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Description of Country
Louisiana east of Morgan City is the ancient delta of the Mississippi Kiver. The country is threaded with bayous and the Old Spanish Trail rambles by .them and across them. Soils are rich delta deposits. This is the old sugar plantation district and the Old South of legend and story. Old plantation homes, negro colonies and the 1* rencli speaking classes thickly dot the bayou shores. Corn growing, fishing and fur Industries are also important. Thousands of acres near the gulf are dyked— this is “Kaceland’s Little Holland/’
From Morgan City to New Iberia the Old Spanish Trail runs along the Bayou Teche past old sugar plantations with the colonies of negroes still living in the cabins of slave days. Old live oaks, cypress and pecan shade the roads, homes and bayous. Some cotton, corn and rice thru here. :Yt Lafayette all products mingle, then westward rice fields spread over the country. Southwest Louisiana Is one of the greatest rice areas in the l.S. Water is pumped thru its network of canals to flood the lands. Lumber, salt and sulphur mines, and oil, are other sources of wealth.
In the eastern part are French and Acadian types and the French language, religion, cooking and habits are prominent. Public improvements, schools and roads are good. In the western	part people	have	settled from	every state drawn	by	the
rice industry. Their cities and homes are distinctively American.
There are thousands of miles of rivers, bayous, lakes, bays and inlets in South Louisiana. Koads among them are good. There are thousands of acres of wild life sanctuaries including the Sage and the Koekefeller preserves and private club preserves. Conservation has improved the sport for everyone.
Old History
The l-'rencli	took	command of	the vast territory	of	Old
Louisiana by establishing sovereignty over the Mississippi River in 1699. This move by the French divided the Spanish territory in two and became one of the decisive events in North American history. The tirNt settlement was at Biloxi in 1699. In 1711 the French settled Mobile. 1718 they founded Nouvelle Orlesuis; the same year the Spanish settled San Antonio as an outpost to protect their western possessions. In the struggle of empires Louisiana was ceded to Spain in 1763. Spain took possession in 1769. Spain ceded Louisiana back to France in 1800. France sold to the United States in 1803. New Orleans as	t lie frontier	post	on the mighty river that drains	a	half
of the continent became the melting pot as all classes of people struggled for life, power or development on the North American contirent.
Along the Bayou	Teche is the	Kvangeline country	immor-
talized by Longfellow’s poem. The Acadians were exiled from Nova Scotia In 1755. Along this bayou today are Acadian homes, towns and cities. Under St. Martinville the story is more fully told.
WEST PEARL RIVER. New bridge. Another of the difficult flood-water crossings of the Old Spanish Trail.
SLIDELL. I ,arge brick and shipbuilding plants. Edge of the winter strawberry district that sends out a $5,000,00!) crop. Country hotel. Free camp in pines just north of town. Inf.—T. .T. Eddins. Slidell Garage.
LAKE PONTCIIARTR AIN BRIDGE. A 15 ini. project. Saves 40 to 00 minutes time. Toll $1.35—see p. 5 for details. The Louisiana Highway Department maintains free ferries on the Rigolets—Chef Menteur route. Free bridges will be completed during 1920.
*N'KW ORLEANS. The I’ort of the Mississippi Valley; strong industrially and financially. One of the mos. interesting cities in the I\S. Founded 1718 by the French; was under Spanish rule: transferred to the I'.S. in 1803. The old French Quarter is a charming ramble and close to the palatial hotels, fine theatres and inviting stores. Many days can be spent in this fascinating city that lias grown from the mingling of the races and types that have battled with and built up the Mississippi Valley.
HOTELS—BIENVILLE. at Lee Circle: I)E SOTO near business center:	JT'NG. new. moderate:	LAFAYETTE,
faces Lafayette Square:	LA	SALLE, new. moderate:
MONTELEONE. in the French Quarter:	ROOSEVELT,
leads, center of activities: ST. CHARLES, a famous hotel, remodeled.
No camp. Inf.—Motor League of La. (AAA) at Hi'ii-ville Hotel: Automobile Club of La.. 514 St. Charles St.:
the Association of Commerce; the N. 0. Convention and Publicity Bureau, Inc.
MISSISSIPPI KIVEIi. Ferry at Walnut St., continuous, 20c to 40c. Several other ferries at intervals up the river, all serve OST travel. Oak Street ferry offers short cut across the city. New bridge, $10,000,000, financed and construction apparently assured.
WESTWEGO. Industrial settlement west side of river.
LI LING. The Old Spanish Trail leaves tlie Mississippi River here and turns into southern Louisiana.
PARADIS. Village. Country hotel.
DES ALLEMANDS. On the bayou; fishing. Country hotel. Camp space.
RACELAND. On Bayou La Fourche. Center for some
32,000	acres of delta lands, dyked, drained and intensively farmed. '"Raeeland's Little Holland” is an unusual and interesting country. Like Holland itself men have conquered and driven back the waters and the rich silt deposited by the Mississippi River thru past ages now serves mankind by growing all manner of products the year around. The Delta Farms and the Grant Smith & Co. projects are worth a visit. RACELAND HOTEL has clean rooms and good meals. Inf.—See Dr. J. J. Ayo at drug store.
AYO’.S SERVICE STA., west side of bayou is best. Drug store serves refreshments, has rest mis. and other comforts.
*IIOL'MA. On Bayou Black. Fish, oysters, shrimp and fur industries. Centered among the bayous of the lower Mississippi River delta : fishing, hunting and water sports are fine. The drive westward along tlie Bayou Black is past old sugar plantations. Negro colonies and quaint scenes of the old South. RHODES HOTEL (E.P.) and restaurant. CITY HOTEL (A.P.) Free camp in Suthon Park. Inf.—Duimnt’s store. Good sea food restaurants.
*M0RGAN CITY. On Berwick Bay, the gulf outlet of the numerous waterways that constitute the Atcliafalaya Basin. It is said you can cruise, fish and hunt for many days out from Morgan City over lakes, bays and bayous noted in song and commerce, and seldom repeat oil your course. Of some 2.000 mi. of navigable waters in southern Louisiana, a half are in this basin. This was the ancient outlet of the Mississippi River. The lumber and fur industries, and the oyster shell chick fead industry, are extensive. Morgan City ships 30.000.000 early cabbage plants. On Lake Palourde is the Morgan City bathing and camping beach.
COSTELLO HOTEL. (A.P.) Good sea food restaurants. Camp space. Inf.—Association of Commerce.
BERWICK BAY. Day and night ferry, 25c to 35c.
BERWICK. West side of Bay. ('amp space along river. Good restaurant, sea food specialities, at the ferry. Service stations at ferry.
PATTERSON. Old sugar plantations again, sugar mills, plantation homes, clusters of negro cabins, shaded drives, the Atchafalaya River and then the Bayou Teche by the roadside. This is the beginning of the Teche country, the land of the Acadian exiles. Patterson lies near the junction of the Atchafalaya River and the Bayou Teche. with Grand Lake just above. Here the largest cypress mill in tbe world—the F. B. Williams Co. All thru this country are graveled roads, bayous, lakes and salt-water bays: fishing, hunting, boating, bathing: well-farmwl lands, old live oaks and pecans—southern Louisiana is an interesting country. Tlie BERNEAl'R is a clean country hotel, good meals.
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