Louisiana; comprising sketches of counties, towns, events, institutions, and persons, Volume II, Part 68

Author: Fortier, Alcee, 1856-1914, ed. 1n
Publication date: 1909
Publisher: Atlanta, Southern Historical Association
Number of Pages: 1326


USA > Louisiana > Louisiana; comprising sketches of counties, towns, events, institutions, and persons, Volume II > Part 68


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the departments of the university were as follows: Tulane college, the university department of philosophy, the law department and the medical department. Later were added the H. Sophie Newcomb memorial college for young women, and temporarily, as an adjunct, the Tulane high school, abolished in 1895. Every effort has been made by the board of administrators, with the cooperation of state and city authorities, whose chief executives are ex-officio members of the board, to encourage a large attendance of the worthy youth of the state. To that end each member of the state legislature is given the right to keep one well prepared student in the academic department of the university without payment of tuition fees, and 20 scholarships are open to appointees of the mayor of New Orleans. More than 50 other scholarships are given by the board of adminis- trators to well qualified applicants.


In 1884, the board of administrators of the Tulane educational fund were given by the legislature of Louisiana complete and per- petual control of the University of Louisiana and exemption from taxation of income producing property that might be acquired by the administrators up to the amount of $5,000,000. This act was ratified at a general election in 1888, and has been later ratified in the constitution of 1898. The status of the university as a state institution has thus been fully maintained. In 1886, Mrs. Josephine Louise Newcomb, of New York city, whose husband. Warren New- comb, was formerly a highly esteemed sugar merchant of New Orleans, donated to the Tulane educational fund "the sum of $100 .- 000, to be used in establishing the H. Sophie Newcomb memorial college in the Tulane university of Louisiana, for the higher educa- tion of white girls and young women." In thus perpetuating the memory of an only child, Mrs. Newcomb enabled the Tulane ad- ministrators to round out the idea of a university by the creation of an institution that would give to women all the educational ad- vantages which had before been offered only to men. Mrs. New- comb's letter of gift, dated New York City, Oct. 11, 1886, and ad- dressed to the Tulane administrators, said: "In pursuance of a long cherished design to establish an appropriate memorial of my beloved daughter, H. Sophie Newcomb, deceased. I have deter- mined, at the instance of my friend. Col. William Preston Johnston, to intrust to your board the execution of my design. Feeling a deep personal sympathy with the people of New Orleans and a strong desire to advance the cause of female education in Louisiana. and believing also that I shall find in the board selected by the benevo- lent Paul Tulane the wisest and safest custodian of the fund I pro- pose to give, I hereby donate to your board the sum of $100.000. to be used in establishing the H. Sophie Newcomb memorial col- lege, in the Tulane university of Louisiana, for the higher education of white girls and young women. I request that you will see that the tendency of the institution shall be in harmony with the funda- ยท mental principles of the Christian religion, and to that end that you will have a chapel or assembly room in which Christian worship may be observed daily for the benefit of the students. But I desire


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that worship and instruction shall not be of a sectarian or denomi- national character. I further request that the education given shall look to the practical side of life as well as to literary excellence. But I do not mean in this my act of donation to impose upon you restrictions which will allow the intervention of any person or per- sons to control, regulate, or interfere with your disposition of this fund, which is committed fully and solely to your care and dis- cretion, with entire confidence in your fidelity and wisdom. In- voking the favor of Divine Providence for your guidance in the ad- ministration of the fund, and for your personal welfare, I am, very respectfully, your obedient servant.


"Josephine Louise Newcomb."


