The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1877-10-07
MUNICIPAL MATTERS.
The Mobile Railroad Company Enter
tanning the City Administration.

THE NNEWsVbB
The Mobile Railroad Company Enter
tanning the City Administration.
The excursionists to Mobile, comprising the
Mayor and several OF our City Administrators,
together with three or four OF our business men,
returned safely to this city yesterday morning,
after having had jolly time. The Mayor was ia
his parlor punotualy at 10. not having taken
time even TO change his travelling clothes.
The visit to Mobile must have been az much OF
mystery TO our friends In that city as 1t was to
che press Of New Orleans generally, for our MO-
bile exchanges speak of IL in terms@of surprise,
and say that the frat ntimation they had OF the
coming OF the distinguished visitors was
through the New Orleans DEMOCRAT. According
% the facetious invitations issued by the COM
many. the excursion was intended TO celebrate the
eightieth anniversary of Dol. Robinson superin-
tendsnt Of the road and to afford = visit, 10
second one) to the bridge across the Rigolets the
Creosote works at West Pascagoula and the Battle
House dining-room in Mobile. The programme
WAS carried out faithfully throughout, particu.
lsrly the Battle House part OF it. where speeches
we're INDUCED 10 by The Mayors II Mobile and
New Orleans, the Hon. Henry 81. Paul and other
gentlemen who happened to be present. or
course the remarks Of the speakers were all very
felictous and directed TO ensure the prosperity OF
Mobile and New Orleans aud the New Orleans
and Mobile Railroad. IL Ia reported that every
body slept well that night.
The excursion must have, indeed, been pleas
ant Affair." judging FROM all accounts given Of Il !;
bnt " seems TO have lacked one element--that IL
its object For II must be remembered that such
excursions are not gotten up entirely for
pleasure, but more particularly for tie purpose
Of advertising the roads on which they occur; to
show the peffec,ion OF their appliances. the
safety Of conveyance, and good many set
ooterAs.o conducive of the welfare of IL @ road
and the comfort aud security Of passengers.
And In this instance the press was not only not
Invited to give free advertise ment to the i'm.
provements made to the read within the past
few months, but 1t WAS only through the enter
prise Of It's reporters that the DEMOCRAT was in
Formed that tuch an excursion was contem-
plated. With these facts Ia our mind we thought
that the Mayor might have ascertsined the pur.
pose oil the trip during his twenty four hours
hence We ventured to ask him about il yesterday
morning, even before he had shaken off the dust
Of travel from bis garments.
Aud said we to his Honor. "They want some
thing, don't thew What liz itp" 'Yes," replied the
Mayor, "their object IL to establish workshops In
This city, which would be of great advantage to
ri" and he went on describing the magnificent
Workshops Of The Mobile and Ohio railroad at
Whistler, ak or seven miles out OF Mobile, which
the party had visited on Saturday afternoon.
TO enable the New Orleans and Mobile Oom-
pany TO establish workshops OF the kind In New
Orleans, the Mayor added.a that for his part he
would be inclined to grant IL the use of city
property. Without growing enthusiastic over
the proposition we felt very kindly towards the
C0mpAny for it's good intentions towards New Or
leans. Unfor unately our feelings were to be too
soon dispelied, for unconsclously the fact pre-
scented itself to our mind that there was a diff
Guilty In the way vi transferring the workshops of
the New Orleans and Mobile Railroad from Mo-
bile to New Orleans. For If our memory serves
az Alright, according to the provisions
Of the charter OF this company.
granted by the Legislature of Alabsma,
Il IL made obligatory upon them to establish and
maintain their workshops 10 the city OF Mobile.
We communicated our thoughts to the Mayor,
but bis Honor knew nothing about the matter.
We had to conclude, however, that the object Of
the excursion was not to secure grounds for the
erection of workshops. What was then the OBJ
ject? A cruise Of an hour or SO through the
halls OF the municipal buildings finally revealed,
4 not facts, good deal OF gossip, the gist Of
which WAS that the Mayor was mistaken: that the
object OF the railroad company IL was true, was
% secure grant Of land from the city, not for
the erection OF workshops, however, but for the
construction OF passenger depot. Il seems
that Tor several years the company has en- en-
deAvoring to obtain the use Of the strip OF bat
ture extending from Common to Poydras street,
Tor the purpose without. however, meeting much
encouragement on the part of the city authori-
ties. And now, from what We have learned at the
CAty Kali, their proposition is that the city shall
make them present OF the equsre Of batture,
Sbotween Oustomhouse and Canal streets, vsri
cusly estimated At being worth from $4,000 to
w, GOO, to erect the aforesaid passenger depot.
II must be admitted that the proposition ia
not considered as exactly equitable by some OF
our city officials, at least aud that il the New
Orleans aud Mobile Company need the ground
very badly they will have to pay for ii like any
Uther common mortal. 30 much for the creo.
sote excursion.