New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1875-08-08
Melr Orleans Republican.
NEW ORLEANS PACIFIC RAILWAY

OFFICIAL JOURNAL VI NEW uhltAN
NEW ORLEANS PACIFIC RAILWA'
Report OF T.. Ii. tvheeiock, President. q
the BonYd Of Directors.
New ORLEANS August 9, i:,'.
GEsTLEMEN-Duty and pleasure CON
bined induce Inc 20 lay before you an &C
curate account of my proceedings during
The time of my absence on the impoftan
business your honorable board saw prope
o intrust to nv charge.
NV duty in the matter is TO explain fniIl
he reasons for the, perhaps. apparent r.
,ponsibility may have assumed IN som'
asses.
The pleasure take ia making this report
IAN only te augmented by tho realization o.
that should Justly be one OF our most cher
ished hopes-the completion of the glorious
enterprise in which We nave embarked-
and ais O to the entire route throughout Oul
State. it is impossible to conceive adequate
ly OF Overrate.
To simplify the teport OF my operations
will present it in the fern of diary:
Saturday, July TO- We lef; New Orleans
for Alexandria, our initial point of opera
lions, accompanied by Major Green and
party Of three Others, for the pa pose OF IN
augurating the first survey of the road from
Alexandria 10 Cane river. distance OF
TWENTY-FIVE miles. We reached Alexandra
on Tuesday morning, where / remained a
week to ascertain the feelings OF the people
toward our project. 1t was my intention to
have left Alexandria tor Shreveport by the
boat advertised to leave New Orleans on
Wednesday, the fourteenth. but was de-
FAMED at Alexandra till the arrival OF the
next boat the following Monday. This,
however, gave me the opportunity Of being
present and taking part in large and en-.
tbusiastic meeting OF the town and parish,
of which the papers have given YOU some
account. On Monday, the nineteenth. We
took the first passing boat for Shreveport
the A. P. Kouns-on which We proceeded
to three miles above Campte, getting
aground twice and losing thirtysix hours
thereby. when Major Green and myself con-
cIuded to leave the boat and retrace our
steps to NatchitOches, where we were most
cordially received, and during the day ar.
ranged the preliminaries fos public meet
ing, to be held On our return. Monday, the
ecOnd of August.
The evening OF the day on which we ar.
lived at Natchitoches by hack we started
or Mansfield, a distance Of fifty-tive miles
oy the travelled road, reaching Mansfield
Friday night, the twenty third. We spent
Saturday there, and arranged the prelimi-
naries for public meeting of the people of
the parish for the Saturday following. Sun
day we proceeded to Shreveport, spending
the next day there. The morning after our
arrival there we were invited by Mr.. Haven,
president of the Southwestern road marrow
gauge), to meet the directors of his COM
pany at the office of Messrs. Sale Il Murphy;
we met an assemblage of fifteen or twenty
of the leading citizens, most Of whom, how
ever, had no connection with his road. The
chairman of the meeting asked me what
propositions had to offer with a view of
making Shreveport the terminus of the road.
My reply was that was simply on tour
of observation and inspection, with view
them to my board on my return, and should |
be glad to hear from them on the subject, |
Ms to what propositions Shreveport might
be disposed to make to that end.
The reply to this was, in subs lance. as
follows:
That they had no money and were very
poor, but on certain conditions and stipula-
lions, they would do all they could. They !
then proceeded to state the immense advan-
lagos their city presented ever any and all
other places. At this stage of the proceed (
ngs, I remarked that desired to clearly !
md fully explain to them my position. and
would ask them not to misjudge NE, or to
consider that what l might say was the
conviction of my board, for, in fact, no
lefnite determination in regard to the ter
minus of our projected road would be de-
ided upon till the final action of the board
would determine the question.
l then proceeded as follows:
IL find myself face to face with gentle.
zen, some Of whom l claim among my
and best friends, and all OF you
re fully identified with the best interests
nd prosperity of your city. Now, in order
o ventilate this question, propose to state
THAT consider the objections to your city |
s our terminus. My ready acquiescence in
II you urge in favor of Shreveport, as we'll
s the doubtful advantages, as you may
ave termed the claims Of Marshall or JEFF
srso1, would, Of course, lead you to ex.
1ould be in accord with your views. In
he first place. if am correctly informed,
he road leading from Shreveport to the
tate line, en- route to Marshall, is only
,ased by Mr.. Scott for term of years.
)me six or eight only before the expiration !
the same. At the expiration of that :
'ase, what would be the position of our
BAD, with its terminus at Shreveport and a q
tort line in the hands of the Vicksburg :
nd Shreveport road, enabled to dictate :
rms for business to our road, on as i'm :
IN r
tate of Texas! In the next place, should q
lr road terminate in Shreveport, Marshall, i
alias and all of the northeast counties of q
exas would unite and build road from
arshall, or some point west, and tap our q
nd ut Mansfield. What, then, would be 4
If condition with the terminus of q read
New Orleans, destined to connect in the a
distant future the Atlantic and Pacific 4
cans! What right would We have to Il
mpel the whole travel and traffic of a
,rtheast and Middle Texa, to pass al
er some thirty miles of superfluous II
ADJ / herewith submit the PROPOSE ir
n of the Shreveport gentlemen, in G,
iting, which asked for, and will only II
d that it is more modified in tone than 10
Dir verbal demands. The evening of the II
y of this interview we proceeded by rail
Marshall. The next morning We were
led upon by a committee, already form
and anticipating our arrival. Our re.
,tiOn was cordial and enthusiastic. At
meeting Of the committee at which we
re present, held that day, it was ar e
,ged that We should visit Dallas the next +
= by a special train, kindly placed at our
position by Colonel Noble, the general
of the Texas. Pacific road,
o, with his general freight agent, Mr..
wman, accompanied us, and that upon
r return to Marshall the following day,
y, the cOMmlttee, WOui0 De prepared
th Q formal proposition, and also to as | ar
able the people for public meeting; all 80
which was done. OIL
1t this meeting, as at all other similar
,s, attempted to explain our plans and l
rpOses. after which earnest and enthusi. CO
ic speeches were made by prominent M y.
ding citizens. Suitable resolutions were Du
united and adopted. and we were in 20
med at meeting OF the committee, after Ga
adjournment of the public meeting, Ks
t they desired 10 MAKE the following | La
A.. | Il