The H. Sophie Newcomb memorial college was organized by the administrators as a department of the university, and from time to time until her death Mrs. Newcomb made other donations to meet the requirements of the college as they arose. By her will the uni- versity is made her residuary legatee and a large addition to the college endowment is derived from her estate. The first faculty numbered 13 members, of whom Prof. Brandt V. B. Dixon, an educator of great ability, was elected president and also professor of psychology of Tulane university. The original site of the col- lege was a residence at the corner of Camp street and Howard avenue, but a larger and more beautifully located property was donated by Mrs. Newcomb on Washington avenne, Sixth, Camp and Chestnut streets. There stood the mansion of the late James Robb which enlarged and improved, became the center of the group of college buildings. Near it have been erected the academy build- ing, art building and college chapel. The last named is a handsome stone building seating 500 persons. Its memorial windows, by Louis Tiffany, are among the most beautiful in the United States. The stu- dents live in dormitories, each in charge of a directress. The first of these. the Josephine House, named in honor of Mrs. Newcomb, is lo- cated on Washington avenue, opposite the college, and near it are others, The Gables, Newcomb House, Warren House, and Morris House. Both preparatory and college courses are offered, the latter leading to the degrees of B. A. or B. S. Graduates from the college are admitted to the university courses of study in Tulane univer- . sity on the same conditions as the young men graduating from the college of arts and science or the college of technology. Special advantages are offered for the study of art; physical training is required of all students, and a normal course is also offered. At the present time the young women students number more than 400. The university has received many other liberal benefactions: The Richardson memorial building already mentioned, erected in 1891 : the 1. W. Tilton memorial library, erected by Mrs. Caroline Tilton in 1900 as a memorial to her husband. at an original cost of $50.000. and since enlarged at a cost of $28,000; $700,000 received in 1902. by the will of Alexander C. Hutchinson for improvements in the laboratory and climeal facilities of the medical department ; the


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buildings and property of the New Orleans polyclinic in 1906. which now constitutes the postgraduate medical department of the university ; $2.500 from Miss Betty Beirne Miles, and $1,000 from Miss Margaret Linda Miles, in memory of William Porcher Miles. for the purchase of works in history and English and American literature for the library ; scholarships established by Mrs. Ida A. Richardson. B. C. Wetmore, F. Walter Callender, Simon Hern- sheim, Mrs. Elizabeth S. Baker, the Louisiana Battle Abbey asso- ciation, and J. C. Morris; fellowship established by George Foster Peabody and the university alumni association; $500 from Mrs. W. J. Bryan for the assistance of some worthy young woman pursuing graduate studies; funds for the endowment of medals from Glendy Burke, Judah Touro, Louis Bush, M. le Baron de Coubertin, Rev. Beverly E. Warner, and the Mary L. S. Neil book club.


The departments of the university occupy 21 distinct buildings, modern in design and equipment. The colleges of arts and sciences and technology, the graduate department, the first two years of the medical department, and the law department are on St. Charles avenue. opposite Audubon park, in a delightful quarter of the city. Eighteen acres of the tract occupied by the colleges of arts and sciences and technology have been set apart as a campus, and upon this the following buildings have been erected: Gibson hall, named in honor of Gen. Randall Lee Gibson, U. S. senator and first president of the board of administrators: the physical laboratory ; the chemical laboratory; the experimental engineering, electrical engineering, mechanic arts laboratories, and drawing rooms: the dormitory building : the dining hall ; and the F. W. Tilton memorial library. The athletic grounds, about 6 acres in extent, lie immedi- ately back of the college campus.


The splendid growth of the Tulane university is well attested by the present enrollment at the institution which is rapidly near- ing the 2,000 mark. The desire of Paul Tulane to advance the educational interests of his beloved city and state has been realized in the creation of a great institution of learning, which occupies a premier position in the South, and which ranks high among the foremost universities of the land.


Col. William Preston Johnston died on July 6, 1899. and was succeeded as acting president by William O. Rogers, secretary of the university, and for many years before this superintendent of the New Orleans public schools. Dr. Edwin Anderson Alderman was elected president of the university in 1900, and resigned that position in 1904 to become president of the University of Virginia. His successor was Dr. Edwin Boone Craighead of Missouri, under whose administration the university has continued to prosper.


Tullos, a post-village in the northwestern part of Catahoula par- ish, is situated on Little river. which forms the western boundary , of the parish, and is a station on the St. Louis. Iron Mountain & Southern R. R. It has telegraph and express offices, and is the


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trading center for the rich farming lands of the valley. The popu- lation in 1900 was 190.


Tunica, a post-hamlet in the central part of Winn parish, is about 5 miles southeast of Winnfield, the parish seat.


Turkey Creek, a village in the northern part of St. Landry parish, is situated on a creek of the same name and is a station on the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific R. R. It is the center of trade and shipping town for a large area in the northwestern part of the parish, has a money order postoffice, telegraph and express offices, and in 1900 reported a population of 250.


Turpentine .- (See Naval Stores.)


