The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1877-07-28
Our Opportunity.
IN o. Ti1nesI


The clouds which for years have
hung over the prosperity OF New
Orleans and darkened her prospects,
are gradually breaking, and streaks
of brightness are appearing where
lately there was nothing but gloom.
The opening of South Pass for vessels
of the largest tonnage, by means
of Eads' jetties; the close connection
between the shipping and the iail-
roads by the street extensions OF these
roads; and lastly, the recent riots
among the railroad employees in the
Middle States, are all indicative that
the star which controls the destiny OF
the Crescent City is rising above the
horizon.
That the great railroad combina-
tions by which the Eastern cities have
for the past sixteen years managed to
carry away from New Orleans the
rich trade of the Mississippi valley,
will he most seriously affected by the
recent strikes among their employees
and their terrible destruction OF prop
erty, can not be doubted. Let the
struggle terminate as it may-Whether
the rioters hold sway or the govern
ment promptly puts them down, one
fact is evident, and that is, the rail
roads will come out of the struggle so
weakened that it will be years before
they can recover from the blow and
combinations which lately were so
powerful in reducing rates on freight
between the West and East, Will be
impossible.
Consolidated and combined, and
controlling the il laborers with an iron
hand, the railroads could succeed IN
altering and changing the natural
flow of trade. But divided and with
their labor in a state of rebellion and
anarchy, each company will be forced
to take care of it's individual interests
and make the best it can out OF the
wreck. Those intrigues and con-
spiracies by which, combined, they
were enabled to draw off everything to
| he turned into the laps of the Eastern
cities, will now be out of the question,
and it seems impossible for them ever
again to get control.
Therefore freight will be left to its
natural course, and will flow with the
current Of the great river seeking an
outlet to foreign countries, at It's
mouth.
But unless the steamboatmen of the
Mississippi and its tributaries are
prompt to meet the issue with a wise
spirit of liberality and full under
standing of its Importance, the great
opportunity may slip away from their
| grasp /; and combinations among the
railroad companies farther south be
formed by which the freight will be
| turned to Norfolk, Charleston and
Savannah instead of through our port.
There must be no short sighted greed
| INDUCED in, nor must there be an
absence of alacrity in supplying the
means by which these freights are to
be moved. The work must be COM
menced without loss of time, and
! there should not be the least delay in
offering facilities for the removal of
the vast aggregation of produce which
is now being rapidly collected at the
different shipping points on the great
river and its tributaries.
The merchants, indeed the whole
people of New Orleans are interested
deeply in seeing that the steamboat
men should successfully meet the is
sue now presented to them. They
should consequently render them
every assistance of men and means i'll
their power. No boat or barge line
should be held back on account OF the
want of few dollars; but on the
contrary, every thing which can
safely carry freight should be rushed
to the front. And our receivers and
factors should be ready to make lib
eral advances our ship agents to
make low rates for outward freights ;
and, in fact, every class should be
alive to the Importance of the occa-
sion.
With the trade of the Mississippi
valley turned in her direction, New
Orleans may aspire to become the
greatest of American cities. 1t seems
to be turning towards her. Shall we