The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1917, Page 67

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The Lutheran Pioneer.

67

or tangled fields of rice to where the gray cypress
and green palmetto spikes bade: the cultivation of
man to halt. And then again we would cross
a deep, black, and tortuous bayou pursuing its
sluggish course through the impenetrable swamp,
where alligators slept, and serpents crawled, and
moss-robed cypress giants reared their gnarled
heads. Later, after passing through the old towns
of Donaldsonyille and Plaquemine, and hurrying by
a number of sleepy Cajun settlements, we, at Mel-
ville, crossed the turbulent and boiling Atchafalaya,
ceaselessly rolling its turbid waters in great masses
towards the gulf.

out its entire length of twenty miles this road does

not leave the soil of good old Avoyelles Parish. ‘The

word ‘Southwestern’ gives you the direction in
which the road pursues its weary way from Marks-
ville and Mansura to Bunkie. Does that satisty
your” It did, and so I thanked the obliging con-
ductor for his kind information and decided that
if ever I should build a railroad of my own, it’s
name should be equally comprehensive.

But we'll have to proceed. I arrived at Man-
sura, my destination for the day, about dusk, and
found Pastor Wilfred Tervalon and several of his
members waiting to take me to our mission-station

At Bunkie I left the main line of the Texas
and Pacific Railroad, and boarded “Old Barney,”
the train de luwe of the former St. Louis, Avoyelles,
and Southwestern Railway, but now degraded to
a mere branch line of the Texas and Pacific Rail-
road. Years ago, when I first enjoyed the pleasure
of riding on this road, then principally famous
because of its pretentious name and the jars, bumps,
and shake-ups it inflicted upon its patrons without
any extra charge, I one day asked the good-natured
conductor why so short a road was given so long
a name. The answer I received was: “You see,
it’s this way, father. ‘St. Louis’ designates the
patron saint of the road; for, as you know, we are
all good Catholics around here. ‘Avoyelles’ names
the parish in which the road is located; for through-

New Mansura Church and School.

in a “universal car.” Of course, you know that
means a Ford! At half past seven the service was
to begin, and we had to hurry to reach the chapel
in time. We found the church crowded. Pastor
Tervalon himself presided at the organ, but the
earnest singing almost drowned the sound of the
little instrument. It wasn’t the first time that
I had addressed the good people of Mansura, and
so I took it for granted that everybody had come
to listen. Nor was I disappointed in my expecta-
tions. Not only did they pay the closest attention
to the sermon, which was by no means short, but
they attentively listened to my talk after the service.
It afforded me particular pleasure when one of those
present arose and in the name of all requested me
to express their sincere gratitude to the Mission