I’ve heard longtime locals talk about the Hotel Fredric that was a part of downtown New Iberia for many years.

Steven Stansbury sent me a copy of the header from an old piece of Hotel Frederic stationery, that he got from Jean Hagan Thibodeaux whose grandmother worked in the hotel’s office.

While stationery was a standard in hotel rooms for many years, I suppose email and efforts to cut expenses have done away with most of it, as I can’t remember seeing any stationery in hotel rooms in years.

This stationery had a picture of a grand looking hotel. It advertised itself as having “All modern improvements” that included how it was “electric lighted” and “steam heated” and how it had elevators and a vacuum cleaning system.

It also promoted “all outside rooms” so you’d have a window and a view of some sort, but probably most importantly, so you’d have some fresh air and if you were lucky, a breeze as air conditioning was not a feature mentioned.

You could get a room, according to the stationery, on the “American Plan” for $2.50 and up. It showed the Patout Brothers, Proprietors and had a printed date of “191_” so apparently was from the 1910-1919 years.

Steven recalled the hotel was pink and how it was torn down as part of the Operation Impact effort in the 1970s to revitalize the downtown area.

He said he remembered going to its coffee shop on Sundays where he’d get a Coke and his dad would have coffee, and how it had a terrific restaurant.

Although that list of amenities would seem pretty sparse by today’s standards, it was a pretty grand place for its time, from what I’ve heard from locals.

That stationery reminds me of a motel postcard I got in the mail a few years back, sent by a friend who stayed in a North Dakota motel for a night or two during a business trip.

The picture side of the postcard showed several scenes, the front of the motel, the swimming pool, maybe the coffee shop. On the back were printed some pretty basic hotel amenities that included “gas station/convenience store next door.”

My friend had circled that mention of the convenience store next door, and then in the message area had written something about, “Living the good life in North Dakota!”

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I saw an announcement for a casting call to be held in New Orleans Sept. 7 looking for local boys, Caucasian, ages 6-10, who have “… a particular wisdom, intelligence or ‘old soul’ quality.”

It says all looks and body types are encouraged and they are especially looking for a boy with large or unique eyes.

You can just show up at the Hilton Riverside from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The announcement said they are doing a nationwide search for “spirited, interesting, smart and creative boys … to be considered for leading roles.

Whose son or grandson isn’t spirited, interesting, smart or creative?

Clearly it’s a lot easier to find a boy with a particular wisdom and intelligence aged 6-10, as around 12 and 13, a lot of boys start getting pretty goofy.

If this sounds like a boy you know, you can email MidnightSpecialCasting@gmail.com.

Let me know if you go and how it went.

WILL CHAPMAN is publisher of The Daily Iberian.