The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1878-05-12

(eW Orleans limos hlT' NHhllth
man whose death was announced
Av',,srday, was born in Clinton Conneo-
/ .ot an the 2lst Of April, 1898, and NJ
''ss ses of fourteen went TO New York
"..earch of employment, lie speedily
Jnined situation as clerk IN agrooery
',,,D subsequently setting up on his
avn account, enlarging his business 30
y.to include the importation of West
India Tuit standardization,
,.ysral sohoOners aud bllRs and finally
,,mnning line Of vessels, all his own,
IN that trade,
lie started the first steamer from New
york TO Charleston, South Carolina,
rorchasng un interest IN the Dlyi Il
kroWp, aud subsequently adding the
William Gibbons, Columbia and New
ywk. which constituted II weekly line
nyjng between these two cities In 1885,
nor 10 Texan Independence, Mr. Nor,
s.o nnugurated steam communication
6elwetn New Orleans and Galveston,
g dlspatchmg the Columbia lhither
Al thai time but single house stood
an Galveston island, there We're no
Wharyes, and the first cargo Was landed
in ,cows. From such small beginning
tbe business Of this pioneer in the
Texas trade gradually increased into u
fleet Of vessels, and eXten led TO Indian
ola and Bra2os Santiago
l.. 1874 Ma Mnpunn palin,uiuh al "A
oorton of his interests to the southern
steam ship company, still retaining
large share Of the stock, and vessels
we're dispatched to Vera Cruz A year
later line of steamers were placed on
the Florida coast touching at Pensacola,
Apalachicola, ST, Marks, Cedar Keys,
Tampa bay and Key West,
TWAS about this time that Vanders
bilt, who, for year, in conjunction
with the Opelousas railway, ran an OPP
position line to Texas, concluded to sell
out and Mr.. Morgan purchasing his
steamers, entered into the arrangement
which continued aiterward under his
Individual proprietorship up to the
present time.
About this time also Walker was in
Nicaragua, and the steamship Tens
nessee another of Mr.. Morgan's vessels,
piled regularly between New Orleans
and Galveston, and the steamer Coat,
aCealcos was built TO run in that line.
The fall of Walker and compromise
with Vanderbilt on the Pacific, induced
the withdrawal Of these ships, and the
Texas Florida business continued until
The out break of the war.
)lr Morgan's transactions since then
ATE comparatively fresh in the public
mind.
His purchase for two millions of dol-
lars of the Opelousas and Great West
ern railroad, the elevation Of its road
bed, reNequipment of the track, and the
obstruction of the Houma branch are
oiNCent date. To facilitate the traffic
between Morgan City and Texas, Mr..
Morgan, at his own expense, dredged,
at the mouth Of the Atchalalaya
through the shell reef, a channel ten
feet deep and six miles long, and an
other channel from Galveston to Clin-
ton on Bufaly Bayou.
In 1877, he purchased fiveseights OF
the stock OF the Texas Central railroad,
which gave him a controlling interest
in the direct line of communication
from northern Texas to New Orleans,
and through line Of steamers to New
York.
In the year 1877, the legislature pass
ed an act granting certain franchises to
MOrgan's Louisiana and Texas railroad
and steamship company, with view to
securing rail communication with Texas.
This act was accepted by Mr.. Morgan
two months ago, and under its terms he
organized mammoth corporation 10
which he transferred his Louisiana and
Texas interests. Forty miles OF steel
rails, deliverable in August, at Algiers,
have been purchased for cash, and the
road from Morgan City to Vermilion-
vile, it is said, will be completed under
the arrangement.
Mr.. E. D. Morgan, the proprietor Of
the Houston and Orange road, is pledg
ed to close the gap between Orange and
Lake Charles; the estate of Charles
Morgan will build the remainder, and
the Mobile company will close the gap
between Donaldsonvillo and Vermlllon
vile, His most intimate friends assert
that rail communication with Texas
has been q pet scheme of Mr.. Morgan
Tor many years and that it was moi
until recently that plans had arranged
themselves to admit of such consum
nation.
A carefully prepared article which
appeared in the Times, number o
years ago, contained a statement, basec
upon accurate data, that Mr.. Morgan
gave constant employment to five thou
sand men. Since then this number
must have been considerably increased
The owner from first to last OF on
hundred and seven vessels, steam ant
@ll, and the employer within slxt.
years of many thousands, there wa
probably never one during this perlo'
gilmore than lifetime who treated hi
subordinates with more uniform coui
'esy, or watched their interests NOR
'crupulously.
10 be employed by Charles Morga
and to perform ones duty was tanta
mount to remunerative occupation TO
Tile with as much certainty of advance
ment as is accorded in any of the othe
Vocatlons. Men who have grown gra
~ his service have rarely had occasion
regret the association, and score
cah date the commencement OF tru
prosperity to this connection.
several years ago Mr.. Morgan endowe
u his native village the Morgan schoo
which is mentioned as one of the mos
elegantly constructed and admirabl
sOnducted educational establishment
IN New England.
While his death at this particulf
uMe' when what appears to have bee
ue browning effort of useful life WI
!st In embryo, must in remote degrt
aneet public interests, it is not believe
sust his plans will be materially mod
ned. Rather the reverse; the be