The Ouachita telegraph. [volume] (Monroe, La.) 1865-1889, 1872-07-13
Col. ScOtt's "Talk."


following remarks nj a meeting of the
New Orleans Chamber of commerce,
, held last week:
am here to-day, gentlemen, by invi-
tation of your committee, not to make
Il speech hut to have Il little friendly
talk on the subject of railroads; rail-
roads that relate immediately To the in
terest of this city and to the State of
Louisiana. For the last two or three
weeks, accompanied by Il Committee of
the Board of Directors of the Texas Pa
ciiic Railroad, consisting of Col. For
ncy, Mr.. Walters, Gen. Dodge and
others, have been making II tour
through Northwestern Texas, which
is the location of the line Intended to
be built through Texas, near the 32nd
parallel, and so on to the Pacific coast.
Having made this visit to Texas for the
first time in my life, never having
been in that region OFT the world before,
| will state very briefly the impress
sion made upon my mind i'll relation
to that country, its productions and its
peculiar adaptabiiity for extensive rail
road facilities. We have all been very
much surprised ut finding Il country
capable of producing all of the great
staples to Il degree of perfection that is
remarkable. We found there, within
circuit ofa very few miles, as good
wheat, us good corn, as good Tobacco, rs
good oats, and as much to the aero rs
have over seen stand on the ground in
any part of the world-and l have no
doubt the State of Texas can produce
and will produce more of these great
staples than arc being produced to-day
in all the balance of the United States
Cheers.
Our object i'll going to this section
was to look over the line of the Texas
Pacific Railroad, and to make arrange
mcnts for its construction, with YOU,
perhaps. | find we can readily obtain
all we need. \ reasonably strong pop
ulation in parts, active people, plenty
of timber and water, and good natural
location for the road, and with all these
facilities l will say that work is to be
commenced, and within the next two
weeks from this time contractors will
be placed along u line due west with Il
view to extend the road directly through
to san Diego and TO the Pacific, and
think I may say to the people of Now
Orleans, within the next six years |
hope to be able to go through 1" San
Diego on train of cars. ICheer5.}
The Texas Pacific Railroad starts
from Shreveport on the one point, and
TcXarcana on the other, and these two
lines run nearly in westerly dircc-
ton, and will come together at II point
west of Dallas forty miles, known rs
Fort North. We started at Shrr"vc-
port, one end OF the Southern Pacific
Road, and went To the end Of the road,
Travelled theme" by private conveyance
over two hundred miles of that country,
every acre of which can be made to
rrnducr, ~ | have toid you, and can
DC mad" II" greatest section vithis great
country. W" want, in connection with
this enterprise :,S il progresses for 1
col5iIrr the construction of the Texas
Pacific Road Il fixed furt-wr want out
lets from il at this end. We want out
lets from New Orleans, from. Nicks-
burg, from st. Louis, and from amy
other point that will build Il railroad to
Shreveport or any other point that will
intcrscct with us. 1t strikes me that
your people are particularly interested
in the construction Of II road that Will
connect with that great work rs il pro-
crosses; and l think that | may Say
that in two years we will have two
conrcrSing roads built, embracing 800
miles of road running in Texas. As ""
bring that from Rcd river, We want
reliable connection with the city OF
New Orleans By rail. 1 think il is the
duty Of the people OF New Orleans e"
take up that subject in very great
earnest NOW. do not think it can b"
| commenced II day too soon, and if your
| people will take up the matter and
| build Il railroad from here to Baton
| Rouge, or amy other line you may
| HI.,,