New Orleans daily crescent., 1866-10-15
THE TEXAS RAILROAD.

If there is one enterprise which, more than
other, should now enlist the attention of this
community, it is the early completion of the
railway which is destined to connect New Or
leans with Texas. II would be superhuous to
discuss the advantages which would accrue to
us from the consummation of this project,
and from the consequent opening Of railway
communication with country which already
teens with the products Of agricultural in
dustry, and which, at a day not very distant,
will probably excel any other section of equal
| extent, in population and wealth. tits strange
indeed, that the rapid development of the rail-
way system, which characterized the few years
Immediately preceding the war, did not en-
brace this important point
The people of Texas, in which State rail-
road enterprise had, until a very recent
period, been particularly backward, regarded
this as the most important project for their
interests, and they actually constructed rail-
way all the way from Houston to Orange on
the Sabine river. Louisiana, or rather New
Orleans, did little more than to carry forward
the great Opelouses road to Berwick's bay,
and there the work stopped, with the excep.
ton of d survey Of the rest of the route, and
the grading Of about sixty miles to New
Iberia.
It is time now to take up this neglected en-
terprise, and carry it forward to completion
which work can, we doubt not, be accom-
plished within two years, if proper efforts be
made. The part Of Louisiana through which
the roo n is n, r,aes ic ono ~ +1e ,,,1+ 1,or.-4:
ful and fertile portions of the State. The
Attakapas parishes have always been noted
for wealth and produetiyeness but they are
as yet, only partially developed A railway
passing through them and connecting them
with New Orleans, would give them an arnaz-
ing impetus, and could not fail to react bene-
fcially son this city. The Calcasieu coun-
Try, comprising a very extensive area, and
lying between the rich counties Of southeast
ern Texas, and the fertile Attakapas is vet
almost terra ineognita. Yet all accounts
agree in representing that it's broad and fertile
prairies contain the elements Of wealth which
would be rapidly developed under the stinlu-
lus Of easy communication with New Or |
leans. Here, too, is apparently the seat of d
BNSSfSSuAfC AA4iuopiJ LEV Ii lll6 s0OuG1, DuG
which has already been the source of great
riches il the Northern States. Petroleum has
been found to exist in Calcasieu in large GUAM
titles, and in very accessible situations.
There seems to be, little doubt that little
energy bestowed on this product would make
itan important accession to our commerce.
Then we have the cattle Of the Attakapas and
of Opelousas, the great salt works Of st. Mar
tin, and the sugar and cotton which lie latent
in the fertile and exhaustless soil of the beau
tiful valleys Of the Teche and the Courtableau
AS far as it goes the 0peIousas road is a
great benefit to our city but this benefit is
small compared with the advantages which
We would derive from its extension to tho
Sabine. Only By such consumrnation could
he stockholders fully realize the profits which
heir investment ought to bring, and only !
hus can the city Of New Orleans ever be com.
'ensated for the large sums which she has
lready paid.to carry the project into effect 6