial and
just administration of the affairs of
the office and that he wauld not dif
ferentiate from one class of citizens
to the other—he would treat them all
fair and square, and that he would
uphold and execute the laws of state
and parish.
Mr. Fontenot was given a royal re
ception by his Eunice friends. He
was assured that Eunice would be his
banner poll on January 20.
ST. LANDRY MAY BE
NEXT OIL FIELD
DISCOVERED
Leases Being Taken in Every
Section of the Parish and
Indications are Good
RUMOR DRILLING MAY
BEGIN IN SIXTY DAYS
Many Concerns and Individu
als Buying Up Leases on
Thousands of Acres
a
to
a
to
Who knows but that St. Landry
will be the next big Louisiana oil
field to be discovered? In all prob
ablities this may come to pass as for
the past month or two much activity
has been noticed in the leasing of
property in every nook and corner of
the parish.
One of the men who represents an
oil company, and who has leased hun
dreds of acres of some of the best
probable oil land in the parish, told
a representative of the Star-Prog
ress on last Tuesday that his com
pany would be ready to drill within
sixty dayB. Just where the first oil
well will be bored he could not tell,
but said that he expected to have
something interesting within a short
while.
St. Landry has long been recog
nized as a possible oil producing par
ish. Indications have been found in
almost every corner of the parish,
particularly west and southeast of
Opelousas. Many of the big oil con
cerns, it is said, have leased, through
individuals, (thousands of acres of
land. The Texas Oil Company, it is
understood, recently bought the min
eral rights of the tract of land in the
fourth ward for $17,500—-a strong
indication that operations is expected
shortly.
The oil fever seems to have seized
the entire state, and as the people of
St. Landry have always been firm in
their belief that some day oil would
be found in abundance here, the "fe
ver" seems to be prevalent among
many of those who believe St. Lan
dry will develop a real oil field be
fore the year 1921 dawns upon us.
—-o-
JORDAN BROS.
LOCATE HERE
Expert Auto Men Purchase a
Half Interest in the
Buick Garage
ly
to
G. C. and I. W. Jordan, expert me
chanics and automobile men, natives
of Colfax, La., but lately employed
in the largo automobile factories in
the North, recently purchased a half
interest in the Buick Garage and are
now associated with A. J. Cormier.
G. C. Jordan, formerly with the
Packard Motor Car Company, will be
manager, while his brother, I. W.
Jordan, a Studebaker service man,
will be at the head of the mechanical
department. A. J. Cormier will be
the sales manager. This combination
assures the new firm unbounded suc
Fontenot Supporters Brave In
clement Weather to Crowd
the Parish Court House V
opelousas invaded
by mosquito fleet
i 1AST raAY
CITY UNQUESTIONABLY
FOR YOUNG CANDIDATE
Staunch Citizens Speak in In
terest of St. Landry's Next
Sheriff
is
of
in
a
More than four hundred voters of
Opelousas and surrdunding country
braved the inclement weather Tues
day night to attend the first political
rally of parochial nature held in this
city this year. The crowd was com
posed almost exclusively of voters
and it was without doubt a Fontenot
crowd, as the* young candidate for
sheriff was cheered throughout his
talk, and his speakers were repeated
ly applauded whenever they referred
to his "spunk" to fight the biggest
ring St. Landry has ever witnessed.
H.-D. Larcade, Sr., one of Opelou
sas' most representative business men,
was selected as chairman of the meet
ing and incidentally took occasion to
make an impromptu address in be
half of the candidacy of Ariel Fonte
not.
Morton H. Thompson, wel lknown
local attorney, of strong convictions
and always determined to fight his
way through, was the principal orator
of the day for Mr. Fontenot. Mr.
Thompson told his hearers "straight
stuff, right from the shoulder," and
paid particular attention to the fam
ous St. Landry "ring" headed by the
district judge .whom he charged as
being unable to judge the records of
efficiency of any officeholder because
he himself was unacquainted with ef
ficiency, since the court itself could
be set up as an example of utter in
efficiency. Mr. Thompson's address
was received with cheers and applause
and after the meeting he was congrat
ulated by many votera*- upon his
splendid and logical appeal for the
defeat of "an unholy alliance."
