The People's vindicator. [volume] (Natchitoches, La.) 1874-1883, 1877-02-10
Railroad and Natchitoches.

fortune, 20 with towns and villages.
1t rests with them whether they shall
he prosperous, thriving and wealthy,
or the reverse. In this age of steam.
nature does nothing for interior cities
or towns, art does it all wien they
are built mp and become prosperous
it is hccauSc their citizens are enter
priSing and bold to invest in III"
chances of great public Improvement.
NatchitochrS has, nor can have
owing to its geographical situation,
bat one future as business point,
and it must be made. Nature has
given US soil ard climate. the former
the richest, the latter the most genial
in the world we. With art, must win
tie rest. Situated rs it is. the city
mnst become by rXcrtinn the center
of 4 large IorGl trade. Mind, we say
l0rM trade that is a trade embraced
within the circumference of % to 30
miles -ro'hing more. A great many
people imagine in their innocence of
heart that NatchitocEcS, if the Rail-
road from New Orleans to San DiagO
should pass through it, would enjoy
a very large Japan and China trade ;
they had as well expect this as to ex'
pcct trade from Texas, or to expect it
even from distance of one hundred
miles. The trade to Natclifoches
from tile West has dwindlcd down
no,n thousands to hundreds of dol
lars, and so to speak, it amounts to
nothing to-day. WHY t;rn should
we be So anxious to get the road now
being constructed to pass through the
town, and 90 hcrcc % to 80 miles
nearer these people Of Texas? Does
any one for moment suppose that
they would not go to the nearest point
OH that road to trade, or ship produce
and receive goods ? most certainly.
Tie fact cannot he disguised or
disputed, that Natchitochcs enjoys no
Texas trade, and that her 1000 bale
local trade is about to De njured by
her being stripped of great portion
of the hill traffic unless something is
done to check it or to build up an in
huenco upon and an avenue for trade
East of us, in the parish Of VIM, and
in our own beyond Red River, north
as we'll as to the Spanish lake section
and beyond.
The city has offered strangers 5000,
600, aye $3OO,OoO to build a railroad
thyouqh us, let US sec how much they
will subscribe to themselves to build ;
road directly to us.
With that a200.0O0 we could pu
Natchitoches in such a position tina
she would be bound to build up an.
become the center of large ant
growing trade. $4,000 wculd grad
and cross-tie the road to US from tn,
n. O. Pacific on Old River, ten miles
Tho Company wnnld put down tn
iron and furnish the Rolling Stoc'
necessary. $4,000 would build cor
doroy roads and bridges to St. Mau
rice, Montgomery, Grand Ecore, an
across Black Lake, to and acrOs
Spanish Lake, and down into the Lii
tie River country.
$lOO,COO could be invested, in COZ
junction with capitalists with a Xix
amount, in building and equipping
Cotton Factory, for which we ha,
splendid water power in Sib,ey
Lake, and $4,000 would purcha
the Convent just at the edge of tow
D winch could and should be donate
I to the State for a State Militia
School.
Does any man say that these in
proyemcnts would not help us
trade beyond any point we have ev
: vet reached. The very sight of the
S improvements would at once sh'
d US to he enterprising, aud thousan
Y Of white immigrants would flock
O and buy homes among us and cnl
vate our rich soil, which fairly groa
in anguish for the lack of it.
cs How many bales of cotton wo'
-, come to US then ? 10000, aye 5O,'
- perhaps, besides thousands of doll
~ in corn, meat, hay, horses, mules a
y" such other products as this coun
III would then bring forth.
n Look to it fellow citizens, that
er do not lot this golden opportun
ry pass, for if you do not at once t
til hold some one will get ahead of us ;
nr that soon.