The south-western. [volume] (Shreveport, La.) 1852-1870, 1870-02-16
Our City and its Citizens.

The Fairfield (Texas) Ledger says that the forte OF
the citizens of Waco has always consisted ain knowing
exactly what their best interests and acting SO
as rapidly to gain them" Could the same thing be
said with any truth of the citizens of Shreyeport9 We
think not Without wishing to be captious we ven
ture the assertion that town has done less to
aid its development than this of ours There
never has been any concert of action on any given
proposition If citizen approve measure, another
IS certain to 60 against it, and either advocate
other or deprecate any action at all. 1t would proba
bly be instructive to recaptuate the different under
takngs that have been started here but failed almost
in their inception Each one wishes to have it in his
particular way and as that is quite impossible in the
nature Of things resoutey he goes against everybody
ese's way. We cannot understand why this is So for
we must presume that our citizens intelligent
the mass of mankind indeed has often been suggested
that the difficulty is, they somewhat too inte-
gent; " though we cannot endorse so complimentary,
or it may be hypercritical opinion
Whatever the cause, there is gansaying the fact
that there is less public spirit in Shreveport than in any
other town on this continent-probaby some of the
old Dutch or Turkish towns may be equally apathetic
We doubt very much if population could have sue
ceeded in making more than village of Jefferson.
And yet look at the rapid growth and business of that
place. Situated on narrow bayou which looks as if
it were navgabe only for large-szed sks, and with
Indifferent navigation through the lakes during great
portion of the year. it yet almost rivals Shreveport
extent of business Is this not the result of enterprise
and energy? The people of Jefferson, we learn, are
giving efficient aid to their contemplated railroad
How much have our citizens given, or loaned to the
Vicksburg, Shreveport and Texas road Merchants
may at times become impatient at the delay in forward
ing freight over the road, but they must know that
even the extension to Hallvle has been of immense
advantage to their trade The receipts of cotton is an
incontestble evidence of that fact for although 6S
was very fair crop year, the receipts to this date al
most equal those of the year ending 30th of Septem-
Der last and there is prospect of their reaching 10O
900 bales this season. against bales last season.
The bonds of the city have been on the market for
months at eighty-fve cents on the dollar, with eight
per cent interest, payable semannually, and principal
and interest well secured by the revenues, and not
single bond, we believe, has been sold. We do not
know whether this is the result of want of capacity or
unwingness to purchase the part of our business
men, who anxious that the streets and wharf should
be improved Probably there was an error in giving
the bonds too long time to rum In older countries
twenty years is much shorter space of time than
with US, and many of our people would almost
have piece of blank paper Obligation however
good, that had twenty years to run. Twenty years
They are but brief span, moment of time to look
back upon but age to look forward to- Still it ap.
pears to US that by proper concert of action the mer
chants upon Commerce street might make an arrange
ment with the Board of this kind: There are some
thirty sorehouses on the evee the aggregate rental of
which cannot be much short of $50, 900 per annum
The owners of these houses-for it is unreasonable
to ask those merchants who are not owners of real
estate to make sacrifices for the good of the town
would probably be willing to devote S25 900 each year
for four years. to the purchase of bonds provided the
Board would expend that amount upon Commerce
street and the wharf 1t might be argued that the
revenues of the city at large responsible for the
redemption of these bonds, and that it would be I'M
fair to appropriate the proceeds of their sale to any
special locality. This lisa contracted view of the matter
The wharf and levee are commercial centre, and
in their condition This fact should silence captous
ness On the other hand the purchasers of the bonds
besides making safe and profitable investment, would
enhance the value of their property.
The want of enterprise and united action on the
part of our citizens certainly not the result of Pc
nurousness, for Individually they liberal as any
people, many of them too much so for their means.
1t then follows that their action or want of action
must result from lack of pecuniary ability or conf
1ence in each other. as regards the first there is no
question but that mercantile pursuits not so remun
erave here as they should considering the amount Of
capital and energy invested AS regards the second
Shreveport will arrive at the degree of prosper
ty to which nature points, until the sentiment ofpetty
ealousy gives place to that of generous rivalry among
IS citizens.