New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1859-04-07
THE CITY RAILROADS.
The acts and ordainings Of the city Governmeu
nrozidinr for the building OF city railroads. NAV

providing for the building Of city railroads, may be
found published In this paper in the form Of their
amended and statutory perfection. These instru-
ments are framed as to carefully guard the inter-
ess Of each and all concerned-of the city, Of the
public and Of the contracting parties They provide
the legal basis Of system Of public works for the
public benefit of primary importance, and constitute
the most notable and commendable measure of muni-
cipal legislation which has during many years EN- a.
mated from the Common Council. The enactment
opens an avenue for enterprise which presents as
sured results Of success, results not Hypothetical al
upon mere calculation, but assured by the data Of
similar enterprises in other Cities in several Of which
horse railroad stocks proved to be most profitable
| investments, and are held at a large premium. In
New York, in Brooklyn, in Baltimore and Phladel-
phia, horse railroads are already considered necess
ties OF city life and such is the estimation in which
they are held as money making schemes, that COM
panes clamoring for charters are so numerous that
were they granted to all asking them, railroad
would traverse almost every street. and it would be
but step from the to the door Of almost every
citizen and SO cheapy, withal, can these railroads
be constructed and operated that not certai
| but that the travel Of the residents each re-
specially populated street would make road on
it paying property.
1frailroads so numerous in other cities are SO re-
munerative to their proprietors, what then is the
promise of this which is projected to traverse the
whole city Of New Orleans and which must, from
very necessity, become the great artery of travel the
cheapest, most speedy and comfortable means Of
passing from one extreme to the other of its long
drawn out extent? The topographic plan Of New
Orleans renders such of transit especially de-
sirabe to the whole community, for the whole COM
| ;tv ctIya ito hnna
ing longitudinally through the lengthy but narrow
city it will be daily and hourly convenience to all,
and of course the same circumstance will the
paying success guaranteed by general patronage. In
Brooklyn N, Y, there are twenty-five miles of
railway, and the plan of the city does not render
much locomotion necessary in passing from part
to the other as does the peculiar shape Of New Or
leans The stock of these roads is held at premium
and the dividends are heavy. The cost of running
one horse car is cents per mile, that amour
covering all working expenses Of every description
and to meet which each has to secure average
of little less than two passengers for every mile il
runs the fare being four cents each Of the routes
which average three miles in length. OF course these
roads carry many more than six passengers at every
trip and their profits large The fare on our pro
ected road is fixed at five cents, and as it is safe tG
calculate that at least twenty passengers will be
picked up by the at each sweep they make along
their route through the most populous part of the
city, such an estimate assures to contractors prota
BILE nvestment-exceedingly profitable. While no
city is favorable to railroad construction than
this s for the streets have dead surface level which
does away with the necessity for much grading out
lay, the running expenses would be but small frac-
tion more here than in Brooklyn.
The specifications concerning the sale of the right
of way for this route 80 wisely located for divertng
to its channel the great tides Of up and down towr
travel are published in full on our sixth page. Il
will be observed that, though circumspectly strin
gent and definite in wording the specifications
very liberal character, considering that they are tt
guard against oppressive exercise Of the rich priv
, lege of monopoly which is awarded under the con
tempated contract for this right Of way. The privi
lege is not burdened by conditions, but only speci
cay defined for the conservation of the rights of th
city and the interests of the public at large and tt
regard these, as it is provided they SHALL is the eas
which the contractors do as consideration TO
the liberal grant that will enrich them. Capitalist
generally referred to the City Comptrollers ad
vertisemen and doubtless very soon after the expira
ton of the sixty days. to eapse before the contra
is adjudcated, the work of construction will be be
gun, to be prosecuted with all expedition until in it
Auisueu petlcSilouy buc SouHuulty Will cApeEleuC
the constant utility of railroad service which con
soidates aud centralzes all portions of great city
bringing them to each other by securing speedy
cheap and easy communication to the advantage 0
social, business and property interests
A Good Joke Dumas the Novelist.
| This happened about four years ago. soulouqu
sent an envoy to France, charged with private mis-
sion and armed with full powers. Shortly after tn
sable minister's arrival he CauSe0 himself he
sented to Alexander Dumas, Sr, whose papa, ever
, body knows, or ought to know, was a magnfcen
General of a moasses color. Dumas senior is shad
lighter than was his parent, being of saddle tint
and Dumas junior son of Dumas senior, pretends t
be almost white. So he is-n the dark.
' The Haytien envoy, after automatically beatin
about the bush for considerable time finally cam
to business, and wound up by informing the aston
shed novelist that his (the envoys) mission to Franc
I was for the purpose of demanding the hand in maj
. riage of Dumas, junior, for her Imperial Highness
\ the Princess Olive, daughter of the Emperor OF a
the Haytis
"The hand of Alexander" cried father Duma
thunderstruck. Goodness gracious! Gracious good
; ness! The colored pussen must be insane! sayyc
He paused. The fact the author of Monte Christ
bears the envabe reputation of never having delibe
ately said disagreeahle word to anybody. So h
simply added by way of saying something-"1t's in
=. possible, sr Utterly impossible! u
e "Why?" demanded the envoy.
t "Why ?-Because-hum because my sons origi
IS too obscure Tor him to dream OF such an honor
And papa Dumas thought this triumphant piece
}. cunning.
# "Nothng of the sort, sir and, after ALL" continue
e the envoy. 'what are we? Only parvenus. myse
once peddled oysters. You wouldn't imagine it
know but it's fact. Besides sir, if we were to de
mand prince should be refused; or, at all events
be fobbed off with old ugly literary prime
C that's the ticket! He may write as many book
a and plays down there as he chooses"
# Papa Dumas, terribly embarrassed, scratched hi
- ear, and at last said:
}, "Listen to me. l know Alexander toerably wei
Z, He is continually growing about my ignorance
business and as for taking a wife upon my recon
q mendation, he would laugh at the bare idea SUI
pose ask Thompson to break the subject to him ?
% The envoy was satisfied with this plan, and Thoml
q son was forthwith desired to repeat the proposto
A. to Dumas Jr. Dumas Jr. swore that Thompson mus
be crazy and ordered the servant to go for docto
Nonsense interposed Thompson, " am pc
y ecy sane it is yon who are crazy to refuse such
N splendid opportunity Think of fortune of severs
!. millions !"
!, bah ~ retorted Dumas Jr. "Too risky! If th
- old darky should happen to be dethroned would
obliged to support the whole family"
!, "Not at al,' replied the sagacious Thompson
e " You risk nothing whatever. In case of the lit
accident you MENTION you could take the whole col
- Germ over to the United States and sell EN-"
a.
!, A CiOnD EScuSE EnR GnJsG tn war r