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Gulf Coast Reminiscences of James A. Cuevas of Days Before Sixties
(The following article was printed in the Sunday Magazine Section of the Times-Picayune on May 7, 19 22 (New Orleans, LA)
If the poet who wrote "A sorrow's crown of sorrows is remembering happier days" had known James A. Cuevas, the "Sage of Beauvoir," we might have had a different meaning to the lines; for memory of the time when "life was one glad, sweet _________" doss not embitter but serves as a trea-
sure-house when in the evening of his life he sees with eyes that see no more the wonderful drama ended in the old days of the Mississippi Gulf Coast, its islands and its waters. His grandfather was one of Jackson's veterans of the Battle of Naw Orleans. Cat Island, on the Mississippi coast, was	given to him for his services to	his country.	He	lived	there
and reared	a large family there.	"You want	to knov about	my	grandfather?
.fell, he was a brave man and was	not afraid	of anybody or	anything	that
lived. He	died at Cat Island in	1849, when	nearly a hundred	years	old,
and was buried there. Later a tomb was built and his body was taken to the Biloxi Cemetery where his family are buried," thus started James A. Cuevas in telling me of recollections the Mississippi past in ths years before the Civil ,/ar.
"My grandfather was the father of eleven children, all of whom lived to be grown and had families of their own. rheir names were:	Francois,
____uta, Euphrasine, Hypolite, Juanite, and Raymond, the last being my
father. They were all torn at Cat Island."
Mr. Cuevas then continues as follows:
"The first thing I can rememDer -- and I heard of it so often afterwards, was a great party which my grandfather gave at C^t Island. /his was in 1844 and people came from "Old Chimney," Bay St. Louis, Pasj Christian and Rotten Bayou -- about six boatloads -- Pig boats too.
.veil, great preparations were made. Dr. Guardia, who knew more about cooking than anybody in all that country, supervised the cooking of ill the meats. The chickens were bled and stuffed with oysters and baked as were the geese, ducks, piggs -- everything was stuffed with fine seasoning. Two tables were always ready; one with heavy food and the other with all kinds of liquors, cakes, candies and fine things. There was one hundred pounds of candy, gum drops filled with liquor, rock and stick candy -- these were the only candies made then; pound cake, tea cakes, cakes covered with chocolate, all fine, fine. -Veil, they danced and danced. Back step, front step, fandango, reel, cotillion, waltz, polka, two-step. They danced by fiddle and when one set of musicians were tired others took their places. There was everything to drink ? yes, whiskey, too --	of it, but nobody got drunk; they were used to
4 it. The party lasted eight days ? and nights too ? for they danced
% sometimes all night. They did not sleep much, for they .vere having a * ri
^ crand time. They ate and ate, and it couli have lasted eight days mor.-for there was enough food for it.
Expensive?	fhy, no. Su,jar cost I1* cents a pound; meat, all kinds,
2-; cents; flour $2.50 and $2.75 a barr2l -- there were two grades, fine 2nd superfine, and this last cost more. C-rndy was 2 1/3 cents a pound, and we had everythin^ on the island, so there was little to buy. Be-
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