The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1875-02-07

| tudt TeiSub IL TAKEN CueAper now
between St. Louis and New Orleans
than before the river closed. The
Steamer City of Quincy was the last
boat out from St. Louis. and the rate Of
| freight by her was IS cts. per 100 lbs, and
| although now freight has to como part
of the way by rail and, of course, is
banded twice as it arrives here by boat,
| the rate is only 25 cts. per 100 lbs. for
| eight days. travel, just what Morgan charges
on Id. freight to Galveston, which is only
one days travel. The same freight to
Houston costs 40 cts. per 100 lbs, although
the latter city is in a more direct line with
US than Galveston is. Suppose, then, we
had a road to Houston, and q rate of
freight frem here of about Is cts. per 100
lbs, how quickly we would recover our
lost trade in that railroad centre; and we
verify believe that such connection,
owned here, would add double its cost
alone to the value of property, in a few
years.
How Is it that grain and other articles
are being received here, per Jackson Rail
road, for shipment to Mobile over the
Chattanooga road, and at the same time,
too, when the same articles are cheaper
here than they can be laid down at Z Why
then, do not Mobile merchants order here
instead of abovef The reason is obvious.
The N. o. s. NJ. road does not charge half
as much on through freight as it does on
shipments originating here. City Fathers
does she want another slice of the wharf
Y a. .I
your favorable consideration, and as the
interests of the city are in your hands, Of
| course, give her all she asks,-she only
wants it to save drayage, yon know, be-
grudging that even that email amount
| should be expended here among our people.
But to come back to the railroad ques
ton, we don't think that the building of a
road to Texas by our own people is such a
tremendous undertaking, after all, for a
city having our large population and to
our mind, when we reflect on the great ad-
vautages to be obtained by it's construc-
ton, the difficulties to be snrmounted
dwindle almost to nothing. All that ia re-
qured ia to start about it in a proper man
ner,-have we'll matured pians,-and with
the right kind of men at the head of it, sue
cess is certain. We have in our mind now
ten or fifteen Of our most public spirited aud
we'll to do citizens whose names and in
fluence lent to a project like this would
induce thousands Of others to join them, 80
that none would refuse to take hand in
the good work according to their means.
Parties taking stock need not be asked
for cash down,-monthiy installments
would answer, and few would feel the bur
den of paying for stock in this way, and
the directory could go ahead with the
building of the road as the payments on
stock would fall due,-paying cash, Of
course, as far as possible for labor and
material.
In the STAR of the 24th ult., was pub
lisbed the statement of one of our leading
merchants, made to the Congressional
Committee of Investigation of which Mr.
Foster was Chairman, showing that the
loss in the shriDkage of stocks and bonds |
in this market, for the past two years,
amounted to $l4, 600 900. What has been |
shripkage in real estatef Some we'll in
formed parties place it at $40, 100000. The
amount Almost stagSers our comprehension. |
Suppose fourth of the above amount was
put into we'll projected railroads, how, we
ask, would our stocks ard property stand
to-day at least, we venture to say, 50 per
cent better than they are. Property be-
yond ones own wants is of no value unless
it be a source of revenue, and when it |
ceases to be such, it is a burden. How
many of our people hsve property of this
character Very many, we fear, and is it
not better for them to give up, even at q
great sacrifice, portion of their property
to enhance the value of the remainder
This idea is suggested to us by remark
we heard from that sagacious and clear
headed merchant, Gen. c. Bussey. Oh,
could we sleep for q few years and wake
up to witness a grand excursion of the |
people on the peoples railroad, celebrating
the completion of an enterprise of their
own, and having banners on which we
would like to see inscribed "No Through |
freight can pass over our road at lower
rate than we have to pay"
LONE STAR,