Tyler, a post-hamlet of Bossier parish, is situated in the north- eastern corner, near the Arkansas state boundary, 5 miles west of Springhill, the nearest railroad town and 25 miles northeast of Benton, the parish seat.


Tyne, a postoffice in the eastern part of Sabine parish, situated on a confluent of Bayou D'Arbonne, about 14 miles southeast ot Many, the parish seat and nearest railroad town.


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Ulloa, Antonio de, first Spanish governor of Louisiana, was born at Seville, Spain, Jan. 12, 1716. He descended from a family illus- trious in the maritime annals of Spain, entered the navy himself at an early age, and about 1748 was commissioned captain. When Charles III ascended the throne, Ulloa was given command of a fleet in the East Indies. In 1765 he was appointed governor of Louisiana, but remained at Havana until the following spring. arriving at New Orleans March 5, 1766. He had been instructed by the king to make no changes in the laws and customs of the province, and at first showed a disposition to conciliate the French inhabitants, who were very much displeased at the action of the French ministry in ceding Louisiana to Spain. Ulloa promised to keep at a fixed rate the 7,600,000 livres of depreciated paper currency and otherwise treated the colonists kindly, but when he issued his com- mercial regulation confining the trade of the province to the six Spanish ports of Seville, Alicant, Cartagena, Malaga, Barcelona and Coruna, the indignation of the people broke into open revolt. (See Revolution of 1768). In obedience to a decree of the superior council, Ulloa embarked on Nov. 1, 1768, and sailed for Havana, thence to Cadiz, where he wrote a full account of his administration to the Marquis Grimaldi. He was then made a lieutenant-general in the royal navies of Spain, and died on the island of Leon. July 3, 1795. Champigny describes him as "a man to whom knowledge and erudition were ascribed. but had not the proper talents for managing men. *


* * Obstinate, nothing was better than his own plans: violent, he confounded in his rage all those he dealt with : imperious, his will was law ; minute in his projects, vexations


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in their execution, arrogant when yielded to, timid and supple when resisted, inconsiderate in his plans, destitute of dignity, of generos- ity, shut up in his cabinet, appearing only to disoblige. Such was the man in soul. In body it would be hard to be thinner and smaller than U'lloa ; a sharp, weak voice announced his disposition. His features, though regular, had something false withal; large eyes, always bent on the ground, darted only stealthy glances, seeking to see and be unseen; a mouth whose forced laugh announced knavery, duplicity, hypocrisy, completes the picture of Antonio de Ulloa."


Union, a village of St. James parish, is situated near the northern boundary, on the east bank of the Mississippi river, and is a station on the Yazoo & Mississippi Valley R. R. It is the shipping point, by both rail and water for the rich farming country in which it is located, has a money order postoffice, telegraph and express offices, and in 1900 had a population of 100.


Union League .- Shortly after the war between the states some of the shameless political adventures, by which the South was then overrun, conceived the idea of organizing the recently emancipated negroes into a secret society for the purpose of acquiring and main- taining political power. By honeyed words and extravagant prom- ises they won over the freedmen, and the result of their efforts was the "Union League," which rapidly extended to all the South- ern states and during the entire reconstruction period wielded con- siderable influence in political affairs. The character of the "League" was about the same in all portions of the South, the principal object having been the perpetuation in office of men often devoid of political conscience and too frequently without even common hon- esty. Avery, in his History of Georgia, says: "It united its mem- bers in a compact oath-bound organization of wonderful cohesive- ness and discipline. Its hidden partisan efficiency was remarkable, and it ruled consummately its unlettered legionaries from Africa. Perhaps the most pernicious damage done by this order was the utter loathsome disrepute into which it brought the sacred idea of loyalty to government. All dissent from the sanctity of oppression and the virtue of tyranny was 'disloyal ; all abject approval of every hideous abortion of relentless despotism was 'loyal." The line of loyalty was ignominious subservience to power."


To the generation that has grown up since the war, this arraign- ment may appear unnecessarily severe, but old men, who were living during the dark days of reconstruction, will doubtless endorse every word of Mr. Avery's statement. One of the greatest evils wrought by the "League" lay in the fact that it taught the blacks they had a certain power as voters, without teaching them any of the duties and responsibilities of citizenship, and though the or- ganization passed out of existence at the close of the reconstruction era, its influence in this respect has not yet been wholly eradicated from the negro mind. (See Ku Klux Klan.)


