The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1874-07-12
NEW ORLEANS BULLETIN
NEW ORLEANS, JULY y, 1874.
New ORLEANS, La, July 9, 1874.
To the Hon. Mayor and Alminiatra tors City Of

New ORLEANS, La July 9, 1874
To the Hon. Mayor and Administrators, City o.
New Orleans La.
Ge,uen,ea-I have the honor to submit the
following statement Of facts, concerning the OBJ.
structon OF streets by this Company, with view
to correct erroneous impressions, and to solicit
such action on the part of your honorably body
as the interests Of commerce may Justify:
we have been accused Of infringing upon the
rights Of property holders in the neishborhood
of st. Joseph, Delord, North and South Market
streets and designing persons have sought to
create the impression that have arbitrarily
assumed the right to close the public highways
Of the city.
If we have appeared amenabe to this charge,
a brief reference to the circumstances under
which We occupied the properties in that neigh
borhood will doubtless remove the impression of
improper design
When this company acquired the property near
the levee, its freight business was transacted at
the depots OF the company, near Magnolia street
about one mile removed from the business
centres and cotton presses OF the city, and the
800, 900 tons Of freight received and forwarded by
this company yearly, had to be transported bv
drayage the above distance.
The streets leading to those depot- were gem
orally in an execrable condition, causing vexa-
tious delays in the transit Of freight and heavy
drayage charges, which operated as direct
burden upon the commerce Of the city passing
over this line. In addition to this burden upon
commerce, heavy annual expense imposed
upon the city, in order to keep the different ave-
nues of transit in passabe condition
In order to facilitate the business of our pat
rons and relieve them Of these obnoxious
charges although possessed u ample proper
ties near near Magnolia street,, procured the
levee properties, and there, at great expense,
established our depots, locating them where they
are accessible to the commercial centres and
cotton presses, through streets already paved
with square block, which required but Slight
expenditure by the city to keep in repair.
The only compliments at the time, were the
9 drayage interests" and they soon discovered
that their interests were equally benefited by
the saving in = wear and teal" upon their stock
and by reason Of the fact that the Increased num-
Der OF loads they We're enabled to haul more
than compensated them for the decrease in the
price OF dravage.
The streets Obstructed by our improvements
had no existence in point of fact, except upon
the maps; they had never been used for the plr-
poses of commerce, and were impossible for the
reason that they were mainly covered with ponds
OF water varying in depth from two to six feet
therefore, we have imposed no barriers to their
use greater than those in existence before we
occupied them.
At an expense Of over thirty thousand dollars
have filled the ponds and morasses with
earth, gravel and she'll and have used the yard
formed thereby solely in the interests Of com
merce and for the discharge and delivery of cot
ton consigned to this city, finding the space thus
utilized Inadequate to accommodate the receipts
Of the staple drawn to this station by the ex-
tended connections Of our lines.
Your honorable body has seen tit to decree the
removal Of all distractions to the four streets
above named and, without questioning the wis
dom of the. decree, we have proceeded to comply
with its requirements.
We have assumed ownership over these
highways, and have not sought to infringe upon
the rights OF our neighbors, but occupied the
grounds under the impression that no objection
could, or would be raised thereto until such
times as the interests OF commerce might require |
them to be opened.
If, in your judgment, that period has now
arrived we are not disposed to offer any captious
obstacles to your action, but respectfully beg |
leave to submit for your consideration, the hard
ship which will inure to this company, and the |
injury to the trade and commerce of our city, TO
be caused by the immediate execution Of the in |
Structions Of the authorities.
We have promptly removed the distractions
on 81. Joseph and North Market streets, which
limits our already inadequate facilities for hand
ling the cotton receipts, but still enables us to
transact our business at the levee depots.
Il, however, South Market and Delord streets
are required to be opened at this time, the Use
fulness OF our warehouse tor forwarding freight,
and our Cotton Yard, Will be destroyed, render
ing it impossible for us to transact the freight '
business of this Company, for the approaching !,
season, at the levee depots.
We shall then be compelled to re-occupy our
buildings and yards near Magnolia street, which
will restore the old burdens to commercial in
terest, and entails upon the Department Of I'M
provements the necessity for large expendi-
lures III order to place the streets leading to
those depots in a condition to admit Of the
transportation of the tonnage to be received and
forwarded by this company.
The opening of Delord street would not afford
an additional outlet to the levee Delord and
Calliope streets converge, and form but one
thoroughfare, near Delta street. several hundred
yards from the leyee.
II we should remove our distractions to De-
lord and South Market streets, the only result
accomplished will be serious inconvenience and
loss to ourselves, and also to the commercial i'll
forests of the city, without corresponding bene-
fit to any persons as the eastern boundary of our
cotton yard is pond OF water, from six to ten
feet in depth The improvement of South Mar
ket to the leyee, and the improvement of Deord
10 its intersection with Calliope street, would
require very large expenditure by the city.
From assurances received from large num-
Der of the principal property holders in this
neighborhood, we are led to believe that the
opening of the st. Joseph and North Market
streets will fully satisfy the requirements Of the
neighboring residents, and in view Of the i'm
mense injury to be worked by the full execution
OF your instructions, we respectfully request the
suspension OF operations, so far as Deord and
South Market streets concerned
haue the honor to be,
Very Respectfully, Your Obd't Serv't,
E. A. BURKE,
Freight Agent.