The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1874-08-19
RAILROAD FACTS FOR THE PEO-
PIE.

The time is not distant when Red
River will 60 down the Atchafalaya,
and in low water be entirely cut of
from the Mississippi. The delays,
difficulties and expense in getting the
present cotton crop to market or get
ting supplies from New Orleans, will
cost in cash more than half tn {
amount Of the donation which would
secure us a Railroad, and nearly twice
as much as the interest we would &C
tually have to pay in twenty years
The entire suspension of business
in Western Louisiana, caused by the
low. water for three, four or five
months, and during the best business
portion of the year, and the continued
liability to it's annual occurrence
will enable Texas, with her Rail
roads, to drain US of our population
by emigration, and of the entire bus
mess which sought an outlet through
the valley of Red River.
That without a Railroad Shreve
port, the most flourishing city in oul
State, and the pride of Western Lou
isiana, will become a city of ruins
and desolation, and Alexandria, Nat
chitoches and Mansfield, which might
be cities with their thousands anC
ten thousands of inhabitants, will be
but dilapidated villages to mark oul
want of faith and enterprise.
That there is no Railroad connect
ing two great commercial points
that has not increased the value o.
property along it's lines from five tc
ten fold and increased the popula
ton twenty thousand for every hun
dred miles.
That the road between New Or.
leans and Mobile has in three years
peopled the pine wilderness along its
line with 10000 inhabitants, CONVEX,
ted it's barren lands into fruitful gar.
dens, vine yards and promising or.
chards-built villages at every sta.
tioh, a city of 1000 inhabitants, built
schools and churches, and imported
to this once valueless country a
wealth three times greater than the
entire cost of the Road.
That the Railroad would free us
from the drudgery of making moth
ing but cotton and sugar, and enable
us to raise the infinite variety Of pro-
auctions to which our unequaled soil
and climate are adapted, and send
them to the markets Of the West and
North, while these gardens were still
locked in the embrace Of Winter.
That the building of the road would
spend in our midst 100000 in cash
and give employment to every labor
er, every mechanic, every saw mill,
every team and wagon, and a rich
market to every farmer for whatever
he may raise, to every merchant for
whatever he had to SELL.
That the Railroad from New Or
leans to Shreveport would cause the
immediate construction of one from
Alexandria to Camden, connecting us
with the North and West, and also
build one from Alexandria to the
Sabine and Waco, Texas. .
That the New Orleans and Shreve.
port road would make Alexandria a
great Railroad center, and in 20 years
a city with it's 20 or 10000 inhabi-
tants.
That he Railroad from Shreve-
port to New Orleans would stop the
emigration Of our people to Texas,
and in two years increase our popu-
lation not less than fifty thousand,
which would be less than the increase
along the line of the New Orleans
and Mobile road.
That all this we may realize for
less than $1,000 per annum Railroad
tax, or less than an increase of 1 on
our present Parish tax.
That nothing is paid by us until
twice as much is spent in our midst
in greenbacks as the amount paid by
US in Parish bonds, and the differ
ence in the amount spent by the
company and the amount received by
them in bonds is greater with every
of bonds, and the donation
can be granted with absolute securi-
ty to the Parish.
That Mr.. Bowlby Wilson, the great
English Railroad fiscal agent, says
the 10000 miles of Railroads in the
West was built by this local aid, and
that no Railroads are now built with