Union Parish, established in 1839, was created out of the north- ern part of Ouachita parish. It has an area of 910 square miles, is situated in the northeastern part of the state, and is bounded on


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the north by the state of Arkansas; on the east by Morehouse parish ; on the south by Ouachita and Lincoln parishes, and on the west by Claiborne parish. It is one of the "good upland" parishes. The principal water courses are the Ouachita river, which flows along the eastern boundary, and Bayous D'Arbonne, L'Outre, Bachelor, Pierre and Corney and their tributary streams. As Union parish formed a part of Ouachita during the years of French ex- ploration and French and Spanish occupancy of Lonisiana, its early history is that of the mother parish. (See Ouachita parish). One of the first settlements was at Ouachita City, in the southeastern part of the parish, on the Ouachita river. It was only a trading post at first. butt a few houses were built around the post, and a store opened by a man named Jones, where the scattered settlers of the neighborhood traded. Dr. Sam Larkins, Col. John Hill, James Powell and Elias George located in the vicinity of Marion about 1835. Dr. John Taylor was one of the first physicians, and Sam Taylor and a man named Livingston opened a store at Marion in the early 40's. The Spearsville settlement was started in 1842 or 1843, when Mr. Spears and his oldest son started a store and later platted a town. Some of the first to reside there were the Braziels, Henry Barnes, Col. Morgan and a man named Pounce. Joe Goyen opened the second store at Spearsville a few years later. Shiloh was settled by the Hurd and Fuller families. Tribbs & Wade opened the first store there, and a merchant named Clark soon followed them. When Union parish was organized in 1839, a town called Farmerville was laid out for the parish seat. At the time of its incorporation the parish contained a population of about 1,800. The formation of the parish is good timbered upland, with a red sandy clay soil and alluvial land along the Ouachita river and Bayou D'Arbonne. The soil for the most part is rich and fertile, varying in color and tenacity in different localities.


The bottom lands of the D'Arbonne and Ouachita have some of the greatest cotton producing soil in the world, and large quantities of this staple are shipped from this region each year. Diversified farming is also carried on in the parish and corn, oats, hay, wheat, bnekwheat, sorghum, potatoes, tobacco and sugar-cane are raised. The choicest fruits common to this latitude, such as peaches, apples. pears, grapes, quinces and all the small varieties all grow in abtin- dance. Live stock and dairying are proving so successful that these industries are increasing each year. It has been discovered within the last few years that the upland country has a soil and climate very favorable for growing tobacco and the progress made in its cultivation has led to the introduction and culture of the finest grades of cigar and leaf wrapping tobacco, for which there is a great demand. Farmerville, the parish seat, is the most important town. Other towns and villages are Bernice, Conway, Cherry Ridge, Downsville, Holmesville, Lillie. Lockhart, Moseley's Bluff. Randolph, Marion, Spearsville, Oakland, Ouachita, Walnutlane and Willhite. Transportation and shipping facilities are good. The St. Louis, Iron Mountain & Southern R. R. crosses the northern


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boundary a few miles west of the Ouachita river and runs to Farm- erville ; the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific R. R. traverses the west- ern part of the parish north and south, connecting with the Arkan- sas Southeastern R. R. at Randolph, and the Arkansas Southeast- ern R. R. runs southeast from Randolph through Farmerville to Ouachita City. The following statistics are taken from the U. S. census for 1900: number of farms, 2,703; acreage, 356,918; acres improved, 129,045; value of land and improvements exclusive of buildings, $919,910; value of farm buildings, $319,550; value of live stock, $421,474; value of all products not fed to live stock, $911,824; number of manufacturing establishments, 37 ; capital in- vested, $148,517 ; wages paid. $46,342; cost of materials used, S106 .- 298; total value of products, $203,417. The population of the parish in 1900 was 11,553 whites, 6,967 colored, a total of 18.520, an in- crease of 1,216 since the year 1890. The estimated population for 1908 was about 20,000.