Hon. K. T. Catlett ,the war horse
from the fourth ward, a strong be
liever in independency, at one time a
scrapper for "white supremacy," ad
dressed the meeting in behalf of the
fearless young leader of St. Landry's
democracy, and gave a few of his
many reasons for supporting Mr.
Fontenot.
Then Mr. Fontenot arose to make
his first political speech in Opelou
The reception tendered him
showed conclusively that Opelousas
was behind him and that on January
20 this would be his banner poll.
"It is time for them to screen up,"
he said, when he referred to the cele
brated "Mosquito Fleet." "They
bite mighty hard sometimes," he said,
"and we are biting the oposition so
darn hard they are beginning to hol
ler." A tremendous appaluse greet
ed this statement. Mr. Fontenot made
one of the best spseeches of his cam
paign. He told his hearers that he
would stand for efficiency, justice
and impartiality. He promised them
a good, just administration of the af
fairs of his office.
The two candidates for assessor
being present, they were both called
upon by the chairman to speak in
their own behalf, since both had been
invited by Mr. Fontenot.
A. L. Andrus was the only one to
resopmf and he took occasion to de-
fend his record as assessor of St.
Landry, and proved conclusively that
he was not responsible for high tax-
ation, and that the assessor was noth-
ing but a clerk of the police jury and
the board of state affairs. Mr. An-
drus made a favorable impression, it
is said, and many voters compliment-
ed him upon his excellent explanation
of the many intricate problems of
assessments.
--o
SCHELL WILL GIVE
DANCE ON MONDAY
Washingtonian Will Celebrate
Twentieth Anniversary as
Citizen of Parish
in
are
the
be
W.
be
suc
Everything has been arranged in
good order for the entertainment to
be given at the comfortable home of
Hon. and Mrs. J .Franklin Schell, at
Washington, on Monday night. The
entertainment is given as a celebra
tion of the twentieth anivarsary of
their citizenship in Louisiana, and
both Mr. and Mrs. Schell are anxious
for all their friends to attend. Ev
erybody will be welcomed at this en
tertainment; a string band will be on
hand and a real good dance is await
ing all who come.
Mr. Schell announces that the en
tertainment is not of a political na
ture, but he extends an invitation to
all candidates to attend. He wants
them all present.
RINGING EDITORIAL FROM THE
NEW ORLEANS TIMES-PICAYUNE
ANENT FITNESS OF CANDIDATES
At*' '
' %
HON. JOHN M. PARKER,
Who Appears to be Leading for Governor
CONCERNING STUBBS
Certain very definite* causes have
moved the Times-Picayune to sup
port John M. Parker for the demo
cratic nomination.
Above all else, there is the person
ality of John M. Parker himself, as
private individual and as public cit
izen, outsanding above the mass in
the vital qualities of mental fearless
ness and sincerity, moral courage and
constant striving to make of his state
a better place in which to live, to rear
one's family and do one's work.
Inevitably, in a contest within a
party, there is tjie weighing of candi
date against candidate. One man must
be chosen as the better of two. One
must be rejected as less well quali
fied than his rival to do the work at
hand.
That selection in this instance is be
tween John M. Parker and Frank P.
Stubbs. And the reasons which move
to the rejection of Colonel Stubbs are
hardly less weighty than those which
move to the apporval of his compet
itor.
Colonel Stubbs is a competent sol
dier. 'But there are in Louisiana
some dozens of others who have exer
cised relatively high military com
mand with equal success as the rec
ords read. Quite properly, they have
not deemed themselves nor been
deemed by others objects of political
preferment because of that fact.
These men, like some scores of
thousands of other Louisianians, did
their mere duty where their orders
and their opportunities called them,
and when they doffed their uniforms
resumed the simple paths of their civ
ilian occupations.
The fact that Frank P. Stubbs is a
"colonel" adds something, but little,
to his claims for notice.
Frank P. Stubbs is a capable law
yer. But there are unnumbered law
yers in Louisiana and a long line of
them perhaps could match them
selves in a comparison of records be
fore juries and judges. Being a cap
able lawyer adds something, but lit
tle, to his claims for notice—and that
little must be judged in the light of
how his legal capacity has been used.
