The Dallas weekly herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1885, 1874-10-24
A Railway 70 Texas.
New Orleans Bulletin.

We are rejoiced to see that q move
mspt has at last been made towards
inaupuratipg some practical plan for
the building of Il railroad to central
Texas.
On Monday night Mr.. Gardner, In the
chamber of commerce, introduced re-
solutions, which were adopted, provide
ing for the appointment of a committee
to represent the chamber of commerce,
and It is expected that the cotton ex-
change and the merchants exchange
will also appoint committees to repre-
sent them, and that the joint commit
tee, so constituted, Will mature some
practicable plan for commencing, at an
early day, the construction of our much
needed railway.
1t must he patent to all who do bust
ness or own real estate in this city, that
we have almost entirely lost the trade
of Texas, and that to this loss, in a
very great measure, is due the rapid
decline Of our commercial interests,
and the great depreciation in the value
Of property.
10 bring about revival of business
and restoration Of values, we must
regain the trade of Texas, and there Is
no other way to do this but to connect
New Orleans with central and upper
Texas, by building railroad to the
Sabine river, in the direction of the
city of Waco. The whole of middle
and upper Texas is as anxious to trade
with US as we with them; for we can
supply them with all that they need,
and export all of their products-with
such railroad in operation oil better
terms than any of our competitors.
With such a railway the advantages
of New Orleans, as the trade center for
Texas cannot be rivalled. This road
must be built, and we ourselves must
undertake the work. If we build to
the Sabine river, the people of Texas
will most certainly meet US there.
Then every railroad in middle and up
per Texas will become feeder to the
direct trunk line to New Orleans, and
the whole business of that young and
rapidly growing empire will he done
by our merchants.
But, to secure all this, we must sub
scribe, ourselves, moiety of the cost
of such road. The balance, if the
enterprise is controlled by reliable and
competent citizens, IN whom foreign
capitalists can repose confidence, can
be raised without difficulty, ON mort
gage of the road, after part of it has
been built. To give foreign capitalists
assurances of our determination to
construct this road, We must ourselves
commence it.
We consider IL to be self-evident that
il is the wisest policy our real estate
owners, merchants and business men
generally can pursue to advocate the
measure proposed in the chamber of
commerce proposition. Give, or loan
a part, to add value to what remains.
Do it freely and generously, and 1t will
return to you again fOurfold, because
renewed prosperity and enhancement
of all values will assuredly follow.
We are assured that from the bank
of the Mississippi river, near the town
of Plaquemine, line of railroad can
be located to the Sabine river, on the
line direct to middle Texas, within u
distance of one hundred and fifty miles,
or but little further than from New
Orleans to Mobile--so Mr.. Bayley as
sures us-and that frst-class RAILROAD
can be built and equipped with sup
ply of rolling stock sufficient for a very
good beginning, for 81, 800, 600 in money
also that such road can be built,
with means provided for its construc-
ton, in about eighteen months time.
We shall have more to say on this
subject, when we hear of the action of
the joint committee to whom the matter
has been or will be referred. In the
meantime we strongly commend to the
favorable consideration of our readers
the general plan proposed. 1t is our
only hope. We have trusted to Others,
even to our commercial rivals, for the
building of our Texas railroad hereto
fore; it is high time that we were do
ing something for ourselves. The rail-
road that we most need, and the one
which can be completed in the least
time, and at the least expense, is to
the Sabine river, or eastern boundary
of Texas, at or near the parallel of lat
itude 81 degrees, and about sixty miles
of this line would be ON the direct
route to Shreveport.