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the mound are too steep to permit the use of a plow. The owner would not allow excavation because of the thought that treasure was buried there. This ridiculous idea is widespread and sometimes acts as a deterrent to the ignorant when permission to excavate is requested.

The last mound of the Avoyelles chain is about five miles in an easterly direction from the town of Echo. It is situated some distance from the river, but is near a former course of that stream. This mound is called the Island, for the reason that it forms an apex to some elevated ground which is not covered, in periods of high water. The burials here are all post-Columbian, since glass beads were found in association.

Such in detail are the discoveries of Dr. Moore, copied in part by his kind permission.

Marksville's charter of incorporation was signed in 1843 by the Governor of Louisiana, P. O. Hebert, and approved in 1845.

MARKSVILLE'S CHARTER.

No. 126. An Act to incorporate the Town of Marksville, in the Parish of Avoyelles.

Section 1. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the State of Louisiana, in General Assembly convened.

That the inhabitants of the town of Marksville, in the Parish of Avoyelles, be and are hereby made a body corporate and politic, by the name of the town of Marksville, and as such can sue and be sued, implead and be impleaded, shall possess a right to establish a common seal, and the same to annul, alter or change at pleasure.

Section 2. Be it further enacted, That the limits of said town of Marksville shall be laid out in a square in such manner as to include six hundred and forty acres, making the Courthouse in said town the center as near as can be done with a just regard to the interests of the inhabitants of said town, under the direc tions of the Mayor and Aldermen of said town or a majority of them.

Section 3. Be it further enacted, That the municipality of said town of Marksville shall consist of a Mayor and five Aldermen, three of whom together with the Mayor shall constitute a quorum to transact business; no person shall be eligible to the office of Mayor or Alderman unless he possesses in his own right real estate in the said town of Marksville; and the said Mayor

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and Aldermen shall be chosen by the qualified voters, as hereinafter provided for in this act; said Aldermen and Mayor to be elected on the first Monday in June of each and every year, and the members thus elected shall continue in office during the term of one year next ensuing, and until others are elected in their stead, according to the provisions of this act; and provided, that if from some accident or other cause an election should not take place on the day fixed by the provisions of this section, then an election shall be held as soon thereafter as possible, the Mayor or a majority of the Aldermen giving ten days notice of such election by advertisement in a newspaper, if any should be published in said Parish of Avoyelles, and in case no newspapers are published at the time, then notice in writing, stuck up in three of the most public places in said town of Marksville, shall be deemed sufficient notice of said election.

Section 4. Be it further enacted, That the said Mayor and Aldermen shall constitute a board for the government of said town, and they shall have and possess the following powers, towit: First, they shall have the power to lay a tax upon all taxable property within their limits, not to exceed the amount of the parish tax upon the same property; second, they shall possess all the powers within said limits which have been heretofore exercised by the Police Jury of said Parish of Avoyelles; third, they shall have the power to prohibit houses of ill-fame and disorderly houses, and impose a fine not exceeding fifty dollars for each contravention of this act in relation to said disorderly houses or houses of ill-fame; fourth, they shall have power to remove all nuisances, tax all plays, shows, billiard tables and every other species of games not expressly prohibited by the laws of the State, in such sum as to them may seem just and proper; provided, that said tax shall never exceed one hundred per cent. on the State tax; fifth, they shall have power to appoint a Treasurer, Secretary and Collector, and such other officers as may be necessary for the administration of said town of Marksville, and to require such bond and security for the faithful performance of their duties as the said Mayor and Aldermen by their own bylaws may prescribe; sixth, they shall have power to remove all persons who may be seized with any contagious or infectious diseases, and establish a hospital in the neighborhood for their comfort and reception; seventh, they shall have power to prescribe fines for all breaches of this act of incorporation of the by-laws of said town of Marksville, not to exceed fifty dollars, and the same to sue for and recover for the use of said town or corporation; eighth, they shall possess all the powers that are prescribed by law for the government of corporations in general.

Section 5. Be it further enacted, That the Mayor shall be ex-officio justice of the peace within said limits, and shall be com

missioned accordingly; and in case of non-acceptance of said commission, he shall forfeit his office of Mayor; and the inhabitants of said town shall proceed to the election of a successor, agreeable to the provisions of this act; said Mayor shall have power to suppress all riots, routs and unlawful assemblies, affrays and tumults, and all breaches of the peace, and to arrest all offenders, in the same way that justices of the peace may or can do.

Section 6. Be it further enacted, That the Mayor and Aldermen shall, immediately after this election, take the necessary oath of office to discharge their several duties as prescribed by this act; and immediately thereafter to cause a correct survey and plan of said town to be made, which shall exhibit the position of the various lots therein, and their several contents, the length and width of the streets, and their relative courses, and to make such alterations in the present plan of said town, if any there be, as may meet the exigencies of the occasion; provided, however, that nothing contained in this act shall interfere with the established rights and privileges of individuals.

