Louisiana capitolian., 1880-07-01
BATON ROUGE A SEAP0RT-WHY
NOT2
New Orleans Democrat.

and, among other possibilities, dis
cusscs that of its becoming seaport.
On this point it says:
The idea that Baton Rouge light
ut no very distant day become u for
midable rival to New Orleans as
seaport will doubtless excite the mirtll
of our contemporaries of the Crescent
City. For the fun of the thing, how
ever, we'll draw a picture Of the high
land metropolis of the future:
In the first place, an ocean steamer
can reach our town in nine or ten
hours after passing New Orleans; and
find no impcdiment in the way Of
sand bars or any thing else at any
stage of water. She can get as near
the bank at Baton Rouge as at New
Orleans.
There is nothing to prevent grain
elevators and cotton congresses from
being erected here, and on the most
solid ground imaginable.
Then the enormous wharfages eX-
acted at New Orleans can be reduced
to a mere fraction at this place.
1t must he borne in mind, too, that
every bale of cotton that is carried to
New Orleans via the Mississippi river
has to pass Baton Rouge before it is
landed at the former place, where it
is reshippel.
The facf is that Baton Rouge with
It's wonderfully healtlful site, is situ-
ated at the foot of the cotton belt.
This is no subject for riliculc, and
we regret to find Brother Jastrcmski
Crcditing us beforehand with dispo-
tion to sneer. We are quite aware
that since the consummation of the
work Of the .jettics, the banks OF the
Mississippi river from New Orleans
up to Baton Rouge, or even above,
constitute little more than the protec-
tion for deep water land locked
harbor. Anywhere along this great
reach Of river front is u possible sea
port. Wherever there is the energy,
the enterprise and the capital to pro-
vide proper facilities, there may be
warehouses, presses, elevators,
wharyes, ETC., and there tho argOsies
Of the world may find safe and spa
cious moorings. Far from laughing
ut this picture of the CAr1ToLIAN's
We recognize in 1t every essential ele-
nlent Of reality. Some time may
elapse before q serious rivalry to New
Orleans can bc set on foot, but there
is no inherent obstacle tos,,ch rivalry
as we well know.
Baton Rouge is II delightful, lappi.
ly-located town. 1t has every natural
qualification for u large commercial
depot, and needs only a development
of it's resources. Should this develop.
mcnt be undertaken upon an adc
q''ate scale, we quite agree that any
disposition to disparase the ambition
of Baton Rouge would speedily b,
checked. There is no such disposi
tion, however, and we regret that TIN
CArITOLIAN saw fit to take it to1
granted in advance and to include :
corresponding dispamgement of New
Orleans in its remarks.
10 one count in the CArIToLIAN'
proposition we must beg to enter al
objection. 1t says:
Mobile, with an air line railwa,
traversing the pine land region, thu
avoiding the marshes of the Rigolets
could strike the Mississippi river a
Baton Rouge, just 1870 miles aboy'
New Orleans, and there receive th'
freights borne by the Western barge
and steamers, and connect also will
the system Of railways of Westerl
Louisiana leading to Texas and TIN
Red river valley.
This, with due respect to the Carl
roLlAN, is going altogether too far
Why, pray, should trieghts, seeking
ocean transportation, leave the Mis-
sissippi river at Baton Rouge to go t.
Mobile is not half as n.ucl, Of sea
port this as Baton Rouge is. Vessel
can be loaded at the Baton Roug'
levee-vessels drawing twenty feet
and steam straight to Liverpool
without breaking cargo; but wha
vessel of that draft or anything lik'
It can load at Mobile! TO load thu
average ocean steamship from Mobile