The New Orleans crescent. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1866-1869, 1868-12-09
THROUGH FREIGHT AND THE JACKSON
RAILROAD.

Among the most important needs of New
Orleans is a system of through freights be-
tween the Mississippi river and the Jackson
railroad. 1t really does seem to be incon-
ceivable that a community which recognized
the necessity Of steam carriage over the six
hundred miles between here and the Ohio,
for the products Of the interior should have
been so slow to discover the importance of
closing up the broken link between the rail-
road depot and the rivera hiatus which can
not be cleared except at an expense so enor-
mously excessive in proportion to the dis
lance, that it almost nulliies the advantages
of the railroad. In the course of two years,
at farthest we shall have direct communica-
ton with ST. Louis via the Mississippi Gen.
trail to Paducah; and this new line viii
give US direct communication with Chi
cago via Odin, on the Illinois Central
From Paducah another road is under
construction to Vincennes, which will sup
ply direct communication north of the Ohio
with Cincinnati Railroad bridges are to be
built across the Ohio at Paducah and Cincin-
natl, and across the Mississippi at st. Louis
Thus all of that vast network of railroads in
the States of Ohio, Indiana and Illinois will
soon be brought into direct connection with
the Jackson road, to which they will act as
feeders, if New Orleans offers inducements
for through freight. But as long as it costs
so much TO transport freight from the depot
to the river, as TO make New Orleans the most
costly shipping point instead of the cheapest,
we shall experience very little of the benefits
reasonably to be anticipated from these i'm
provements. What ought to be done is to make
a through connection between the railroad
and the river, and this should be undertaken
by the Jackson Railroad Company Adesira-
BILE route would be to continue the road from
its intersection with Napoleon avenue in JEFF
ferson City, down that avenue to the river.
thencs along the river to the great grain
elevator thence to the Pontchsrtrain
railroad depot, at the foot of Girod
street. 1t is stated that the company
do intend to undertake this enterprise, and to
establish depot at the foot of Girod street,
opposite the Opelousas depot in Gretna, and,
they have even applied to the .city for the
right of way. This would be very important
as 1t would provide for the transmission of
the vast numbers of cattle which Texas will
undoubtedly furnish for the West and North,
if facilities be furnished for transporting
them. But we cannot afford to trust this ne
cessary improvement to the chance of favor
able disposition on the part of the company.
We may grant the right of way fifty times
over, and the project may not be accomplished
after all. five acceede to the company's re-
quest we should impose condition that the
proposed connection should be completed
within specified time-say six months; and
if necessary to secure the assent of the COM
pany to this condition we might even grant
something by way of consideration. There, for
instance, is the city stock in the company. 1t
has never been anything buta source of trouble
and perplexity and litigation. 1t pays no
dividends, and it never will pay dividends
untilfhe claims of the bOnd-holders are liaui-
dated. Even then nothing can be expected,
unless the road gets business, and it can get
business only by diminishing its freight ex-
penses; and, conversely, the freight expenses
can be diminished only by attracting bust
ness. The stock, we repeat, is worth nothing
as to- actual or anticipated dividends, and it is
worth nothing as one of the city's assets,
since, in consequence of the bond-holders
lien on ii, it cannot be sold in the market.
The best thing to be done with it is to sur
render it to the company, on condition that
the company shall complete the through con-
nection of which we have spoken.