New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1871-09-27
EANS, WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER p, 1871.
Excursiou to DOnalds0nvllle.


Regular trains from Westwego, the star
ing point Of the New Orleans, Mobile an
Texas railroad, on the right bank of th
Mississippi, will commence running abou
the tenth Of next month. A daily train fo
passengers and freight will probably leav
| Westwego station about three o'clock i
the evening, and return the next mornin
from Donaldsonville, leaving there abou
seven o'clock in the morning. This will en-
able planters, merchants and pleasure trav
elers to come down the road in the mornin,
and return the same evening.
Westwego station is nearly opposit,
Greenville, and when the road is in opera
ton connection will be made by a steam
ferry between st. Joseph street and West
wego. At present, passeng gers take tn,
CarroIlton cars and ride up to Da1
Hickok's, crossing the river at that point
or they may leave the cars at Broad street
or Broadway, and walking down to Green
vile, cross the river there.
Accepting an invitation to 60 up on q
special train Sunday morning, breakfast
was lost in keeping the appointment, and a
slight investment secured a ride to Carroll
ton. Considerable time was wasted in waiting
for the moving spirit in the excursion, Mr..
j. Stuart Skinner, and more was occupied
in ferrying over the river down to the rail-
road station.
At halfpast ten o'clock the train left
Westwego, westward bound, and arrived at
DOnaldsOnville two hours and half later.
The road passes through cane fields, most
Of the plantations being divided and drained d
by the railroad and its wide bitches on
either side. Some of the cane was wretch
edly poor, and negligent cultivation was
apparent. Much of the cane. however, was
tall, stately, tiourishing and of such excel
lent growth as to give promise of profit
able yield.
The apparent want along the road was
labor, and there was room and land
enough for hundreds of planters to make
a handsome living by farming on small
scale and cultivating the cane. Acres upon
acres Of cleared land was lying untitled for
the want of labor or seed cane, or both.
On the line of this railroad, from the Mis-
sissippi river to Donaldsonville, there are
openings for thousands of sugar planters,
who with properly directed industry could
secure a generous income from small FARMS
and enrich the State, and any one who rides
through these cane fields will come to the
same conclusion.
Some large plantations are entirely aban-
loned, and others are only partially cul-
,ivated, while. if the whole capacity Of the
'ugar lands there were put to the test, the
'aeeharine products would be greatly en-
arged.
There was nothing to note on the route
Except sugar cane, neglected plantations,
water tanks for railroad use. heather Chi
lee, contented colored people. occasionally
! view Of the river, and. wherever they
we're finished railroad stations, Of which
here will be twelve or fifteen when all are
lone.
Donaldsonville has already felt the i'm
'ulse of railroad connection. and num-
'er Of houses are being built that will add
o the wealth of the town. An objective |
oint was the residence Of Judge Mason,
ut that gentleman having left town for |
few Orleans, We were fortunate in becom- !
1g the recipients OF generous hospitality |
xtended in various ways by Judge Morris |
larks, Of the Ascension Leader. Judge |
[arks conducted US through the town,
ointing out the chief objects of interest, !
nd made an Intellectual effort to get us
ito Jail, that We might be interviewed by
le prisoners. Donaldsonyille is a good |
lace to 60 to, but a better one to come
way from for a hungry crowd, and we
ere seated in the cars and ON our way |
ack before an hour had elapsed after the
ain arrived there.
Chief among the celebrities of Donaldson
lille is the new weekly paper called The
Aief, conducted by that intelligent and
young man. Mr.. Linden E. Bent
y. But we did not see The Chief, nor it's
litor.
The starting point opposite Greenvi]le is
pity named Westwego, and indicates that
le design OF the railroad company is to
.sh this incipient branch Of a great enter
rise across the broad and fruitful plains of
ttakapas, in Western Louisiana, through
exas to the Rio Grande, and even further,
It'll, IN process Of time, it may reach the
acifc.
The intermediate stations are numerous,
I'd named after the saints in the calendar.
z: st. Joseph, st. George. St. Denis, St.
larles, St. Andrew, St. John, St. Edward
. Stephen, st. Patrick, St. Peter, St. James,
. Michael and Donaldsonville, which
lght appropriately have been dubbed st.
Dnald. to complete the catalogue.
has none of the aspects of
e old town as seen twenty years ago, with
e exception Of massive and moss grown
urch, which wears the gray and grief
'rn aspects of olden days" "Old Donald
NJ was bombarded during the war, and
the tiled and turreted buildings of
ench and Spanish times we're leveled
tn the dust, with the exception of the
nerable church, whose antique towers
re spared the visitation of the iron hail.
On its return the train reached Westwego
fore six o'clock; terriage across the river
a large yawl, belonging to the railroad
mpany, brought us once more to Dan
ckok's, from whence overcrowded Car
llton cars brought us safely through to
w Orleans.
The excursion was rendered much more
,asant than it otherwise would have been
the courtesy of the conductor, Mr.. L. NJ.