New Orleans daily crescent., 1860-07-26

Louisiana, now in great demand, the sale OF which
will furnish means for the rapid extension OK the
road to the Sabine river.
Proceeding north.westwardy from 0peousas,
through the same prairie country, rs miles, we ar
rive at a point of the utmost Importance to New
Orleans, in respect to its connection with the i'm
mensely wealthy and populous valley of Red river.
This point on our main trunk line is Pine Prairie,
$50 miles from New Orleans.
Here, by branch railway of only 30 miles, we
come into communication with the rich sugar and
cotton district of Bayou B9uf, unite with the Alex
andria and Bayou Beuf Railway, and establish a
daily connection-in eleven hours running time
between Alexandria and New Orleans.
The immense Importance of such commanica-
ton to that section of the State and to New Or
leans--the business relations of both being init
mately connected-when the delays, losses and
difficulties incident to the uncertain navigation of
Red river during its protracted periods of low
water are taken into consideration, must be so
well understood by all as to render anything but
the mere statement of it here unnecessary. That
the trade both ways will be very great, all can see
and understand, particularly when it is known that
active measures are in progress for railway extern
sion up the valley to Natchitoches, Mansfield,
Shreveport and Fulton-seyeral hundred miles.
The construction of railways from Fulton into
Kansas by way of Fort Smith the Arkansas
river, and from Alexandra through the northern
parishes Of our State to Little Rock, is merely
matter of time, for the want of the most direct
nection by railway with New Orleans the natural
importing and exporting depot of the South west
will cause such to be built eventually
From Pine Prairie, our main line is continued to
its western terminus on the Sabine river, at Thomp
sons bluff, lat. $40, passing through forests of
very valuable Southern pine, varied occasionally
by the bottoms of rivers and creeks. This portion
of line is 6s miles long the total distance from
New Orleans to the Sabine river being 25S miles.
At its terminus, the road will receive all the pro-
duce tributary to the Sabine river above for dis
tance of several hundred miles, or to Smith, Wood
and Upshur counties, in Northeastern Texas.
From our terminus on the Sabine, railway must
necessarily be extended into Texas to San August
inc, Nacogdoehes, Rusk and Dallas. This road
must connect or intersect with every other in
northern Texas Dallas, by this line, will be $50
miles distant from New Orleans, or at least lis
miles less than by any other route and as Dallas is
the business and geographical center of the great
wheat region of Texas, the Importance of this
saving in distance will secure to our road the wheat
trade.
1t will, therefore, be seen that the New Orleans,
Opelonsas and Great Western Railway has connec-
ton with the entire sea.coast of Texas and all her
ports, by the line of steamships from the Atchafa-
laya; that will have connection with all the rail
ways in the Southern half of Texas by means of
the Texas and New Orleans Railway TO unite with
our main trunk at New Iberia that all the North
half of Texas will be secured by the extension
of the line, from the Sabine terminus to Dallas,
and by the Sabine river navigation; and that the
Red River Branch will connect New Orleans with
all NortL- western Louisiana.
This is outline Of the plan of construction,
present condition and prospects Of our road, with
out reference to its existing future way business,
and this, presume, is all the information desired.
@.. With much respect, @.5
Your obedient servant
G. W. r. BAYLEY Chief Engineer