New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1866-05-31
NEW ORLEANS AND rExAs RAILROAD.


Among the improvements which are needed to
assist New Orleans in attaining her proper rank
and Importance us commercial metropolis, is the
early completion Of the railroad connecting this
city with Houston in Texas. The latter place is
the center from which the Texas system of rail
roads radiates--a system yet in its infancy, but
which is destined at no distant day to embrace the
whole of that gigantic and imperial State in its
iron notifications 1t would be superiluous of
course, at this day to enlarge on the immense
natural resources of Texas; its great variety of
climate its mutifarious productions, which include
the staple products Of the tropical and of the tenn
perate regions and the future of illimitable
trial prosperity which is opening before it. These
themes have already been the subiectof discussion
to such an extent that they no longer attract the
public curiosity by their novelty. All that can
now be said is that general consent assigns to
Texas prominence not only in natural resources
but, at rapidly approaching day, in population
wealth and production. OF this vast and fertile
country New Orleans is the natural entrepot.
The ports Of the Texan coast can do only local
business. The produce of the southern part of
the State could be sent to New Orleans, and
would seek this market, if there were means OF
transportation. Even before the war much Texas
cotton was brought to this port from Galveston,
Corpus Christi, Indianos and other places. But
whether OF not a railroad could compete with the
facilities offered by the Texan rivers and harbors
it would as we have before said, be of
immense advantage to New Orleans by plae
ing her in direct and easy communication
with the heart of populous and rapidly improy-
ing State, and with vast system Of projected
railroads, which before very long time will eX,
tend at least as far west as San Antonio. When
this Is accomplished, and when the New Orleans
and Texas railroad is finished, we shall have
pushed our railways nearly eight hundred miles on
the way to the Pacific greater distance than is
apt to be accomplished on any Of the other routes
for many long years. The completion of these
roads would Illustrate the praeticability of the
Pacific railroad scheme, and would necessarily
attract the capital destined to be employed in that
enterprise to the route Of which SO large portion
viii already have been achieved.
Nor is there anything unreasonable in anticipat
ing a speedy result of this kind. Before tile war
put stop to all sorts Of railroad enterprises iii
the South, there was very fair prospect Of the
early completion of these lines. The portion be-
tween Houston and the Sabine was already fin
ished and has been in constant use as far as Beau
and 0range--the temporary terminus on the Sa-
bine-has not been used, although the track is
laid on it. From Orange, opposite to which
point the route enters Louisiana the road is to be
carried forward to New Iberia-a distance, we
believe Of about one hundred and fifty miles
where it is to meet the opelousas road. From
Brashear City to New Iberia the route is graded
thence to Orange progress has not been made be-
yond the necessary surveys. The right Of way
from Orange to New iberia is possessed by the
New Orleans and Texas railroad company, and
that company is very anxious to carry on the
work. We understand that partial arrangements
for this purpose have been effected, and that the
company from its resources could complete the
road within few years. But this is short of our
expectations and our necessities. 1t ought to be
finished in a year and half or two years at
farthest. We are satisfied that as soon as the at
tention Of capitalists and Of the public is drawn to
the subject, the required amount can be raised
without DELAY