The daily comet. [volume] (Baton Rouge, La.) 1850-1856, 1852-11-21
From the Delta.
The Coast Railroad.

Il The Opanlon, frequently expressed ny US,
that it would bealieer to run the line Of the
Great Northern kailroad along the bank s
afthe river, at least as far as Baton Rouge,
capital of the State, has not been
ed by the action of the B GARD OF Dir
in running the line through the
miles of swamp TO Pass Manchac,
hen through the very poorest part of
the State TO the Mississippi line. But of
courS e are bound to defer to the wisdom
of the Board, and to cease advocating n
proposition which is no longer practicable in
that form. The value and importance of a
road, however from this city to Baton
Rouge, are SO generally acknowledged and
warmly pressed, that we are again induced
to call the attention of our readers to n
second proposition, upon which it is hoped
all parties will unite, in furthcrance of the
connection OF New Orleans with the capital
of the State, by the safe and certain mode
of communication of railroad
We need not remind them that such a
road would run through the richest and
best cultivated portion of Louisiana, nor
present the facts to show That such a road
would pay from the commencement These
are established truths. A much more inc
tcresting question is, as TO the mod"s operS
and, of accomplishing this important work,
of setting it on foot III an acceptable and
practicable shape. Necessarily such
road must be connected with the Great
Northern road, which hugs the river for
distance of twelve miles in n Decline from
the city to Minor Kenner's, and then d.
vergcs towards the banks of Lake Pont-
chartfain. As branch road proceeding
~ the river bank TO Baton Rouge would
of course add greatly to the receipts of the
Great Northern, the directors of the latter
would have considerable inducement to
aid such a branch.
The credit and resources of the latter
compay, already established, would enable
it to give direction and credit to the branch
10 Baton Rouge. The popularity OF such
a road, as public or State work, would
attach to the Great Northern, as its chief
promoter, and thus might the State be III
duced to subscribe the quota allowed by
the Constitution, TO both enterprises
Certainly, the State would aid q work like
that Of road to Baton Rouge, 50 essential
to its interests, in rendering Iacile the COM
munlcation with the community which |
NAYS onc-half the taxes ofthe State.
7sThele would then be three resource" for
the construction Of the road from New |
Orleans to Baton Rouge.
|. The subscription of the State.
2. The subscription oil the Great North
efn road.
B. The subscription Of the property hold
ers on the line,
Were our property holders liberal and
enterprising according to their means, there
are none in the United States who could,
with less sacrifice, subscribe the whole !
amount, which would not exceed $G00000,
to pnt this road into working condition
But the railroad spirit has not sufficiently |
penetrated our agricultural districts to lusiI-
fy such belief as this. Besides, our plan
tcrs are rich and easy in their circumstan
ces. Their ambition is limited to their
sugar crops and they cling to the idea
that their lands are only adapted to the
raising Of sugar, and it would be no advan
tage to treble their vauc, by proximity to
the city Hence The s'owncss, il not posi-
tiverepugnancc of many OF our planters to
furthering railroads. Still, however, there
are many who are fully alive to their I'M
portancc. who would chccrlully aid such an
The question arises, then, cannot the
planters and property holders raise at least
one half the subscription necessary to set
this work on FOOT Besides our coast prop
there is large class on the
highlands, who would experience the
greatest advantage from this road, in
the increase of the value Of their prop
crty, by the facility Of access to it from the
city. Three hundred thousand dollars would
be a small sum for such rich contry,
TO raise for so important an object. Such
road would run through the parishes of JEFF