The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1872-10-30
The Railroad 10 Shreveport and
Northeastern Texas.

CotitliItee Oh nlrtee1 recommend, anu
the effect of it is to secure the Houston
road, as the said Sub Committee seem
confidently to expect, a great stride OF
progress will have been made.
But the work of the Committee Of
Fifty one is but just begun, the Shreve-
port connection being yet untouched.
On this have much to say, to which
beg attention.
QUASI BOARD OF PUBLIC WORKS.
This committee of fifty should re-
gard themselves as a commission, with
much more comprehensive sphere, and
higher and wider duties and RESPONSE
bilities, than they seem yet to have
appreciated. A permanent board or
bureau to plan, systematise, direct,
control, investigate and correct, in all
matters relating to the public internal
improvements Of Louisiana, is very
great need. Such an institution, with
proper personnel, organization, author
ity, and duties would, in the last few
years, have protected the people and
their treasury from the food of venal
legislation, speculative rascality, Off
cial corruption and covert p'uDdering,
that, under the guise of internal i'm
provements, have we'll nigh ruined the
whole commonwealth and it's people.
Let this committee then act, so far as
it can, as ifit were a board of public
works, and protect and promote all
public interests.
THE DIRECT ROUTE TO SHREVEPORT.
LAYER and aim to show, that even
between Bayou Goula and Alexandria,
through both of which places the d.
rect and the elbow roads must run, the
direct one saves Is to "a miles; or in
other words that the air line ronte is
about ITO miles, and the Vermilliou-
vile line about $50 to 1855 miles; that
the direct line has about 20 miles out
of the ITO well graded, while the other
cannot have more than about 40 or Is
out of the 100 or 1875; that the direct
route is we'll protected all the way, and
is behind no levee that makes serious
danger of overflow and interruption,
while on the route to Vermillionville
many miles ofhigh trestle work must
be built and kept up, and permanent
grading is deemed by many imprac-
ticable; that the direct road can he
built for ordinary cost, and construc-
ton can be continued winter and sum-
mer. while along Grand River the cost
will be enormous and the progress slow,
as work can be done only a part of the
year, so that if the Shreveport connec-
ton is to await the building to Vermil-
lionville, it may be long delayed by in
superable diffiulty; that the cost of
time and money to build all the way
to Alexandria by the direct line, will
be hardly as much ais will be required
to reach Vermillionville, which is
about one hundred miles short of AL
exandria; that the direct line runs
through cultivated plantations, and
and most productive land
nearly all the way, while the other
route, in this respect, is far inferior;
and finally, that the advantages of the
direct route will inu,e to more than
double the population and property
that will be benefited by the other.
These latter propositions will be
more plainly seen as we proceed. If
in anything I shall be found at all mis-
saken. I shall promptly admit and
the error.
LET US SEE THE TRUNK AND BRANCHES.
This direct road should be straight
md first class trunk road from New
Orleans to some point at least'one hun
lred miles west Of Shreveport; and
lot ziz-zag road for local purposes
llone; because New Orleans is to be
made, by virtue of this very connec-
ion, the eastern terminus of what is,
M egeellance, the trans-continental
Dad of America. For about twenty
'ears have been calling attention to
his very route, or one PARALLEL and
!uite near to it., with the above grand
bject in view. l we'll reeollect the
urprise of everybody when, in 1854,
was announced that Baton Rouge
vas on an air line with New Orleans,
Alexandria and Henderson, Texas, be-
ond which the junction should be
made. Since the first projection or
uggestion of this line two companies :
ave wrought,upon 1.-THE work above ::
,entioned being the resultant there ,
y so far indicated the projection.
The straight road above described ,
hould, in its progress, throw off mar
DIV gauge branches-except near Ba-
On Rouge, Alexandria, Shreveport,
nd Marshall and jefferson, where,
wing to their Importance and connec-
ons, the wide gauge should be used. . !.
The obvious branches and their !,
sngths and connections would be as '
blows: (