New Orleans daily crescent., 1866-10-13
Rallwag connee.lon wl.h Tsxa..


Orleans every merchant, banker, broker, dealer
every resident or citizen is interested in the early
Of cur railway connection with that
great and rapidly growing State, Texas; and it is
astonishing that SO little apparent interest is mani
tested by the business men of New Orleans, to
expedite or secure the advantages Of such con-
nection., 1t would seem that the very great i'm
portance Of securing the entire trade of Texas,
the supplying of its entire population with farm
ing and plantation supplies, machinery, dry goods
and groceries, boots and shoes, furniture, drugs
and medicines, hardware, etc., in exchange TOT
cotton, corn, cattle, hides wool, wheat and hour'
etc., which would them seek the New Orleans
market almost exclusively, would be sutnclent
inducement to insure the active advocacy,of the
New Orleans press, and some concert Of action
among its business men.
New Orleans, situate d as it is. where the ship.
ping Of the Atlantic sea board and of Europe, and
the steamers which bring down the accumulated
products Of the Mississippi valley, meet and ex-
change cargoes, is the natural entrepot of Texas.
But. to secure to herself all the advantages of
such q position in the absence of navigable routes
to the interior Of Texas, q system of railroads
must be constructed.and operated; and what could
possibly be better than the plan of construction
adopted bg the 0pelousas Railroad Company, in
connection with the railway system Of Texas her
self. The northwest, perceiying the Importance of
securing the trade Of Texas, has commenced the
construction Of, roads from ST. Louis and Cairo,
Why should the Opelousas road, than which none
is half so important to the commerce and trade
of New Orleans, be suffered to drag its slow
length along with but little aid or comfort from
those who are most interested in its early compile
ton andsuccess.
The New Orleans, Opelousas and Great Western
Railroad is, most of all N New Orleans road every
mile added to its length adds to the development
of Southw estern Louisiana, andto the business of
New Orleans. Valuable lands for agricultural
purposes, now neglected for want of speh o COM
| munication with q market, would be eagerly
sought for and cultivated. Every new settler or
farmer adds SO much to the general aggregate, and
the business men of our city would reap the BEN
eft EConneet New Orleans with Texas by rail and
it would be difficult to over estimate the increase
| Of business Even if every dollar expended in
construction was lost, the indirect profits to the
lspeople OF New Orleans would return to them in
creased many fold their Investment. But it is
demonstrahle that the enormous business Of
/ such railroad, when completed to connection
4
| stock equal to any in the country.
Great public works require the united aid Of all
who are to be benefited, directly by stock
dividends, or indirectly by the increased value Of
real estate and the profits Of increased business.
| In this manner the northern and western States
have been covered with net work of railroads,
and they have grown rich in consequence Of the
resulting increase of business. Cannot we initiate
them and complete our one great road to Texas I?
a road which, when completed, will develop and
ada immensely to the population and products Of
western and southwestern Louisiana and of Texas; /;
which will ultimately be extended in all directions
northwest, west and southwest, as well as into
Arizona, Mexico, and to the Pacific.
We have assisted to build railroads hundreds Of
miles off, which, when finished will rather divert
trade from us; but what has been the private sub
scription to thestook of that road, which is des-
tined to bring the accumulated products of an
empire, in extent Of territory, to our own doors?
Less than s675, ,00O--whiIe s2,6O0,00O of the
stock is still unsubscribed for!1
Examination and calculation will show, beyond
all doubt or question, that when this railroad is
completed to New Iberia-forty-fi miles -and
connected by the New Orleans and Texas Rail
road with Houston and the railroad system of
Texas, that its own surplus earnings will insure
its early extension to theyalley Of Red River and
to its own terminus On the Sabine. No railroad
can be expected to pay dividends until it is fin
ished to its terminus; but when the 0pelousat
road is completed, there will be no better stooh
in the country, while every mile of road built III
1 western Louisiana or Texas will add, year by
year, to its business and to the trade Of New Or
leans. 1t can have orival, and must become
/ sooner Or later, the grand trunk end of all the
railroads built west Of us, B.