The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1875-12-19
TEE NV ORLEANS PACIFIC RAIL
WAY.
An Air Line Eot Necessarily the Shortest
Line.

Tae ab7a aud interesting address recent
delivered 0v the Hou. J. G. Foster before th
Chamber Of Commerce in Now Orleans, an,
the deliberations OF tho Railroad Convention
ii st. L5ais, Are well calculated to arrest til
attention b. oil who are Interested in t2e de
veoqmeat Of tho South, and especial.
should they claim the attention OF New Or
leans.
Mr. Ser, IL c'e4r and emphst language
showed that the rich and cxhausLles5 minera
and agricultural wealth thl: nov lies locked
up il North Mexico, is prizo to be awarded
to the intelligent and energetic section tina
shall frs. reach forth the hand to pluck it.
The pie 81 right balyngs to New Orleans
but for years it has attrac cd and excited the
hopa5 q other sections. Year after year ha:
seen some Of the competitors advance nearer
and nearer to il, until nov the Footprint Of
at least Que Of them is 80 near that il is ap'
parent that The day il not distant when the
prize is 70 30 won.
st. Louis not satisfied with the highway Of
the Union Pacific Railroad, is quietly but
1850
and another from Kit Carson, to pass through
the heart Of New Mexico, aad intersect tue
Texas Pacific Road. This road will open a
highway for ali North Mexico to find N r.
in the Northwestern States and st. Louis.
But as this road would pass west Of broad
ana productive country il Western Texas, st.
Louis has her Atlantic and Pacific Road,
stretching forth her hand to grasp the trade
OF West Texas; and then Memphis, prompted
by clear appreciation ofthe rich and bound
loss trade tina. the Texas Poetic Road must
develop Is pressing forward with energy to
claim her share.
While St. Loui; and Memphis have been
employing their means and their intelligence
to secure q share of this trade, what has New
Orleans been doing? Until recently she has
stood with folded arms as if Indifferent to the
Jesuit. Some six months ago she seemed to
awaken f:om her iethargy, and to realize the
fact that, though nature had placed this trade
at her door, YET by the superior energy and
enterprise Of other ci5ios, it was about to be
diverted. She, with promptness and ZEAL
formed company for the construction Of
road that it was hoped would secure this
trade, and rarely has q road been inaugurated
with SO few uist4k %, and with 30 fair pros
pec5 OF success.
With community immersed in their own
pecuiitr pursuits, and with but little molina
ton - t,ster or engage in public enterprises,
it waJ 10 easy matter to organize q company
for a rew enterprise, however important it
might b..
At th4s Tina many thought that tho work
should have commenced at or near New Or
leans; but tho Directory realized the fact that
ST. LOUIS and Memphis had almost joined
hands with the Pacific Road, and saw the
necessity OF at once constructing a road which
would secure to Neg Orleans that which of
night VS. hers. And TO accomplish this il |
was determined at once to place the navigable |
waters OF Red River ia connection with the |
eastern terminus of the Pacific Road at Mar |
shall. Perhaps no act of the Directory more |
clearly SHOWS is intelligent appreciation of
the situation than this wise determination to |
make at once this connection.
channes-pGbic thought that was taking
new direclons-aud priv lie associations that
were about forming now friendships, were
thus estopped, and those general causes that
link different sections together were left to
exercise their natural influence.
Had work commenced at Nav Orleans
there would have been no assurance of the
prosecution and completion of it; but as it is,
tia connection of the Texas Pacific Road from
its eastern terminus ~ Marshall with the wa
ters OF Red River, j. 6 thing assured, aud the
whols section along the Pacific Road now
realizes the fac! that high way to The ocean
il to oporea.
II was to be expected that this action of the
Directory would alfprd an opportunity to the
would-b be wise and disappointed monopolist
to snarl and carp at the policy they could not I
but does this snarling and carp
ing render this policy less wise aud jldiclous,
Unite the Pacific Road with the navigable
waters Of Red River, and Nsw Orleans BE-
comes ut once the entrepot of a large portion
Of the trade that flows along TINT road, not t
shall exceed the capacity Of L I'd River for its 6
then by the inevitable laws OF
Trade, the railroad at Alexandria will join L
hands with the road having the most direct 9
communication with New Orleans Had the I
road started from Now Orlesns none of these /
results coull have taken placs until the entire a
,oad had been completed. v
Not only was it necessary for New Orleans, il
It the earliest possible period. to be placed in Q
connection with the Pacific Road, but it was
lmost Is important to unto with the roads t
hat penetrate West Arkansas. for the trade OF s
Vest Arkansas must find its outlet along the v
cad from Texarkana TO Marshall, and thence v
0 New Orleans, or seek through Little Rock L
market at some northern point. West Ar c