New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1866-07-12
The Bayou st. John Railroad.

By the second section of She charter granted by
the State in 1853, to the C&rondelet Canal and
| Navigation company, that company is given the
right to construct railroad, with single or dou-
bic track on either side OF the Basin, Canal and
Bayou St. John, from the head of said
Basin on Toulouse street. to the Lake end,
with the privilege of passing through such
private property and lands as may be needed
upon due compensation made to owners thereof
in conformity with existing laws, and to transport
on said road freight and passengers for hire ~ and
we see with pleasure that there is now a company
of enterprsing gentlemen in negotiation with the
lessee of the canal, to purchase the rights he en-
joys under this charter, with a view to the speedy
construction Of the road, and putting in operation
an enterprise which will be SO beneficial to the
district of the city through which it passes.
TO enable them to make the work as complete
and as servceable to the public as possible, the
| gentlemen composing the company propose to
change the route of the railroad, SO as to bring
its upper terminus to Canal street. at its junction
with Basin street, and to run it down Bienyille
| street to CarTOlit0n avenue, and thence to the
bayou, instead of following the course of the
canal down Toulouse or St. Peter streets, as they
have the right to do under the charter.
Were they to pursue the last named routes in
the exercise Of their undisputed right business on
these narrow streets, (Toulouse and st. Peter,j
would he much impeded and the public be suffer
ers instead of being benefited as all the available
width of these streets hardly sufices now for the
requirements of commerce. Besides, as the route
would not take in any unnhabiled section Of the
city between the Basin and the Bayou Bridge, there
would be no enhancement in the value Of real es-
tate to balance against the clogging up of the
streets by the cars.
But by the route which it il proposed to substi.
tute for that given by the charter all parties would
be gamers and no one interest would suffer.
Commencing at the intersection of Canal by Basin
street. in what may be called the heart of the city,
the road would be more accessible to the thou
sands of citizens from the First and Fourth Dis
tricts who would wish to take advantage of the
cheap means it would afford of making excursions
to the lake, and be more convenient and less
| expensive way for our merchants to ship freight
to Mobile and other points across the gulf. Pass.
ing down Basin street to Bienyille and down Bien
Iyville to Carroton Avenue, and thence to the new
bridge on the bayou, it would take in a section OF
the city which is not at present accessible by any
other railroad line, and which, up to this time, has
been mostly unproduCtive to either the owners Of
the ground in rents or to the city in taxes. The
road would bring into close connection with Canal
street an area Of high and habitable land as large
as the urban section of the Second District, quite
susceptible of present improvement, and thus
afford opportunities for profitable investments
which would surely be taken advantage of. Bien
vile street, from its intersection with Claiborne
street to CarrolIton Avenue, is almost as wide as
Canal street, and should this railroad be con
structed, will, doubtless, become one of the most
pleasant, as well popuIous, thoroughfares in the
city. Along its whole length Cont and St. Louis
streets will also be benefited, and in like man
ner will be all the streets, both above and below
their intersections with the railroad. Carrolltor
Avenue being near the City Park, would with the
facilities which this road would offer become
most delightful place for suburban residences
where our wealthy merchants and professiona
men could retire after business hours and enjoy
quiet and fresh air.
Such improvements, as a matter of course
would so increas the value of real estate in thost
sections that the city would collect thousands o
dollars for taxes upon it, where it now realize
ffties. The requirements of our rapidly increasing
population would be satisfied and the genera
health improved by the filling up and the habi
tation of a tract which has hitherto been an un
slightly waste of mud and receptacle for garbage
Another argument in favor of this measure i
the great facility it would give to the shipment o
freight to any point on the lake coast and to Mo
bile, and the convenience it would afford person
sojourning across the lake during the summer an,
to travellers. 1t costs at present double drayag
to ship by any route to the lake, and travellers ar
forced to employ hacks to transport themselve
and baggage from the hotels to the railroad depot
and pay fare on the cars besides, before reachin
the lake. But by this railroad freight could b
shipped from the stores to the lake at about th
same cost as is now charged for drayage; an
travellers could reach the lake without change c
= cars from Canal street.
In consideration of all these arguments in fave
- ofthe contemplated route, we hope that the cit
council will give speedy and favorable col
sideration to the memorial of the company so tht
no delay may be had in completing so important
work.