The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1870-05-18
Shall Alexandria Have . Railroad I

AS the time approaches for taking
off the next crop, which we hope to he
a large one, the above question be-
comes very important one. Often,
when the price of sugar and cotton is
at the highest, the low water in Red
river renders it impossible to take off
the crop with sufficient certainty and
rapidity to secure the highest market
prices. At only certain season of the
i year can the Bayon BDnff be depended
on as an outlet for the crops of that
fertile region, aud thus we have often
seen our staples remaining on the
plantations all the winter, when, per-
haps, the flood in the prices has been
reached aud passed. And then, again,
the planters who live off these streams
are often prevented by the worst roads
in the world from hauling their crops
to point from which they can he
shipped to market. Every planter
looks forward with horror to the mud
|. dy roads of the winter, when the wear
aud tear Of HIS teams cause such a
heavy drain GU the proceeds of his hard
earnings Of the preceding year.
Now suppose we had railroad run
ming down the Bayou Beuff valley,
and giving us safe access to the New
Orleans market in eight or ten hours.
The facility with which a crop conld
be run into the city ut moments
i. warning would ennble "a planter to
take any advantage OF a favorable fuc-
tuation in the market, no matter how
Sudden it might be The dangers and
tcdionsness of the river navigation
would he avoided. And more than all,
the tiiliicnlties al hauling over the bad
roads woui.. I've entirely overcome. And
suppose that all the people who have
suffered from the Inconvenience Of
transportation had devoted to the
+ building of a railroad tn New Orleans
the actual losses they have suffered
!. from tue want Of one, we are Of opin-
i'm that Il railroad would now he almost
. completed, aud no one will deny that
- such an investment would have been
Il profitable one. If men could he
t made to understand and fully apprcci-
y ate these things, they would move in
i the matter with a promptness which
i would secure a road at nn distant day.
;. Persons, who visit Rapides are as
tOnisled that owners of such lands ms
we have, should be content to suffer
from snch Inconvenience in getting
their crops to market. When We con-
! template the imprt yements in other
t parts If the country, where Nature has
S not been half 30 lavish with her gifts,
Z it is difficult to understand the in,lif-
/, ference with which our people view
Z the subject of Internal improvements
A And. if there ever was necessity to
, awake to the importance Of the ones.
:, tiOn, it is now when our rich lands are
!, lalmost the only property the ravages
of war have left US. There can he no
doubt that. as soon as railroad il
bnilt, the lands along its line will be
!, sought after by farmers aud capitalists,
and the value Of the immovable prop
:, erty in Rarides Increased u hundred
fold. We have complained that set.
y tiers do not come to Rapides. Bmild a
railroad aud you will never hear the
complaint again. Once built we are
sure that ii steady stream of industri-
). Gus settlers will pour in upon our rich
lands, to aid ig developing tl,eir re-
3 sources, and adding to the value of the
finest country in tie world. Our town,
! too, will revive, and in place Of Il small
village we shall soon see thriving
: town OF many thousand inhabitants
where Alexandra now stands.
We have been led to call attention
to this subject by the fact that recent.
ly several gentlemen from the North
have visited our Parish with view t.
Y aiding the speedy construction of a
road to New Orleans. They are gen.
tlemen Of known enterprise and have
i the command of unlimited MEANS
They know that railroad iD thi.
# country would be paying investment
and propose to Jake advantage Of oul
: former remissness. The should he re-
ceived cordially and our people sS?ult
e cooperate with them heartily in &C
J. praisewortly an undertaking. While
we cannot too severely condemn tlioss
is adventurous vagabOnds from he North
who come among us to seek Office anG
l. snck the life, blood IF our people, ",
welcome with open arms those soil,
Northern capitalists who come to i'm
l. prove our lands, and those industriou,
'e Northern labolers and mechanics, VIII.
II come to add to the wealth of the coun
re try. Such men, whenever they visi
ID our State, will ever be able to give tn,
X lie 20 the assertion that the. Souther,
% people are hostile to the Northern i'm
d migrant.
SUDDEN DEArH.-A young maj