What is vital about Colonel Stubbs
candidacy is Colonel Stubs' record as
citizen. Where and when has he
led? For what causes has he pleaded
and argued? Where and when has he
sacrificed his time, his energy, his
thought, volutarily, for the civic
betterment of Louisiana and its cit
izens? And what elements at this, the
moment of his greatest effort, does
he represent when he comes before
Louisianians asking their votes for
governor? _ . „
Where and when has Frank P.
Stubbs led a civic movement? Strain
your memory and peruse the files of
the newspapers. The answer, after
all the labor, is brief. He has not.
Do not blame him because he never
rose, of his own initiative and sym
pathy, above the common mass of
us. Most of us never can so nse.
But while not blaming him, pin no
electoral roses on him for his capacity.
For what causes has he pleaded .
Here indeed, buried in the records, is
some meat. He has worked m Baton
Rouge for the little ringlet of Mon
roe in days gone by, fighting against
reform bills sponsored by Monroe cit
izens. He has argued in courts the
cases of railroads and lumber corpor
ations and the othft cases of his own
great family estate. He has fought
when his own taxes were lower than
his neighbors, to keep them so. Many
men do such things quite sll J c ®rely.
-- ----- —- - -, , ■ •
j But they 0r
an election as governor,
When has his name appeared at any
time, anywhere, as giving up his
"time, his energy, his thought, vol
untarily, for the civic betterment of
Louisiana and her citizens. Strain
your memories again, pull down the
files, ask your neighbors! The an
swer, again, is brevity itself- Never.
This man, Frank P. Stubbs, is one
of a familiar type, whose thoughts
have centered about his own affairs,
his own property, his own family;
who has looked skeptically upon any
change if his own interests were well
cared for under things as they were.
Solid, substantial citizens, often—
but rot' the timber of which great
governors in great times are to be
made!
No man, this, to lead! No man this,
to look with broad sympathy and in
stinctive justice upon the problems of
his neighbors! No man this, to cap
tain a daring cause! No man this, to
do anything except be putty in the
hands of those responsible for any
tennorary greatness! No man this,
to sec that the "little man' 'gets his
due in a hard world, and that the "big
man," if need be, must surrender his
unjust vantage !
An now what elements does he
represent, and what influences group
the nearest about him?
There is the meat cf the whole
matter !
For Frank P. Stubbs is not the real
candidate for governor! He is the
"front" for the New Orleans "ring."
The "ring" found him. The "ring"
brought him out. The "ring" is
fighting his battles. Without the
"ring" Frank P. Stubbs would be back
home in Monroe, going about his in
conspicuous and unnoticed and un
noteworthyway!
The New Orleans "ring" is the
candidate for governor against John
M. Parker—and Frank P. Stubbs is
stalking horse in its quest for votes!
Here, then, is the issue:
Shall Louisiana let Martin Behr
man and his fellow members of the
New Orleans political machine name
the next governor, dominate the next
constitutional convention, and fasten
their political clutches deep into ev
ery public service throughout this
comomnwealth ?
Or shall free Louisianians name
Louisiana's most distinguished citizen
—John M. Parker, the man and the
democrat? . m , ...
John M. Parker should—and will
be—nominated.
GARBO GARAGE TO
MOVE UP TOWN
LaCombe Hotel Annex Build
ing Being Remodeled for a
Modern Garage
The LaCombe Hotel annex, on
Bellevue street, is being remodeled
into a modem building, with glass
front and cement floor and will be oc
cupied by Vincent Garbo, popular
proprietor of the Garbo Garage.
L. E. Littell, well known local real
estate dealer and property owner, is
having the building remodeled under
his personal supervision, and he says
that when the repairs are complete
he will have one of the niftiest build
ings on that block.
The Garbo Garage is comparatively
a young business institution, but it
has been flourishing into one of the
best of its kind in this city. Mr. Gar-
bo, who represents the Auburn cars
here, is optimistic over the coming
year and predicts that before the
twelve months of 1920 are ended he
will have planted a number of the
pretty Auburn sixes in St. Landry
-o-
-Miss Annie Belle Richard, after
spending the holidays with her par
ents in Opelousas, has returned to
Virginia College, Roanoke, Va.,
where she will resume her studies.
