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1'Tib. / Qu^jlH77
Gulf Coast Reminiscences of James A. Cuevas of Days Before Sixties
submitted by:	Mrs. /illiam . *. McGinnis,
(The following article was printed in the Sunday Magazine Section of m Times-Picayune on May 7, 1922 (New Orleans, LA)
If the post who wrote "A sorrow's crown of sorrows is remembering ftl pier days" had known Jamea A. Cuevas, the "Saga of Beauvoir," we might] have had a different meaning to the lines;	for memory of the tima	whani.
"life was one glad, sweet __________"	does not	embitter but serves as	a tra!
sura-house when in the evening	of	his life	he sees with eyes that	sae f
more the wonderful drama ended	in	the old days of th^ Mississippi	Gulf,
Coast, its islands and its waters. His grandfather was one of Jackson1! veterans of the Battle of New Orloans. Cat Island, on the Mississippi coast, was given to him for his services to	his country.	He	lived	that
and reared a large family there.	"You want	to knov'about	my	grandfathal
.fell, he was a brave man and was	not afraid	of anybody or	anything	thaif
lived. He died at Cat Island in	1849, whan	nearly a hundred	years	old/j
and was buried there. Later a tomb was built and his body was taken tffl the Biloxi Cemetery where his family are buried, " thus started Jamas a]| Cuevas in telling me of recollections the Mississippi past in tha y^ars before the Civil Jar.
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"My yrandfather was the father of eleven children, all of whom livac to be grown and had families of their own. rheir names were:	Francois
____uta, Euphrasine, Hypolite, Juanite, and Raymond, the last being myi
father. They were all born at Cat Island."
Mr. Cuevas then continues as follows:
*
"The first thing I can remembef ? and I heard of it so often after wards, was a great party which my grandfather gave at C-j t Island. Ai was in 1844 and people came from "Old Chimney," Bay St. Louis, Pa^j Christian and Rotten Bayou ? about six boatloads ? Mg boats too. veil, great preparations were made. Dr. Guardia, who knew more about cooking than anybody in all that country, supervised the cooking of il the meats. The chickens were bled and stuffed with oysters and baked were the geese, ducks, piggs ? everything ^as stuffed with fine seaso; ing. Two tables were always ready; one with heavy food and the other with all kinds of liquors, cakes, candies and fine things. There was 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, pol^ 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 ??	r of it, but nobody got drunk; they were used to ?
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 errand time. They ate and ate, and it couli have lasted eight days m?r] for there was enough food for it.
Expensive? /hy, no. Su^ar cost 1^ cents a pound; nu?at, all kinds 2?i cents; flour $2.50 and $2.75 a barrel ? there were tv/o grades, and superfine, and this last cost more. C-rndy was 2 .1/3 cents a pound and we had everything on the island, so there was little to buy. ^