The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1875-08-04
COMMUNICATION.
Ep1roR DEMocRAr-

1 i J
last week headed aAwFuL," which
demands an apology from you TO the
good people Of our Town and Parish.
In that article you charge that in
Rapides, and right in Alexandria,
there are a few persons who oppose
the building Of the New Orleans Pa
cifc Railway. know that somsper-
sons think such a charge against the
civilization and intelligence of our
Town and Parish q small matter, but
they greatly underrate its impor-
lance. The great historian of Eng
land thus commentaries similar
opposition to che first project for
lighting the streets Of London:
cit ought to be noticed that in the
last year Of Charles II (l6s4 began
a great change ii the police Of Lon.
don, q change which perhaps added
as much to the happiness Of the body
of the people as revolutions Of much
greater fame. An ingenious projec-
tor named Edward Heming obtained
letters patent conveying to him, for
a term Of years, the exclusive right
of lighting up London. He under
took. for a moderate consideration,
to place a light before every tenth
door, on moonless nights, from Mi
chaelmass to Lady Gay, and from s
to II O'clock. Those who now see
the Capital all the year round, from
dusk to dawn, blazing with splcn
dor beside which the illumination for
La Houge and Blenheim would have
looked pale, may perhaps smile to
think Of Heming's lanterns, which
glimmered feebly before one house in
ten during small part Of one night
in three. But such was not the feel
| ing Of. his contemporaries. His
scheme was enthusiastically applaud
led and .furiously attacked. The
friends ofimproyement extolled him
as the greatest Of all the benefactors
of his city. What they asked, were
the boasted inventions of Archimi-
DIES when compared with the achieve
ment of the man who had turned tue
nocturnal shades into day? In spite
Of these eloquent eulogies the cause
Of darkness was not left undefended.
There were fools in that age who OPP
posed the Introduction of what was
. called the new light as strenuously as
fools in our age have opposed the in
PRODUCTION Of vaccination and rail
roads; as strenuously as the fools Of
4 an age anterior to the dawn Of histo-
Try doubtless opposed the introduc.
|tion of the plough and of alphabet
cal writing."
i MIR. Editor, when Alexandria has
become great railroad centre, with
/ its $4,000 or $4,000 inhabitants, and
when the Falleysof Red River and
Bayou Boeuf, and Bayou Rapides,
and Bayou Robert, have become an
endless landscape Of rural homes,
Nesting amid shady lawns, gardens
land orchards, and looking out upon
| rich fields of golden harvest, and up
on focks Of Southdowns, Leceisters
and CotsNolds, and upon herds OF
Short Horns, Ayrcshires aud Dur
hams, and Brahmas, I don't want
some future Macauley in writing tile
history Of our civilization, Of how ii
began with the great railroads which
unite in our midst, of how they open
ed to our products the great North
and West; how they made through
our midst a highway to Europe for
1.-The golden treasures Of California,
Il and the rich commerce Of China and
Japan and the fabulous East; how
that the New Orleans Pacific Rail.
way was the beginning Of all this
, prosperity and civilization, toish ii
Z from the old fles of the Democra,
THAT article AWFUL, ! and with it de
: lnounce our good people, or even som,
} of them as fools, and class them will
those who opposed the lighting til,
streets of London, and the introduc
ton Of vaccination, and of the pillow
and of alphabetical writing, and an
9 afraid it may be done, unless you cor
: rect the serious charge which 20
!, have made. ] have thought over til
: matter carefully, and / am satisfe
: that there must be an error sonst
e sohere, that you either misunderstood
d the gentleman, or that some way h
has been playing off on you. / hop
and know You will have no hesitatio
in correcting an error which will mis-
: represent our civilization to futur
Z generations. V1Np1cAroR.
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