The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1880-08-03
Railroads. 10 Texas

Normilllon Letter TO the New Orleans
Democrat: So much having been said rela-
tive to the opening of the line of railway
communication from New Orleans aud
Texas, and the great interest felt in the mat.
ter at leach end Of the line" an interview
was sought by your representative on his ar
rival here with Judge j. G. Patterson, the
general agent at this point of
THE LOUISIANA WESTERN.
From Judge Parkerson it was learned that
the road is now completed and in running
order from Q Mermentau cross ne westward
to the Texas line at Orange, where connec.
ton is made with tn Texas and New Orleans
ro0d to Houston. East of the 1lermentau
river the track is laid for q distance of twenty
two miles westward from Vermilionville,
leaving graded gap of some fourteen
miles, which is now being tied and ironed
~ fast as a force Of about seventy hands
will permit. The bridge over the
hermentau river is rapidly nearing COM
petion and will be ready for trains to pass
over by the fifth day of August when the
delay heretofore experienced in getting cross
Ties will be obviated, and by the fifteenth of
August it is confidently believed, ''the last
spike between New Orleans and Texas will
be driven. All the steel rails necessary to
complete the work are on hand The DELAY
in the progress of the work of late has been
mainly in consequence of scarcity of
hands; but basing u calculation on the pres
ent force employed, the public may con-
idently rely upon the through connec-
ton being made at the time above designated
or say, by September |, 1880. This COM
pany has already completed at Vermillion-
vile a fine nd-house, and are soon to
commence the construction of machine shops
Mt the same point. In connection with the
management of the Morgan road the Louisi-
ana Western has finished commodious
freight depot, and is now preparing to con-
struct on grand scale union passenger de-
pot and ealing house. This building will &C.
cupy ground space of lao feet square, and
when completed will surpass anything of the
kind in the state The brick for the founda.
ton is already on the spot and the.lumber is
on the way.
MoRGAN's LOUISIANA AND TEXAS
is being rapidly extended toward Opelousas,
the main portion of which is already graded
and ready for The iron, while the track is
laid and construction trains running for a
distance OF over twelve miles from Vermil-
lionyille. The progress of the work has been
delayed somewhat on account of the neces-
sary construction of a bridge across bayou
Carencro; but as this bridge was completed
| on Thursday last, and tracklaying resumed
on the following day, the work will now
be pressed forward as rapidly as the
aboring force now employed will allow.
The present speed of track-laying is about
three-fourths Of mile per day, and it is ex-
pocted that trains viii run to 0pelousas from
Vermillionville on or before September |,
the time fixed upon for the completion ofthe
Louisiana Western. After this the Morgan
road will ba pushed onward to Alexandria
with the utmost speed, corps of surveyors
in the interest of the road and the contractors
having started out last week to designate a
permanent line and to secure the necessary
right Of way.