The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1874-11-19
THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.
A Railroad to Texas.

8 A Railroad to Texas.
The called meeting Of the Chamber {
Commerce for the purpose of receiving tn
delegation from Dallas, Texas, composed {
Messrs S. j. Adams, A. Davis, r. V. TomI
, kins and E. G. Mcclure, and confer with Their
on the subject Of a railroad to Texas. was he'll
last night, President Oglesby presiding, and
: large number Of members in attendance.
Gen. Busy said. on behalf Of the gentleman
: at whose suggestion the meeting had bee,
Q called, he had been requested to state that tn
! meeting was for the purpose Of knowing wha
the delegation from Texas might have to say
1t was well known that some weeks ago plar
to build a road had been adopted, which ha(
J met with considerable approval by a number
Of those on whom the burden of constructing
the road would fall, the taxpayers, of course
no project which required money to carry ii
ont could be proposed that would not NEE,
with objections, but it was possible to decide
on plan that would be successful.
1t was proposed to hear what the delegation
might have to say, and then to act. He
thought the present plan was a good one.
The money that had been expended on the
election would have built the road. 1t was
raised by subscriptions from the people. OF
the money expended annually on the metro
|politan police, the surplus over what would Sc
cure and maintain a competent and adequate
force, would go great wav towards building
the road 1t was all raised by taxation. In
conclusion, he spoke merely, he said, by way
Of laying the ground work for the gentlemen
Of the delegation, who were to follow, of the
immense importance OF the long talked of
road, and in retiring, introduced
1
who said the people Of Dallas had seen from
the newspapers that there was a disposition
on the part OF the citizens Of this city to build
a railroad to Central Texas, and as the repre-
sentatives OF the most enterprising town in
Texas Dallas), they came before the meeting.
| 1t was useless to set before them the necessity
and advantages of a road to Central Texas,
and it was only for the purpose of showing
the advantages of a road leading to Dallas
over all other proposed lines that they had
come.
He claimed for it greater population in the
section of country through which it would
pass, greater wealth and greater natural re-
sources, than any other section of the State,
and proceeded to verify his claims by facts
and figures.
OF the proposed road to Houston, he said:
If it is built, can you depend on the central
feeder can the central feeder be made SUBJ
servient to the interest of your road? Every
business man who had any experience knew
that it could not.
After telling Of the experience that Dallas
had had In expanding money to bring rail
roads to the city, and the increase OF popula-
ton and value OF property that had followed,
he concluded by saying, with the 50, 100000
in bonds which you propose to issue, and the
81, 600, 600 in money which you propose to
raise by subscription, you can build your road
to Sabine, and when you get there we will
give you the charter of the Dallas and Pales-
tine Railroad.
The charter gave grant of over ten thou
sand acres of land The road ran through
the best pine region Of Texas, and in locating
the grants these pine lands could be TAKEN and
in short time they would be worth at least
ten dollars an acre. Build your road and we
will give you the charter. If you will not,
subscribe and the bonds you propose to issue,
and ,ce acW build it ourselves, and call it the
Dallas Railroad.
Prot. Forshey took the foor, and in lengthy
address Endorsed the remarks Of Col Adams,
and, from personal knowledge, his statements
OF the advantages of line to Dallas.
Col. Mcclure was then introduced. He
arose, he said, merely to call attention to two
points, which Col. Adams had no doubt in
advertently, overlooked. The cotton crop of
Texas for 1873 was $3.50, 600 bales, of which
Dallas received nearly one-tenth, and of this
but 5000 bales had found its way to New Or
leans. Jefferson received 81, 600 bales, of which
but small amount came to this city. He
thought that if the railroad was completed
that 1000 bales of cotton would be I'M
doubtedly added to the commerce of New Or
leans, and it must be remembered that cotton
planting in Western Texas was only in its in
cipiency, that the difficulties attendant on
getting it to market interfered materially with
its production.
He was followed by Mr.. J. II. Kennard, who
in an able address Endorsed the sentiments of
the preceding gentleman.
Mr.. L. H. Gardner announced that on Sat- |
urday next there would be a meeting Of the
in the Chamber.
After few sound and logical remarks from
Mr.. Burwell in which he expressed his conf
dence in the present delegation because they
came as business men and not as syndicates,
the meeting adjourned.