New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1870-05-11
TE&AS KAILkOAD MATTEHS.
AxcComb and MOsga-,

The San antonio Express Of recent date
has the following gossip about railroads,
| which may interest our readers:
| On tSe twenty fifth of May the govern.
ment will sell the San Antonio aud Mexican
| Cult Railroad, TO satisfy a claim made by
| the government to the amount of about
| forty thousand dollars. This claim origin
ates from the reconstruction of the road by
| the United States army on the arrival of the
| troops in Texas after the war. They found
| the road in ruins, as it had been thorough
ruined By Magruder during the war, ana
put il in running order for their own use.
| The work was done III temporary manner.
Green bottom timber like hack berry, elm,
ETC., WAS used Tor cross ties, which rOtted
in year after it Was LAID down. The own.
ers, helpless as they were, were glad 10 yet
the road back on any terms, and recognized
bill of forty Thousand dollars charged for
the work. Bat when they had obtained pos
session Of it 1t WAS coon i'll such state that
it was unfit fO- use, and required capital to
put il in {. eerviceable cOLdltiOn. Capital
they had none Thus, the road has been all
along such rs We have known it, about no
road at al.
On the fourth of June next the same road
is advertised TO be sold under mortgage
IN favor Of bonded debt of $500, geo, which
mortgage has heen on the public records
ever since 1860. The holders were ali
Northern creditors of the road, aud lately
the bonds were nearly all purchased by
Henry MeComb, of Wilmington, Delaware,
ana Morgan and Others, with the avowed
purpose of selling the road under mortgage,
becoming themselves the purchasers, and
completing it rapidly to San Antonio, and
also subsequently 10 Gonzales and Austin.
CHARLES Morgan is we'll known to our
readers as a man Of large capital and great
enterpt Use. H. s. McComb, of Wilmington.
Delaware, Is one OF the leading Capitalists
and railroad men OF the United States. He
is one of the directors and large sharehold.
ers of the great Pacific railroad, also the
principal owner of the Mississippi Central
railroad, and has lately purchased ma
jority Of the stock of the New Orlaps and
Jackson railroad. Men Of this stamp do no
go into an enterprise to fail, and we look
upon the railroad as q fixed fact, as there
Can be no doubt that our Legislature, now
the railroad is'at last in our grasp, will do
all in the way of revlving the charters, and
other friendly legislation that Can be ex-
pected of .hem.
From Indianola we hear of some trouble
between the railroad directory and the City
Council, which we hope, however, will be |
amicably settled. Messrs. McComb and |
Morgan will, when they become the owners
of S. A. NJ. G. Railroad, arrange on eQuit-
able terms with the 1ndianola Railroad |
company, for consolidation Of the two |
companies into one. To offer the greatest !
possible facilities TO commerce, ana reduce |
expense and time for the commerce of the |
interior Of the State, they propose 10 extend |
the Irdianoa Railroad from the depot to
the wharves and the bay GU landing, so as
to load the trains there at once, saving
loading and unloading, and hauling BY |
days through the city. The directors Of
the Indianola Railroad company passed
,1,-&: IN FL; I
applied to the City Council for the right of
way. This the City Council granted, but
coupled with condition which the com
pany did not accept.
The City Council demanded penal bond
rom the president and secretary, that they
would not use this connection between the |
yharves and. the depot for Transporting
reight, but only for the transportation Of
abroad material, ties and rails. Other
triction should last unit! the road shall be
and il running order To point
twenty-five miles above Veto il, This |
bond The parties refused to give, for if the |
legislature should decree the connection, as
t und0u otedly will in the interest of the
Interior of the State, private contract Of
uch kind might then stand ia the way and
lefeat the objects of The Leeisla ure.
We do hope that our friends Of mdianola |
viii bot insist On such an opposition.
We have always looked upon the interests
# San Antonio and IudapOla as Intimately |
blended, They will find the most active
champions Of their interests as the seaport |
# Western Texas among San Antonio men.
5ut they must, il the trne and enlightened
rev Of their own interests. do everything
o facilitate, nothing to hinder ard burden |
'ur commerce. Our merchants are willing
to pay all the necessary expenses | {
incurred by our commerce. But they are
opposed from principle, and in view of their
wn interests, to an unnecessary tax i'm
osed on them by a mistaken local policy
1t is an axiom which our Indanola friends
will hardly contest that just in proportion 10
he facilities they will offer 10 the commerce |
f the interior, will their city draw the trade
D its channel aud grow in proportion.
hey can not expect commerce to change as
ompletely as it will. by the completion of 9
be railroad, without even little interests G
eng thrown out of their accustomed =
rooves. But in the rapid development of ,
small village, as it were, into an important
eapOrt town, no interest can permanently ,
lier.
1ndianola has found powerful friends in
le men who will undertake not only to :,
uild the railroad to San Antonio, but also
Topose to build to Austin, and draw to her
large share Of the trade of central Texas,
ow given up to Galveston. On that dis
uted ground the IndlanOla merchants must
low al that energy, hberality aud enter
rise which we think they possess, and to-
,ily forget the small ideas Of the past, OF
bich we Can not help considering this pres
at opposition q remnant.