The daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1848-1851, 1851-06-07
Speech OF the Hon. Judge Moore,
AT THE oPELoUsAs RAILWAY CONVENTION,
Del,oered on Wednesday, Euening.

Judge MOORE In answer to general call Of the
members of the Convention, came forward and
said
OBEY your call with pleasure, and / am glad to
see the citizens OF this city and Of this State alive
TO Their own interest in the making of railways.
am glad to see the citizens of New Orleans and
Inc country aroused on the subject of intercommu-
nication by railroads. We have been slumbering
whilst our fellow.citzens of the Eastern States
nave been constructing canals and railroads to
every available point in this great valley, to draw
OIL the trade from this city Southern
neghbors are taking the lead, and unless some ac-
tive measures be taken, New Orleans must feel the
effects most wofully. | come now to the considera-
ton OF the importance of the project to construct a
railway from Washington, in the Parish of ST.
Landry, to this city and according to the best
calculations can make, think it will be 172
miles long About ninety miles of the road is over
level country, and in this distance there is only
one small obstruction-a river, the Vermilion
with good banks, which bridge could be
thrown, without any great expense. The supply
oil timber being plentiful along the line doubt
not but that that part Of the road could be COM
Pleted and the track laid, at cheaper rate than In
any other part Of the State of Louisiana, or of the
United States. The route from Berwicks Bay to
Latonrche, presents but few obstacles as it is over
high tilabe land and will only require a few
crossings; and that part of it from Lafourche to
NewOrleans is quite favorable it is almost with
out swamp 1t will be seen from this, that nature
has laid down this route, and it would appear as if
1t was intended to be the country through which
railway should pass. The only real difficulty
would be the erection of bridge across the La
tourche, and that would not amount to more than
hal tha of e LII
New Orleans and Jackson Railroad. He calcu-
lated that the whole cost of the road would be
ab1ut 600 000 and he felt confident that it could
be laid down within that sam
And what were the prospects Of the track when
laid Why, they We're very great In The wear ls4s
the parishes of st. Landry, St. Martin, st. MARY
Lafayette, Vermilion, Terrebonne and Lafourche
Interior, made than 70 600 hogsheads of sugar
which produced about sc 900 hogsheads of mo-
iasses In that district there also produced in
that year 10000 bales of cotton, and more than
4o00o head of cattle, and this season. from the ls
oil January UP to the present time, more than 6OOO
persons have passed the Bayou Teche. Well,
then, on consideration, i am of opinion that one
half OF that amount of the sugar and nolasses
and 600 bales of cotton, and 40 600 head of cat
tie, with 10000 passengers, would pay, which is
much below what may be expected as the average
Then if the railroad could be branched off little
to The left, it could, in 100 miles. be brought to
strike Texas, and then it would be tue leading road
for the trade of that furnishing State, and would
tap the trade of the Red River. The income of the
Company, according to the present production of
the country through which the line would pass,
would be in the first year about $3.50 900, and it
would be raised on the produce which was estima-
ted would pass over the track, in the following
proportions: