Sugar planter. [volume] (West Baton Rouge [i.e. Port Allen, West Baton Rouge Parish, La.]) 1856-1925, 1858-07-24
Tie Baton Rouge, Crosse Tete & 0pe'
lousas Rail Road.-1ts Condition..

A~N0S~ ~ 0O~~
Our attention was attracted some tlmt
since, to a communication in the New Or
leans Bulletin, over the signature Of &c. W
R. BIZ in which the following sentences oc.
cur:
The Baton Rouge and Opelousas Railroad
will be a good road, because it will connec
with the Great Western at Ope]ousas. With
out the Great Western road and its extension:
to Northern Louisiana and Texas, the Batof
Rouge and Opelousas, road would be a mere
uclghborhood road. like the Clinton and Por
Hudson, and worthless as a paying invest.
ment.
1t is clearly evident shat &c. W. R. B.
knows nothing of the business of the road hi
speaks so disparagingly of, or he could no
have made a charge SO utterly void Of foun'
dation. We propose giving our readers {
| plain, unvarnisbed statement Of the affairs O.
our road; and they can draw their own con
illusions.
The entire sum subscribed and paid in, fol
the construction of The Baton Rouge. Crosse
| Tete & Opelousas Railroad, amounts to S,,24,-
900, out of which they have constructed six
teen miles of road, costing Sl4 900 per mile
purchased thirty-fve negroes, two splendid
locomotives, one fine passenger car, two bag
gage cars, and ten freight cars. An excellent
depot has been erected at the Crosse Tete
terminus, together with Offices, out nous
es, negro cabins, etc, while at the river
terminus, all the buildings and sheds ne
cessary for business, have been erected
The Company, however, intend putting up at
this terminus, a large, commodious brick de-
pot, for which the brick are now making, a
warehouse and wharf, all Of which will be.
completed sometime during the fall. The
road is in the most perfect order. with all the
necessary turntables. switches, etc, and is
declared by competent judges to be second to
none in the United States.
The entire indebtedness of the Company
amounts to SCI 900; of which $4,000 are due
W. S. PIKE, Esq, of Baton Rouge, and the
remainder so JAMES ROBE, Esq, OF New Or
leans. These two sums cover every dollar
by the Company, and they become due
in April next. The resources of the Com
pany to meet these demands are, 1st, the last
'nstalment upon subscription notes, amount.
ing to $4,000; I'd, the Baton Rouge SUBJ
s%cription of $4,000; Sd, State subscript-
Of $12,5o0, and 4th, the nett earnings of
The road up to that time, say at least $40 1000,
in all SIP, 500, to pay of its indebt-
And, in addition to the above amounts,
he Company can at any time dispose of six
cen negroes, having little or no occasions for
heir services, since the completion of the
Dad.
The receipts of .he road from all sources,
June 1st, 1857, to June LIST, 1858, amount
d to S2s,500. The expenses Of the road for
he same period were sl4,400, including wear
nd tear Of machinery and road, salaries,
lothins and feeding negroes, and all other
Incidental expenses. By this plain statement
he prophetic &C. W. r. BIZ can see that
ur roal cleared the first year Gifts existence
1t will be borne in mind that thu
rop of Crosse Tete last year was quite small
nd the return freights very light, OF undoubt-
dly the receipts would have been much heav-
er. Does this look as if our road is worth
,ss as a paying investment, even if it has
OF the assistance ofthe Great Western Road,
nd its extensions to Northern Louisiana and
1t would be acting the wise part if
'me men would only assure themselves of
re correctness OF their charges before they
ut them to paper Tor an adniring public to 4;
axe at. The crop of Crosse Tete this year {
very large, which will of course, make the
usiness of the Road, the present year, only
} much heavier, while the return freights {
ill be greatly increased. A pretty close es- t
mate of the business of the road this year, {
ON say June LIST, 1858, to June list, 80, will s
ZACH about $4,000, while the expenses will
:, very little increased, if anything, and
q very handsome dividend for the year.
he business along the line of the Road is $
increasing, which only tends to make a
le receipts greater. l
The reader can now understand the position
the Crosse Tete Road before the people of Z
le State, and can draw his own differences I
to whether it will prove a paying invest 7
ent or not. For our part, We would prefer s
wing one share Of its stock, to owning ten I
the Great Western Road, without whose I
ours would be worthless! F
The healthy condition Of the affairs of our S
ompany is to be att! ibuted to the admirable l
anagement of the Board ofDirectors-men T.
no shrewdly and wisely consulted the Il
orth of every dollar before it was spent a
It niggardly parsimony, but judicious econo- '
y prevailed throughout all its departments, q
nile the wisdom of snch a roursa ;s ma,;- L