The south-western. [volume] (Shreveport, La.) 1852-1870, 1869-08-04
Promising Prospects of the Southern Pacific

Promising Prospects of the Southern Pacific
RAILROAD
We are in possession of reliable information that.
since the late conventions at Memphis and New Or
leans the Southern Pacific road or the route on the
32d degree of latitude, with its western terminus at
San Diego and its eastern one at Tyler, in
Texas has been rapidly growing in public confidence
Several influential members of both houses of Con-
gress have expressed themselves in favor of congress
sona aid 1t rests, we believe, upon the activity AMI
enterprise of the people this line, to secure this
subsidy IT, it is true, the gods only help those that
help themselves is it not the less tne, that to show
this line worthy of national confidence should show
it commands unreservedy, a local confidence? We
should CO. in the way of local support, to the utmost
textent of our means.
In this connection, we are happy to state that in all
likelihood, the road from Vicksburg Monroe will be
in fine running order by the first of October; that,
after the completion Of this portion Of the line, the
| work will commence Immediately westward, towards
Shreveport We are also gratifed to state that, by
the time, the route will be probably extended
thirteen miles beyond Marshall with the probability of
immediate extension to Tyler. The link of thirteen
miles this season has been already secured by the en-
serprise of the company, which we hope will be
onded by the city of Shreveport. From all the ndi
cations, confidently hope and expect, that Smith
county will carry it to Tyler In this event. we are
perfectly satisfied congressional aid will be obtained
and the ultimate construction of this line accomplished
We hope the friends of this enterprise will be sure
to send delegates to the convention to meet at Louis
vile in October next.
While on this subject we would remark that, at the
request of gentleman, whom we suppose to be its
author, re-publish from the Harrison Flag an in.
teresting communication in reply to one written by
Blanton Duncan, of Kentucky and reproduced in our
columns short time since. We were of course, on.
ly prompted by desire to show to our people what
other communities doing for railroads. which
facts might open their eyes to the importance of deci
sive, immediate and liberal action on their part.
No one appreciates fully than we the great
need OF the extension of this road We conceive that
the future OF Shreveport, as city, is wholly depend
ent upen it. 1t idle to say that the local trade can
sustain place of its present size. Nature has
done enough for Shreveport make it one of the rst
cities of the South Will she do nothing for hersefs
Mr.. Editor-An article appears in the South est.
ern of the 3Oh of June last copied from the Courier
Journal signed "B. d. in which the writer seeks to
show that the only railroad which has any showing be-
fore Congress, and the only that has received any
recognitons from the country International
route, is the Memphis and Ell Paso railroad This
writer is man named BantoI Duncan of Kentucky
ana one of the directors of this Memphis and Ell Paso
Railroad Company, and bis statements in keeping
with the statements of the other members of that COM
pany They not able to build any road themselves
and, like the dog in the manger don't want any one
else to do so. Their charter is old as that Of the
Southern Pacific and yet they have never built one
foot of the road. They have raised the money by the
million on several different occasions, as they have
GENTLY but they never get 1t out of the Bank of
France The writer would be pleased to that road
built and if the managers would go to work and build
it, and not busy themselves much about other roads,
they would probably succeed better. Mr. B. D. says
that the Southern Pacific is merely local road and
that the Memphis and Ell Paso is recognised as the
great international route for the South Now, will he
inform US who recognised it as such2 The Memphis
and New Orleans commercial conventions recommended
road on the parallel of 80 degrees. Shreveport and
Marshall in latitude $780, almost the exact line
recommended-while the Memphis and E Paso pro-
posed road is about 81 degrees The Southern Pacific
from Vicksburg via Shreveport and Marshall is on
the direct line recommended for Southern nterna-
tional route, and has this advantage at least it has
one hundred and thirty seven miles of road almost
completed, viz: from Vicksburg to Monroe, seventy
five miles; from Shreveport to Marshall, forty-twe
miles, and from Marshall westward twenty miles
graded, the iron at Marshall and all the work under
contract to be completed by the opening of the fall
trade. Comparisons are said to be odious, but since
gentlemen will make them, we may be excused for re-
ferring to them We suppose the directness of this
Memphis and Ell Paso route is to recommend it above
all others to the consideration of the public It be,
gins at Jefferson and fifty miles due north to-
wards St Louis, aud then detours around by Carks-
vile and Paris and takes the direction to Ell Paso
This little road of fifty miles from Jefferson northward,
thrown in to please the Jefferson people, and induce
them to abuse the Southern Pacific, which they are
not backward in doing but if they will pardon me
will suggest that they will build railroads by GO
ing to work on them than they will by abusing and
sanderng their supposed rivals.
But the writer does not design to draw any particu
lar comparison between the two routes in this article
promising to do so some future occasion if it be-
comes necessary to justice, merely remarkng at this
time that the Southern Pacific is better and more
direct route than theirs has living running road,
while they have none; owes no debts to any one, and
has more money and friends than they have.
The design of this short article is to show the puh
lie the unairness and meanness of this Ell Paso COM
pany, who are not only building no road themselves
but attempting to hwar and paralyse the efforts
of others in doing so. This Blanton Duncan, in the
article alluded to- says: cit (the Southern Pacfc) is
a local road, though having the right by its Texas
charter, to extend westward through the State. But
during the last winter so little did its managers care
for the Texas privileges that they made arrangements
with gentlemen who desired to obtain aid from Con-
gress to construct road the 35h paralle-defect-
ing from the line which they authorised to build
Col. Hall projected his road to the north and aban-
doned the Texas line" Did any ever hear of such
fasehoods before? Col Hall promising to
build road on latitude 35 deg entirely out Of the
State where it had charter and no privileges! He
would have been compelled to cross the track of the
great Memphis and Ell Paso, and have gone into the
Indian country, to have reached the s5th parlel The
statement is simply false and absurd. The writer
knew Col. Halls views as well as any man, and he
spoke of any other route than the direct one
from Marshall to Dallas and thence west to El Pase
Again, Mr.. Banton Duncan says, after stating how
much money his company has in the Bank Of France
or some imaginary bank the other side of the At
lantic: "The completion of 300 miles would give to
the Memphis and 81 Paso company three million
of rich land surveyed and reserved for the
corporation and with that security believed that
several hundred miles more of road could be built"
and so on
Now, can any sensible man invest his money in any
company that has to resort to miserable falsehoods
like the above to keep the road in decent order before
the public? Does not every man in Texas, and out
of it. that has any knowledge of her railroad system
know that the reserve alluded to by Blanton Duncan
repealed by the last Constitutional convention of
Texas and that that road supposed road, has not
of land reserved? Those who may be curious
the subject referred to the journals Of the last
convention.
And SO little did Col Hall and the managers Of the
Southern Pacific think of the Texas nriyleoea that