—Mr. and Mrs. J.®. A. Stagg and
little daughter, and Mr. and Mrs
Frank Mombinveg of Crowley were
visitors to relatives here last Sun
day, returning home that evening.
—Miss Lillian J. Lassalle, popular
and attractive daughter of Mr. and
Mrs. Goldman JL. Lassalle, who spent
the Yuletide festivities in Opelousas,
returned to the Sacred B^urt .lcc.de
my to resume her studies.
ASSOCIATION GETS
UNDER WAY IN ST.
LANDRY PARISH
Expects to Finally Solve the
Problem of Cotton Produc
tion and Marketing
E. M. BOAGNI CHOSEN
TO LEAD MOVEMENT
Committees Appointed and
Work Will be Vigorously
Pushed from Now On
The American Cotton Association,
an organization of the planters and
the business and profesional interests
of the entire cotton producing South,
has been organized in St. Landry par
ish, with E. M. Boagni of Opelousas
as parish chairman for the big mem
bership drive to be conducted
throughout the parish and the state
of Louisiana the last week in Jan
uary.
From the organization will come to
every member constant and reliable
information concerning the world
cotton market, what a minimum price
should be, and data upon the growing
and marketing of diversified crops
and the commercial world in general.
The Association will foster the
building of warehouses in every com
munity where they are needed and
will constantly work for the protec
tion of cotton and its allied interests
and through cotton, this democracy
of the South will solve the problems
of this section.
"If this organization does nothing
more than to prevent the damaged
cotton each year, it will have accom
plished y« wonderful work,"' said
Chairman E. M. Boagni. "It is high
time that the farmers unite with the
business interesets of the South to
protect our one great staple and to
secure a fair and just return upon
our prdouct. Every man should be in
terested in the success of cotton for
upon it is founded the progress and
prosperity of the South. The mem
bership fees in this great association
are nominal; the returns will be a
hundredfold, and I bespeak for St.
Landry such a parish-wide representa
tion in this movement as becomes one
of the leading cotton-producing par
ishes and one of the most progressive
comunities of this state."
Chairman Boagni has named tl*
following parish executive committee
A. A. Mendoza, Opelousas, secretar
D. D. Nuckolls, Noland & Andrepo
Opelousas; Jos. A. Gil, M. V. Stroth
Eunice, publicity directors, t W.
Sandoz, Opelousas, director of spes
ers; R. Lee Mills, Yves Andrepoi
James O. Chachere, Willie P. Can
Judge S. J. Gosselin, Opelousas; Dr.
L. A. Guidry, Wilfred Boudreau, Fe
lix Miller, Sunset; Arthur Lahaye,
Leonville; Dr. A. C. Durio, Arnaud
ville; R. A. Gordon, Melville; K. T.
Catlett, Rosa; Judge B. F. Vannoy,
Morrow; John R. Thistlethwaite,.
Washington; John P. Savant, White
ville; Arthur Bellard, Church Point;
J. W. Lyman, Eunice; Dr. J. R. GttlL
lory, Cataro.
Dr. C. A. Gardiner of Sunset is par
ish representative on the state execu
tive committee.
Mass meetings will be held through
out the parish, with a big meeting in
the near future at Opelousas.
BORCHERS TO
MOVE HIS SHOP
Will Erect Business Place Next
to His Home, on West
Bellevue Street
Charles Borchers, the well known
local tinsmith, is erecting an up-to
date building next to his home on
West Bellevue street, in which he will
move his tinshop within the next few
weeks.
Mr. Borchers recently purchased a
valuable piece of property from
Aaron Jacobs and has remodeled the
old home into one of the pretty res
idences on that street. His place of
business will be one of the neatest
and most suitable in that section of
the city.
BUDD TO FILL
TAX RETURNS
Traffic Manager of Chamber
of Commerce to Assist the
Public in Income Matters
Robert E. Budd »traffic manager
of the Opelousas Chamber of Com
merce, a competent auditor, with con
siderable experience in income tax re
turns, announces that he will assist
the public to make these returns.
Some of these are very intricate and
as Mr. Budd has had much experience
in that line, many business men will
avail themselves of avoiding consid
erable trouble for a small compensa
[tion.