Section 7. Be it further enacted, That any justice of the peace, residing in the Parish of Avoyelles, and he is hereby authorized to call the first meeting of the inhabitants of said town of Marksville, for the purpose of electing a Mayor and five Aldermen, by posting up a notification at three of the most public places in said town, at least fifteen days previous to holding of said election, and that every free male citizen over the age of twenty-one years, who has resided six months in said town, and shall have paid, or be liable to pay, a State, town, city or parish tax, shall have the right of voting at said elections of Mayor and Aldermen of said town; provided, that no person be entitled to vote unless he is a citizen of the United States.

Section 8. Be it further enacted, That the Mayor and Aldermen shall have power to make by-laws for the government of said town, and the same to repeal or modify; provided, said by-laws are not inconsistent with the laws of Louisiana, nor repugnant to the Constitution of the State of Louisiana nor that of the United States.

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AMENDMENT TO CHARTER OF MARKSVILLE.

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Section 1. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the State of Louisiana, in General Assembly convened, That the fourth section of the act entitled "An Act to incorporate the town of Marksville, in the Parish of Avoyelles, be and the same is hereby amended and re-enacted so as to read thus: That the said Mayor and Aldermen shall constitute a board for the government of said town, and they shall have and possess the following powers, to-wit: First, they shall have power to lay a tax upon all taxable property within their limits, not to exceed the amount of the parish tax upon the same property; second,,they shall possess all the powers within said limits which have been heretofore exercised by the Police Jury of the said Parish of Avoyelles; third, they shall have power to prohibit houses of ill-fame and disorderly houses, and to impose a fine not exceeding fifty dollars for each contravention of this act in relation to said disorderly houses or houses of ill-fame; fourth, they shall have power to remove all nuisances, tax all plays, shows, billiard tables and every other species of games not expressly prohibited by the laws of this State, in such sum as to them may seem just and proper; provided, that said tax shall not exceed one hundred per cent. on the State tax; and provided further, that the Police Jury of the Parish of Avoyelles shall no longer have any jurisdiction within the limits of said town or impose any tax on persons or property therein, except such jurisdiction. as may be necessary to impose such special tax as may be required to make and repair the courthouse and jail in said town, for which purpose taxes may be levied on the property within said town or corporation by the Police Jury, equal and no more than, on property in other portions of said parish; fifth, they shall have power to appoint a Treasurer, Secretary and Collector, and such other officers as may be necessary for the administration of said town of Marksville, and to require such bond and security for the faithful performance of their duties as the said Mayor and Aldermen by their by-laws may prescribe; sixth, they shall have power to remove all persons who may be seized with any contagious or infectious diseases, and establish a hospital in the neighborhood for their comfort and reception; seventh, they shall have power to prescribe fines for all breaches of this act of incorporation, or of the by-laws of said town of Marksville, not to exceed fifty dollars, and the same to sue for and recover for the use of said town or corporation; eighth, they shall possess all powers that are prescribed by law for the government of corporations in general.

Section 2. Be it further enacted, That no person shall be eligible to the office of Mayor or Aldermen who does not reside within the limits of said corporation and possesses the legal quali

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fications necessary to entitle him to a seat in the General Assembly of this State.

Be it further enacted, That the election for the officers of said town of Marksville, as contemplated in this act, shall take place on the first Saturday of June, eighteen hundred and fiftyfive, and on the first Saturday of June each succeeding year; and all laws contrary to this act are hereby repealed.

JOHN M. SANDIDGE,

Speaker of the House of Representatives.
ROBERT C. WICKLIFFE,

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FROM AN INDIAN VILLAGE

TO A COUNTY SEAT;

FROM A TRADING POST

TO A THRIVING MUNICIPALITY;
MORE THAN A CENTURY OF HISTORY.
SUCH IS THE STORY OF MARKSVILLE.

FINIS.

JOE MITCHELL PILCHER.

MEETING OF NOVEMBER, 1917.

The Louisiana Society met in the Cabildo on Tuesday, November 27th, at 8 o'clock, the usual date of meeting having been changed by the Executive Committee out of compliment to the Prison Reform Association meeting that had pre-empted all the evenings of the third week in November for their meetings. There was a good attendance of members and guests. The President was absent, but was replaced by Mr. John Dymond.

After the reading of the minutes the following members were placed in nomination and eletced:

Mr. James Long Wright, 617 Common Street.
Mr. Alfred S. Amer, St. Charles Hotel.

Mr. Robert Legier, 124 Carondelet Street.

Mr. F. A. Brunet, 313 Royal Street.

Miss Marie L. Points, 930 Elysian Fields Street.

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