LOUISIANA—333 MILES Road Conditions The road across Louisiana well maintained gravel. SO ml. are paved. No dirt sections. A toll bridge is completed nerosB Lake Pontcliartrain, 15 mi. including approaches, cost $5,500,-000. Toll, see page 5. Ferry at Mississippi IUvor, New Orleans and at Berwick Bay, Morgan City—the only ferries left on the Old Spanish Trail. Their service is constant and good. Louisiana now lias good roads serving the whole Slate. Description of Country Louisiana east of Morgan City Is the ancient delta of the Mississippi River. The country is threaded with bayous and the Old Spanish Trail rambles by them and across them. Soils aro 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 French speaking classes thickly dot the bayou shores. Corn growing, fishing and fur industries are also important. Thousands of acres neat' the gulf arc dyked—this ifl “Raccland’s Little Holland/’ From Morgan City to New Iberia the Old Spunlsh Trail runs along the Bayou Tcchc past old sugar plantations with the oolonies of negroes still living in tlie cabins of slave days. Old live oaks, cypress and pecan shade the roads, homes and bayous. Some cotton, corn and rice thru here. At Lafayette all products mingle, then westward rice fields spread over the country. Southwest Louisiana is one of the greatest rice areas in the U. S. Water is pumped thru its network of cannls 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. Tln/lr cities and homes arc distinctively American. There nre thousands of miles of rivers, bayous, lakes, bays and inlets in South Louisiana. Roads among them arc good. There are thousands of acres of wild life sanctuaries including the Sage and the Rockefeller preserves and private club preserves. Conservation has improved the sport for everyone. Okl History The French took command of the vast territory of Old Louisiana by establishing sovereignty over 1 lie Mississippi River In 1099. This move by the French divided the Spanish territory in two and became one of the decisive events in North American history. The first settlement was at Biloxi in 1099. In 1711 the French settled Mobile. 1718 they founded Nouvclle Orleans: the same year the Spanish settled San Antonio as an outpost to protect their western possessions. In the struggle of empires wl?8 * a " ns cede(I to Spain in 1702. Spain took possession in 1709. Spain ceded Louisiana back to France in 1800. France sold to the united States in 1802. Now Orleans as the frontier post on tlio mighty river that drains a half of the continent became the melting pot ns all clnsscs of people struggled for life, power or development on the North American continent. _ Along the Bayou Techo is the Evangeline country Immortalized oy Longfellow’s poem. The Acadians were exiled from Nova »,5, AIoi,B u,is bayou today arc Acadian homes, towns ana cities. Under St. Mnrtlnvllle the story Is more fully told. WEST PEARL RIVER. New bridge. Another of tlie ' hotel. Free camp in pines just north of town. Rif.—i. J. Eddins, Slidell Garage. PONTGHARTItA1N XiRlDGE. A 15 mi. project ferrv th£ ?lace ot ««* old Rigolets—Chef Menteur i ,, !.?■ To1 1>. 5 for details. The Eou- Rieolef? gru Departmcul: is building bridges on the ,«r C t( Menteur roule. strone^ISf8' T1‘0 Port of the Mississippi Valley: ' i“- dtRWi , yi financially. One of rite most inlerest-uier Sn„ u.,the ,U' «• funded 1718 by the French: WW oldFrom, A,,/!,'transferred to the U. S. in ISOM. The Palaiial hnii>? "r'01 *s 11 charming ramble and close to the can be sneS t ,T U,oatres »»« inviting stores. Many days -lent in this fascinating city that lias grown iron1 the mingling of the races and types that have battled with and built up the Mississippi Valley. Hotels—BIENVILLE, at Lee Circle: DE SOTO, near business center; JUNG, new, moderate; LAFAYETTE, faces Lafayette Square; LA SALLE, new. moderate; MONTE-LEONE, in tlie French Quarter; ROOSEVELT, leads, center of activities; ST. CHARLES, a famous hotel, remodeled. No camp. Inf.—Motor League of La. (AAA) at Bienville Hotel; Automobile Club of La.. 514 St. Charles St.; the Association of Commerce; the N. O. Convention & Publicity Bureau, Inc. MISSISSIPPI RIVER. Ferry at Walnut St., continuous, 20c to -10c. New bridge, 810.000.000. financed and construction apparently assured. WESTWEGO. Industrial settlement west side of river. RULING. The Old Spanish Trail leaves the Mississippi River here and turns into southern Louisiana. PARADIS. Country hotel. DES ALLEMANDS. On tlie bayou; fishing. Country Hotel. Camp space. RACELAND. On Bayou La Fourclie. Center for some 32,000 acres of. delta lands, dyked, drained and intensively farmed. "Raceland's Little Holland" is an unusual and interesting country. Like Holland itself men have conquered the waters and driven them back and tlie rich silt deposited by tlie Mississippi River thru past ages now serves mankind by growing all manner of products all tlie year around. Tlie Della Farms and tlie Grant Smith & Co. projects are worth a visit. The local Hotel lias clean rooms and good meals. Ciinip space. Inf.—Ayo's service station, good. *HOUMA. On Bayou Black. Fish, oysters, shrimp and fur industries. Centered among the bayous of the lower Mississippi River delta; fishing, hunting and water sports nre 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.) steam heat; restaurant. Free camp in Sutlion Park. Inf.—Association of Commerce. *MORGAN CITY7. On Berwick Bay, tire gulf outlet of the numerous waterways that constitute tlie Atchafalaya Basin. It is said you can cruise, fisli and hunt for many days out from Morgan City over lakes, bays and bayous noted in song and commerce, and seldom repeat on 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 rite Mississippi River. Tlie lumber and fur industries. and the oyster shell chick feed industry, are extensive. Morgan City ships 30,000.000 early cabbage plants. On Lake Palotirdc is the Morgan City bathing and camping beach. COSTELLO HOTEL. Camp space. Inf.—Association of Commerce. BERWICK BAY. Day and night ferry, 25c to 35c. BERWICK. West side of Bay. Camp space along river. PATTERSON. Old sugar plantations again, sugar mills, plantation homes, clusters of negro cabins, shaded drives, the Atchafalaya River and then the Bayou Teelic by the roadside. This is tlie beginning of tlie Teelie country, the land of the Acadian exiles. Patterson lies near the junction of the Atchafalaya River and the Bayou Teelie, with Graud Lake just above. Here the largest cypress mill in the world —tlie F. B. Williams Co. West 15 ini. at Garden City llteir second Dig plant will lie passed. All thru this country are graveled roads, bayous, lakes and salt-water bays; fishing, hunting, boating, bathing; well-farmed lands, old live oaks and pecans—southern Louisiana is an interesting country. The BEUNEAUR is a clean country hotel, good meals. u; IT