United Confederate Veterans .- The idea of a general organiza- tion of the veterans of the Confederate army originated in Lonisi- ana. Soon after the war organizations of regiments, etc., were made for the purpose of perpetuating the friendships formed in camp and on the field, and other societies were organized for benev- olent and charitable purposes, these organizations taking the name of the army in which the members served, as the Army of Northern Virginia, the Army of the Tennessee, and the Confederate States Cavalry Association. Early in the spring of 1889 a committee of 21 members, consisting of 7 from each of the above named organiza- tions in Louisiana, sent out a circular setting forth that, "In view of the ideas which permeate our minds, that we of the South should, in a spirit of amity and friendship in the interest and for the bene- fit of our whole republic, form a federation of associations, and that all ex-Confederate soldiers and sailors, now surviving, who were in good standing, be invited to join with us for that purpose, we beg to suggest: The formation of an association for such benevolent, historical and social purposes as will enable us to do justice to our common country, care for our needy and disabled comrades in their declining years, and assist the needy widows and orphans of our comrades, in a spirit of mutual friendship, fraternity and good will."


All local and state associations were invited to send delegates to a convention in New Orleans on June 10, 1889. Pursuant to this call the convention met at the appointed time, and after a harmoni- ous and enthusiastic session launched the society known as the "United Confederate Veterans," uniting all previous societies into one, though without interfering with the local work of the regi- mental or state organizations. At the head of the national order is an officer known as the "General." Any state having five or more camps, bivouacs or associations, and every five or more camps, bivouacs or associations in contiguous states, shall constitute a division, the commanding officer of which shall have the title of "Major-General." Under this provision Louisiana constitutes a


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division. The first two camps of the association were organized in New Orleans soon after the convention adjourned, and Camp No. 3 is at Shreveport. Hence Louisiana was a pioneer in the move- ment, both in originating the plan and effecting the first local organizations after the plan was carried into effect.


The objects of the association are declared to be "to unite in one general federation all associations of Confederate veterans now or hereafter formed; to gather authentic data for an impartial history of the war between the states; to preserve relics and mementos ; to cherish ties of friendship formed during the war ; to aid veterans and their widows and orphans; and to keep alive the memory of the dead." Since the association was organized in 1889 there have been three generals at its head, viz .: Gen. John B. Gordon, Gen. Stephen D. Lee, and Gen. Clement A. Evans. The first two are deceased and the last named is the present commander. At the beginning of the year 1909 there were over 1,600 camps, of which 62 were located in Louisiana. The total membership at that time was about 72,000. Of the 5,000 Confederate veterans in the State of Louisiana about 3,000 belong to the order. The major-generals or commanders of the Louisiana division since 1889 have been as follows, in the order named: W. J. Behan, John Glynn, Jr., George O. Watts (deceased), B. F. Eshleman, W. G. Vincent, John Mc- Grath, E. H. Lombard (deceased), W. H. Tunnard, J. Y. Gilmore (deceased), J. A. Chalaron (appointed for the unexpired term of Gen. Gilmore), George H. Packwood, Leon Jastremski (deceased ), J. B. Levert, O. A. Bullion (deceased), A. B. Booth, J. A. Prud- homme and T. W. Castleman.


Although the United Confederate Veterans are what the name implies-united-there are three departments of the association, to-wit : the Department of the Army of Northern Virginia, the Department of the Army of the Tennessee, and the Trans-Missis- sippi Department. The emblem or button of the order is square. representing a miniature Confederate flag, and the "Confederate Veteran," published at Nashville, Tenn., is the official organ. Reunions are held annually.


United States Courts .- (See Courts.)


University of Louisiana .- (See Tulane University of Louisiana.)


Unzaga, Luis de, third Spanish governor of Louisiana, came to the province with Gov. O'Reilly in 1769 as colonel of the regiment of Havana. The Spanish government had ordered the formation of a regiment to be composed of the inhabitants of the colony and to be known as the regiment of Louisiana. The work of organizing this regiment was undertaken by Unzaga, who commanded it until the arrival of the colonel assigned to its command. Immediately upon the organization of the cabildo, O'Reilly called Unzaga to the governorship, and he was confirmed in the office by royal schedule on Aug. 17, 1772, with an annual salary of $6.000. One of his first official acts was to issue a proclamation on Nov. 3, 1770, that no transfer of property of any kind should be made in Louisi- ana, except by deed executed before a notary public. If the admin- .




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