New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1875-08-11

1 AC inc request OF the board OF Director
of the New Orleans Pacific Railway Com
pany President E. 3. Wheelock has ad
dressed hotter to the Board of Underwriter
Of New Orleans, which is printed below
The facts briefly alluded to are in iisputable
and it 10 the conviction Of all that the sue
cess Of the road means return to thu
former prosperity their existence has dc
! stroyed. Everything in the letter com
mends itself TO the careful consideration o.
all business men as we'll as to the gentlemen
I to whom it is addressed. Mr.. Wheelock asks
no gifts of anyone. but only participation
in an enterprise as certain, under it's present
! management. TO be Yemunerative as it i.
patriotic in its design. A road honestly
bnilt, connecting New Orleans with the in
terror ofs Texas, would open a mine Of
wealth in freights to its possessors, and il
| honestly conducted would never be any
thing but benefit to the public. There ID
no fear of variation from either Of these
conditions if the money be forthcoming for
its constructions:
To the President of tho Honorable Board of Un
derwriters of the city of New Orleans:
am directed by the board OF directors
OF the New Orleans Pacific Railway Com
pany to invite your patriotic cooperation,
and through you that of the various insu-
rance companies constituting your board, in
aid of the construction Of the line of rail-
road to connect Alexandria. on Red river.
with Marshall. or some other equally eljgi-
ble point in our sister State Of Texas.
To gentlemen SO thoroughly we'll informed
in regard to tho state of commercial affairs
in our city as its underwriters, it were
supeIfuOus to do more than remind them
that during last season over e6,O00,O0O
worth OF cotton alone, from utter Inability
Of its owners to have it transported hither
at less than ruinous cost, sought other and
inferior markets.
No better prospect presents for the com.
ing season. or any future one. should this
people supinely disregard their vital duty
and refrain from affording speedy, safe and
economical conveyance.
The lOss our city has sustained by this
diversion of l20, 900 bales OF cotton from our
wharves, in insurance. commission, convey
ance. labor. drayage. warehousine and com
pressing, any one can eaeily estimate. Yet,
considerable as il ie, 1t sinks into compare.
tive utter insignifcance when We regard the
general ruinous Losses in every department
of business, originating in similar cause,
namely-the want of railroad communica-
ton to northeastern and middle Texas.
From stocks of merchandise in store TO-
day in our city, compared with the amount
several years since, it is safe to affirm there
is a decline of from fifty to sixty per cent,
and with this falling off in stocks in mer-
chandise, as your enlightened board will
admit, has come greatly diminished profits
to our insurance companies, diminutiOn of
rents to the extent Of thirty to fifty per
cent. reduction of salaries discharge of en-
p1oyes and universal prostratiOn and suf
fering.
Challenging 3 contradiction Of these self
evident statements, which all recognize to
be true, and proclaiming our confident con.
viction that the enterprise of connecting
by first class railroad our city with the
north Of our own commonwealth and the
northeastern counties Of our sister, Texas,
will not only restore to us much of our
alienatad commerce and diminished pros
perity. but will 90 so without the necessity
Of any mans sacrificing a single dollar: for
struct road of the very best character at
a cost that will enable il, under faithful !
to pay regular and reasonable |
dividends to it's stockholders in return for !
their investment. |
We ask 60 gifts from our citizens or from
our public institutions; we disdain to regard |
the installment of support already extended |
TO This great Undertaking as money thrown
away, for which no adequate return can be |
expected. On the contrary. we conscien- |
tiously believe this road will be a great !
of the success New Orleans can
if her own children will only be |
true to their mission.
Earnestly inviting the attention Of your !
honorable board to our application for your |
friendly pecuniary aid and cooperation, 1 !
have the honor to be, very respectfully |
yours,
E. B. WHEELOCK,
President of the New Orleans Pacific Rail- /
road Company.