The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1877-10-24

from its present terminus. Monroe. ID Hhrevs.
port This ts gap Ut about ninety miles.
| This would give direct railroad connections
from Shreveport to point on the Mississippi
river, and thus. the Times apprehsnds. make
| connection with the Great Jackson route
| north and south When that Ia done Cipeju=
nnti. OF 1t might have added Chicago will
claim the trade Of Northwest Louisiana
Then with amazing audaeity the 7in,ee pro-
| ceeds 70 assume that ''all persons acquainted
with the locality will recognizes the fact that
Shreveport and Northwestern Louisiana
should be altogether tributary 30 st. Louis"
10 enforce this a,idaelous claim oF St. Louis
the Times shows that the 81. Louis and iron
Mountain road runs near the northwestern
corner Of the State, passing within laas than
one hundred miles Of Shreveport A road.
therefore, less than hundred miles long
from either Hope or Fulton ON the iron
Mountain road to Shreveport would make
direct communication with st. Louis and
prove more profitable to the country reached
than the route now being advocated towards
Vieksbutg. Calling the attention Ut business
inen. Of the Board Of Trade and Merchants
Exchange to this important subject. the
TIMES proceeds.
Here is small empire Of incaleulabe
richness at our very door; a comparatively
small outlay will secure the trade Of d vast
region capable Of producing all that might
l 1e grown IN the tropics and afford facilities
that vii enable us TO send there all the varied
products Of our own latitude IN exchange for
their own surplus At present the cotton
produced in the region referred 30 must seek
a market at New Orleans by way Of He'd
river o.. by rail to Marshall and thence to
T.f,tti sin InS. ~
BY Red river is too slow 10 depend upon for
returns In time to meet engagements. |
New Orleans Is indeed no longer 0 |
deatrabie cotton mart. and that by Marshall |
staple ,is not encouraged by the profit derived |
from II. But with direct line these draw |
backs would be obviated and such terms |
could be made with the Iron Mountain road |
product and secure profitable trads for our
merchants. Nothing, 1T seems, could be
palmer than the duty Of our business men 10
encourage the building Of the Hope and
shreveport branch Of the st. Louis. Iron
Mountain and Southern road
10 much for the st. Louis Tf,neai Barring
the prodigious and aggrav ing fiction that
New Orleans is no longer a desirable cotton
mart" we must confess that the suggestions
OF the 1imes. from the It, Louis standpoint are
practical and sensible. and II carried out will
result to tho still larger increase and diversion
Of the trade of the Northwest of Louisiana and
Of Northern Texas TO 1t. Louis. There Ia but
9ne obstacle All preventive to the realization
'f this scheme and its immense benefits TO
st. Louis. That Ia the completion Of the New
Orleans Pacific from New Orleans TO Marshall
md Shreveport.
Tho Times uever mentions this danger and
,ihieulty. Thanks largely on the lack Of enter
,rise on the part Of our citizens 1t assumes
Is certainty that our people will never re-
pond even TO the small demand made upon ,
hem, 10 finish this road. Like tho old lark
u the fable. 1t imagihss that there Is no dam
.et from people who are waiting for some-
ody else to help them to gather tho harvest
FOR the honor of our city. for It's great. It's
ital interests, In very shame and retutation
the great reproach and aspsrRion involved
, such assumption. we appeal to our fellow
ltzehs to hasten their contributions to an
nterprise, upon the failure of which our
reat Northern rivals so confidently rely to
uild up their already enormously augmented
fade and prosperity ut the expense Of the
realty impaired resources and reduced COM
leree of New Orleans.