The Opelousas journal. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1868-1878, 1873-06-28
The New Orleans, Mobile and
Texas Railroad
LFrom the New Orleans Renublican.


From the New Orleans Republican,
Henry J. Gardner and Peter Butler,
trustees, to whom were sold the other
day, under the hammer, all the right
title, stock and appurtenances of this
road, have forwarded to us a card, to
which We call the attention of our
readers:
A CARD.
The business of the railroad. from New Or
leans to Mobile, will be conducted in the future
by the undersigned, underthe name of the New
Orleans and Mobile Railroad Company. and the
business OF the road on the west of the MiSsiS-
sippt river, under the name of the New Or
leans and Texas Railroad Company.
The functions Of the undersigned in COnncC-
ton with these roads are those of agents and
trustees.
BY the terms of their trust they are enioinpd
'tO an efficient, sound and economical admins
tratIon OF the property and franchises" and to
render - Il full and honest account to the hpnp-
tCiarieS of this trust"
Consistently with these duties, all facilities
and convenienccs will be provided for in their
management.
In reference to measures for the completion of
the western lines, which depend hut little upon
their personal agency, they must speak with
caution and reserve. Whether the work will
be resumed with readiness and prosecuted with
Vlgor depends, i'll some measure, upon the COM
munltieS interested in the enterprise,
The corporation has constructed n railroad
from Mobile to New Orleans at a cost of about
O'"NfNN nttH''AC Guy Contribution 10 IL
by amy State, county or city through
which it passes. The rOut was difficnIt,
steady and uninterrupted labor unattain,
able, and the entrance of the road into fine
cities was like all invasion of IL public
enemy instead OF receiving d friendly welcome,
rms work has not been remumerative hut
It's large cost has Subtractrd but little from tho
capital OF State, city or citizen of the State.
The Western and more difficult rout was lib
orally endowed by legislative enactmcnts. On
that line there are about seventy miles COM
pleted; For the present the work has been slls-
pended. ''
The State securities obtained by the CORPORA
ton nave not been available for the purpOsps of
negotlation to any important result. The cause
OF this 1t is not necessary to consider. huttbG fact
is indiSputable. The payments on these seen
nitCant. "l9
No interest has been paid on the bonds givcn
for stock; nothing has been expended on the
issue OF bonds guaranteed by the State. and
not more IMAM one years interest, or Mt fine
most, less than W o amounting to about S1OO OOO,
OIL tue issue OF what Is termed subsidy bonds.
II Is not TAR to say that the two hundred and
ten miles OF road, costing about eight millions
or dollars, nave been aSsistedin any aDprpciohIn
oHSfee by state Gld or endowment. The rights
OF way and the depot ground i'll this city have
Dceh tSed 10 some extent, and have been i'm
proved at a heavy expenditure and upOn which
taxes are paid to the State and city. hinder con-
slant and bitter litigation and vehement de-
nunciatiOn. "
Under such circumstances, the work Of re-
organization OF the affairs OF the company takns
place, and their future policy is to be decided,
A friendly, hOspitable, earnest sDirit Of cC'
operation in the community would have much
influence upon their deliberations. A more
GhaTltaDle appreciation of the efforts that have
been made, with a disposition on the mart nf
ine community TO assume and bear a fair pro-
portion OF the peril, burden and cost of t0e en-
terprise would do more. D" 0H
Ihe Undersigned have a firm belief that woro
Il helping hand and friendly sncprh cnrfioT|%2
bestowed ny the communities immediately IN
terGsIeu III tAese measures, they would effect
n d HtoLe tOWar4 tnelr accomplishment than n
spirit OF rcpr0ach, elimination, or angry 0nIo.
sitiQn, 9' 0PP"
None can doubt that their accomplishment
%oulu tenQ greatly to the prosperity of this
State ana this city, and for the deyel6umeDt of
the material interests of the great so11t6waStoNr,
portion of this country.
Henry j, GARDNER.
PETER BUTLER, Trustees
They call attention to the fact.
tnat Notwithstanding all the scandal
tlat has arisen and all the bad feeling
mat mas been evoked, this road has ac-
Tualiiy. been benefited by the State of
Louisiana only to the extent of ohont
100000; hat the road from MohiIn to
this city cost the builders about Az q =
OOO, and that not one dollar of This
amount was paid by any town, comfy
OF State through which the roadpasses.
that the road hence to VermiliOn has
been literally aided by the State, Int
the securities of the State have neVer
been made available; that no interno+
has been paid on the bonds issued for
stock; that opposition of every ron
celvable nature has followed every
movement to build or extend the Inc
OF the road, and that the agents are Ia
Dor1ng under embarrassments of this
KIND to-day such as have never been
met With before by any party Of men
0rg9nlzlng transportation facilities for
the benefit of a people,
Inc raids OF the Sioux and Apachcs
on the roads through the Western plains
anQ over the Rocky mountains are not
10 t compared l their disastrous re-
suIts WIN the combined forces of CAPT
tai. Cup!dlty, ignorance and mendacitv
which have assailed this enternr;SS
from its very beginning. Short sighted
Local interests have assailed it, and
those, who had privileges to c0ncede
have blackmailed it.
But in spite of all this, a daily trim f.
MOBILE mas become a reality. The wa
teTng places On the lake shore have he
come practically accessible to our DeO-
pie. The rich interior of our State il
being opened, and the g basin oi
our State has found an overland outlet
we ANTICIPATE an improved state OF
affairs under the new naremen
1h1s corporation, like an overladen shin
has thrown over her deck load. anf
now rides free. The enterprise will
probably b epushed to completion. Tho
sWamps OF Western Louisiana will HI
hrldged over to the arabic acres of Tex.
as, whose commerce now hurries north
thfough the indian Territory, rather
imam FISK Itself within our borders.
fhfhnIa FNnIlrno1c I'LL L. IN r-r
Backbone railroad is waiting for en-.
cOuragement, and the Central road i
waiting for q signature. Railroads arf
the best unifiers of a country. The
more we have the better. He Who i'm,
pedes or Obstructs them, is the enemy
, of the public, If railroads bisected eacf
other every ten miles in Louisiana, The
community would be benefited. White
a monopoly is always oppressive, heal.
thy competition is the life of trade ana
} the making of a country. We hope il
, a few months the residents along til,
Sabine will hear the shrieking of thl
locomotive on the banks of their river
, and that the same music will echl
: through the Red river valley. on
! legislators, representing most especially
! the agricultural interests of the State
! have decreed it. Who ever stands il
,, the way, OF it, either as the friend of
monopoly or as the enemy of interna
; improvements, is all impediment to tn,
prosperity of the people, the instru
ment to divert wealth. from the lahore
J J and the planter, and d obstruction t,
: the development Of the community tina
l shelters him.
The VALUE OF TIME.-Hang this il
your library, parlOr, Office, store, shop
or some other place where it viii b.
SRPn !. 4NWhat dneS It mn4tor Il ITO Inr.